Kagyu Nl

We have a record of Indian thought for about 3000 years. It has directly affected such distant points as Balkh, Java and Japan and it is still living and active. But life and action mean change and such wide extension in time and space implies variety. We talk of converting foreign countries but the religion which is transplanted also undergoes conversion or else it cannot enter new brains and hearts. Buddhism in Ceylon and Japan, Christianity in Scotland and Russia are not the same, although professing to reverence the same teachers. It is easy to argue the other way, but it can only be done by setting aside as non-essential differences of great practical importance. Westerners are ready enough to...

Situated in Uttar Pradesh, Sarnath is one most-visited place in the Buddhist tourism circuit. This door to sanctity is believed to be the place of Lord Buddha, where He delivered his first holy doctrine after attaining enlightenment. Besides, the name of the place is derived from Saranganatha, Lord of the Deer. Attractions in Sarnath not only highlights Buddhism but travelers can enjoy a close glimpse of the events related to the erstwhile Emperor Ashoka. Major Attractions in Sarnath Dhamekha Stupa It is one of the marvelous edifices in Sarnath. The stupa is cylindrical in shape and measures about 31.3 m high and 28.3 in diameter. Its lower portion is adorned with beautiful stone carvings of Gupta...

There is no single sutra that describes the entire structure of the universe. However, there are several sutras in Buddhism that describe other worlds and states of beings that occupy them. There are other sutras that describe the origin and destruction of the universe. Buddhist picture of cosmos presented cannot be taken as a literal description of the shape of the universe rather the universe seen thru "divine eye" of the Buddha who perceived all the other worlds and beings being born and dying within those worlds where Buddha knows what state they have been born and reborn into. In Buddhism cosmology is explained in symbolical sense. Buddhist view of cosmology can be divided into two related...

Hinduism is a religion that teaches us the way of life. In this world the importance of personal identity is at the top but so should be our spiritual and cultural identity. To introduce ourselves we generally give our name & profession and other worldly details but do we really know our roots and where we belong to! Do our children know about our tradition, our culture, our religion, and our roots? Learning about one’s own religion and culture in childhood is important because this is the foundation age. Our childhood can influence most of our decisions and choices in life. Thus it is very important that we give very best to our children. If we can practice cultural values ourselves as...

White Tara Thangka(Sanskrit: Sitatara; Tibetan: Sgrol-drolkar) is also called the Mother of all Buddhas and she represents the motherly aspect of compassion. Her white color signifies purity, wisdom and truth. In iconography, White Tara often has seven eyes – in addition to the usual two, she has a third eye on her forehead and one on each of her hands and feet. This symbolizes her vigilance and ability to see all the suffering in the world. The "Tara of Seven Eyes" is the form of the goddess especially popular in Mongolia. White Tara wears silk robes and scarves that leave her slender torso and rounded breasts uncovered in the manner of ancient India. Like Green Tara, she is richly adorned with...

Let's own up to it. Everyone in this whole world is religious. Even the atheist is religious. His religion is humanism. There are many religions in the world. Some are worldwide while others are regional. There are 10 major religions in the world today. They are either monotheistic, polytheistic or pantheistic. The monotheistic religions worship one God. The polytheistic religions worship many gods. The pantheistic religions worship everything as god. Note: The atheistic religion is pantheistic. Some religions are based on fables/mythologies or sayings of their "wise" men. Some religions are based on historical facts. There are two ways to approach God. Two religions have God reaching down to us...

Have you ever stopped to consider during this huge controversy over the Catholic Church and the Da Vinci Code Movie that maybe we just need to ban all religions? Starting with whatever religion that the International Terrorists are and even the Catholic Church its self? I mean they have kind of blown it with this latest round of child molestations and they are known for playing both sides against the middle in previous wars. In fact with all the stolen art you have to wonder if that tactic did not serve them well, too well? If we consider these International Terrorists who obviously are a very problematic group as they go around killing as many innocent people as possible under the name of their god...

Religion can be a sensitive subject for some. Especially if you and your spouse do not share the same belief system. While not sharing the same religion doesn't condemn a marriage to failure, sharing the same belief is a large part of successful marriages. Many marriages of mixed faith do wonderfully well, but it can sometimes be a hard road learning how to respect each others different belief systems. Looking into it, many different religions teach that it is not wise to marry someone of a different faith or one who does not believe the same things you do. If you look at it, couples that have different faiths and are both strong in their religious values might just be inviting controversy into...

Class Morality The Marxist defined it as the morality of the proletariat (working class masses), the property-less masses which according to scientific communism; A glossary, includes "Devotion to the cause of the working class, collectivism, mutual aid, comradely solidarity, hatred toward the bourgeoisies (affluent class) and toward traitors to the common cause, internationalism, and stoicism in struggle.  The foundation of the Marxist ethical code is the inevitability of change and every aspect of man and the things relating to him changes. Thus, his ideas about morality are not left out. V.I Lenin gives an idea of the communist morality as the ethics or principles contrary to God's commandments...

Pro-independence protests marking the 49th anniversary of the March 10, 1959 revolt against Chinese rule have spilled over from Tibet into Tibetan communities in three neighboring provinces this weekend, even as Chinese authorities embarked on a harsh security crackdown in the wake of week long anti-Chinese violence. Reminiscent of events this past fall in Myanmar, the protests were initially sparked and led by Buddhist monks. Fearful that events might quickly spiral out of control, Chinese authorities have resorted to deploying plainclothes security agents dressed as monks in order to infiltrate and cut short any potential protests. Suspected participants in the protests have been trucked...

The information has reached its "control age", but religion's crucial roles in the field of humanity are still prevailing. And to a more surprising fact, to me, the world is on a fringe of ideological conflicts or differences. Reading a lot of philosophy and history materials, I have found that Buddhism has been accused of being "socialism initiative." The purpose of this article is to argue against this opinion and to reveal the world the true value of Buddhism and this value is never socialism. Buddhism teaches the truth to the world's people. Those truths are the eight-fold path, the four noble truths, the nothingness of materialism and the everything-ness of thought, the benefits of hard works...

It used to be that Buddhism was the only religion that accepted laughter. He you ever seen a statue or a picture of the laughing Buddha? Have you ever wondered why he's laughing? What is it that makes Buddha laugh? Is it wrong to laugh at religion? Buddha believed that laughing is a religious experience. He believed that when you're laughing you're in good spirits, you're higher up in your house, you're on a higher plane; you're closer to God. So, when you laugh, you're getting closer to God. It's like a religious experience. You get into a higher plane when you're laughing. It's like a ZEN experience. That's why you feel better when you laugh. You don't feel pain; you don't hate anyone when you're...

In this second of a two part series we're going to discuss Japanese Buddhist funeral customs continuing with the wake. The next part of the Buddhist service is the wake. The service is presided over by a Priest. The Priest arrives at the location of the wake and is given green tea. At this time he speaks with the family to go over any last minute details. During this time the guests arrive and take their seats on the floor if at the home or in chairs if at a funeral home. After everyone has arrived, the Priest turns to the altar, bows, lights incense and begins to read a sutra. During this reading the Priest gives a signal to the family to rise and go to the incense urn. From there they bow...

Diwali is the most celebrated festival in India - especially for Hindus and Jains. The term being derived from the Sanskrit word "Dipavali", which means the row of lights, the main festival happens on the no-moon day of the dark half of Kartik ( name of a month) as per the Hindu lunar calendar. Celebrated insanely in India, Diwali is also celebrated in many other parts of the world like Mauritius, Thailand, Fiji, Japan, United Kingdom, UAE, Netherlands, Myanmar, Malaysia, Australia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Nepal, Indonesia, New Zealand etc. Even in USA people of Indian origin celebrates Diwali with great pomp. What is most interesting in this regard is that the US house of representatives has passed a...

All around the world, thousands of different cultures all have a unique way to celebrate the spring harvest. Eastern cultures like Hindu and Buddhist cultures often hold celebrations which seem quite different from ours. However, there are in fact quite a few similarities. Baisakhi is a yearly celebration which takes place primarily in the cultural region of Punjab. Punjab isn't in any single country. Instead, it straddles the border between Northern India and Eastern Pakistan. Baisakhi (sometimes called Vasakhi), is a religious holiday of the Sikh, and it represents both the annual spring harvest and the beginning of a new solar year. It always falls on either April 13th or April 14th. Although it...

Vastu Purusha Mandala is a vital portion of the Vastu Shastra and represents the diagrammatic and mathematical basis for design generation. Here, Purusha depicts the power, energy, cosmic man or soul whereas Mandala forms the generic name for any type of plan or charts that constitutes the cosmos symbolically or metaphysically, which is universe's microcosm. Vastu Purusha denotes the emphasis of an area by resting his head in the direction of north-east which is a balanced thinking and his lower-body facing the south-west direction that signifies strength and stability. In the center is his navel, which depicts cosmic awareness, and his hand facing towards north-west and south-east depicting energy...

Eating out is never exactly a chore in mainland France, and the visitor is in for just as much of a culinary delight on the French Caribbean island of St Barth. There are over 50 restaurants mentioned in the excellent guide Saint-Barth Tables. It’s available free at the airport and lists all the menus and prices. In addition there are many smaller bars and eateries you might come across on your travels around the island. Don’t expect too many “local” dishes as apart from fish, just about everything else has to be imported and the fashion seems to be plenty of “fusion food” catering for the most sophisticated and moneyed tastes – which of course are not necessarily the same thing On...

Negative self talk and the inner dialogue that is continuously present in our mind is the basis and expression of the reality we are creating. We need to suspend this inner talk to reach a state of awareness and to connect with our inner center of knowing and being. In Mandala Coloring the focus is on the coloring and our inner dialogue is suspended. When this occurs there can be self discovery and an opening or ourselves to healing and creativity. The suspension of inner dialogue (which may be the "ego") allows a different perspective for situations from our past and provides new solutions. Carl Jung studied mandalas and he observed: The "squaring of the circle" is one of the...

The Book of Tibetan Medicine is now available in 11 languages world wide. English, Spanish, Norwegian, Greek, Portuguese, French, Hungarian, Estonian, Japanese, Chinese, Estonian. Written by Ralph Quinlan Forde who is a student of a number of Drikung Rinpoches. Go to the blog for The Book of Tibetan Medicine for more info... There you will find book covers in 11 languages, videos on Tibetan Medicine and where to order. The first illustrated guide to this holistic healing system, The Book of Tibetan Medicine, explains how the ancient Tibetan medical wisdom can be used to achieve physical health and spiritual wellbeing in the modern world. His Holiness The 17th Karmapa Trinlay Thaye Dorje ( has very...

Mind control is an old, natural and often misunderstood science. Only recently have psychologists began uncovering these secrets that have allowed governments and religious organizations to capture the hearts and emotions of their followers, sometimes leading to disastrous and horrible results. One doesn't have to look very far to see the devastating effect blind allegiance to a leader with evil intentions. Even today, the headlines are filled with such stories. If these happen, why are they possible? Did great religious organizations like the Catholic Church purposely set out to covertly grab the thoughts of millions? This was likely not the case. Rather, the church happened across these two...

Tbilisi sometimes called Tiflis, which is its medieval name, is the capital city of Georgia. Today Tbilisi is an important industrial, social and cultural city, a diverse city of various nationalities, cultures and religions. Tbilisi first became a capital city in the 6th century and although its rulers have changed several times its title as capital has not. Tbilisi is in East Georgia situated on opposite banks of Mtkvari River. The best time to visit is from early May through September. Check with your travel agent for information about passports, shots, visas and other information. Tbilisi has several important landmarks including the State Chancellery, the Tbilisi State Conservatory, the Opera...

Islam generally means peace, but it is the peace more on ones inner self after it has submitted oneself to the will of God Almighty and that is what the noble religion is all about. Islam has taught oneself to live harmoniously with its neighbors whose religion is other than Islam. It taught oneself to treat them with dignity and due respect irregardless of their faith, creed and race. The same way that Islam regards the relationship as mutual, that it is also treated as such in return. God is clear on this issue in dealing with other faiths when He said " There's no compulsion in religion, the truth is distinct from error" Islam neither tolerates oppression to anyone nor the interferences of the...

Anyone that has been doing any type of studying or showing an interest into what the Mormons believe and stand for and have a true knowledge of the Bible itself are going to realize that there are many fallacies that this particular religion falls into. Although one must admit that there are several interesting parts of the Mormon religion although not believable still have an interest to them. One of the biggest interests is the Celestial marriage. Keep in mind that the Mormon religion is the Church of the Latter Day Saints. If you are looking at the Celestial Marriage it is very important that you understand according to their believe what exaultation actually means in accordance to their believe...

By the year 1810 the slave trade to the United States came to an end and the population of the slaves begun to increase naturally. This made way to the transmission and the preservation of the religious practices that were African American. The slaves in the slave quarters organized their own invisible institution through signal, passwords and messages that were not understood by the white.   It proved very hard for the slave to preserve their religion in North America. Most of the slaves lived under harsh conditions and they were high death rates, which reduced their numbers. The salves were separated from their families and the tribal groups and this made it hard for them to practice. For those...

If you want to start a heated discussion, just bring up the subjects of religion or politics. People often feel strongly about one or both topics and from an early age we are taught to avoid talking about them at parties or similar events. Religion and politics are very personal subjects and many people have strong beliefs about them. For this reason, they are considered off limits in polite discussions. Wars are still being fought over the subjects. Many people aren't open to new ideas. They believe their views on religion and/or politics is the correct one. Some people feel comfortable with their opinions and are threatened by opposing ideas. They shut out new ideas to protect themselves. Other...

A comparative study of religion and Deen, should help us understand the vital and fundamental characteristics of each and the differences between the two: "Religion & Deen (Islam)" ? Religion is merely some sort of subjective experience and is concerned only with the so-called private relationship between God and man. Deen is an objective reality and a system of collective life. Every follower of a Religion is satisfied that he has established a communion with the Almighty, and the objective of each individual is his own salvation. The aim of Deen on the other hand is the welfare and progress of all mankind, and the character and constitution of a society indicates whether or not it is founded upon...

As far back children we are taught to avoid two subjects in polite conversation - politics and religion. The topics are considered taboo by some because people hold such strong opinions about them. So, in order to keep the peace, we are told to avoid talking about them in public. It is considered the polite thing to do. People hold their feelings about politics and religion very dear. Wars are continuing to be fought over them because many people feel their view is the correct one and feel threatened by opposing views. Those who feel that strongly are usually unwilling to open their minds to see others viewpoints. They are more comfortable with the familiar and don't like change. They may be unable...

-- End Ad Box ---> It seems everyone you meet these days is a self-proclaimed psychologist. From radio talk shows, television interviews, romance novels, weekly magazines, to cliques at work; everybody has an opinion on the latest “mental illness.” I was first introduced to practical psychology when I joined the United States Air Force in 1970. It was expected that Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) would become counselors to their subordinates. Profession military education devoted entire chapters and lectures on non-directive or eclectic counseling techniques. Maslow's hierarchy of needs was drilled into our heads. We were sternly warned to avoid any mention of religion, but instead to make...

Peru's principal religion is Roman Catholicism, as with many other Latin American nations. It is the official state religion and has been exerting influence on affairs of the state and daily administration for the past 400 years. Most church activities and clergy are centered in and around Lima, which is the state capital. Most of the official functions of the state are incorporated into the rites of the church. The investiture of the president begins with high mass in the cathedral, followed by Holy Week events and then the celebration of major Peruvian saints' days and festivals, like Santa Rosa de Lima. Historically, the policies of the Church have been considered very conservative and high...

I have grown up in a liberal society and my family environment carried liberal ideas towards every caste. My grandfather was a staunch Hindu but he respected every God fearing person. That was the reason why our house was a Mecca for most of the religious personalities. It is my basic but strong belief that every religion is united at humanarian level. If we listen to the authentic teachings of our great masters, whether he is Paigambar Sahib or Jesus Christ, there is one sole message through the whole sacred texts. That message is bold and clear, “Love every human soul, devoid of his caste or creed”. Our texts also say: “Vidya Vinay Sampane Brahmane Gavi Hastini Shuni ChaiveShavpakech Pandita...

We have a new religion in town, it is called the Religion of Comfort. People everywhere are joining this religion for the sole purpose of attaining more material possessions. In today's culture, comfort is synonymous with wealth or materialism. It not wrong to acquire the so-called comforts of life to make one feel materially comfortable and "happy". This is normal human thinking and behavior. However, when we focused our energies solely on acquiring wealth by all means and paying less attention to the spiritual aspect of our being we are fulfilling only one aspect of our existence. This way of thinking will cause us to join the Religion of Comfort. The Religion of Comfort alters our way of thinking...

Someone asked me this simple question: Can you make a simple statement to solve the dilemma of which Religion is the correct one? I said: let us see what the probability test says He said: what is the relationship between the probability test and the dilemma of which Religion is the correct one? Please do not make the issue complicated.   I said: the probability test puts forwards three logic probabilities 1. Judaism is the correct Religion and Christianity and Islam are wrong 2. Christianity is the correct Religion and Judaism and Islam are wrong 3. Islam is the correct Religion and Judaism and Christianity are wrong   Well, let us see the result of each probability 1. What if Judaism is the...