Kagyu Nl

REVIEW OF LITERATURE When a Sadguru, or spiritual master first receives a novice or a candidate seeking Truth, one of the first steps that the master would assure himself is the sincerity and the purity of motive of the candidate requesting initiation into the mysteries. In order to augment or instill this sincerity and pure motive when absent, the master would speak to the candidate regarding death. The master would advise the candidate to contemplate upon the meaning of death and the opportunity that life provides. The master would refer to the fact that death often comes, stealth-like, at an unannounced moment; that to be engrossed with trivialities is to waste one's life; that there are no...

The capital of Sikkim, is a unique hill resort of northeast India and undoubtedly one of the most oft-visited ones. Perched on the ridge of a hill at an altitude of 1700 mt, Gangtok is famous for its scenic beauty and spectacular views of the Kanchenjunga, their highest mountain in the world. The town offers a mild temperate climate with a temperature of around 23 degree centigrade in summer and around 6 degree centigrade during winter. Prime Attractions of Gangtok Do-drul Chorten The Do-drul Chorten or Stupa was built by the Venerable Trullshi Rimpoche, head of the Nyingma order of Tibetan Buddhism, in 1945. Inside the Stupa, there are complete mandala set of Dorjee Phurba (Vajra Kilaya), a set of...

The "Cha No Yu" meaning hot water originated as a Buddhist ritual. Eisai, the Buddhist Monk was famous for creating the Zen of this ceremony, as well as for planting the first tea plants in Uji, a region near Kyoto Japan. These tea gardens are now famous, and tea is a way of life for the Japanese. Tea, therefore; became popular throughout Japan and by the mid fifteenth century, Japanese monasteries had copied communal living from China. These "Sung" rules or rules of living included how to prepare and consume tea, and were held in special tea houses throughout Japan. The preparation and drinking of tea includes the Cha No Yu ceremony. The rules of this ceremony were founded by Murata Shuko (1422...

Religion in Japan more than a specific set of beliefs or doctrines practiced on a daily basis, is a blend of traditions that stem from the early teachings of Shintoism and Buddhism, and which most Japanese have incorporated into rituals and customs that are applied on special occasions, such as visiting a Shinto shrine to mark the birth of a new baby, or attending wedding ceremonies performed by Shinto priests. Buddhism also plays a large role in this religious heritage, in that most funerals in Japan are overseen by Buddhist priests, who in addition to their specific duties at the ceremony perform an ongoing series of rites on death day anniversaries of deceased family...

About Golfing Zen: This is the second in a continuing series of short essays dealing with the application of Eastern spiritual philosophy to your golf game. The surface intent is that, as you apply the ideas, your golf and your enjoyment of the game will grow. However there is also an underlying motive: as you are able to see gains on the course, you?ll then be moved to alter your approach to life as well. Today?s Topic: The Fundamental Truth In these articles, I?ll be simplifying as we talk about the Eastern philosophies, and this topic title is a good example. Buddhism actually opens its doors with The Four Noble Truths. The first of those is that our experience is marked by suffering. Living...

One of our personal experiences with our deceased friend with whom we related previously would substantiate this principle as described by Swedenborg: We once decided to visit our friend in the heavenly regions. We had some joyful news that we wanted to convey to her--news that she was waiting to hear while she was alive in the physical. Not knowing where she was or able to directly manifest before her, we were escorted by a guide to a lovely garden with a Greek temple in the midst of it. The garden was empty, or so it seemed. But while adjusting our sight, people appeared everywhere. They did not notice us, however. It was as though we did not exist in their eyes. Our escort went into the building...

The world is an illusion. This is a view held by Vedanta, Sikhism, Buddhism, Plato, Arthur Schopenhauer, Christian Science, and A Course In Miracles. Contradicting this view is your own sense experience of realness, the constancy of stimulus, the enduring nature of time and events. Which view is correct? The idea of the illusion or your experience of the realness? This answer proposes an objective observer, one who is not part of the system that is being observed. Newton held that time is absolute. Einstein held that it is relative to the observer. Perhaps that same paradigm shift can be applied to answering the question of what is real and what is not. Those who propose that the world is an...

"We begin from the recognition that all beings cherish happiness and do not want suffering. It then becomes both morally wrong and pragmatically unwise to pursue only one's own happiness oblivious to the feelings and aspirations of all others who surround us as members of the same human family. "The wiser course is to think of others when pursuing our own happiness." Dalai Lama : The current Dalai Lama, 14th Dalai Lama Source: Tibetan Lamaism. Regarded as vice-regent of the Buddha & the reincarnation of the previous Lama. The practice of Mahayana Yoga is not about the elimination of problems, but rather, to enable you to use the problems you experience to train the mind to welcome them; to train the...

Are you a Saint? A Zen Master? How about just a good human being? How do you know? What are the qualification? Are there any tests you can take to find out your spiritual growth? Yes there are. There are lots of ways to test your spiritual progress and life is constantly doing just that by giving you tests to help you evaluate yourself in order to make spiritual progress. There are also many ways to assess your spiritual level proactively and in this article I will provide one such illuminating test. Human beings are complex and so is life. I am glad it is so. The test I propose in this document is to evaluate some aspects of your being and is by no means a comprehensive examination...

This is the first of a series that will inform you about the benefits of wearing your mala and saying your mantra for each of the seven chakras. With the recent increased awareness of the many healing benefits of gemstones, mantras and malas, why not adorn yourself with jewelry that is both sacred and beautiful. Chakra is a Sanskrit word that means wheel and refers to a system of seven basic energy centers that carry energy, or prana, throughout the body. Open and balanced chakras lead to optimal health, vitality and consciousness. Today we will talk about the first chakra, called the root chakra, which is located at the base of the spine and forms our foundation. The element is earth and the...

Japanese paintings started off taking their inspiration from the Chinese. Today that still remains the case, but women and landscapes are generally the most popular types of paintings available. When it comes to Japanese interior decorating, paintings do tend to play a big part in it. Usually the paintings which the Japanese use in their homes are Chinese in style and they often can be fairly complex and interesting to look at. It is all about attention to detail and Chinese paintings offer the Japanese exactly what they are looking for, with some Japanese painters even preferring to paint in a Chinese style themselves. Japanese Paintings throughout the Years When you look back at Japanese...

Miniature trees are originally rooted in the mountains of China, where only a specific species of plants and trees grow. Because of its hostile weather conditions, the trees were often stunted and contorted. The strong mountain winds also left these trees twisted in ice and the cold. Essentially, it is nature that has rendered the inspiration for the art of potting trees as students of the art do their best to mimic what nature has created. By "training" trees through specialized means of pruning and shaping them to a desired height and structure, these students of the art were able to recreate the sample nature has provided. Bonsai, a Japanese term for "miniature potted trees", actually originated...

There are as many types of meditation techniques as there are wonderful flavors of ice cream. This allow each person to find a flavor that is delicious to them. In this article series I will provide an overview of many of the different meditation techniques that exist and hopefully this will help you find the style that is sweetest to you. Some meditation styles suit those of an intellectual disposition, while others are more attractive to those who prefer the path of love and surrender. Still others, with an active approach to life, may like the meditation techniques involving movement, while those with a strong mind would enjoy the approach of visualization and concentration. Overall, there are...

China has announced the Olympic Torch relay route for next year's Games in Beijing, with the flame scheduled to travel through Tibet and Taiwan on its way to the Opening Ceremonies. Chinese officials said the torch, a red-and-silver tube shaped like a Chinese scroll covered with a cloud design, begins its journey in Athens and will cover more than 137,000 kilometers. Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee head Liu Qi said the torch will pass through five continents and all through China. A video shown at the ceremony announced that toward the end of its international leg, the torch will go from Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City to Taipei, Taiwan's capital. Among its dozens of stops in China will be Tibet...

Who said Meditation was easy? Meditation is not easy. It takes time and it takes energy also, lots of it initially. Besides that, it also demands grit, determination and discipline. And we generally don't mention it frequently and take note of it, but it also requires a host of personal qualities like stubbornness, eagerness and perseverance. The American word 'gumption' goes a long way in summing it all up. In other words, Meditation takes 'gumption'. It is definitely much more easier to just kick back and watch your favourite television show. Or, just get into the usual pattern of idle gossiping of what is going around in the neighbourhood or some other idle chat. So, the question arises why...

In many of the vedic books that are available on the market today, readers can discover information concerning the ancient prophecies surrounding the Veda. The Veda are known to be the oldest scriptures in the world that deals with psychics, prophecy, and mystical powers and readers can find all of this information and more within vedic books. There are a variety of types of vedic subjects to be found in these books from psychic to clairvoyance to mystical powers, but all of these are included within the ancient prophecies. The prophecies that were given within the Vedas were given to all of humanity and are known as reliable and authentic as well as to give special empowerment. Many individuals...

Among the various Bookbinding methods developed by the Japanese, the Yotsume Toji binding is the easiest. The word Yotsume toji simply means four holes. So this is a four hole binding technique which even a small kid can do. Some steps in this bookbinding tutorial may be difficult to understand. Just start doing the steps and you will get it. Things to keep before starting - An awl - Big needle - Carpet thread or strong nylon thread - Paper clamp - Ruler The steps to make this binding are 1) Take the papers, arrange them properly and mark four points at equal distance with the ruler. Before doing that clamp near the spine so that the papers are held firmly. Keep the points at a small distance from...

It seems that nowadays, the meditation specialists discover more and more innovative and new ways that can help us, the practitioners, organize our lives properly - and circadian meditation is just one of these relevant examples. Even though the basis for this type of meditation have been known since old times, circadian meditation seems to attract many practitioners today, simply because it can actually co-work with our busy and dynamic lifestyle. What Does Circadian Meditation Mean? Circadian meditation is based on the circadian rhythm, the cycle of the body on a 24 hour period. This cycle includes the two major states, the awake state and the asleep state and it is essential for our health and...

Paul T. writes: "To my knowledge, no one ever founded a spiritual practice based on the preparation of a Starbucks Americano. Sure, some folks may have what constitutes as a religious commitment to that morning cup, but those snaky lines, noisy steam and the jolting nature of caffeine in coffee can make mindfulness a pretty tall order. Good ol' coffee and conversation considered, we've come to associate the dark pick-me-up more with passion and productivity then we do with self-contemplation. Organic tea, on the other hand, brimming with grace and femininity, was ennobled centuries ago into a religion of aestheticism - Teasim, if you will. According to Kakuro Okakura's Book of Tea, "Teaism is a cult...

To me, death is a teacher whose wisdom and simplicity can be awe-inspiring. Humanity, as a whole, fears death; however, death is inevitable. For as an old saying goes, you can win a million battles with death, but death only has to win once. This resistance to an inevitable part of nature brings a certain amount of pain and discomfort. When we come into this life, we are already starting to die as the sands of our life start to run. So many people see death as the enemy; these dame people don't always live life, which is an entirely different focus. Long ago, I realized that what we focus on tends to have a strong influence on our everyday lives. So one day I decided to focus on life...instead of my...

What if you could take an ordinary, functional object and transform it into a work of art? What if that object could add a peaceful, Feng Shui feeling to your home? Meet the Japanese rain chain, an object that can turn your rain gutters into a water sculpture. Rain chains are an alternative to the traditional gutter downspout, which controls the flow of water from your roof to the ground. Traditional downspouts are a square tube running along the side or corner of your house. A rain chain replaces that tube with a vertical chain running from your roof to the ground. Many rain chains feature cups strung along the chain. With or without cups, the rain chain controls the flow of water, keeping it away...

People everywhere all the time, you can't escape it. I guess you can leave if you want. You can go into the wilderness and build yourself a cabin somewhere unknown, hide in the woods, create your own home away from society, isolate yourself and become completely self sufficient. Maybe that would be good. Maybe it would be good to go out on your own and stay for an extended period of time in a remote location. Go somewhere away from the pace of city life. Come to think of it, at this day and age what an experience that would be for all the city dwellers who have never left the fast pace life of the metropolis to enter that unknown realm. It's funny because if the people I was surrounded with were...

Trimming and sculpting trees to bonsai has a long history. The first bonsai trees should have been planted in China already about 2000 years ago in trays. People mentions the miniaturised creation of bonsai trees in China Pensai. Besides, the typical growth forms of the tree vegetation are postformed in some provinces as a Pensai. In other provinces Pensai are formed rather in weird, symbolical shapes, for example, in dragon's figure. China had traditionally a great influence on the cultural development of Japan. Thus the Buddhism could gain a foothold beside the state religion of the Shinto rather early in Japan. Walking monks of the Zen Buddhism brought therefore the first Pensai to Japan. In the...

This is not the Karate Kid performing the Crane kick down at the beach with Mr. Miyagi, nor is it meditating like a Buddhist monk high in the mountains of Tibet. The word Zen gets thrown around all over the place; think of all the books labeled "The Zen of Blank". I do not wish to take a heavily used word like Zen and attach it to something that people will take and alter their life, consciousness, or spiritual understandings. No, I am going to use the word Zen how it was meant to be used and apply it to a specific aspect of life that we all deal with on a 9-5 basis, 5 days a week � Work. Across the planet people have all sorts of jobs and some lucky people don't need them due to financial...

The Land of Thunderbolt, Darjeeling is one of the most sought after holiday destinations in India. Lush greens, tall pines, cascading rivers and the majestic Shivaliks, all come together in Darjeeling to make it a paradise. Darjeeling offers picturesque views of the mighty Himalayas and is home to a rich cultural heritage. The best way to enjoy the scenic beauty of Darjeeling is to take a ride across on the Toy Train of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which takes you from Siliguri to Darjeeling. Darjeeling has a large number of beautiful tea gardens and a view from atop the Deolo Hill is sure to keep you spellbound for long. Lovely tea gardens surrounded by majestic high mountains on all sides...

There is quite a bit of talk these days in the media about meditation and spiritual enlightenment. Some might even think it is a rather trendy thing to "be into," yet it is doubtful that it will be one of those passing fads of the pop culture. The fact is that there are numerous methods of meditation, such as Zen meditation, that have been part of other cultures for generations, so it is not likely to be a passing craze, no matter how little Western culture truly understands it. There are numerous meditation techniques that people who are interested and want to learn to meditate can choose from. While all forms of mediation have some commonalities, the techniques do differ based on what part of the...

The Japanese tea ceremony is a traditional ritual influenced by Zen Buddhism in which green tea known as matcha is prepared and ceremoniously served by a skilled practitioner to a small group of guests in a tranquil setting such as a garden tea house. Chanoyu which means "hot water for tea" refers to a single ceremony that involves only tea, while the longer version known as Chaji "tea meeting" entails a full tea ceremony in which a light meal is also served, and can last up to four hours. Mastering the art of the tea ceremony includes years of study that can last a lifetime, as the student must be familiar with several interrelated disciplines such as flower arranging...

"The mind of the observer is integral to determining the nature of reality." ~ Alberto Villoldo, "Dance of the Four Winds" As I've said before, the surface view is the most limited view. I see it over and over in living my life and in working with my clients - what we see isn't what's there. Our interpretation is what creates the reality. And when we don't like the reality, sometimes we just have to change the lens we're seeing it through to see something different. That probably sums up a lot of my work with people, actually. By natural design, we cannot see ourselves and so we need either a mirror or someone to reflect us back to ourselves. The quality of the mirror determines the quality of the...