Ashoka Newmedia

When you feel tired or under too much stress, you can try yoga to relax yourself. Yoga has become one of the most popular health trends around. Yoga has become so popular in recent years, and it's easy to overlook the fact that it is actually one of humankind's oldest activities. It is believed that yoga is originated from shamans in Indus Valley over 5000years ago. Shamans were regarded as the holy men of early human civilization. It is said that they can communicate with the spirit world to find solutions to problems facing their people. Over time, these shamans developed a system of mental and physical exercises to expand their consciousness, and thereby give a new perspective on the problems of...

For a quick fat loss, try Hatha Yoga, a relaxing mind and body exercise guaranteed to keep you fit and sound. It's affordable and practical. All you need is just your own yoga mat and you can do it at home anytime you want. Yoga is one of the ancient exercises that can give an impressive and quick fat loss through the use of meditation. Meditation is the process of controlling the mind and body functions to develop a peace of mind. Rooted in the teachings of Buddhism and Hinduism, it originated in India for almost 20,000 years ago. Since then, it's believed to reduce stress and improve muscular flexibility. Apart from its health benefits, it also increases mental concentration and revive our...

Whilst you have been to Shimla, Kashmir, Kerela and other wanted Indian journey destinations, there may be few places that are still hidden under the canopies. Bhutan is a spot that is probably not on the 'Steadily Visited Places in India" checklist, however individuals who have visited the place want no testimonials of Bhutan's tranquil halo. For many who have not been on the land of pseudo Shangri-La, let us embark on a short journey to this compact place. Below the covers of rich history, spiritualism and ethnicity, Bhutan tours offer a stimulating combination of imposing mountains (usually clad with snow), placid sceneries and pleasant weather. Bhutan is known by several names like Land of the...

The Potala Palace is the symbol of Lhasa, the regional capital of Tibet. Situated on Red Hill in northwest of the city, the Potala Palace was originally built as the residence for the marriage of Emperor Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wenchang in Tang Dynasty. The palace was destroyed twice in its history. In 1645, it was rebuilt and expanded by Dalai Lama V. The entire project took about half a century to complete. The main architecture of the Potala Palace is composed of two parts: Places used by the Dalai Lama as his living chambers and for political activities; and holy stupas of the successive generations of Dalai Lamas and various Buddhist halls. The first part is the White Palace, built in 1645...

The Scholarly Beginnings of Western Buddhism HOW BUDDHISM CAME TO THE WEST It is said that at present Buddhism is firmly established in England, Germany, France, and the United States. The religion of the Buddha has taken firm roots in Western soil, and only time is needed for the roots to go deep. And it was through the efforts of Western scholars, not Buddhist missionaries, that the seeds were sown for the growth of Buddhism in the West. The earliest knowledge of Buddhism came to the West in the early part of the 19th century, when European scholars, mostly for academic reasons, began an earnest study of Buddhism which attracted their attention as a branch of oriental studies or as a part of...

"Before there was a Heaven and an Earth there was, in the final analysis, only li ("principle")...There being li ("principle") then there was ch'i ("energy") and its flowing, traveling, and creative acts..." Chu Hsi (1130-1200), Commentaries "Bow deeply three times," my father instructed my 8-year-old brother and me many years ago. "When your turn comes, you both take five steps forward to the table in front, and honor your ancestors by bowing." "I don't see any ancestors..." I said. I had about as much interest in this ritual as I had in jumping off a cliff. "It seems so stupid that everyone has to bow before these candles and incense!" "They are joss sticks, and they are to honor your ancestors...

If you were to ask people what they would wish for most, most would likely say happiness. At least that is what the majority of people seek out subconsciously. Sure, they may ask for riches or fame but the real desire internally is to be happy. If given a choice, many would also like to avoid any suffering or pain of any kind. That is what the Buddhist teachings tell people. But the more that people work at getting a better job or trying to improve their external life, the more pain and suffering they bring down upon themselves. The Buddhist religion owes all of its credos to Buddha and the history of Buddha is fascinating. The history of Buddha all began thousands of years ago with a prince named...

n Buddhism with its major sect of Chan ran the same course of development and decline1 as in China until the annexation by- the Japanese in the year 2453/1910. Then, under Japanese rule (2453-2488/1910-1945), Korean Buddhism underwent a great change. The Japanese brought with them Japanese Buddhism together with the beliefs, practices and activities of the different sects. They set up their temples and introduced social and educational programmes. Buddhism seemed to be restored to life. But, to the Korean Buddhists, the Japanese brought also the worst corrupting element, that is, the practice of married monkhood which they encouraged by policy and which completely destroyed the Korean Buddhist...

The philosophy of the Zen Buddhist is catching on more and more these days. Many people are choosing to show their interest through their jewelry. There are many different religions practiced throughout the world, and while some have seen a decline in their practitioners in recent years, others have become more popular. Buddhism has gained many followers in the last few decades, due to its practices of inclusion, non-violence and, in the case of Zen Buddhism, meditation. Now, from Buddhist paintings to necklaces, there are more ways than ever to showcase your Buddhist beliefs. Zen Buddhism is a particular school of Mahayana Buddhism that believes in meditation in order to obtain a spiritual...

g the same period of time as political unrest was going on in South Vietnam, there was a great change in the Roman Catholic Church which helped the Catholics to adjust themselves to different conditions and situations more effectively. This was the result of the Second Vatican Council which was held in Rome at Vatican City from 1962 to 1965 (B.E. 2505-08). Among the decrees and declarations passed by the Council, the Declaration on (the Church’s Attitude toward) Non-Christiap Religions promulgated on Oct. 28, 1965 is worthy of special mention here. The Declaration accepts all non-Christian religions for whatever is good and just in them. It says that in the advanced religions such as Hinduism...

Hey, noble one! Recognize that you are in the between. Now, since the life cycle is in suspension, all things dawn as lights and deities. All space dawns full of azure lights...pure reality manifest in subtle, dazzling visions, vividly experienced, naturally frightening. Do not fear...you cannot die. It is enough just to recognize such visions as your own perceptions. --Tibetan Book of the Dead (The Great Book of Natural Liberation through Understanding in the Between, Sogyal Rinpoche trans.) Fearing death, I went to the mountains. Over and over again, I meditated on death's unpredictable coming, and took the stronghold of the deathless, unchanging nature. Now I am beyond all fear of dying...

If you had to pinpoint one thing that is essential in the Buddhist practice it would have to be meditation. It is a deep breathing exercise that works to clear stress and helps focus concentration. Many people mistakenly believe that meditation only involves taking deep breaths but there is more to Zen meditation than just that. The practice of Buddhist meditation is one as old as the religion itself and it plays a fundamental role in achieving balance and harmony in a person's life. If you are going to practice Zen meditation, then you are going to have to use the zazen. The zazen is all of the positions, breathing and mind clearing exercises that every Buddhist uses. The Tibetan Buddhist and even...

!---- End Ad Box ---> As a financial economist my motivation has long been to understand a simple academic koan: “why is there scarcity in an abundant world?” A koan is a question in the history and lore of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, to which the answer is inaccessible to rational understanding, yet may with great effort be obtained through accessing our higher collective mind. The motivational force driving my financial studies and research rests in the little known fact that the planet earth and this universe have such great abundance that no living being need lack anything! Here is another real noodle twister. Did you know that quantum physicists are people who have dedicated themselves to...

There are many aspects of the Buddhist life that call out to people, yet for those who are not familiar with Buddhism it can be a difficult journey to understand. There are many mantras, or teachings, that Buddha gave to the world. Different sects study different mantras and often believe that theirs is the way to enlightenment. Buddha taught in his life that enlightenment was attained through the abdication of earthly possessions but his later mantras were taken up by Nichiren Buddhism and this message changed. Just as there are different variations of the same religion found in the United States, i.e. the Baptist faith versus the First Baptist etc., there are different branches of Buddhism. What...

Nepalese Shamanism: The Way of the Shaman Nepal is called home to just about sixty distinguished ethnic and tribal groups, and at least half of those groups practice some type of shamanism. Unsurprisingly so, the shaman songs and shaman themselves reflect upon a highly diverse spectrum of influences. The influences that can easily be seen and heard in the shaman songs include Tibetan “Bon” shamanism, Tibetan Buddhism, and early forms of Hinduism. In is very likely that some, if not all, of the healing practices in Buddhism and Hinduism in this region share a common origin with Himalayan shamanism. Nepalese shamans are a part of different religious groups and therefore do not see themselves nor...

If you lived on a desert island in the middle of nowhere and there wasn't any information on the island, you could make up your own religion without any competition. No one would ever question anything that you did and you wouldn't have any problems convincing yourself that your religion represented the truth. I guess something like that would be okay, if you lived somewhere, where there wasn't any information. There wouldn't be any problems, if you lived within a community, where everyone believed the same thing and never questioned anything. I don't think you would ever have any problems about your religious beliefs, if you lived inside of a building with out any access to the world around you. Am...

Since the 1990's interest in Tibetan culture has grown as this once inaccessible part of the world has hit the headlines again and again. This article considers the importance of jewelry pendants to this magical Chinese province steeped in history and tradition. Jewelry pendants -- prayer boxes Tibetans wear jewelry as a symbol of their Buddhist beliefs. Their jewelry often takes the form of important deities or symbolizes important Tibetan rituals like mantras or dorjes. Pendant necklaces are an important part of Tibetans' daily lives. The most important and symbolic type of jewelry pendants found in Tibet and Buddhism are prayer boxes. A prayer box or Ghau (also spelled Gau or Gao), is a Tibetan...

Have you ever been driving and not remembered how you got to your destination? It's as if there was some sort of blank period where your mind had wondered off somewhere. You were subconsciously still steering, accelerating, braking and navigating but you're darned if you can remember the trip! What exactly were you thinking of? How were you feeling? Our thoughts and feelings are prevalent throughout the day and carry through to our sleeping hours. Are you totally aware of what your mind does as you are washing the dishes, driving a car, playing sport, or do you let it wonder? Have you ever sat down to eat a meal with others, only to find that you've finished the whole plate when they might have...

The main purpose of meditation is to seek harmony and peace; to get rid of the daily life illusions and to awake from ignorance. Meditation gongs are used in Asian and mostly Buddhist practices. The special sound that it produces helps people stay focused and not lose control of their thoughts and mind. It creates a special atmosphere that provides that necessary support for people to continue practicing and not quit after the first two or three sessions. In the western world, singing bowls and meditation gongs are considered to be something really exotic and those who are fond of Asian cultures, traditions and martial arts, often have something similar in their houses. Nowadays, meditation gongs...

hose behaviour is in accordance with the Dhamma has the nature of a human being or a deva. He may be said to be free from vice in the present life and he need have no fear of going towards misfortune for he is sure to attain a state of good fortune. For one who abstains from evil, the teachings of Buddhism do not say that one will never again do wrong things, but the good actions which one has done give one a good basis of security for the future. As for one who abstains from evil by abandoning the tendency to do evil, he must have attained one of the Transcendental-Realms of which the Path-of-Stream-Winning (Sota-Magga) is the first. As for ordinary people (Puthujjana) who have not yet entirely...

Some of the most significant sutras written in the Mahayana scriptures found in India and China include the Lankavatara sutra, the Diamond sutra, the Lotus sutra and the heart sutra. A subset of the Mahayana sutras is Zen Buddhism. Some of the important points of Zen Buddhism are as follows:o Buddhist philosophy includes certain issues such as the eightfold path, the five skandas, the four pure truths and the three dharma seals. These are also common to the teachings of Zen Buddhism, although the teachings of this subset of Buddhism are confined by those of Mahayana Buddhism only.o Some of the Chinese influences such as beliefs of Taoism also find presence in the Zen teachings. The latter is free...

Many people generally have misunderstanding about vegetarian practice, or eating foods from the plant kingdom. Are you one of them? How about read on to find out why you can have a second opinion on vegetarian practices, and what this lifestyle is about. Generally, vegetarians may be divided into four groups: 1. Vegans 2. Semi Vegetarians 3. Lacto-OvO Vegetarians 4. Lacto Vegetarians Generally, you don't have to follow this categories strictly. It is entirely up to you. This categories are easier for you to identify the types of food suitable for each category. Thus, you may want to know the difference between them... Vegans eat no animal foods at all; while Semi Vegetarians generally avoid meat but...

Located towards the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, the city of Varanasi is known to be one of the famous Hindu pilgrim places of India. Earlier known as Benaras or Kashi, this old city finds its name mentioned in the ancient Rig Veda as well. Being situated on the banks of the Holy Ganga with a significant religious and historical backdrop, Varanasi is especially known for mysticism, spiritualism and Indian philosophy. The narrow by lanes, the ghats, temples, ashrams are the very essence of Varanasi, visited by millions of tourists and devotees throughout the year. This article will provide you a brief information on what to see in Varanasi. Varanasi has immense cultural significance...

Dreams have been an integral part of the cultures of the Orient since the dawn of time. In particular, India and China have a vast treasure trove of dreams that have been a part of their respective cultures for millennia. Of all these dreams however, arguably one of the most interesting is that of Phags-Pa, a Tibetan monk, who, according to legend, altered the course of Mongolian history and culture as a result of his dream. It is said that 'Phags-pa's dream occurred after Khublai Khan, the exalted ruler of the vast Mongol Empire, made a specific request to meet with the monk to come to understand the central tenets of Buddhism. Unfortunately their initial meeting did not go as planned as 'Phags-Pa...

Mecca, Saudi Arabia has been one of the most important cities on the Arabian Peninsula for over 4,000 years. Being the birthplace of Muhammad in 570AD and the home of the largest mosque in the world, the Grand Mosque, Mecca is considered by Muslims to be the holiest site of Islam. Since the 7th century AD, Mecca has hosted millions of Muslim pilgrims from all over the world on their way to Hajj. During the time period around 630AD, Muhammad was successful in uniting the warring tribes of the Arabian Peninsula into a single nation, under one God. With this truce, there followed centuries of relative peace with most of the local tribes choosing to accept Islam as their own faith and using Mecca as...

Why is it important that we study demonology? It is important that we understand what the Bible has to say about demon spirits because so many people throughout the world fear and do not understand how to combat demonic forces. I have traveled to over 50 countries and 6 continents, which gives me a great deal of respect for these people. My travels however also give me much objectivity and a genuine look at reality, which our TVs do not fully depict. In Tibet, it is believed that the forces of nature are ruled by spirits and that spirits inhabit everything: rivers, rocks, caves, mountain paths, trees, their dwelling places and even man himself. Man could be possessed by bad spirits, therefore...

e United States, an American went to work for the revival of Buddhism in a Buddhist country before Buddhism was introduced to America. This person was Colonel H.S. Olcott who went to Ceylon in 2423/1880, established the Theosophical Society, and worked for the revival of Buddhism, Buddhist culture and education in that country. His famous book “Buddhist Catechism” is a work of great clarity. In an attempt to outline the basic beliefs of the Buddhists to which the Theravada, Mahayana and all other schools could agree, Olcott wrote in 2434/1891 “Fourteen Basic Buddhist Beliefs” which was accepted by Buddhist leaders of several countries at a congress in Madras.1 In 2436/1893...

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is one of the six provinces of the Bangkok Metropolitan Area with a population of over 5,000,000 people. In Bangkok, you will find people mainly from three races. 80 percent of the local population is Thai; 10 percent consists of Chinese immigrants; 3 percent of the population is Malay while the balance is a mix of Mons, Khmers and Hill Tribes. Bangkok has always been the migratory crossroad and this was quite evident from the 19th century until World War II. Many Chinese came to Bangkok looking for work as jobs were scarce in China. The Chinese population in Bangkok was so large that even street signs had to be written in Chinese. However, after the end of World...

It is a better idea to know about the culture of the country, which you are planning, got to spend the vacation with your family. Cambodia is one of the greatest countries in Eastern part of Asia Continent. The culture here plays a significant role in uniqueness of the people. In earlier days, They have suffered with internal war and some issues. Now, the country putting its past behind to embrace the twenty fist century. Most of the people around the world are interested to choose this as a destination to spend vacation with their family members. However, this country has a vibrant, exciting tourist travel destination are offering an opportunity to set back the history behind. The people here are...

Buddhist art flourished during the 2nd century BCE when sculpture became clearer and depicted the whole life of Gautum Buddha and his teachings in the form of sculptural episodes. It took form of friezes in relation to the decoration of stupas. In India from where the Buddhism actually started, Buddha was never shown in human form but through his symbols. The reluctance in showing Buddha in human form was due to many of his sayings which are mentioned in "Dighanikaya" that discouraged showing himself in human form after his demise. The human representation of Buddha started in 1st century CE in Northern India. The two main centers of creation have been identified in "Gandhara" in today's North...