Ashoka Newmedia

Oh Great Spirit of the North we come to you and ask for the strength and the power to bear what is cold and hard in life. We come like the buffalo ready to receive the winds that truly can be overwhelming at times. Whatever is cold and uncertain in our life, we ask you to give us the strength to bear it. Do not let the winter blow us away. Oh Spirit of Life and Spirit of the North, we ask you for strength and for warmth. Oh Great Spirit of the East, we turn to you where the sun comes up, from where the power of light and refreshment come. Everything that is born comes up in this direction- the birth of babies, the birth of the puppies, the birth of ideas and the birth of friendship. Let[..]

Refreshing Reflections on the Cross "Trust in the Lord" is written for those hungry to contemplate and reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus and His great love, to see fullness replace emptiness and harmony replace loneliness. Deen Kemsley captures the heart of Christ's own thoughts as he reflects and shares intimate experiences of his own spiritual journey. Deem invites the reader to become familiar with the Savior at the cross to receive a new vision of who Jesus is, to know Him. He writes from his own personal experiences as well as from the experiences of others to illustrate the a walk with Christ to the Cross. He explains underlying truths and foundation of the Christian faith. He[..]

Is God sovereign? If you truly believe that he is then everything must be understood in the light of His revelation. A Christian should have a well rounded education including a knowledge of history and its relationship to God's revealed word. History seems to be an important concept in the Bible. How you understand history is important to how you react toward culture. If you look up "remember" in the Strong's Concordance you will find almost a full page of references. God constantly commands His people to set up reminders of His marvelous works. He commanded the Children of Israel to set up the Gilgal stones at the crossing of the Jordan, He set up the passover as a reminder of the[..]

It would have to be said that with most religions when a new leader takes over that there are some changes always made. When it comes to the Mormon prophet Gordon Hinckley this is more than true. It will only be in the coming years whether one will be able to decide whether or not what Hinckley did for his religious followers is good or bad. One of the key characteristics that Hinckley seemed to have was to able to use the general media for the agenda that he had for his church. Many believe that he was a master at deception it would seem that Hinckley out right lied to Time magazine about the doctrine of the Mormons and this was very confusing for the church of Latter day saints itself.[..]

One reason the rescue and relief effort regarding Katrina has been handled the way we're seeing it is because of the Spirit of Confusion that has settled over that region. As you know, we battle not against flesh and blood (Eph, 6:12). But we cannot expect the government and law enforcement agencies to understand this. Heck, most Christians don't even have a handle on this truth. Over the centuries, there's been a whole lot of witchcraft practiced down in the Gulf Coast, not to mention the mockery of what is commonly referred to as "Carnival," a word meaning, "to remove flesh" which has actually come to stand for sowing TO the flesh. In other words, during the week before Lent - a time[..]

A subtle drift is taking place in our culture and the institutional church today. My friend, the late Dr. Richard C Halverson former U.S Senate Chaplain, said, "Christianity began in Palestine as a relationship, moved to Greece and became a philosophy, to Rome and became an institution, and then to America where it too often has become an enterprise." A predominance of energy and resources go into institutional church programs, buildings and associated promotions that gratify our needs. The emphasis is often on MORE and BIGGER-the obsessions of our culture. Where are the prophets and voices that would call us back to commit our resources to meeting the needs of the broken and unreached[..]

Meditation is an allusive concept when one first chooses to try this form of process. Westerners generally pride themselves on their can-do attitude and work ethic. Meditation is often approached in a manner of needing to do something, when in fact it might more accurately be described as a method of undoing. When a novice Westerner approaches meditation practice, it may be with a "let's getter done" frame of mind. In fact, meditation may more realistically be approached as a method of entering a new path of not doing. The mind of every person is busy and elusively so to the extreme. When one combines the naturally erratic mind with the Western culture of activity, the result can be[..]

The medieval Japanese prose Tale of Heike and tale of Genjii are the works that have a high historical value. They give the true picture of life in medieval Japan and cover the main aspects of life of Japanese society of that period. These works have been translated by many historians and scientists. The most popular and most successful translation was made by McCullough and Helen Craig. It gives an informative background that helps to better understand the complicated nature of Japanese society. These works have a high value for studying because the topic covered in them gives the key explanation to the modern Japanese culture, values, traditions and mentality. Even though that these[..]

In this article I am going to share my experience of using, for the first time, a particular meditation aid. I have written about the benefits of using these aids. I have written articles stating that "yes, they do work!". I have also written about who should and should not use them. But to date I have never written about my own personal experiences of using them. I aim to remedy that situation now. For this particular experiment I used a purchased Binaural Beat from one of my favorite Binaural Beat makers. This article takes you through my experience using this particular track for the first time. I set everything up earlier in the evening so I didn't have to bother running[..]

Meditation has become very popular in the New Age movement. Consequently, many have begun to associate meditation as being something spiritual. Yet, you don't have to be a spiritualist to benefit from mediation. In fact, even the medical community is starting to recognize the power of this practice. Not only does meditation help change your state-of-mind, but it also keeps you healthier, as it helps promote better blood flow and oxygen consumption. Meditation can also put you on a path of dream fulfillment. Why? Well, through meditation, you clear your psyche of any anxiety that might be holding you back. Meditation also helps you visualize what you want, a process that is known to help[..]

Through meditation we learn to discover our own inner self; a consciousness of peace, light and delight. To attain this inner silence there are many techniques, which can be used to help. One of the most useful is listening to meditative, soulful music. To elevate and raise our consciousness, we need the inspiration and aspiration to go beyond the mind. We cannot do this through book learning and listening to lectures, it is an experience which can only be achieved through our inner meditation. Meditative music, soulful music can be of great help in attaining this higher state of consciousness. The highest form of meditation is silent meditation. But next to silent meditation is[..]

Daily meditation is key to overcoming your daily stress. Meditation helps eliminate stress by helping you quiet your mind and strengthen your connection to spirit. How does stress affect health? Stress can have many adverse effects on your health. Meditation can greatly improve your health on many different levels. Meditation does not have to be an hour long practice to be effective. Even just three minutes of meditation every day can be very beneficial. With twenty minutes of meditation, it's as good as having a whole night's sleep. You still need a good night's sleep to maintain good health. There are many different ways to meditate. Even in your every day activities you can[..]

Mudras in the various traditions. The Spiritual Path. Salvation does not come from without, it comes from within. The savior of humanity lies within our own hearts. [Note: This paper contains images which may be seen as originally published at our website] The Various Traditions In these series of articles we shope to describe the mudra practices to be found in various religious practices, such as in Buddhism, and Hinduism; and in various countries rich in cultural traditions as for instance, Japan, India, China, Tibet, and Indonesia. Mudra teachings are also to be found in Christianity and in the Egyptian tradition. Contemporary development of Runic lore[..]

Believe in miracles and get outside every day. Miracles are all around us and are waiting everywhere. There are some people in this world that claim miracles are not possible. Is this true? Miracles are possible and miracles are real; they are thoughts from God. God is demonstrating his underlying normal activity in remarkable ways. These amazing miracles in St John's Gospel are referred to as "signs". In the New Testament Jesus explains that miracles are performed by faith in God. Anyone who does not believe in God finds the concept of a miracle impossible to accept. Why did Jesus perform miracles? Jesus used miracles to prove he is the Son of God, and without these miracles it would[..]

Jesus said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever;...he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and...abides in me, and I in him" ~Jn 6:51, 54, 56 First Communion has been an important part of being a Catholic. Let us understand the symbols that we often see during this much celebrated rite of passage. White clothing- White is the color of purity and innocence; hence it is also the color of Baptismal garments as it is the color of first communion dresses . It reflects the purification in preparation for receiving the sacrament. Bread and Wine- This two are the food that Jesus described Himself with because[..]

A custom or tradition is a long-established action or pattern of behavior in a community or group of people, often one that has been handed down from generation to generation. So is the case with Holi traditions and customs. It is a festival that has its roots in age old beliefs and Indian mythology. Holi Milan or Baithaks Many days or sometimes weeks before the actual Holi-day, people sit together and sing Holi songs in Holi Milans. These are musical soirees or gatherings involving traditional Holi music. The love story of Radha Krishna also features in these songs. Hori are the special type of Holi folk songs which are also sung in these musical get-to-gethers. Bhang in Drinks and[..]

People relax when they fall asleep. But even though meditation is calming, you don't want to fall asleep while meditating because you want to receive the complete benefits from meditation. When a person is asleep their brain waves go into the theta and delta ranges, but when meditating the brain waves are mostly in the alpha state. The brain is calm, though alert. The reason that a lot of beginning meditators fall asleep is that they have not learned how-to bring out the inner awareness-alertness that is like, but not the same as the relaxation response that happens before going to sleep. There are similarities between sleep, mediation, and hypnosis. Energy ebbs from the external senses[..]

Even though there are hundreds of thousands of books written on meditation, you really need to know very little to enter deep states of meditation. You are about to learn four easy meditation techniques any of which can bring you into very deep states of peace & bliss. Practicing one of these techniques for even 10 minutes a day can bring you a lot of peace and bliss into your life. Practicing a half hour, even more bliss. An hour a day would be life changing. Whatever time you have, practice one of these techniques rather than read books on meditation. For it is the practice of the meditation technique that will make you blissful. Even if you try it for 5 minutes, that is great. Let's[..]

From the first day that man began to study numbers and their significance in every day life, some numbers have been assigned certain characteristics. Some numbers have been thought to be lucky, while others are considered unlucky. And it’s not just Western culture that has done this. Cultures in Japan, China, India and Africa have done the exact same thing, but for different reasons. Let’s take a look at some commonly known lucky and unlucky numbers to see why some numbers are cursed and some are loved. · 7 – Everyone knows that 7 is lucky. But why? The root of most lucky numbers can be found in religion. God, for instance, is said to have created the world in 7 days. There are[..]

rowing interest in Buddhism and the progress of Buddhist studies in the West have greatly influenced the Buddhist revival in Asian Buddhist countries. As stated above, when Asia entered the modern period, Buddhism had stagnated in a state of habits and become a popular religion burdened with ceremonials and superstition. Then, in the face of Western civilization, it lost ground. But, with the rise in the interest among Western people, Asian Buddhists turned to revalue their traditional heritage. Asian interest in Buddhism, especially its intellectual aspect and meditation, then came to develop, following Western steps in many ways. What the following Western scholars say in this[..]

Farmers who want to improve their farm outputs will often need to upgrade their facilities and buy new farm machineries. For the past few years, cost of farm equipments and machineries have increased so much that there are many farmers who could not afford to buy new farm equipment and machineries using the existing operational funds of the farm. Although there are many farmers who have properties and assets, which could serve as collateral for bank loans, there are many farmers who do not have the necessary collateral to get the loan in order to buy new equipment and machineries. For farmers who do not have the necessary collateral to guarantee their loans with the bank, but have enough[..]

-- End Ad Box ---> The story of David's victory over Goliath has inspired millions of "little" people to believe that, even though the odds were against them, they could win. It is the story of a young shepherd boy who no one had ever heard of, but who defeated a giant with a single stone from his sling, and who rocketed to fame, fortune, and success. We might think that David was simply lucky. Maybe he just happened to be at the right place at the right time. But are there things we can we learn from David that will help us do what he did? Can we learn from David's victory over Goliath how we can slay our own giants and become overnight successes? Build Your Confidence - Face The Daily[..]

Singing bowls are used for meditation, relaxation and healing purposes. These small, circular bowls function like bells and have a melodious sound when played. Singing bowls come mainly from Tibet although they are also played in Nepal, India, and Bhutan. Tibetan Llamas have been using them for thousands of years. However, they have always been considered sacred and therefore their existence was mostly kept secret until the Chinese invaded Tibet in the 1950's. Since that time knowledge of singing bowls has slowly spread, and their use has become more common in other cultures. Traditionally singing bowls are made from a mixture of seven metals, though most singing bowls on the market[..]

The Advantages of Plastic Wall Tile Panels. v. Ceramic Wall Tile Panels 1) Plastic Wall Tile Panels have an insulating backing and can reduce heat loss and your heating bill. 2) Plastic Wall Tiles can be cut with scissors or a craft giving an accurate cut with no risk of breaking. 3) Plastic Tiles are lightweight - quick and easy to buy on line or carry home. 4) They cover 12" square at a time and are quick to cover the wall. 5) Plastic Tiles can be used over existing ceramics. 6) Plastic Tiles reduce condensation so there is less mould growth. 7) Plastic Wall Tiles are flexible making them ideal for boats & caravans. 8) Plastid wall tile panels offer a hard, glazed surface with[..]

*This article represents the universal issue of kids starting to find out who they are and where they belong in life.* As a young person it is sometimes hard to find your own path.  Sometimes your path is really someone else's path because you tend to be more of  a follower. Think about the most dominant personality of your group of friends.  This is the person who is the loudest, or the most aggressive, or sometimes the meanest.  The rest of the group tends to follow this person because she commands the conversation or the activities of the group. Your task as a young person is to understand when it is ok to follow the group and when you have to take a stand and go against the[..]

The question of whether or not an almighty and omniscient god exists in spite of the existence of senseless suffering is a very disputable one. In this article I will argue that such a god does in actual fact exist by arguing against the article of William Rowe devoted to the problem of evil. God exists and is an almighty, omniscient and omni well-disposed being. God created our world, and he has motives for everything that happens in it including suffering. William Rowe in his article does not claim that there is no god, but rather that an almighty and all loving god does not exist for the senseless suffering has place in our world. His argument against the existence of god, who is[..]

There are two types of Buddhas. And both seemingly reach a level of enlightenment called Nirvana, the end of suffering (while still alive here on Earth) and acquire some supernatural powers. This is a brief about both types of Buddhas. In the Pali Canon, a collection of 16 volumes containing12,800 pages of translation about communications about the study of Buddha Dharma's ideaology / spirituality, the transcripts reference two types of Buddhas. These are Samyaksambuddha or Sammasambuddha and Pratyeka Buddha or Paccekabuddha. A brief description of each follows. Samyaksambuddhas (Pali: Sammasambuddha) Students of this order reach Buddhahood. Then they teach other people about the truth[..]

Buddhism is ubiquitous; it is a religious philosophy that has many followers worldwide. It is based on the ethics, enlightenment and compassion. The statues of Buddha represent the “enlightened one.” In today’s robotic life, when everyone is search of serenity and tranquility- Buddha statues comes as a great relief. Buddha statues and sculptures can be seen all around us, in the living area, office space and garden area to bring in the serenity in the house. There’s a wide-variety of hand-carved Buddhist deities sculptures based on templates and standardized styles such as wooden happy buddha, hand carved sitting buddha, blessing buddha statues, meditating buddha statue,[..]

Its long and complex history has made the Buddhist tradition extraordinarily diverse. Buddhism is commonly known for its very austere tradition of self-reliance, found in the early Buddhist monastic community. Relying simply on yourself in order to achieve the experience of nirvana that the Buddha himself achieved. One example of this is the monastic practice in Theravada Buddhist countries of South East Asia, particularly Sri Lanka, where the center of Buddhist activity lies largely in the monastery among a group of yellow-robed monks. They go out in the morning in a very austere and simple way with their begging balls walking from house to house, holding out their balls, taking off the[..]

Copyright (c) 2007 Stephen Lau Buddhism is more than an Eastern religion: it is a healthy longevity promoter. Buddhism focuses on the balanced interaction between the mind and the body as a prerequisite for healthy longevity; disease is a result of their imbalance and disharmony. The Buddhist approach to health and wellness is its emphasis on spiritual strength of the mind to overcome illness and disease. Concurring with Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who believed in the innate healing power in humans, Buddha also believed that you could seek cure through a drastic change in lifestyle and healthy attitudes towards the real meaning of life and existence. Healing begins with the mind[..]

    Every Chinese tea and Japanese tea lover will be familiar with this writing, in English that’s “Tea and Zen are the same feelings” or “taste Zen in Tea”, it shows the close connection between tea and Buddhism.  Do you know where does tea come from? The legend says Xin Southern and Northern Dynasties, Dharma slept unexpectedly when he was practicing self-cultivation in Shaolin, he was so angry about that and in order to stop sleeping next time he took off his eyelids onto the ground. At the next year there was a tea tree on the ground, and the green tea leaf fell into the pan when Dharma’s Service was boiling water, and after drank tea water Dharma found he will not[..]

By the time of Asoka, Brahmanism or Hinduism had been in the process of developing from a religion of sacrificial rituals into cults of worshipful devotion (Bhakti) to gods of various names, such as Hari, Narayana, Vishnu and Siva. During his reign, though Buddhism became the ruling faith of the people, the Brahmins were still influential and formed a large part of the ruling class. As soon as Asoka died, a Brahminical reaction set in. His empire became weakened and began to break up. About fifty years after Asoka's death, the Brahmin Pushyamitr, commander in chief of the last Mauryan ruler, assassinated his master and made himself the first king of the Sunga dynasty. Pushyamitr, in an[..]

-> In the March 1980 issue of the Japanese Journal of Religious Studies Ted J. Solomon wrote an article titled Soka Gakkai and the Alleged Compatibility between Nichiren Buddhism and Modern Science. He took a critical scientific approach to deciphering arguments for a harmonious relationship between, as the title reveals, some philosophies upon which the school of Nichiren Buddhism is based and the branch of modern science known as Theoretical Physics. Topics include the Quantum Field Theory, Einstein's Theory of Relativity, and Causality, a.k.a. the Statistical Law of Causation. The article is centered on statements posed by Daisaku Ikeda, president of the world's largest peace[..]

Nature is an eloquent teacher. We learn from nature the power of living in the present. Time alone in nature helps us calm a jittery mind and pay attention to the moment. It restores our inner peace. We deepen our experience of the Divine. We feel a sense of expansion beyond the ordinary self. Living in the now empowers us. Learning from the Rhythms of Time in Nature By observing the rhythms of time in nature--the sun's path across the sky, the growth of seeds, the changing seasons--we realize that time is not a mechanical measure. It measures process. By detaching from clock time for even a short while, we allow ourselves some moments of sanctified laziness. Our clocks and calendars[..]

Tea ceremonies are ritual ways of preparing and drinking tea, and the custom itself is one which has been strongly influenced by Zen Buddhism. Today, tea ceremonies are quite popular, and there are actually several different tea ceremony traditions that take place around the world. Still, one of the most well-known and respected is the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Japanese Tea Ceremony The ceremony itself takes place in a room that is designed and designated for tea, and it is better known as the chashitsu. This room is typically located within the tea house, away from the residence, in the garden area. In terms of guests, the preferred number is four, although this may vary[..]

Today, about 70 percent of the Sri Lankan population practises Buddhism. According to Sri Lankan tradition, the faith was introduced in the 2nd Century, during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa and although it has seen periods of decline in times of colonialism, it remains the most prominent faith to this day. Buddhism in Sri Lanka is primarily of the Theravada School - the "teaching of the elders" - which is not only the oldest surviving school, but the one that is most faithful to early Buddhism. On Sri Lanka holidays, you will see not only see the vestiges of Buddhism scattered around the country in the form of relics, ruins and statues, but you may have the opportunity to interact[..]

Archetypes are among the most powerful and most significant of all items found in dreams, and they are of great interest to dream interpreters and to dream researchers and scientists alike. At its simplest, an archetype is a prototype, or an original copy, of any object or experience. An archetype can also refer to the prefect example of an object — the object by which all others are judged. This article will examine several important prototypes encountered in dream interpretation. The first of these archetypes is the animus. The animus is a term used by psychologist Carl Jung to represent the masculine side of the female. Jung felt that women possessed a unconscious masculine[..]