Ashoka Newmedia

At the beginning of your studies, you will probably have many general questions, such as:oHow did Europe come to dominate so much of modern history?oWas North America destined to become a super power?oDoes the past have any bearing on the world today?oDoes history have any bearing on an individual person's life? Many people enjoy easing into history and historical questions by reading historical fiction. Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is a popular choice and can lead people to further study Renaissance art, culture, and history. History of War Many people begin studying history by looking at the history of warfare. Military History and Maritime History can be fascinating subjects. You can study the...

The idea of reincarnation is not prevalent in the West. However eastern spiritual traditions such as Buddhism and Hinduism teach reincarnation as an integral part of life. To understand reincarnation is to give extra meaning to the mystery of life and death. From a spiritual perspective the essence of life is to make spiritual progress and realize the true nature of your inner being. When we are aware of our real nature we are liberated from the cycle of birth and rebirth. This was the teaching of the Buddha and the early Vedic Seers. However to attain spiritual liberation; to realise the highest consciousness is no easy task. It involves transforming one nature from an egoist perspective to one...

Hey Frds, 1st of all, Welcome 2 my site ;) Let me tell you one thing, we all are living our life in this world, Is there anyone who can say I don't have any kind of problem in my life ? Yes, one can say that, but can anyone say that in my whole life, I never face a little prbolem ???!!! Hmmm, so now comes at the point, I may not be able to help you in all your problems throughout your life, but if you are suffering from any sort of problems with your partner and you feel to share your thoughts with someone else about your partner and your love life but you're confused about something? You are at right place....! Love Guru is here to help you out....! You can write out your problem to me and I will...

Art has been produced throughout the Indian subcontinent since 3000BC. To the eye of Western collectors, Indian Art can seem highly ornate. Especially in comparison to the modern and contemporary art produced in America and Europe. Because of this, some might consider Indian Art to be an acquired taste. If it is, there is little wrong with this. Many of the finer things in life are only enjoyed, once they are truly appreciated. To appreciate something, it must be understood first. To achieve an understanding of Indian Art, one must look upon it aesthetically, in relation to the culture and ideological concepts of this diverse and highly ritualistic civilization. Traditional Indian Art is expressive...

INDIAN TEMPLES AND SHRINES Indian shrines and temples or any other place are such divine places that are revered by the followers of the religion. India is particularly said to be the land of the holy places. There are so many rituals, mythological truths and beliefs and religious culture which have given birth to such diverse religions. Some can discuss for common are: Buddhism, Hinduism, Muslim, Sikhs, Christianity and Jainism. The Indian culture praises not only the god idols but also some gifts of nature. For instance: ANIMALS like cow is highly respected in this culture. Cow is not hurt by people, rather in many pious ceremonies it is decorated and worshipped; Snake is also considered pious. In...

Here I want to talk about the relations of Church and State. These are simplest in Buddhism, which teaches that the truth is one, that all men ought to follow it and that all good kings should honour and encourage it. This is also the Christian position but Buddhism has almost always been tolerant and has hardly ever countenanced the doctrine that error should be suppressed by force. Buddhism does not claim to cover the whole field of religion as understood in Europe: if people like to propitiate spirits in the hope of obtaining wealth and crops, it permits them to do so. In Japan and Tibet Buddhism has played a more secular role than in other countries, analogous to the struggles of the medieval...

Involved in an expensive developmental workshop, Chad volunteered first when the facilitator queried the group about their objectives. It was the morning session of a weekend event that a friend of mine was conducting, and she'd asked me to sit-in. So, on a Saturday morning when I'd normally be sleeping, I found myself listening to Chad's frustrations about his lack of success, his inflexible boss, and his difficult coworkers. What sounded like normal workplace frustrations most people experience from time to time changed abruptly when my friend asked Chad if it had always been like this at work. "Oh no," he said, "I used to like my job until Mark came." Mark was Chad's boss and had the job Chad...

Purana means stories or histories of ancient times. There are several subject matters in the puranas and they are classified into five sections. Their five sections are history, cosmology, secondary creation, genealogy of kings, and of Manvantaras or Manus. The Puranas are part of the Itihasas. The Puranas were written to popularize the religion of the Vedas. They contain the essence of the Vedas. The aim of the Puranas is to impress on the minds of the masses the teachings of the Vedas and to generate in them devotion to God, through concrete examples, myths, stories, legends, lives of saints, kings and great men, allegories, and chronicles of great historical events. The sages made use of these...

Are you ready for some high altitude adventure with in a soul-warming environment? Then pack your bags and experience some of the most majestic peaks, most exhilarating torrents and wonderful people Nepal has to offer. Here are some places you may want to visit when go. 1.) Katmandu Find your inner peace in the streets of Nepal's capital and cultural center. You can walk on the streets of this once inaccessible city and experience the culture, the people, the history, and the faith Nepal had embraced, imbibed, and relived for centuries. Katmandu is also one of the Nepal's starting points in activities like trekking, rafting and other sports. 2.) Royal Chitwan National Park If you want to...

Once in a rare while a man is born who changes the world for the better and Buddha quotes are a prime example of why Buddha was one of these men. As the founder of Buddhism and one of the few truly enlightened people to ever walk the face of the earth, let's celebrate the upcoming birthday of this legendary teacher. 1. "A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker." 2. "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become." 3. "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." 4. "Peace comes from within. Do not seek it...

Is being passionate a good thing? I have always thought so. After all, passion has driven us to create many of humanity's greatest achievements. Da Vinci, Mozart, Beethoven, Newton, and Edison, were all passionate people, who created many masterpieces that we still enjoy today. However, all of them did not lead very happy lives. While passion drives us to create great things, it also drives us towards many strong negative emotions including greed, jealousy, anger, envy, and pride. Many of these negative emotions are considered sins, thus should passion also be considered a sin? The Good 1. Passion drives us to fight for and create great things that ultimately help improve our quality of life and...

NEPAL Population: 26.3 million (UN, 2005) Capital: Kathmandu Area: 147,181 sq km (56,827 sq miles) Major language: Nepali Major religions: Hinduism (official), Buddhism Life expectancy: 61 years (men), 62 years (women) (UN) Monetary unit: 1 Nepalese rupee = 100 paisa The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is a wild beauty, with so much more to offer than its legacy of the Mount Everest to which it is mostly predefined. The majesty of the mountains and the nature and the overall spirituality the place elicits gives it right to the acclaim as the abode of the gods, for more than these reasons. Nepal is the birth place of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, or Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Also, being one...

Buddhism is always talked about as unique in the religious landscape. We can't find anything like it. What makes it so unique and appealing? Why is it growing in popularity in our days? Buddhism is a very human religion (if we could call it like that). It addresses problems deeply human and common to all people. What does the Buddha teach? He teaches about suffering. Its origin and a solution for it. What could be more appealing than ending our suffering? Siddharta Gautama is considered the founder of Buddhism. According to tradition, he lived in Northern India around the year 500 B.C. He was born as a prince. When he was born, some priests told his parents that his son would be a successful person...

you heard about "The Secret" and wanted to learn more? Are you ready to begin to understand how the laws of attraction (LOA) can work for you in your life? If you are reading this it is because it was meant to be and this is the time for you to begin to explore the secrets the Universe is trying to share with you. The time to learn about the laws of attraction is now. We are beginning to really understand what our minds are truly capable of. We need to listen to the response the Universe is giving us and get focused on the important things in life. You probably have many unanswered questions about how you can use the law of attraction. I have been learning about the law of attraction and Unity for...

Siddhartha Gautama was the founder of Buddhism and is the figure represented by the Buddha statue. He was an Indian prince who lived from 563 to 483 B.C. Buddhism is a religious philosophy that, unlike many other traditional religions does not believe in a personal God that punishes our wrong-doings and rewards our good deeds individually. It was originally begun as an atheistic philosophy. It is based on the Noble Eightfold path and the Four Truths. The Buddha statue represents the "Enlightened One." The Four Noble Truths are: that suffering is part of life, craving is what causes suffering, the suffering stops when the craving stops, and that the only way to conquer the cravings and...

Does God care if I marry a gentile? Even as I started dating a Chinese girl, I knew I was embarking on a remarkable adventure. I just had no idea where and how far the adventure would take me. The more events unfolded, the more I realized that my view of the world and how I lived in it were being profoundly and permanently altered... If the problem with marrying a gentile was that my religion prohibited intermarriage, why should that bother me? Perhaps not everything in Judaism made sense, and as an intelligent and thinking individual I could take from my heritage what I felt was meaningful and disregard the rest... The possibility that God Himself does not want a Jew to marry a gentile is not...

The magnificent words and symbolisms regarding the Bodhi Tree are the foundation for the theme of this wonderful book, New Utopia by Kumar, which is consistent throughout its pages. The essence of the theme starts with the Endless Helix lines by Ban'ya Natsuishi, to the concept of End of Summer by Sayumi Kamakura, and the illustrious words of Adam Donaldson Powell articulated in the forward section. The complication of these three dynamic poetic giants sets the stage for this excellent book of haiku. The reader has a lot to experience with the literary movement on the pages consisting of contemporary haiku poetry. The interrelationship of the elements at work, and the collective beauty of God's...

Many of developed countries are multi-cultural and multi-ethnic. For example, US is multi-cultural and multi-ethnic. The complexity often creates number of social problems, so US has decided to separate church and state since the founding of the country. The country has made its complexity one of its appeals, and the separation of church and state has worked well for the country over all. Many other developed countries, in particular, many western European countries such as UK, France and Holland, are also multi-cultural and multi-ethnic today as a result of immigrants' settling in those countries; they are essentially adapting the same approach as US in order to bring balance in their societies...

Spiritual energy is about expanding your horizons, strengthening your self-image and becoming a stronger person. I am speaking from experience. I went through a major part of my adult life without spiritual energy. Believe me, it cost me plenty. Spiritual guidance and nurturing can be a tremendous asset. For many years I read all of these self-help books. The problem I found, was that I couldn't sustain the principles listed in these books. The main reason was I simply didn't have the self-confidence and or substantial self-image to practice the positive principles most of these books espoused. I am sure, the majority of people who read these books run into the same problem. What does it mean when...

We live in a fast-paced competitive society where we suffer from lack of sleep, become overworked and tense full of anxiety and stress which seem to be addressed as the norm. In today's world, we are influenced by other people's thoughts and perceptions, which provoke thoughts of anxiety, worry, apathy, irritability, helplessness, hopelessness and fear...so to ask yourself...How healthy is it to have your energy consumed by so many different negative states of being and thoughts simultaneously?" It is simply not right to let these things dominate our mind and body. What is the answer to overcome these everyday pressures from our society? The answer is to reduce tension, quiet our active minds by...

When you know the Thai language, you are not just getting yourself ready for a trip or a short stint for a job in Thailand; you can as well enjoy the experience of being in the neighboring countries of Laos, and even Vietnam and the Southern cities in China. When you are a Thai food lover, you can dine around the world in great Thai restaurants as you speak to their Thai food servers in their authentic language. Of course that is apart from having business with some Thai businessmen. But Thais are certain that their language is difficult to learn and they would usually expect that those who know the language are either married to a Thai or have Thai descent. However, they are helpful to people who...

Massage therapists have enjoyed successful careers throughout human history; but it was not until modern times that comprehensive training programs in the field existed. With professional training, massage therapists can help clients work towards healthier, more relaxed bodies that are spiritually, emotionally, and physically balanced. Massage therapy certification is provided by reputable schools across the U.S.; classes cover new and old massage techniques. Schools teach massage techniques from around the world. Swedish massage is the most popular, but classes in acupressure, chair massage, and deep tissue massage also instruct students in techniques for helping to heal the body and correct...

My big city friends are always complaining about how they have no time to take a break and when they do they can hardly even relax. It takes a lot to come down from the intensity of the days activities. How many times after a long day at the job have you come home only to go over and over all that happened? Replaying the good and the bad until its time to start again? This is not the way to relax. This only continues to increase stress or, at best, put it aside for moments. What people need is an alternative that won't shock them. People need to find a way to relax that won't put them through even more stress. Therde are many options available to people, depending on where they live. But...

A starter for ten! I would like to offer you Ten Tips For Anger Management that you can try today. I understand that you may be skeptical. That is natural because anger episodes can be intense and make it feel like there is no solution. You may be thinking that Ten Tips For Anger Management may sound too good to be true. If it helps think of these as "tips for a healthy life" and do them even if you don't get immediate results. Believe me it won't be long before these simple things will improve your life. So without further ado, here is my Ten Tips For Anger Management: 1. Breath Slowly How long could you last without another breath? Not very long at all! Sorry to be morbid, but I wanted to...

Reiki, denoting 'Divine Life Force' is a secure and preferable manner of coping with a variety of complications. I say preferable because unlike the alleged conventional treatments founded on pills and medical interventions, the Reiki healing comes with no adverse effects. With Reiki there are no contradictions whatsoever. The intense relaxation you feel with this type of unconventional remedy is like a light moving across your body. Clearing away every sign of ill health that has been troubling you. You will see the affects for yourself: Reiki can deal with the troubles in life that both the body and the mind encounter, physically, mentally, and emotionally. When Reiki treatment is applied you can...

Under King Kanishda, a great Council, not recognized by the Theravada, was held in Kashmir or Jalandhar. It was regarded as the Third Council of the Mahayanists who did not accept the Third Council of Patฺaliputra, and as the Fourth Council of India. It was presided over by the learned monks Vasumitra and Parsva and attended by five hundred monks. At this Council, a new set of scriptures in Sanskrit was approved together with fundamental Mahayana principles. A great scholar named Asvaghosฺa, who was the spiritual adviser of the Emperor and who took a leading part in the Council, wrote many of the first Mahayana commentaries. He was also known as the greatest poet of India...

When many people think about Buddhism they think about a bald Asian man that can walk over fire and use his mind to move items. This exaggeration is a result of the entertainment industry, and Buddhists I find are more impressive than how they have been portrayed. They practice at a lifestyle which is incomparable to many others, and ultimately brings the reward of enlightenment. The many religions that exist today are based on the belief of a deity. They have not only the specific belief in a deity, but some mythical story also that explains how they came to earth and influenced a great amount of the population. On top of this, these deities have a written text that comes as a result of the...

f the principle tenets of Buddhism is the doctrine of non-attachment. What this tells us is that it is not wise to become too deeply involved with something, or attached to it so that you feel that you can't live without it. Whether it is a thing, or a person or a teaching or whatever. To become so attached hinders our progress along the way. If you consider this teaching carefully, the truth of it soon becomes obvious. What is not so obvious however is that it is possible to be negatively attached to something as well. This means to hate something with the same potency that you love something else. Although this seems to be opposite to attachment, it's disadvantageous effect on our training is the...

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: "What lies behind usand what lies before usare tiny matterscompared to what lies within us." Have you thought lately about just how amazing you are? How incredible life is, and the miracles all around you, large and small... It's easy to lose sight of that, isn't it? You get caught up in the dramas and minutiae of daily life and that feeling of specialness, of uniqueness, somehow diminishes and fades. Well, I'm here to remind you that you ARE special! And you have a special purpose for being here, right now. What is it, you ask? Simply to accept yourself as you are and, in so doing, to allow yourself to BE all that you truly are. Don Miguel Ruiz, author of "The Four...

One of the principle tenets of Buddhism is the doctrine of non-attachment. What this tells us is that it is not wise to become too deeply involved with something, or attached to it so that you feel that you can't live without it. Whether it is a thing, or a person or a teaching or whatever. To become so attached hinders our progress along the way. If you consider this teaching carefully, the truth of it soon becomes obvious. What is not so obvious however is that it is possible to be negatively attached to something as well. This means to hate something with the same potency that you love something else. Although this seems to be opposite to attachment, it's disadvantageous effect on our training is...

Cherry blossom tattoos have become increasingly popular in recent times. This is because most women that would want a tattoo view the cherry blossom as a delicate and beautiful symbol of nature. However, one should understand what the symbolism is behind it for the Chinese and Japanese cultures have a different idea of it's meaning. Since the best tattoos are ones that have a lot of symbolic significance we offer this information here. This article will focus on the Japanese and Chinese ideas behind cherry blossom tattoos. Cherry Blossom In Chinese Terms In the Chinese culture the cherry blossom symbolizes a significant amount of power. Yet at the same time it still represents sexuality and a...

ext">If you asked most people to think of a “marijuana religion”, they instantly think of Rastafarians and nothing more. But while many religions are as condemnatory of cannabis as they are of any other intoxicant, there is a recorded history of religions using marijuana seeds and leaves that stretches back for thousands of years. Almost every major world religion, it seems, has made use of the drug, usually for spiritual purposes — look at the list below! Taoism Ancient Chinese Taoists were at first sceptical about the use of cannabis; their religion regarded it as “the liberator of sin” for some time. However, while they continued to condemn the hallucinations brought on through...

A special mention should be made of developments in the United States during the last few decades. The Americans seem to have been speeding up to take the lead in the activities of spreading the knowledge of Buddhism in the West, both public and academic. The publication of books on Buddhism has continued to rise. Research scholars, serious students and ordinary practical people do not fall short of new titles to contribute to their knowledge and understanding of Buddhism. In many American universities there are departments of religion where Buddhism is one of the subjects of study. At the University of Wisconsin a programme of Ph.D. Degree in Buddhist Studies has been established with the aim "to...

Greco-Roman Religion in both Greece and Rome was polytheistic, embracing a multitude of gods and goddesses, especially in the Roman Empire which tended to absorb the deities of the countries it conquered. The Greco-Roman period of history refers to the culture of the peoples who were incorporated into the Roman Republic and Empire. The "classical" Greco-Roman period ends with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. However, the Greco-Roman civilization continued in the East for another millennium (although as with all civilizations it changed over time). Terms such as Greco-Roman World are also coined by scholars to denote the geographical borders of the culture's impact...

Juice fasting and detoxification is something that naturally go together. These days we are inundated with ads for colon cleansers and so-called detox products, but the irony is that most of these products are nothing more than chemicals - designed to get rid of the chemicals in our systems. Strange. Fasting on the other hand is a genuine way to detox. It does not rely on gimmick products and does not come with a heavy price tag. Fasting is an essential part of most eastern religions. Its seen as a very important process to clean both the mind, body and spirit. Juice fasting and detoxification can have some immense health benefits. Lets look at the 3 biggest ones briefly. Hopefully this will inspire...