Ashoka Newmedia

Have you ever thought about consciously seeking a meeting with the Grim Reaper? The classic texts of Buddhism claim that it is the first step to authentic liberation. Most of us would rather avoid thinking about. However, thoughts about the inevitability of death can creep up on us, worm their way into our brains, so to speak. Our notions of death (or 'after death') have a tendency to arouse fear. Such concepts often consist of vague notions of annihilation, of utterly ceasing to exist. Thoughts of annihilation can certainly dull hopes and undermine our ambitions. Nevertheless, taking an honest look at the Grim Reaper has proven to be a most effective method for getting us on the right[..]

The New Year is always an occasion of merry festivities and celebrations and in true spirit of the occasion, the locals of Phnom Penh celebrate it with various traditional customs and cultural events. Falling in mid April, the Cambodian New Year coincides with the dry season reaching its peak. This period is also known as the Khmer New Year or ‘Chaul Chnam Thmey" which translates to "Enter the New Year" in Khmer, the official language of Cambodia. The celebration of this festive holiday is said to span over three days and is commonly referred to as ‘The Three Days of The New Year’, which are known as the Moha Songkran, Wanabat and Tanai Lieang Saka. On Moha Songkran, the first day[..]

I started to meditate in Thailand in 1993. Until then, I had never had any interest in meditation. Little did I know that the week-long retreat in the buddhist monastery would completely change the course of my life... Thirteen years later, a friend lent me a copy of Eckhart Tolle's book The Power Of Now. It really made a deep impression on me and I've been a keen follower ever since. Eckhart Tolle experienced a major spiritual transformation at the age of 29. Prior to the shift he had been depressed for years. Since the transformation, he dwells in soothing stillness. After years of work Tolle gradually came to understand what had happened to him. Now, seekers all round the globe[..]

As a long term yogic and vipassana meditator, and a mindfulness-based psychotherapist who regularly teaches meditation practices to my patients, I find the growth of mindfulness as a clinical intervention very timely. Last year, I attended two conferences focused on the use of mindfulness as a clinical intervention:  “Meditation and Psychotherapy” at Harvard Medical School and “Mindfulness and Psychotherapy” at UCLA. Interestingly, the conference at Harvard featured a greater percentage of presenters who do not use meditation as an intervention in their clinical work. For them, mindfulness is a teachable skill set, extrapolated from a way of viewing life gained from sustained[..]

Compassion is a rarely used concept in western cultures. Native Americans and Eastern faiths practice compassion as a way of life versus invoking compassion as it is deemed appropriate to apply at the moment. Before the invasion of their homeland, Native Americans practiced compassion for all living things, plants, animals, creatures, birds, fish, wind, rain, snow and sleet, Mother Earth, Father Son and Grandmother Moon. Today Native Americans struggle to hold onto their lifestyle, including language and the meager land the invaders allotted to them. The Dalai Lama promotes a practice called, generating compassion, bodhichitta. It is part of spiritual practice to choose compassion versus[..]

> The following commentary ran in the Religion Section of the Cleveland-based Plain Dealer, Ohio's largest Newspaper, Saturday, August 19, 2000. "Your father didn't teach you right, THAT'S your problem," I am told. It's late January, 1999. I sit in a small, maternity ward meeting room at Hillcrest hospital in Mayfield Heights, a suburb of Cleveland. I nurse my baby girl, while sharing childbirth stories with two other post partum moms. The three of us are African American. Our talk turns to religion. I say I'm Buddhist. Next thing I know, my Baptist-preacher father is being called a bad parent. He isn't even around to defend himself. Almost 13 years ago I emerged from a life of hellish[..]

Anger is a strong negative emotion of displeasure. Others call it fury, rage, resentment or wrath. Generally anger is destructive because it generates a sense of grievance towards the subject that brought about the anger. Being angry is being in a negative and destructive state of mind. It is often disastrous when someone fails to manage it. There is nothing you can do when anger arises but to be mindful and aware of your feelings, so that anger would not conquer your emotions. Buddhist teachings are very effective when it comes to effectively dealing with anger. Buddhism does not consider anger as right or just. The followers of Buddha are required to purify themselves of anger. That is[..]

ation is a mind-body process that uses concentration or reflection to relax the body and calm the mind. It has been defined as the intentional self-regulation of attention, a mental focus on a particular aspect of one’s inner or outer experience. Meditation is one of several relaxation methods evaluated and found to be of possible benefit to people living with cancer it might be a useful complementary therapy for treating chronic pain and sleeping problems such as insomnia that are sometimes associated with mesothelioma cancer . Some mesothelioma cancer treatment centers offer meditation or relaxation therapy with standard medical care. Available scientific evidence does not[..]

East Meets West Meditation of one style or another can be found in most of the major religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. Eastern religions tend to concentrate on Meditation as a means of developing spiritual enlightenment and as a pathway to experiencing ultimate reality, whereas in the West it's primarily used as tool for self development, and as a means of reducing stress and improving one's health and wellbeing. The many different religious traditions in the world have given rise to a rich variety of meditative practices which include the contemplative practices of Christian religious orders, the Buddhist practice of sitting meditation, and the whirling[..]

I am not a Buddhist monk (I am a yogic monk) but this question was asked to me recently and it deserves an answer. Obviously if you have a pest in your garden you have to make a choice whether you are going to take action or not. To kill the pest would seem to go against "non harming" which is basic to many Eastern religions and philosophies. Not hurting others by thought word or deed is known as Ahimsa, and it is an important value in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and other faiths. The Jains took ahimsa to its limits and some of them said that any kind of agriculture is forbidden because when you plow the soil worms and other small creatures are bound to be killed. So what did they do[..]

What is happiness? It may sound like a stupid question, but in terms of Gautamism (my own term), the answer becomes essential. All religions promise eternal happiness in the Hereafter, in Heaven, where the souls of the "rightful ones" will go after death. Also in fairy-tales, the end always is a happy one. We all strive for happiness and the methods to achieve it are of various kinds. It can be to have money, power, love, being successful, harmonic family life, etc, etc. Generally it is thought that if one is not unhappy, the opposite of being happy must be true. A neutral state in between, neither one nor the other, is not perceived to be worth striving for. If someone says to be[..]

Thailand's history is enticing as well as fascinating. Delving deep into the history will help you to understand how culture, religion, and people have evolved in Thailand over a period of time. Due to lack of any proper written records, many contemplate on the kind of culture that was prevalent in Thailand before the Christian period. However, according to archeological evidences, there were traces of life in the north of Nakorn Ratchasima around 4000 years ago. It is said that people practicing agriculture settled in areas of southern Thailand during 6th century AD. The religion of Buddhism that is now practiced by the Thais came into the picture around 3rd century BC when missionaries[..]

Leh Ladakh is one of the beautiful places in India. This is an adventurous tour for the Youngster, pleasant destinations for all those people who love to be in a calm and silent place. You will locate lovely landscapes, blue sky, insignificant silence all around that makes this place special and different from other places. Shivering faces, pink cheeks of people are found everywhere. Tourists visit this place from all around the world with their family members and friends for a holiday trip. Leh is located at a height of 7,500 meters, which is the main beauty of this place. Leh Ladakh populated with 250,000 human beings, mainly who conveys the religion of Buddhism, Islam and Hindu.[..]

Hinduism It was the early 320 B.C. when the famed Gupta dynasty came into throne and started a revival of the Hindu religion. The term "revival" does not imply that the Hindu religion was non-existent in the previous centuries but the spread of the Hindu religion remained dormant before that time. Although the arrival of Hinduism has not been documented and there is no certain theory about this, Religious facts state that in 1500 B.C. the Aryans were the ones who brought in this religion to the Indian sub-continent. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion and reincarnation was a unique theme that resided within this religion. The Hindu religion follows the 4 Vedas: the Rig veda, Shyam veda,[..]

Development of Buddhism EARLY BUDDHISM “Go ye forth, O Bhikkhus, on your journey, for the welfare of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the good,the benefit, the bliss of gods and men.” The above saying of the Buddha, at the time of sending out the first group of sixty disciples to propagate the Doctrine in the second year of his preaching, is an explanation of how and why Buddhism has survived for so long and succeeded in converting a large part of mankind to its cause. During the Buddha’s lifetime, Buddhism spread rapidly through the great personality of the Buddha himself and through the spirit of renunciation,[..]

If you were to go to Bihar and ask the people about Bihar, almost all of them would say that Bihar is being victimized by the central government for not able to contribute towards the Indian economy and therefore Bihar has received a step brotherly treatment. Now if one where to ask someone not from the place they would reply that Bihar is the Wild West; a place you don't want to go. Now if the same question is asked to very proud Indians, most of them would reply to you irrespective they belong to Bihar or not that it is the essence of India, the core of what India is, the place where Buddha the founder of Buddhism lived and preached, the holy place for Both Sikhs, Hindus and Jains[..]

The word meditation is derived from Sanskrit word Medha which means wisdom. People have diverse impressions about what meditation is. To some it refers to an activity monks do, sitting in far off lands, high up in the mountains. Yet there is a simple answer to the question what is meditation. It is a refined approach to life. It is a way of leading life. Meditation is a practice that can help people cope with both medical problems as emotional and other problems like stress, fear and anxiety. Other important points to note about meditation are: 1) There is evidence to show that meditation has been practiced by mankind for ages. And it goes beyond the barriers of religion. For example, in[..]

The concept of mindfulness plays a central role in Buddhism. The Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, founder of Buddhism, stated: "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." Mindfulness is an intentional and nonjudgmental awareness of one's thoughts and actions in the present moment. When you become mindful, you are able to pay close attention to your thoughts without directly engaging or identifying with them. Mindfulness involves the understanding that thoughts are only thoughts; they do not define reality and they can be released at any moment in time. In my last column I introduced my slogan "Live, Dream and Thrive" and invited[..]

Yoga is a practice that people do keep their bodies in shape. All of the elements of Yoga were inherited form the practice of Hinduism. Ethnic principles, and body principles, along with spiritual guidance and philsophy are just some of the features associated with Yoga. Yoga is usually taught, by a person called a "Guru". Their intentions are to teach people how to obtain a quieter state of mind through meditation. Quiet breathing and chanting "mantras" are practiced to help the person get to the "quiet" state of mind. Yoga is supposed to lead a person to better health, and a calmer, more emotional well-being. Mental clarity and a joy in living are the main thoughts imposed upon a[..]

> This article about Sanskrit tattoo its history and design. You might have seen numbers of tattoo designs but you didn’t see as much interesting tattoo design as much tattoo Sanskrit is. Sanskrit is the most important language for the people of India and also for the people of Greek and Latin. People like this language because it provides great influences on the minds positively. Varieties of ways are there through which this language is being promoted by several people. One of the best ways to enhance its importance is to carve its tattoo design on the body. You know it better that how crazy people are to obtain the unique tattoo styles. For these[..]

Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal and often called "The Gateway to Nepal" and "Gateway of Mount Everest". When anybody who has come to Nepal thinks of Kathmandu, the first impression he carries on his mind is the temples of Kathmandu and its rich culture. Pashupatinath, Boudhanath Stupa, Swyambhunath temple (often called Monkey temple), Changunarayan are the world heritage sites of Kathmandu that are in the memories of thousands of tourist who have visited Nepal. Kathmandu is the melting point of Buddhism and Hinduism. The greatest Hindu shrine, Pashupatinath, situated in the eastern part of Kathmandu attracts thousands of tourists every year. Spectacular stupas such as Swyambhunath[..]

When it comes to indoor water fountains, there is a wide variety and selection available to you. Sometimes the sheer size of one selection of wall mounted water fountains can be so overwhelming to a shopper that they decide to simply change their minds and go home with a simpler piece of art to decorate their home with. The trick to making this particular shopping trip is to do a little preliminary research and have something in mind before you actually intend to spend your money. This way, you can actually come home with something great instead of returning home empty handed and disappointed. Since wall mounted water fountains come in so many different varieties, the different shapes,[..]

In this article we are going to take a very quick look at some of the different types of mediation. I say a "quick look" because there are LITERALLY hundreds of different ways, methods and teachings on attaining a state of profound bliss and awareness. The key is, in my opinion anyway....simply picking ONE path to spiritual prosperity and following it all the way to it's logical and promised conclusion - radical inner peace! All roads lead to the same place If you peek far enough beneath the surface, all of the major ( and even more so the less well known) religions have a very esoteric, yet discrete meditation practice. Judaism has Kaballah, Christianity has the mystical practice of[..]

Skipped over by many trekkers in Nepal are the cultural gems of the Khatmandu valley. The cultures and religions of Nepal have molded the philosophical outlook of numerous civilizations for over a thousand years. While many travelers arrive in Khatmandu staying just a single overnight before leaving on their trek, anyone who loves culture and history will want to spend several days exploring these surrounds. An ancient city, Khatmandu was first settled in the eighth century. The valley of Kathmandu is actually composed of three royal cities, Kathmandu (the capital), Patan & Bhaktapur. Each of them have their own unique qualities. The ancient city of Patan is just three miles[..]

uestion of destiny has always put man into deep confusion. In fact, the existence of destiny has remained as mysterious as the existence of divinity itself. Both aspects of human society have prevailed since ancient times, but the actual truths behind them have not dawned upon the ordinary human being. However, they have always been spiritual gurus and divine teachers who have advocated about the presence of divinity everywhere and about a destiny that influences the actions of human life. It is the existence of destiny that has puzzled human societies about human life and they continue to seek for answers about it from spiritual gurus and fortunetellers. Various sciences of the unknown[..]

The question of eternal salvation is one that each of the world's four major religions (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism) offers a different take on. According to the Christian view on salvation, there is agreement that you can only attain your eternal salvation after accepting Jesus Christ into your live and following his teachings, though different schools of thought in the Christian church have different takes on what makes the acceptance of Jesus Christ into one's life; with the Catholics leaning more towards baptism (as the mark of birth into the Christian family destined for eternal life) and protestants leaning more towards the prayer of confession - as the act through[..]

Asia, when you start thinking about Asia, the first country that comes into the mind is China, then India and then Japan. After the nuclear bomb tragedy with Japan, life has taken a different dimension altogether in this country. India and China, the land of Saints, Buddhism and Hinduism are what runs these countries. India is the land of God and Goddess. Anyone from around the world who takes up the path of spiritualism lands up in this place. The culture, the rivers, the people all is very different here. They think very differently from the rest of the world. They consider a human to be a human first and then a identity. Why? is a question that pops into minds. The answer may lie in[..]

Flowers have always been a part of nearly every culture in the world. Some types of flowers, like the lotus, bear significance in religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. Other types of flowers are revered by many a poet and scholar. Indeed, there is a flower type that serves as a reflection of a person or a group's goals and aspirations. A flower is a lovely product of a plant. It is serves both an aesthetic and practical purpose. Besides making a plant look attractive, the flower also plays an important role in the plants ability to reproduce. Different types of flowers reproduce in many different ways. Some types of flowers reproduce from bulbs while others grow from cuttings. Still,[..]

Lotuses are flowers usually seen in ponds of Asian regions most especially throughout India. Many people believed that this aquatic plant is associated to life as it symbolizes several religions including Buddhism and Hinduism. Aside from being a decorative flower, lotus flowers can be also used as excellent forms of art. Flower tattoos are common to women and tattoo lotus flower designs are one popular in the world today. You probably think that lotus is only a simple flower. However, as you take a look with the inner aspect of this flower, you'll find that lotus is used in several religious representations and Asiatic cultures. For African culture, this flower is sacred as it[..]

New Age philosophy and practices are all too often stereotyped. Many people think it is all about swanning around a flat in lots of scarves, listening to music with flutes and harps, and probably smoking lots of marijuana. If you do these things, you are not necessarily being a bad or misguided person, and New Age philosophy does have a strong association with such practices. However, the point is that there is more to New Age enlightenment than the things mentioned above. One of the reasons New Age believers pursue meditation or take courses in spirituality is to achieve a higher spiritual and mental state. A high, in short. No, this is not the debased concept of high that people get[..]