November 2015

Humanity is facing a radically new situation. We are threatening life on this Earth by our own actions and simultaneously, we are gaining capacities to evolve life, personally, socially, spiritually and scientifically to a new threshold of existence itself.

At this tipping point between devolution and conscious evolution Marc Gafni serves as an evolutionary pioneer, writer, scholar, author, teacher, friend. He has tapped into the impulse of evolution. Into the direction of the life force itself.

This Impulse, as he sees it, is a divine impulse of Eros. As Marc puts it: The Universe is a Love Story. It has expressed itself for 13.8 billion years as allurement or Eros, forming ever more complex whole systems by attraction: quark with quark, electron with electron, cell with cell, human with human all the way up and all the way down, to the threshold of connecting us in greater cooperation and synergyor breaking down into further destruction.

Marc comes forth and continues the lineage of evolutionary geniuses such as Teilhard de Chardin, Sri Aurobindo, Buckminster Fuller and Jonas Salk, the first teachers that inspired me in the 1960s and guided me to respond to my fundamental life questions.

In 1945 when the US dropped the atomic bombs on Japan, I was fifteen years old. Shocked by the horror of this destruction I had asked a series of questions which have dominated my life: What is the meaning of all this new power that is good? Where is modern civilization going that we want to go? What are images of the future equal to our potential? I realized we were gaining powers we used to attribute to our gods. If we continued to use these powers in self-centered consciousness we would destroy the world but if we changed in consciousness we could evolve the world. I found that no one knew the meaning of our new scientific, technological, industrial power that was good. The powers were so new.

Gradually I found responses. First for me came Teilhard de Chardin, in his seminal work The Phenomenon of Man. He discovered the evolutionary Impulse of Creation, or God, as the direction of evolution to higher consciousness, freedom and order. That Impulse evolved through more complexity and consciousness, through greater loveaiming he predicted (written before the Internet) toward the noosphere, the thinking layer of Earth, becoming the planetary media and nervous system, about to get its collective eyes, awakening a planetary experience of love.

Then I found Sri Aurobindo, the great Eastern evolutionary sage in his masterwork The Life Divine. He traced the evolutionary impulse through all of existence, identifying the evolving human as the Gnostic human, capable of incarnating the supramental genius of evolution itself as a new being, a new humanity.

Then Buckminster Fuller, the great cosmic architect and engineer taught us that we now have the resources technology and know-how to make the world work for all without taking it away for anyone.

Then I discovered the work of Jonas Salk: the advocate of meta-biology seeking to discover the design of nature to guide us forward as conscious evolutionaries.

These great teachers as well as others in the 1960s opened the way toward the new worldview of conscious evolution, leading toward a new human we might call Homo universalis, one who embodies the spiritual, social and scientific and technological genius of humanity on this Earth and eventually in the cosmos beyond our planet.

This intense period of evolution from the 1960s through the present has brought us to the threshold of devolution or evolutionwithout evolutionary leadership and vision coming forth from any existing system.

Into this precarious field of uncertainty Marc Gafni is serving as one of our very best guides, teachers and participants in conscious evolution. He has a unique and vital key to the next stage of evolution.

Marc is a continuation of the lineage of Sri Aurobindo, Teilhard de Chardin and Buckminster Fuller. He holds that lineage in the impulse of his being and his thinking. He began as the Hebrew wisdom expression of this impulse but has now moved beyond to the place of Homo universalis, a universal human.

It is the incarnation of Eros and evolutionary impulse in what Marc calls Unique Self, leading toward Evolutionary Unique Self in his teaching and master work: Your Unique Self: The Radical Path to Personal Enlightenment, foreword by Ken Wilber, Integral Publishers, 2012.

The Unique Self is an expression of the irreducibly beautiful impulse of creation incarnated uniquely in each one of us as we learn to express our full potential and purpose toward more life, more love, more creativity.

He sees this Unique Self expressing outrageous love. As he puts it, The only response to outrageous pain, is outrageous love, That is evolutionary love. Because evolution is awesomely outrageousthat is, from no thing at all has come everything that was, is, and is now becoming!

I first met Marc during an interview several years ago. I did not know him or his work. However, as we began our conversation, point after point came forth until I realized he embodies evolution. Its not just a good idea. It is who he is in person. It is who he calls us all to become. We are in potential, the evolutionary impulse becoming conscious as what Marc calls, Unique Selves in each of us. Even more we are what Marc calls Evolutionary Unique Selves, potentially fully accessing, expressing, incarnating the impulse of creation itself as our own vocations of destiny.

This meeting served as a deep affirmation of my own life quest for the meaning of our power that is good, and has been a blessing, since at 85, I seem to becoming newer every day! My meeting with him energized me. It enlivened me, reversing, in my experience, certain physical symptoms of decline. It renewed my experience of life with full vitality and renewed purpose. I know that Marc has had similar effect on scores and scores of people over the years. That is a gift and a cross to bear.

Marc has made the powerful decision, which I applaud, to teach as a friend, a holder of wisdom and not as a classic spiritual teacher. Marc utterly rejects the mantle of authority and neither wants or claims any sort of authority over anyone. Marc is about empowering people. He tried for a time to teach within some version of spiritual teacher model because he thought it might be a beautiful form to hold people. But in the end his sense of peoples need to be empowered brought him to reject any notion of the old model and to seek a new empowered model of teacher and student which is rooted in a combination of friendship, respect, transmission and the ability to move between different relationships with full autonomy and power. Anyone who has the opportunity to study him will receive great gifts. He is one of the best teachers alive today.

As an evolutionary reader of Talmudic texts Marc describes in his masterful scholarly work, Radical Kabbalah, the world view in Hasidism which he termed nondual humanism or alternatively acosmic humanism. There is no existence independent of divinityIt is an incarnation theology that affirms the identity of the human and the divine, the dignity of desire, the affirmation of the supra-rational and the explicit democratization of enlightenment.

This describes for us brilliantly the basis of evolutionary spirituality. It is our intention to work together with others under the context of Evolutionary Spirituality to offer our contribution to vision and direction into social, political, spiritual life through books, teachings, collaboration, and by helping to connect co-creators world-wide to help make the shift from devolution toward evolution in time.

But all of this is really the tip of the iceberg. What is no less important is who Marc Gafni the person is. Here I think is his greatest gift and revelation. I have spoken and worked with literally dozens of people who work with him every day for the last years. These are people without agendas or baggage or ulterior motives. What they all share is what I have experienced myself. There is a sense of impeccability in Marcs ethics and caring. In every encounter with him he is right there with you and you feel just how much he cares. You can feel his heart and the goodness that comes from him. It would be easy for an undiscerning person to write Marc off as charming or charismatic. But this is to miss the essence of his Eros. He is truly a lover in his core. For all of us who know him well, we know that he holds within himself outrageous pain together with outrageous love.

The word radical integrity comes to mind in describing Marc. I have seen him both at moment of intense triumph and intense challenge and pain. In all of them he remains the same person. His heart is open in laughter and tears and the depth of his love. He does not fit into ordinary categories. His love is so large that people either recognize it or misunderstand it. Marc has learned over the years to become aware of his own potency and to hold it with care.

He does not love any one person exclusively. He loves, in alive and caring ways, literally dozens of people. He loves as a great friend, pouring time and energy and caring into the details of peoples lives. He gets deeply excited in meeting a cab driver and might talk to him for and hour even as he wants to honor every waiter and waitress. Perhaps his most poignant daily practice that he shares with his circle of colleagues and friends is do not accept service from someone whose name you do not know. For Marc it is more than knowing their name; it is about an intense personal I-thou recognition of what he called the irreducible dignity of every individual. Marc has lived through outrageous pain. He has responded with outrageous love. He has responded by giving us a vision of what he calls, The Universe: A Love Story. Marcs most important work is in front of him.

I am joining with many of his colleagues in demanding with love that Marc turn his gifts to writing. I and many others will write with him. There is, in his words, a new source code changing our culture which needs to be written. It will not be written by one person but rather, as Marc and our colleague Daniel Schmachtenberger likes to say, much like quantum physics, it will be written by a group of collaborators who all contribute their Unique Self. Marc is committed to the Integral framework which Ken Wilber has developed as the core framework for the source code conversation core. He seeks together with so many of us to take the next step to participate in the evolution of love.

With his books Your Unique Self, Self and Soul Prints Marc has changed the conversation around personal identity, soul work and enlightenment. With his book Mystery of Love he has changed the conversation around Eros. With his two volumes on Radical Kabbalah he has given us a vision of Nondual Humanism. With his forthcoming book on Integral Religion and Tears he is changing the conversation around ritual, prayer, the second person of God, and sacred text. With his most important work I believe yet before him, forthcoming books on Recovery, Eros, Pleasure, Meta Theory, Outrageous Love, Universe: A Love story, and more, we can look for some important and precious gifts in the future. He is a force of nature with a very kind heart. I am convinced that he is one of the key philosophers, visionaries of our generation.

Originally posted here:
Barbara Marx Hubbard about Marc Gafni | Marc Gafni

About 2500 years ago, a prince named Siddhartha Gautama began to question his sheltered, luxurious life in the palace. He left the palace and saw four sights: a sick man, an old man, a dead man and a monk. These sights are said to have shown him that even a prince cannot escape illness, suffering and death. The sight of the monk told Siddhartha to leave his life as a prince and become a wandering holy man, seeking the answers to questions like "Why must people suffer?" "What is the cause of suffering?" Siddartha spent many years doing many religious practices such as praying, meditating, and fasting until he finally understood the basic truths of life. This realization occurred after sitting under a Poplar-figtree in Bodh Gaya, India for many days, in deep meditation. He gained enlightenment, or nirvana, and was given the title of Buddha, which means Enlightened One.

Buddha discovered Three Universal Truths and Four Noble Truths, which he then taught to the people for the next 45 years.

Buddha then taught people not to worship him as a god. He said they should take responsibility for their own lives and actions. He taught that the Middle Way was the way to nirvana. The Middle Way meant not leading a life of luxury and indulgence but also not one of too much fasting and hardship. There are eight guides for following the Middle path.

Meditation is an essential practice to most Buddhists. Buddhists look within themselves for the truth and understanding of Buddha's teachings. They seek enlightenment, or nirvana, this way. Nirvana is freedom from needless suffering and being fully alive and present in one's life. It is not a state that can really be described in words -- it goes beyond words.

Meditation means focusing the mind to achieve an inner stillness that leads to a state of enlightenment. Meditation takes many forms:

After Buddha died, his teachings were gradually written down from what people remembered. The ripitaka, or The Three Baskets, is a collection of Buddha's sayings, his thoughts about them, and rules for Buddhists monks. The Ripitaka was first written on palm leaves which were collected together in baskets.

There are over 500 million Buddhists today. After Buddha's death, some of his followers had some differences of opinion which eventually led to their breaking away and forming separate kinds of Buddhism. There are two main types, Theravada, which spread to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, and Mahayana which spread to Nepal, Vietnam, China, Korea and Japan. Mahayana took on aspects of the cultures where it was practiced and became three distinct branches: Vajrayana Buddhism or Tibetan Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism and Zen Buddhism.

Even though each form of Buddhism took on its own identity, all Buddhists follow a set of guidelines for daily life called the Five Precepts. These are:

Read the rest here:
Buddhism: Basic Beliefs | URI

Buddha wasnt chubby

sidaudhi/Shutterstock

Despite the stature of the laughing statue that you see at your favorite Chinese food takeout place, the first Buddha was known to survive on one grain of rice per day. and ancient texts refer to him as being so skinny that his bones showed. So how did the commonplace depiction of a rotund, laughing Buddha become so associated with this historical figure? When Buddhism spread to China, the image of the Buddha was conflated with a Chinese God, Budai, who is fat, bald, and travels with a large sack, says Jim Wasserman, a retired comparative religion professor and co-owner (with his wife) of Your Third Life. Chinese immigrants were the first to bring the notion of Buddhism to America, so people thought that this version of a fat Buddha was the only one. If one looks at the older, Theravadan branch of Buddhism (common to Thailand or India), one sees the older, slimmer Buddha. Buddha is just one of 10 historical figures youve been picturing all wrong.

Elena Veselova/Shutterstock

Many, if not most Buddhists are vegetarian and believe that animals are nonhuman people who cannot be killed for food. That said, according to the Humane Societys Buddhist Teachings on Animals, there are exceptions to this ideology. In ancient times, eating meat was strictly forbidden by Buddha, except in the case of monks, who traditionally begged for the one meal they ate each day. The monks were allowed to eat meat if it was placed in their bowls, provided that they had no reason to believe that an animal was specifically killed in order to provide them with food. Some modern-day Buddhists interpret this practice so as to believe that they can eat meat from supermarkets and restaurants, for this same reason.

vectorx2263/Shutterstock

Believe it or not, many Buddhists own cars, homes, jewelry, and more. Because so many vocal Buddhists in America are practicing monks, or wealthy people rejecting materialism to go meditate, we assume all Buddhists are like that, says Wasserman. Travel to a Buddhist country, and you will not see people rejecting the material world, but rather, praying to win the lottery or be successful, just like other religions, he adds.

Link:
Facts About Buddhism You Probably Don't Know - rd.com

Private Life Coaching Sessions

Life coaches assist anyone in achieving life-improving goals such as balancing work, personal and family lives, turning your creativity into a positive lifestyle, or discovering and following the path to making a real difference with your life.

Individual, Couples, and Family Life Coaching

$89.00 per session

*Packages Available

What is life coaching?

The life coaching process is the only human improvement process that focuses completely on YOU! Life coaches are equal partners who assist you to improve and grow as a person who achieves their goals. Life coaches turn you into a World Leading Expert on YOU! Coaches also assist you in executing the actions necessary in achieving your goals. You have virtual control over the results you achieve through coaching, because you set the coaching goals, and the coaching process assures you achieve them.

Why see a life coach?

By making an appointment with a coach, youre committing to achieving your personal, spiritual, family, and business goals much more effectively, more efficiently, and more completely. Life coaches assist you in: overcoming obstacles and fears, focusing on solutions, bouncing off ideas, and discovering truths about yourself. In addition, they facilitate helping you accomplish more than you thought possible and achieve balance in your personal, work, and family lives. Your coach will help you tap into your greatest potential, becoming the person you always wanted to be and are capable of becoming.

How does life coaching work for you?

Your coach will focus his or her full energy and attention on you achieving your goals. Your coach serves as the totally objective, nonjudgmental, supportive mirror into whom you really are and what you really want to do. Your coach will provide life options, new perspectives, encouragement, and concentrated attention giving you the insight, and confidence, to take life-improving actions towards your goals. They assist in identifying your self-imposed obstacles and further guide you towards overcoming them to reaching your goals.

How to maximize the rewards you receive through life coaching.

The life coaching process works exceptionally well at improving your life, business, relationships, and work. But like anything else, life coaching works best under the right conditions.

How will you know when it is time to stop coaching?

You can stop coaching after achieving your coaching goals. However, many people continue the coaching process to achieve new, loftier goals or as maintenance.

Why is life coaching valuable?

The value of the goals you achieve greatly exceeds the cost of coaching. You set your coaching goals most valuable and important to you.

There are also other, hidden benefits of coaching frequently worth more than the value of the goals achieved. The benefits from improving as a person are priceless such as reducing or eliminating your life stresses, improving your attitude about life, improving your relationships with others, etc.

How will you know if you have coachable goals?

A coachable goal is a future you envision for yourself which requires personal growth or improvement to reach. Coachable goals always involve moving forward in your life and refrain from reviewing past events.

Some examples of coachable goals are:

Discover and obtain your Ideal Income Position,

Transform your relationships; let go of anger issues

Overcome living your life with chronic stress,

Become a more Productive and Successful Business Owner,

and much, much more!

You have total control over your degree of readiness to reap full rewards from coaching. You determine the degree of your readiness when you positively answer the following questions:

1. How committed are you to achieving your goal(s)?

2. How willingly do you accept new perspectives?

3. Are you willing to invest something of value in yourself?

4. How committed are you to follow the actions you and your coach uncover to achieve your goal(s)

What is the Gift of Coaching?

Coaches have the Gift of Coaching when they naturally care more about others than themselves. Coaches with the gift place the success of their clients first and completely, because their ego, their intuition, their passions, and their personal values revolve around assisting others.

How long do coaching sessions last?

Your coaching sessions lastapproximately 45-60 minutes.

What are the different types of life coaching?

The life coaching profession encompasses a whole array of different types of specialized coaching. The specific titles signify the different fields of life in which coaches concentrate. However, the coaching done under each label can and does frequently crossover from one field to another. Some of the more recognizable specialties of life coaching are shown below.

Original post:
Life Coaching | Serenity Health & Wellness Center

Asumal Sirumalani Harpalani, known as Asaram Bapu by his followers, is a religious leader (Godman) in India.[2] Starting to come in the limelight in the early 1970s, he gradually established over 400 ashrams in India and abroad and was popular among politicians and common people for his religious discourses (pravachan).[1] In April 2018, Asaram was found guilty of rape of a minor girl and is currently serving life imprisonment for the sexual assault in Jodhpur.[3][4][5]

He was mentioned in a list of fake sadhus released by Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, the apex organisation of Hindu Sants (saints) and Sadhus (ascetics) in India.[6]

Asaram was born on 17 April 1941, in the Berani village of the Nawabshah District in British India (Present-day Berani Town is located in Jam Nawaz Ali Tehsil of Sanghar district Sindh Pakistan), to Menhgiba and Thaumal Sirumalani.[7] His birthname was Asumal Thaumal Harpalani[8][9] or Asumal Sirumalani.[10][11]

Following the partition of India in 1947, he and his family moved to Ahmedabad, then part of the former Bombay State in India, now Gujarat, leaving behind their immovable assets in Sindh. The family moved to Ahmedabad, where Asaram's father founded a coal and wood selling business.[1] Asaram ran this business for a short time after his father's death.[12]

According to Sant Asaram Bapuji ki Jeevan Jhanki, an autobiography published by his ashram, Asaram received his formal education at Jai Hind High School, up-till class III, when his father died. He had a series of escapades to ashrams which started with running away to an ashram in Bharuch at the age of 15, eight days before his scheduled wedding to Laxmi Devi, which though finally happened.[11] The book also mentions Lilashah as the spiritual guru, who accepted him as her disciple and named him Asaram on 7 October 1964, in one of his escapades.[11]

Sources have described him to be involved in a variety of professions ranging from selling liquors[8] and tea[10] to repairing cycles[9], prior to his establishment as a religious leader.

Asaram and Laxmi Devi have two children, son Narayan Sai and daughter Bharti Devi. Their son Narayan Sai works with Asaram and is also mentioned in the Akhada's List of fake religious leaders.[13][2] Sai is also imprisoned in the same prison awaiting trial.[14]

According to Sant Asaram Bapuji ki Jeevan Jhanki, Asaram returned to Ahmedabad on 8 July 1971. On 29 January 1972, he built a hut at Motera, then a village on the banks of the Sabarmati.[11] Although his official biography doesn't mention it, Asaram also lived in Motera's Sadashiv Ashram for two years, before setting up his own hut adjacent to it.[15] He converted his hutment into an ashram in 1973, starting with 510 followers. In 1981 and 1992, the Indian National Congress-led state government allotted the ashram 14,515 m2 land. In 1997 and 1999, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government allotted it 25,000 m2 for expansion.[11] Asaram had few followers in the beginning, but the numbers increased as local politicians became his devotees.[16] By 2013, Asaram had 400 major and minor ashrams in India and abroad, with numerous followers.[16]

Asaram has organized spiritual discourses all over India, whence his disciples are accorded diksha (initiation by a guru) by him. Around 20,000 students visited his satsang in Ahmedabad in December 2001.[17][18][19]

Asaram's Yoga Vedanta Seva Samiti (YVSS), organizes a Matri Pitri Poojan Divas ("mother-father worship day") on 14 February, as a form of protest against Valentine's Day, which is supposedly symbolic of a Western cultural invasion.[20][21][22] Asaram's proposal was supported by many prominent Indian politicians including union ministers and President Pranab Mukherjee.[23]

In 2015, the Government of the Chhattisgarh state institutionalized the practice, and directed all schools to observe Matru-Pitru Diwas ("mother-father day") every year on 14 February.[24]

A number of Asaram's ashrams have faced legal challenges, on grounds of illegal encroachment. Multiple state governments has razed ashrams to reclaim lands, that was illegally encroached upon including by forgery of documents.[11][25][15][11] There have been multiple pending cases and investigations into Asaram's Samitis for reasons of illegal encroachment.[26]

By 2008, 40 of Asaram's ashrams had gurukuls (residential schools) attached to them. The death of four boys at two of these Ashrams in 2008 led to allegations of black magic being practiced there.[11]

On 3 July 2008, two boys went missing from Asaram's residential school (gurukul) in Motera (Gujarat).[16] On 5 July 2013, the boys' mutilated bodies were found on the banks of the Sabarmati river near the Ashram. The parents alleged that the police harassed them and refused to register a complaint against Asaram or the ashram administration.[16] The incident led to public agitations, with allegations that the boys had been sacrificed by Asaram and his followers for black magic.[27]

A CID probe, ordered on the behest of the High Court of Gujarat rejected the claims of practice of black magic.[28]

The Narendra Modi-led Gujarat state government set up the Justice D.K. Trivedi Commission to probe the deaths in the Motera ashram.[29] In 2009, Asaram's followers organized a rally, protesting against their alleged harassment by the Gujarat police. The protest turned violent, and over 200 supporters of Asaram were arrested after they attacked and injured 20 policemen.[30]

According to the CID report, no evidence of black magic practice was found in Asaram's Ashram.[31]

In January 2013, while addressing a gathering of his followers, Asaram reportedly said that the victim of the 2012 Delhi gang rape was as guilty as her rapists: "The victim is as guilty as her rapists She should have called the culprits brothers and begged before them to stop This could have saved her dignity and life. Can one hand clap? I don't think so."[32] He also reportedly opinionated against harsher punishments for the accused in the Delhi rape victim case, as he felt that the law had the potential to be misused.[33][34]

The comments were widely criticized.[35]

Asaram denied the accusations and stated that his statement had been distorted and misrepresented.[36]

In August 2013, a 16-year-old girl accused Asaram of sexually assaulting her on the night of 15 August at his Manai ashram in Jodhpur on the pretext of exorcising her from evil spirits, though ashram inmates called such molestations "samarpan".[37][38] The girl's parents, who were disciples of Asaram, filed a complaint with the police in Delhi, and a case was registered after the medical examination of the girl confirmed sexual assault.[39] The issue was discussed in Indian Parliament and a strict action was demanded.[38]

When Asaram did not appear for interrogation by 31 August, Delhi Police booked him under multiple non-bailable sections of IPC.[40] Asaram remained inside one of his ashram(s) in Indore and avoided arrest while clashes broke out between his disciples and the journalists and policemen.[41] Eventually, the Jodhpur police arrested him on 1 September 2013 from his ashram,[37][42] and flew him to Jodhpur, where he is imprisoned.[43]

Asaram has dismissed the girl's allegations[44][45]and went on to claim impotency as an alibi, which was subsequently rejected after he passed the Potency test.[46][47] He has since been in jail and has been denied bail 12 times.[48][49][50][51] He was charged under Sections 342, 376, 506 and 509 of the IPC, as well as under Section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and sections 23 and 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act.[43] The family of the victim alleged of receiveing threats from Asarams followers to drop the charges against him.[43]

On 25 April 2018, Asaram was pronounced guilty of the rape charges and imprisoned for life with a fine of 5 Lakh to be paid to the victim.[51] Two of his associates were awarded 20 years imprisonment.[52][53][54] Asaram and other co-accused have appealed in the High Court against conviction[55]. On 29th September 2018, Rajasthan High Court suspended the sentence of one of the co-accused Shilpi.[56] On 30 October 2018, Rajasthan High Court admitted the appeal against the conviction of Asaram.[57]

In December 2013, Asaram's son Narayan Sai was also arrested on charges of rape, after two sisters from Surat alleged that he and his father had raped them in Asaram's ashram during the mid-2000s.[58] The elder sister accused Asaram of repeated sexual assaults during 19972006 at the Motera ashram. The younger sister accused Narayan Sai of sexually assaulting her during 20022005 at the Surat ashram. One of the sisters also alleged that Asaram's wife and daughter helped the two men exploit the girls.[59]. The trial in this case is currently in progress.[60]

From 201415, there have been numerous attacks against various witnesses in the Asaram case.[15][61][62][63][64][65] Amrut Prajapati, a former aide of Asaram, who had turned against him, was shot and killed on 23 May 2014, after multiple prior attempts.[11][16][66][67][68] Another former associate Akhil Gupta who was the prime witness in the Surat rape case, was shot and killed on 11 January 2015.[69][70][71] Mahindra Chawla, his ex-follower and prime witness in Surat rape case narrowly missed an attempted murder.[60]

Read this article:

Asaram - Wikipedia

Rishikesh, along with Mysore, is one of the most popular destinations for yoga in India. There are numerous ashrams, and numerous styles of yoga and meditation, to choose from. Hence, it's important to investigate which best meets your needs. Find out about some of the top Rishikesh ashrams and what they teach in this article.

05of 11

Sadhana Mandir was founded in 1966 by Swami Rama, author of Living with the Himalayan Masters, and many other renowned spiritual books. Meditation, in the 5,000 year old Himalayan Tradition, is the focus of the teachings at this ashram. It has a quiet garden setting on the banks of the Ganges River, but away from the hustle and bustle of Rishikesh. Various retreats are offered, including weekend retreats and longer 10-day retreats.

Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama was founded by Swami Veda Bharati, a disciple of Swami Rama. This "village of spiritual seekers" offers meditation instruction in the Himalayan Tradition, and is also a highly regarded center for scientific research into yogic meditation. Accommodations, limited to 100 guests at a time, are provided in very comfortable self-contained cottages. There's a daily schedule of activities including meditation, breathing, and Hatha yoga.

07of 11

Meaning "Land of Flowers", Phool Chatti ashram was founded in the late 1800s (yes, it's old!) and is located in a peaceful natural setting upriver from Laxman Jhula. The ashram is renowned for its frequent seven day yoga and meditation program. The teachings focus on the full spectrum of the yogic path and ashram life, not just asanas (postures). Students will get to experience meditation, breathing (pranayama), cleansing, chanting, mauna (silence), puja (worship), kirtan (sacred singing), and other important aspects of the yogic path. There are opportunities for meditative walks among nature as well.

09of 11

Located a short walk up the hill from Anand Prakash, the compact Himalayan Yog Ashram was established in 2012. It will appeal to students who want to experience the complete yogic lifestyle in a personalized setting, and is ideally suited to those looking for a transformational experience. The program consists of a combination of postures, breathing, meditation, spiritual teachings, and wholesome organic Ayurvedic food. However, it's less about postures and more about going on an inner journey. Ayurvedic healing programs for detoxifying and stress are offered as well. There are only six guest rooms, each with private bathrooms. Stays of six, 13, 20, or 27 nights are possible. As well as the teachings, guests praise this ashram for its delicious food, serene environment, and welcoming hosts. Read reviews on Tripadvisor.

See the original post:

11 Top Rishikesh Ashrams for Yoga and Meditation

Imagine that you are finally taking your well-deserved vacation.

You close your eyes and hear nothing but the sound of a soft breeze and some carefree birds in the distance.

The glow of the sun warms your skin while the prairie breeze whisks away any remnants of heat.

No hustle and bustle to disturb your peace.

No hint of tourism to taint the perfection of nature.

Sounds kinda nice, right?

Thats what the beautiful, yet understated, state of Pennsylvania has to offer.

Farmlands stretch between mountain ranges and cities are humbly scattered throughout. All this land stretching makes for some spectacularly peaceful views.

Pennsylvania is one of the original 13 colonies. It has seen some serious stuff. All over the state you will find museums and historical buildings, all sharing the sometimes dark and troubled history of the United States.

Pennsylvania is full of Amish villages that are otherwise hidden throughout the rest of the country. It provides an interesting peek into a historic culture that is still thriving to this day.

We would be amiss if we touted all the great things about Pennsylvania without mentioning Pittsburgh. The city is rich in cultural history, with lots of monuments, museums, and parks. While American history books tend to go soft on the details, this city provides all the details in droves.

Finding the right yoga retreat in Pennsylvania fully depends on what kind of experience you are looking for. Here are a few of the most popular types of yoga holidays to choose from:

Looking for a balance of a whole wellness approach? The retreats in Pennsylvania are ready for you. Many of the retreats are designed to take advantage of the beautiful surrounding nature so that you can focus not only on your yoga but also your overall well-being.

Pennsylvania is the perfect place for a quick weekend getaway. If coming from the US, its within a few hours of virtually all airports. Many yogis head to Pennsylvania when looking for yoga retreats near DC as this allows them to escape to the beautiful country while still being able to hop over to the vibrant city.

While meditation is supposed to teach you to be able to be at peace amidst all the noise, that is obviously quite challenging to do. Pennsylvania serves as the perfect place to grow your meditation practice as it cuts out all of those distractions you normally have. In a way, it turns basically everything that you do into a sort of meditation.

A leader in the field of yoga, meditation, spirituality, and holistic health, the Himalayan Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. The Himalayan Institute with its varied activities and programs exemplify the spiritual heritage of mankind that unites East and West, spirituality and science, ancient wisdom and modern technology.

Arsha Vidya isan institute for the traditional study of Advaita Vedanta, Sanskrit, Yoga, and Ayurveda that is located in humble Pennsylvania. You can go there for one of their various workshops, to practice yoga in one of their daily yoga classes, or to learn more about their healing techniques.

Kirkridge describes itself as a retreat centeranda study center. They offer workshops on spiritual and personal growth, theology, writing and the arts, and healing. While they aren't necessarily a yoga center that offers your favorite vinyasa yoga or power yoga, they do offer programs that align with the yogic lifestyle. It could be the perfect complement to your yoga practice. And it's the perfect place for a meditation session 😉

Kripalu is a yoga health and wellness center that offers education on the topics of yoga, Ayurveda, spiritual practice, and meditation. Though they are currently based out of Massachusetts, they have strong ties with Pennsylvania. They offer both yoga retreats and Yoga Alliance yoga teacher training courses all over the world. You can choose from a wide variety of yoga styles, including hot yoga, restorative yoga, hatha yoga, and vinyasa flow. Kripalu is one of the most well-known yoga centers in the United States and will certainly provide a quality experience (and produce quality yoga instructors, too!).

Located in Erie, Plasha Yoga is so much more than just a yoga studio with daily yoga classes. They offer heaps of workshops on a wide range of topics, such as meditation, pranayama, The Yoga Sutras, Yoga Psychology, The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living, Ayurveda, Prenatal Yoga, Yoga for Athletes,and Kids Yoga. They not only strive to provide quality yoga with experienced yoga teachers, but they also strive to improve the health and wel-being of basically anybody within their reach. For a super cool experience, check them out the next time you're in Pennsylvania.

The best time to visit Pennsylvania is in the fall. The months of fall for that region are September, October, and November. The heat has faded away but the icy winter hasnt set in quite yet. Plus, the changing of the leaves is really a beautiful site.

Pennsylvania is a large state with lots of open lands, so the best way to get around is by car. If you can rent a car during your visit, this will help tremendously with transportation. Otherwise, the Greyhound Bus lines will likely be able to serve you.

Visit link:
14 Best Yoga Retreats in Pennsylvania 2019 | BookRetreats

Did you know that the Grant Cardone net worth is reported to be $300 million?Besides being an actor, hes also a motivational speaker and a writer on top of selling cars. Wow, doesnt sound like stuff that would be worth that much money? Hes not a mega-star or a household name like Pitt or Clooney, nor a bestselling author like James Patterson with multiple bestsellers. And, we all know that selling used cars, or any cars for that matter, isnt that lucrative. Hmmmm, so how did Grant Cardone ever get to be so wealthy?

All in all, Grant Cardone has been successful at overcoming a number of obstacles during his amazing journey to fame and fortune in real estate and several other areas. Yes, Grant Cardone has endurance and a serious passion that lead him to possess his large net worth as well as a massive client following. Hes actually living proof that nobody has to be bound by their current situation. Grant Cardone certainly never was. His grit and determination in such a wide range of fields have gotten his name mentioned in the same sentence as men like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, Mark Cuban, and the like.

Hes very proud of what hes done and describes his methods as pushing people but, lets face it, pushing obviously works! And, the companies that Grant has helped, as well as the people who have listened to his motivational speeches certainly arent complaining. As Cardone himself says, Money might not bring happiness but success does!

Read more here:

How Grant Cardone Achieved a Net Worth of $300 Million

Grant Cardone, author of The 10X Rule and Sell or Be Sold, was dubbed by Forbes the #1 Marketing Influencer in the World.

Welcome to my review of the Grant Cardone University.

I am going to discuss Grant Cardone, the course, and its training and upsells so that you can get the best from this Grant Cardone University review and make the right decision for yourself on whether or not to invest in the course.

Find out here if Grant Cardone University is legit or a scam.

What is Grant Cardone University? It is Grant Cardones sales training platform containing over 1,700 segments of interactive video content created by sales master Grant Cardone.

However, it is not only a course on selling. It is much more than that. It is a course on leadership, success, entrepreneurship, creativity, and more.

Through Grant Cardone University, you are also introduced to key industry experts people like Shark Tanks Daymond John who offer valuable insights into the world of business and sales.

Grant figured it out. No matter how much you learn, if you do not take action, you never profit.

You MUST apply the lessons.

Now lets take a look at Grant Cardone.

Grant Cardone is a badass entrepreneur known forhis ability to turn words into money.

In his early 20s, Grant Cardone found himself in rehab. But he eventually became an entrepreneur, salesman,and 8-figure earner.

But not only that, he has an amazing philosophy on life and insights into human nature which serves him very well in his sales tactics.

Check out the video below to hear Grant Cardones philosophy on prosperity. Isnt that what youre looking for? You arent content with your disgusting middle-class income. You want to create something that will provide for you and your family not just the basics of life but a life of abundance.

Something that will bring you massive profits.

The son of Italian immigrants, Grant is a self-proclaimed middle class guy that came from nothing.

He started off with normal jobs McDonalds, a country club, a clothing company, a furniture store, and offshore boating and got fired from every single one of them until he found himself in drug rehab.

He was lost and confused.

But at the age of 23 years old he decided to take his life into his own hands and that failure was not an option.

Click here to get a huge discount on Grant Cardone products to start taking control of your life and future!

After this, Grant became you wouldnt believe it a car salesman and decided that he would learn everything there was about selling cars.

He spent the next two years doing just that, becoming moreaggressive at selling than even the dealership owner himself!

Within two years Grant was in the top 1% of car salesmen in the country.

However, after witnessing corruption in the car dealership and subsequently being fired for calling it out, he decided to start his own business.

Grant saved his cash for a few years and finally bought his first property at the age of 29 a single-family residence in Houston, Texas.

After a little while, however, the tenants left, and the property was running a loss.

This taught Grant an extremely valuable lesson: when it comes to real estate, buy big, baby!

Then ate the age of 34, having saved most of the money he earned as a salesman, Grant bought a 38-unit apartment complex in San Diego.

He has continued to funnel the income he makes from his sales businesses into real estate and today boasts a 9-figure real estate portfolio.

Click here to get a huge discount on Grant Cardone products to start taking control of your life and future!

Youre interested in Grant Cardone University because you obviously want to make more money.

So naturally you would wonder how much Grant Cardones net worth has become over the years.

No one knows for sure, but his real estate investment company, Cardone Acquisitions, claims to hold $566 million of multifamily properties throughout the country.yLets just say that Grant Cardones net worth is at least $100 million, and knowing this, we all have a thing or two to learn from him.

It doesnt take a genius to figure out that Grant Cardones ability to sell has gotten him to the place he is today.

And this ability to sell is exactly what will set apart the abundant from the middle-class and poor.

For years, Grant Cardone has taught go-getters the art of selling.

Probably one of the most affordable ways to tap into Grand Cardones wealth building methods is to organize your day with the 10X Daily Planner.

Click here to get a huge discount on Grant Cardones 10X Daily Planner to start dominating your day!

With this planner, you will learn how to:

Organize your day to set yourself up for success.

Pack in every activity and challenge yourself to see how fast you can complete tasks.

Remind yourself what the bigger picture is.

What are you shooting for?

Writing down your goals keeps them in sight and at the top of your mind.

I always study those who are successful and use their words to inspire me.

A daily quote can also be your own mantra that helps you push through to achieve your goals.

Aim high and raise the bar.

Youre capable of much more than you think.

Once you set your targets, commit to getting as close to them as possible without ever lowering your target.

As you complete tasks and solve problems take note.

Writing down the positive wins of the day motivates you to do more.

End your daily hustle by revisiting your goals and adding new ones.

Make them HUGE and then get obsessed with them.

Let your big goals be what drives you to push yourself to greatness.

Click here to get a huge discount on Grant Cardone products to start taking control of your life and future!

Grant Cardone makes 8 figures a year in his sales business.

No joke.

But he didnt start off that way. He has spent thousands of his own hours and dollars as a young man, trying and testing, to figure out what works when it comes to selling.

And now he is sharing that knowledge with his students through the no-nonsense Grant Cardone University course where Grant takes you behind-the-scenes to see exactly what he is doing to make life-changing money in sales.

This is what Grant has to say about getting what you want:

You will either get what you want or you will be used by others to get what they want. Grant Cardone

He is one of the most transparent teachers/trainers teaching sales today.

Click here to get exclusive discounts on Grant Cardone products!

There is no bait and switch with Grant Cardone; he teaches you exactly whatactually makes money and works for him.

Most importantly, the coolest thing about Grant is he has a track record of success. His training, coachingand affiliate network is directly responsible for creating dozens of successful salespeople and marketers like myself.

The Grant Cardone University course currently has 1,700 lessons from Grant himself.

And Grant is routinely adding more content to respond to the needs of his students.

The training is a balancedmix of technical knowledge and also mindset preparation.

No matter what business you get into, your mindset will dictate 80% of your results.

You need to cultivate and maintain positivity and focus to be successful in sales.

The material is dense but well-layered.

Here are the cornerstone modules youll get in Grant Cardone University:

Grant Cardone University will give you life-changing information that could possibly take you to a 6-, 7-, or even 8-figure earner.

However, you must take rapid action on what you learn.

The speed of your money depends on your speed of implementation.

Also, about once a week Grant will do exclusive live trainings with Cardone University students.

For example, tomorrow he has one on Money & Finance.

The cost is typically $19,815, but has recently been discounted.

If you dont have the budget right now for the entire Grant Cardone Sales Training University, then feel free to check out other top-rated Grant Cardone products and tools.

The challenge with the Grant Cardone University review is there is truly no shortage of online sales courses available.

With so many courses and trainingsonline, it is often hard to know what is real and whats a waste of time.

Youcould just stick to free trainings on forums and Youtube, but the problem is there is a lot of bullcrap theory and bad advice that you will have to filter through, andoften you cant tell the difference.

That is not the case with Grant Cardone University. This course is not a scam.

Grant Cardone University is easily the best sales training course in the world.

With Grant Cardone, you have someonewhois established andsuccessful. He also shows you exactly what he does to make sales.

He teaches you in-depth exactly what he does to earn his money and how you can do the same. This course is about teaching you how to fish and become a fisherman.

If you are in sales and would like 10x your business, you should invest in this course

Nevertheless, whatever point youre at, Grant gives you the foundationalskills you will needbe consistently profitable.

Without it, you may have temporary success, but it may notlast. Invest in your education and you will reap the benefits for a lifetime.

As I mentioned above, Grant Cardone University typically costs $19,815, but it has recently been discounted.

I am not sure how long Grant is going to keep this discount going, so be sure to take advantage of it before time runs out.

I hope that my Cardone University review helped give you more insight on the course and I appreciate your feedback in the comments.

Logan

See the article here:

Grant Cardone University Review: Is Grant Cardone Legit or ...

Sri Aurobindo Ashram The Mother

The Mother was born Mirra Alfassa in Paris on 21 February 1878. A pupil at the Academie Julian, she became an accomplished artist, and also excelled as a pianist and writer. Interested in occultism, she visited Tlemcen, Algeria, in 1905 and l906 to study with the adept Max Theon and his wife. Her primary interest, however, was spiritual development. In Paris she founded a group of spiritual seekers and gave talks to various groups.

In 1914 the Mother voyaged to Pondicherry to meet Sri Aurobindo, whom she at once recognised as the one who for many years had inwardly guided her spiritual development. After a stay of eleven months she was obliged to return to France due to the outbreak of the First World War. A year later she went to Japan for a period of four years.

In April 1920 the Mother rejoined Sri Aurobindo in Pondicherry. When the Sri Aurobindo Ashram was formed in November 1926, Sri Aurobindo entrusted its full material and spiritual charge to the Mother. Under her guidance, which continued for nearly fifty years, the Ashram grew into a large, many-faceted spiritual community. In 1952 she established Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, and in 1968 an international township, Auroville.

The Mother left her body on l7 November 1973.

See original here:
Sri Aurobindo Ashram The Mother