by Eric Steinhart Department of Philosophy William Paterson University Journal of Evolution and Technology

Vol. 20 Issue 1 - pgs 1-22

December 2008

from JournalOfEvolutionAndTechnology Website

Omega Point Theology Being Used As Framework For 'Christian' Transhumanism

Tomorrow's Nephilim As Spiritual Leaders Of New Global Order

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was among the first to give serious consideration to the future of human evolution. His work advocates both biotechnologies (e.g., genetic engineering) and intelligence technologies. He discusses the emergence of a global computation-communication system (and is said by some to have been the first to have envisioned the Internet).

He advocates the development of a global society.

Teilhard is almost surely the first to discuss the acceleration of technological progress to a Singularity in which human intelligence will become super-intelligence. He discusses the spread of human intelligence into the universe and its amplification into a cosmic intelligence. More recently, his work has been taken up by Barrow and Tipler; Tipler; Moravec; and Kurzweil.

Of course, Teilhards Omega Point Theory is deeply Christian, which may be difficult for secular transhumanists.

But transhumanism cannot avoid a fateful engagement with Christianity. Christian institutions may support or oppose transhumanism. Since Christianity is an extremely powerful cultural force in the West, it is imperative for transhumanism to engage it carefully.

A serious study of Teilhard can help that engagement and will thus be rewarding to both communities.

1. Introduction Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) was a Jesuit paleontologist.[1] He combined his scientific study of the fossil record with his Christian faith to produce a general theory of evolution. Teilhards body of work has much to offer transhumanists, who advocate the use of technology to enhance human capacities and see current human beings as in transition to posthuman forms.

There are several specific reasons for transhumanists to study Teilhards work.

The first reason is that Teilhard was one of the first to articulate transhumanist themes. Transhumanists advocate the ethical use of technology for human enhancement. Teilhard's writing likewise argues for the ethical application of technology in order to advance humanity beyond the limitations of natural biology. Teilhard explicitly argues for the use of both bio-technologies (e.g., genetic engineering) and intelligence technologies, and develops several other themes often found in transhumanist writings.

He discusses the emergence of a global computation-communication system, and is said by some to have been the first to have envisioned the Internet (Kreisberg, 1995). He advocates the development of an egalitarian global society. He was almost certainly the first to discuss the acceleration of technological progress to a kind of Singularity in which human intelligence will become super-intelligence.

He discusses the spread of human intelligence into the universe and its amplification into a cosmic-intelligence.

The second reason for transhumanists to study Teilhard is that his thought has influenced transhumanism itself. In particular, Teilhard develops an Omega Point Theory.

An Omega Point Theory (OPT) claims that the universe is evolving towards a godlike final state.

Teilhards OPT was later refined and developed by Barrow and Tipler (1986) and by Tipler alone (1988; 1995).

Ideas from the Barrow-Tipler OPT were, in turn, taken up by many transhumanists (see, for example, Moravec (1988; 2000) and Dewdney (1998)). Kurzweil also articulates a somewhat weaker OPT.

He says:

evolution moves inexorably toward our conception of God, albeit never reaching this ideal

(2005: 476; see also 375, 389-390)

Many transhumanists work within the conceptual architecture of Teilhards OPT without being aware of its origins. Indeed, Teilhard is mostly ignored in the histories of transhumanism; e.g., he is mentioned once and only in passing in Bostroms (2005) detailed history of the transhumanist movement.

The third reason for transhumanists to study Teilhard is that he develops his transhumanist ideas within a Christian context. Teilhard shows how one might develop a Christian transhumanism. Although some secular transhumanists may be inclined to react negatively to any mention of Christianity, such hostility may prove politically costly.

Transhumanism and Christianity are not essentially enemies.

They share some common themes (Hopkins, 2005). Of course, it is understandable that many transhumanists reject the superstitious aspects of Christian doctrine and the authoritarian aspects of Christian institutions. Likewise, Teilhard wants to abandon those aspects of Christianity. He argues that Christ is at work in evolution, that Christ is at work in technology, and that the work of Christ ultimately aims at the perfection of human biology. Christianity is a complex network of doctrines and institutions.

A study of Teilhard can help transhumanists to locate and carefully cultivate friends in that network and to locate, and carefully defend against, opponents.

The fourth reason for transhumanists to study Teilhard is that they are likely to need to defend themselves against conservative forms of Christianity. The dominant forms of Christianity today (at least in the USA) are conservative. As the cultural visibility of transhumanism grows, conservative Christians will increasingly pay it their attention.

They may feel increasingly threatened by transhumanism and come to see it as a heresy (Bainbridge, 2005). Various conservative Christians have already opposed transhumanism (Wiker, 2003; Hook, 2004; Daly, 2004; Hart, 2005). Since Christianity is an extremely powerful cultural force in the West, it is imperative for transhumanism to engage it carefully.

Conservative Christian forces have already opposed various biotechnologies (such as embryonic stem cell research and cloning) and may oppose all the enhancement techniques that transhumanists advocate. Conservative Christianity currently has the political power to effectively shut transhumanism down in the West.

Teilhard was attacked by conservative Catholics, and transhumanists may have to fight similar battles over similar issues. And yet Teilhard gained a surprisingly large following both within and beyond the church.[2]

A study of his work can help transhumanists develop nuanced strategies for defending against attacks from conservative Christians.

The fifth reason for transhumanists to study Teilhard is that they may want to build bridges to liberal and progressive forms of Christianity. Teilhard believed that science and technology have positive roles to play in building the City of God in this world.

A study of Teilhards work may help transhumanists to explore the ways that transhumanism can obtain support:

from Christian millenarianism (see Bozeman, 1997; Noble, 1999)

from Irenaean and neo-Irenaean theodicies (see Hick, 1977; Walker, Undated)[3]

from liberal Protestantism (see Arnow, 1950)

from process theology (see Cobb and Griffin, 1976)

Teilhard believed that everyone has a right to enter the kingdom of heaven it isnt reserved for any special sexual, racial, or economic elite.

A study of Teilhards writings can help transhumanism embrace a deep conception of social justice and expand its conception of social concern (see Garner, 2005). A study of Teilhard can help transhumanists make beneficial conceptual, and even political, connections to progressive Christian institutions.

My goal in this paper is to present the thought of Teilhard de Chardin in a way that is defensible and accessible to transhumanists.

Teilhard was working in the early twentieth century, at a time when biology was primitive and computer science non-existent. Many of his ideas are presented in a nineteenth-century vocabulary that is now conceptually obsolete.

My method is to present these ideas in a charitable way using a contemporary conceptual vocabulary, and to show how they have been refined by transhumanists such as Tipler, Moravec, and Kurzweil. One might say this paper offers a transhumanist reading of Teilhard or even a Teilhardian transhumanism. Since I make extensive use of computational ideas, I am offering a computational model of Teilhards thought.

I thereby hope to make his ideas accessible and to encourage further study of Teilhard among transhumanists.

Teilhard produced an extensive body of work that may be of interest to them;[4] there is also an enormous secondary literature on Teilhard, much of which may be of great interest to transhumanists.[5]

2. Teilhard and computation

2.1 Complexity and logical depth Physical things can be compared in terms of their size, mass, and so on. But they can also be compared in terms of their complexity. Complexity is an objective physical property and the scale of complexities is an objective physical scale.

Teilhard says:

the complexity of a thing... [is] the quality the thing possesses of being composed (a) of a larger number of elements, which are (b) more tightly organized among themselves.... [Complexity depends] not only on the number and diversity of the elements included in each case, but at least as much on the number and correlative variety of the links formed between these elements.

(Teilhard, 1959, The Future of Man, page 98; henceforth abbreviated FUT.)

A first refinement of Teilhards thought requires that we update his definition of complexity.

We can define the complexity of an object as the amount of computational work it takes to simulate the object. It takes a more powerful computer to simulate a more complex object. Bennett (1990) makes this idea more precise by defining complexity as logical depth.

He says:

Logical depth = Execution time required to generate the object in question by a near-incompressible universal computer program, i.e., one not itself computable as output of a significantly more concise program.... Logically deep objects... contain internal evidence of having been the result of a long computation or slow-to-simulate dynamical process.

(Bennett, 1990: 142.)

Teilhard observes that increasingly complex systems are emerging in our universe over time.

We can plot this emergence on a graph with two axes: a time axis and a complexity axis (Teilhard, 1973, My fundamental vision in Towards the Future, page 166; henceforth abbreviated MFV). Teilhard refers to the emergence of increasingly complex systems as complexification. Today we are more likely to talk about self-organization. But the idea is the same.

According to Bennett, we should expect more complex objects to appear later in any evolutionary process.

Teilhard would agree.

More:
Teilhard de Chardin and Transhumanism

Fat Loss via Better Science and Simplicity

It is possible to lose 20 lbs. of bodyfat in 30 days by optimizing any of three factors: exercise, diet, or drug/supplement regimen. Ive seen the elite implementation of all three in working with professional athletes. In this post, well explore what I refer to as the slow-carb diet.

In the last six weeks, I have cut from about 180 lbs. to 165 lbs., while adding about 10 lbs. of muscle, which means Ive lost about 25 lbs. of fat. This is the only diet besides the rather extreme Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) that has produced veins across my abdomen, which is the last place I lose fat (damn you, Scandinavian genetics). Here are the four simple rules I followed

Rule #1: Avoid white carbohydrates

Avoid any carbohydrate that is or can be white. The following foods are thus prohibited, except for within 1.5 hours of finishing a resistance-training workout of at least 20 minutes in length: bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading. If you avoid eating anything white, youll be safe.

Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again

The most successful dieters, regardless of whether their goal is muscle gain or fat loss, eat the same few meals over and over again. Mix and match, constructing each meal with one from each of the three following groups:

Proteins: Egg whites with one whole egg for flavor Chicken breast or thigh Grass-fed organic beef Pork

Legumes: Lentils Black beans Pinto beans

Vegetables: Spinach Asparagus Peas Mixed vegetables

Eat as much as you like of the above food items. Just remember: keep it simple. Pick three or four meals and repeat them. Almost all restaurants can give you a salad or vegetables in place of french fries or potatoes. Surprisingly, I have found Mexican food, swapping out rice for vegetables, to be one of the cuisines most conducive to the slow carb diet.

Most people who go on low carbohydrate diets complain of low energy and quit, not because such diets cant work, but because they consume insufficient calories. A 1/2 cup of rice is 300 calories, whereas a 1/2 cup of spinach is 15 calories! Vegetables are not calorically dense, so it is critical that you add legumes for caloric load.

Some athletes eat 6-8x per day to break up caloric load and avoid fat gain. I think this is ridiculously inconvenient. I eat 4x per day:

10am breakfast 1pm lunch 5pm smaller second lunch 7:30-9pm sports training 10pm dinner 12am glass of wine and Discovery Channel before bed

Here are some of my meals that recur again and again:

Scrambled Eggology pourable egg whites with one whole egg, black beans, and microwaved mixed vegetables Grass-fed organic beef, pinto beans, mixed vegetables, and extra guacamole (Mexican restaurant) Grass-fed organic beef (from Trader Joes), lentils, and mixed vegetables

Rule #3: Dont drink calories

Drink massive quantities of water and as much unsweetened iced tea, tea, diet sodas, coffee (without white cream), or other no-calorie/low-calorie beverages as you like. Do not drink milk, normal soft drinks, or fruit juice. Im a wine fanatic and have at least one glass of wine each evening, which I believe actually aids sports recovery and fat-loss. Recent research into resveratrol supports this.

Rule #4: Take one day off per week

I recommend Saturdays as your Dieters Gone Wild day. I am allowed to eat whatever I want on Saturdays, and I go out of my way to eat ice cream, Snickers, Take 5, and all of my other vices in excess. I make myself a little sick and dont want to look at any of it for the rest of the week. Paradoxically, dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function, etc.) doesnt downregulate from extended caloric restriction. Thats right: eating pure crap can help you lose fat. Welcome to Utopia.

###

If you enjoyed this post, check out my latest book, The 4-Hour Body, #1 New York Times and #1 Amazon bestseller. You will learn: the finer details of the Slow Carb Diet (outlined in the above post), how I gained 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, how to produce 15-minute female orgasms, and more.

You can also get the Expanded and Updated 4-Hour Workweek, which includes more than 50 new case studies of luxury lifestyle design, business building, reducing hours 80%+, and world travel.

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Tim Ferriss interviewed by Derek Sivers Tim Ferriss articles on Huffington Post

Posted on: April 6, 2007.

Watch The Tim Ferriss Experiment, the new #1-rated TV show with "the world's best human guinea pig" (Newsweek), Tim Ferriss. It's Mythbusters meets Jackass. Shot and edited by the Emmy-award winning team behind Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and Parts Unknown. Here's the trailer.

Go here to read the rest:
How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days Without Doing Any ...

An African proverb says, When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside can do you no harm.

Self-awareness is one of themost importantskills for success.How you behave and respond to external situations is governed byinternalmental processes. Self-awareness uncovers anydestructivethought-patterns and unhealthy habits. Thisleads to better decision-making and behavioral responses.

Here are 12 exercises for greater self-awareness:

Before acting on a decision, ask yourself Why? Follow up your response with another Why? And then a third. If you can find three good reasons to pursue something, youll have clarity and be more confident in your actions.

Being self-aware meansknowing your motivesand determining whether theyre reasonable.

The philosopherWittgensteinsaid, The limits of my language means the limits of my world.

Emotions create powerful physical and behavioral responses thatare more complex than happy or sad.Puttingyour feelings into words hasatherapeutic effecton your brain; if youre unable to articulate how you feel, that can create stress. Heres agreat listof feeling words to help withlabelingyour emotions. Increase your emotional vocabulary with one new word each day.

Related:Are You Emotionally Intelligent? Here's How to Know for Sure.

The ability to say no to yourself to put off short-term gratification for the long-term gain is an importantlife-skill. Like a muscle, it is strengthened with exercise. The more you practice saying no to small daily challenges, the better you can withstand major temptations.

There are plenty of daily temptations --social media, junk food, gossiping, Youtube. Make a goal of saying no to five different temptations each day.

A person without self-awareness runs on auto-pilot, and responds withknee-jerk reactions. Self-awareness allows you to assess situations objectively and rationally, without acting onbiasesand stereotypes.

Takea deep breath before you act,especially when a situation triggersanger or frustration. This gives you time to re-assess whether your response will be the best one.

Nobody is perfect. Being aware of your flaws, but failing to accept accountability, is leaving the job half-done. Were often critical of others, whileignorantof our own flaws. Self-awareness helps turn the mirror on ourselves and prevents hypocritical behavior.

Iteration and self-improvement only happens once you recognize a flaw. Create a habit of acknowledging yourmistakes, rather than making excuses.

There is non-stop commentary inour headsthatis not always helpful. A little bit ofnegative self-talkcan spiral into stress and depression.

Pay attention to the way you respond to your successes and failures do you pass off your achievements as luck? And crucify yourself after failures? Positive and negative feedback-loops will form in your mind based offhow you respondto successes and failures. Being tough on yourself needs to be balanced withself-compassion. Celebrate your wins, forgive your losses.

Related:How Talking to Yourself Can Help You Be More Successful

Watching yourself on video can be a cringeworthy experience, but awareness of your body language, posture, and mannerisms improvesyour confidence.

Slouching, or taking a low-power-pose increasescortisoland feeds lowself-esteem, while standing tall or taking a high-power-pose stimulates testosterone and improves your performance. Using hand gestures helps witharticulatingyour thoughts and affects howpeople respond to you.

Record a speech or presentation and evaluate your posture andhand gestures. Watch videos of skilled speakers and adopt their mannerisms to improve your own.

Taking an opposing view forces you to question yourassumptions. Your "default"beliefs and worldview are notalways reasonable; its healthy to argue against yourself and see how your views hold up.

And youll give your brain a good workout. Processing challenging information stimulates newneural connections.

Knowing your personality type allows you to maximizeyour strengths and manage your weaknesses. Understanding your strengths and talents can be the difference between a good choice, and agreatchoice. (Strengths are skills and knowledge that can be acquired, whiletalentsare innate).

Start with understanding where you fall on theintrovert/extrovert spectrum;know yourMyers-Briggstype; and thenconduct a personalSWOTanalysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats).

Keep ajournaland track your progress. How would you rate your current level of self-awareness out of ten? Think about how often you say regretful things; repeat bad habits; make absent-minded decisions; and have erraticthoughts.

Set regular goals, break big goals down into smaller milestones. Ask yourself at the end of each day, What did I do well today? And, How can I improve on this tomorrow?

We all have blind spots in our thinking patterns and behaviors. Asking for regularconstructive feedbackcuts through any self-deceitor one-dimensional views you might hold. But only ask people youd consider mentors those who understand you; whom you respect; and will tell you what you need to hear, not what youwantto hear.

Meditationis a foundational practice for improving self-awareness. To focus solely onyour breathingis to focus on a key internal process. Youll become aware of how your mind wanders, and get better at snapping out of distractions.

For beginners, start with ten minute sessions. Find a quiet place to sit, breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Count your breaths silently, pulling your mind back when it wanders. See how many breaths you can string together.

Related:Meditation Isn't Just For Hippies: Here is How it Can Help Entrepreneurs

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12 Self-Awareness Exercises That Fuel Success

Join us for the 2016 SDT Conference June 2-5 &Business Pre-Conference with Richard Ryan, Edward Deci & Scott Rigby June 1st

Self-Determination Theory (SDT)is atheory of motivation.It is concerned with supporting our natural or intrinsic tendencies to behave in effective and healthy ways. SDT has been researched and practiced by anetwork of researchersaround the world.

The theory was initially developed by Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan, and has been elaborated and refined by scholars from many countries. Deci iscurrentlya professor at the University of Rochester in the Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology in Rochester, NY; Ryan, a clinical psychologist, was recently appointed asProfessor at the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney, Australia. Together and separately, Deci and Ryan have promoted SDT through theory, research, andtheirongoing training of scholars.

This website presents a brief overview of SDT and provides resources that address important issues such as human needs, values, intrinsic motivation, development, motivation across cultures, individual differences, and psychological well-being. Also addressed are the applications of Self-Determination Theory to:

Go here to read the rest:
Self-Determination Theory

Home |Bapuji | Satsang| Amrit Kalash|Audio| Video|Books|Mobile|Downloads

Sri Yog Vedant Seva Samitis all over the world organizes many Geeta Bhagwat Satsang, Meditation Camps all over the world for human upliftment under the guidance of his holiness Sant Sri Asharamji Bapu.

Sant Sri Asharamji Bapu is a self realsied Saint from India, whose presence is today sanctifying the land of India . The Moksha Kutir (cottage of salvation) set up on the banks of the River Sabarmati in Amdavad in the year 1972 has today become a pilgrimage place for spiritual guidance in the name of Sant Sri Asharamji Ashram. Let us have a look at the various altruistic activities for public welfare run under the inspiring guidance of Pujya Bapuji.

Over 300 Ashrams have been established at various places in the country. There are satsanga centres at Matawan, Washington (USA) Toronto ( Canada ) and other places abroad. Shri Yoga Vedanta Seva Samitis: About 1275 Seva Samitis world-wide run by the ashram are engaged in various services for the welfare of all sections of the society.

So the activities are as follows

Satsangas by Pujya Bapuji and His blessed disciples are being continuously carried on in different cities, villages and schools, whereby noble thoughts and traits are promoted in the society.

Today millions of people are getting relief from incurable diseases through the techniques of Pranayama, yogic practices and health-tips in these Satsanga-programmes. Here they are taught to lead a happy and successful life by practicing the values of dharma and the pious knowledge of Vedanta in their daily lives. Besides this, they are thaught ways to Self-realization, the highest goal of life through the combined practice of Bhaktiyoga, Karmayoga and Jnanayoga

millions of people are getting their latent powers awakened through kundalini yoga, meditation and yoga in Dhyana Yoga Shivirs organized in the company of Pujya Bapuji. They are experiencing peace and bliss by becoming free from stress and sensual depravities through meditation. Click here to know more on, Dhyan Yog Shivir

Student life is the basis of human life. To strengthen this, Vidyarthi Utthan Shivirs are organized in the holy company of Pujya Bapuji. In this, students are imparted training in yogic practices, yogasana, meditation, etc. so that they may develop their latent powers and become devoted to their aim in life and be imbued with will-power and discrimination. These children then grow to become noble citizens of tomorrow and glorify their parents, teachers and the nation.

There are crores of initiated disciples of Bapuji throughout the world who are engaged in various activities of public welfare along with their spiritual advancement.

Pujya Bapujis satsanga discourses are being telecast through Aastha, Aastha International, Sanskar and through city-cables.

354 books are published in 14 languages by the ashram. The monthly magazine Rishi Prasad is being published in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Oriya, Telugu. Kannada and English Languages while another monthly magaine Darvesh Darshan is being published in Sindhi. The monthly news paper Lok Kalyan Setu is being published in Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati languages. More than 1.7 million copies of Rishi Prasad are published every month.

More than 17,500 Bal Sanskar Kendras are engaged in the divine work of inculcating noble traits in students

Millions of copies of Yuvadhan Suraksha (Divya Prerana Prakash) have been distributed among students, youths and the common masses. Besides this, thousands of youth upliftment programmes have been organized so far. Yuvadhan Suraksha Abhiyan has instilled new inspiration in the youths.

There are arrangements for Mauna Mandir Sadhana in around 140 ashrams wherein the sadhakas have divine spiritual experiences by observing a vow of silence for 7 days.

Besides special services such as regular free distribution of food grains and bhandaras through Vanvasi Utthan Kendras (Tribal Upliftment Centres) in different parts of the country, distribution of food-grains, clothes, utensils note-book to children, sweets, etc. and cash distribution with bhandaras by Pujya Bapuji are being carried out on a large scale. Regular programmes of kirtan and bhandaras have become a main part of the service activities of the ashram. Millions of poor tribals, deprived and orphans have been benefited through thousands of bhandaras so far.

Articles useful in daily life are distributed in orphanages.

Thousands of ration cards have been distributed by the ashram to the poor, destitute and widows, through which food grains and articles for daily use are distributed among them every month.

Cool butter milk and water outlets are provided at bus-stands, railway stations and public places free of cost.

Under this scheme offered by the ashram, those who have no means of or are unable to earn their livelihood are provided with the benefits of japa, kirtana and satsanga from morning till evening along with food and wages with a view to eradicating poverty and unemployment and sanctifying the atmosphere through japa and kirtana.

Ayurvedic eye-drops and Vastudosha Nivarak (for relief from harmful planetary influences and for promoting peace and happiness) are distributed free of cost as prasada.

The ashram has always been at the top in terms of service and promptitude whenever the country had to face natural calamities. Be it the earthquake of Latur or Bhuj; the famine in Gujarat, the flood in Orissa and Gujarat or the Tsunami disaster the ashram has rendered non-stop services at all places.

9 big Gaushalas are being run by the ashram, where thousands of cows rescued on their way to slaughter houses, are being served. Gaushalas are being run in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and other States.

Huge number of addicted people are becoming de-addicted through the De-addiction campaigns run by the ashram.

These shivirs which have been started with the view to utilize the vacations of students to make them cultured, intelligent, industrious and altruistic have been highly commended by students and their guardians. In these shivirs, students are imparted excellent guidance on important aspects such as yogic science, ideal daily routine, and on how to become ideal students and secure good marks in exams.

Note books, textbooks, uniforms etc. are distributed free of cost to poor, parentless and helpless children. Special note books are produced for children, which carry moral, edifying phrases, inspiring pictures and anecdotes, tips for development of memory power and keys to success.

Carpets, desks chairs etc. too are provided in rural and tribal schools.

Training in meditation, Sadhna, increasing memory power, etc. are imparted by Sadhakas and Sadhikas in various schools.

The ashram had organized this nationwide competition in the years 2002 and 2003. 5,32,799 children had participated in this competition, out of which 1,89,671 competitors came out successful and 3,515 participants were given prizes. Recently in Jan'09 over 4.5 lacs of students participated in Divine Inspiration competition - a competition on book Divine Inspiration.

Harinam Sankirtan Yatras (processions with chanting the Lords Name) and prabhat pheris are organised throughout the country with a view to eradicate thought pollution and make the atmosphere pious, in the course of which sacred literatures, too are distributed.

Medical treatments are provided by expert physicians at various places through acupressure, naturopathy and ayurvedic and homoepathic therapy. Besides this, free medical camps are organised in the remote areas of the country. The ashrams mobile dispensaries provide service even in those tribal and rural areas where medical facilities are not easily available.

Fruits, milk, medicines and sacred literatures are distributed to patients.

Every ashram has one Banyan or Pipal tree which has been endowed with spiritual powers by Pujya Bapuji to help people get their material needs fulfilled. It is referred to as Barhbadshah or Pipal Badshah by devotees. These places have today turned into accomplished spots for getting ones wishes fulfilled.

Permanent and mobile centres which provide spiritual literature at down to earth prices are being established with a view to distribute spiritual literature throughout the country and help every section of the society including the poor to avail itself of life-elevating spiritual values at home.

The nectarine precepts of Pujya Bapuji are made available to people through video satsanga centres at various places.

Free distribution of spiritual literatures and satsanga programmes are organised in 446 Jails throughout India for the upliftment of prisoners. 2,80,000 prisoners have been benefited so far. Booklets are provided to them so that they may utilize their leisure period for writing down the Lords name. A set of 73 books published by the ashram, and CDs and cassettes of Pujya Bapujis satsanga are given to the prison libraries as well.

Mahamrityunjay yajnas and other such programmes are organised for this purpose.

Padyatras (processions on foot) are being taken out from time-to time for spreading moral values and awakening people against addictions. Padyatra was taken out from Jammu-Kashmir to Kanyakumari as well.

More here:

Sant Shri Asharamji Bapu Devotees - HariOmGroup - || Ashram

The Fourth Way of Self-Transformation

"Real love is a cosmic force which goes through us. If we crystallize it, it becomes the greatest power in the world."

G. I. Gurdjieff

Views from the Real World

"With the right methods and efforts, a man can acquire consciousness. What this implies we, in our present state, cannot even imagine."

P. D. Ouspensky

GurdjieffWork.com is for those who are seeking to understand the nature of self, the universe, and the inner meaning of the Gospel message. It is for those who care about our world a world which seems tragically out of balance not what we imagine it could be. It is for those who sense the urgency of participating more consciously in their own transformation, and thus the transformation of the larger world.

We must realize that man cannot expect to live in harmony if he cannot undergo a definite and radical transformation of his consciousness as it relates to the significance of human life on earth. If we are unable to achieve the needed transformation, we can expect more of what we have seen throughout man's tragic history: violence, wars, and the slaughter of innocent men, women and children to settle our racial, religious, and political differences.

GurdjieffWork.com is a comprehensive source of information and material on the Teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff, known as "The Work" and the "Fourth Way," including numerous contributions from many of his closest students such as P.D. Ouspensky and Maurice Nicoll as well as articles, audios and videos from well-known Fourth Way teachers such as Theodore Nottingham, James Parkinson, Jacob Needleman, Tim Cook(Church of Conscious Harmony) and many others. In addition, GurdjieffWork.com also includes selected writings, videos and audios of J. Krishnamurti and aFourth Way Bookstore.These teachings and resources are offered to sincere seekers to help you gain access toa living truth referred to throughout the Gospels as the "Kingdom of Heaven", and in the Work as "Real I" ...spiritual understanding that resides in the minds and heart ofevery soul.

The Terror of The Situation

"We see everywhere a preponderance of vulgarity and stupidity of all kinds, and in life, we only see new divisions, new hostility, new misunderstandings."

Gurdjieff called this the terror of the situation. Through whatever form Gurdjieff expressed himself, his voice must be understood as an urgent call to each of us. He calls each of us to free ourselves from the inner chaos in which we live. He calls us to open our inner awareness. He asks us why we are here, what humanity wishes, and what spiritual forces will we ultimately commit our entire being to. Above all, Gurdjieff asks us if we understand who we are, and more importantly, what we might become.

Gurdjieff Calls Us to Awaken

"Man's possibilities are very great. You cannot even conceive a shadow of what man is capable of attaining."

Go out one clear starlit night to some open space and look up at the sky, at those millions of worlds over your head. Look at the Milky Way. The earth cannot even be called a grain of sand in this infinity. It dissolves and vanishes, and with it, you. Where are you, and is what you want simply madness?

Man's possibilities are very great. You cannot even conceive a shadow of what man is capable of attaining. But nothing can be attained in sleep. In the consciousness of a sleeping man, his illusions and dreams are mixed with reality. He lives in a subjective world and he can never escape from it. And this is the reason why he can never make use of all the powers he possesses and why he lives in only a small part of himself. For a man who wishes to wholly be himself one day, the search for the truth of what he is becomes the most urgent necessity.

What is the sense and significance of life on earth, and human life in particular?

This was George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff's question. At an early age he had realized a high degree of being. Experiencing the mindless mechanicality of man, the wars, the destruction, the misery, the question arose in him: Why is there life on earth, what purpose does it serve, if any? Gurdjieff studied orthodox religion and science but their answers didn't satisfy him. He came to intuit that the wisdom societies of ancient civilizations held the key to man's true identity and purpose. Humanity, he recognized, was in dire need of this knowledge, for humanity had entered a crucial period in its development. "Unless the wisdom of the East and the energy of the West," he said, "could be harnessed and used harmoniously, the world would be destroyed." In 1911 Gurdjieff took a vow to awaken people to a new level of being, of consciousness, of conscience; in a word, to a new type of man. He vowed to introduce and establish in the West the esoteric teaching of self-transformation he had discovered, one he said that was completely unknown up to the present time. He called it The Fourth Way.

In his talks, Gurdjieff gave a keen analysis of the modern dilemma. "There is a growth of personality at the cost of essence, that is, a growth of the artificial, the unreal and what is foreign, at the cost of the natural, the real and what is one's own. We see everywhere a preponderance of vulgarity and stupidity of all kinds, and in life, we only see new divisions, new hostility, new misunderstandings. To avoid a complete disaster, it was necessary to achieve world harmony as soon as possible. It could not be achieved by politics, philosophy, religion or any organized movement that treated man in the mass. It could only be accomplished through the individual development of man. If enough individuals could develop themselves, even partially, into genuine natural beings, each such individual would then be able to convince and win over as many as a hundred others who would, each in his turn, be able to influence another hundred and so on." What Gurdjieff was saying was that everyone, like Atlas, would hold up, be responsible for, their own world and thus the larger world.

We Are One Humanity

The Golden Rule Norman Rockwell

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

"He on whom your attention rests is your neighbor; he also will die. If you acquire data always to realize the inevitability of their death and your own death, you will have a feeling of pity for others, and be just toward them.

From realizing the significance of your neighbor when your attention rest on him, pity for him and compassion toward him will arise in you, and finally you will love him. Also, by doing this constantly, real faith, conscious faith, will arise in some part of you and spread to other parts, and you will have the possibility of knowing real happiness."

G. I. Gurdjieff

Prayer forWorld Peace

Pray to become a vehicle of divine love, a channel of the creator's will. Pray for direction and divine guidance and surrender all personal will through devotion to truth. Dedicate your life to the service of our common creator and your neighbor. Choose love and peace above all other options, and strive to reach the state of being of unconditional love and compassion for all life.

Living a Conscious Life

"If a man reasons soundly, he inevitably arrives back at himself, and begins to search for the answer of what he is, and what his place is in the world."

Maurice Nicoll

Psychological Commentaries on the Teachings of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, by Maurice Nicoll, provides a roadmap that leads one to liberation from self-illusions into the inner sanctuary of the heart where he can discover what G. I. Gurdjieff calls 'Real I', and what the Bible calls the 'Kingdom of Heaven'. It is from this heart where a man or woman can develop the wish, as the Gospels instructs, to love God with all your heart, all your strength, and all your mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself.

In every age, there is sown into the world esoteric teaching which gives the direction in which individual evolution should take place. In our epoch, we have been given the esoteric teaching in the Gospels indicating the direction in which individual evolution should take place at this stage. The word esoteric is commonly misunderstood to mean secret or hidden. Esoteric schools have existed for many thousands of years, but in the pre-industrial technological world they consisted of relatively small isolated groups.

The vast majority of humanity has never heard of esotericism and extremely few people came into contact with a real school. The 'secret society' mentality connected with esotericism arose partly from this ignorance due to circumstances, and it is used in current Fourth Way schools as a selling tactic. People love secrets; they love elitism, 'hats', and agreed-upon delineated hierarchical groups. But esoteric does not mean secret or hidden; it refers to the inner meaning of a thing. In the first place, this knowledge is not concealed and in the second place it cannot, because of its very nature, become common property.

There Exists Great Meaning to Life and The Universe

Esoteric knowledge is not hidden, it is available, however the enormous majority of people cannot hear it or, if they do, they find it fantastic or, at least, unnecessary. Esoteric teaching is for those who are not satisfied with themselves or with life as it is, those who feel there must be some greater meaning to life and who yearn to find their own meaning in it. If you are mostly satisfied with yourself, with the kind of person you are, the esoteric path is not for you. You must have a question in yourself and feel a longing for understanding, for completeness and for personal meaning and direction. Then, if you seek, and when you find, you will be able to hear.

This work is beautiful when you see why it exists and what it means. It is about liberation. It is as beautiful as if, locked for years in a prison, you see a stranger entering who offers you a key. But you may refuse it because you have acquired prison-habits and have forgotten your origin, which is from the stars.

Whoever meets these ideas without prejudice feels touched to the heart by a force of truth that cannot be denied, and also called upon to question all the values which, until then, have supported him through life. Ideas of this magnitude are such that, in front of which, one's personal ideas and prejudices must stand aside to make way for the deeper meaning of the thoughts to penetrate a man's understanding and affect his being. However, by finding again and again in himself the taste of these ideas, a man can receive practical help in his search for an unchangeable truth.

The Mark

There is something in us eternally young, that can understand beyond the visible world, beyond phenomenal reality, but this one thing in us is lost to us in the world of objects, and the external things of the senses and using the logic of the senses.

"The Work is something living in our hearts and minds. Follow the path, see what changes take place within you, and what light begins to dawn in you."

Maurice Nicoll

The Gurdjieff Work

Introduction to The Gurdjieff Work by Jacob Needleman

Introduction to the Gurdjieff Work

Man, Gurdjieff taught, is an unfinished creation. He is not fully Man, considered as a cosmically unique being whose intelligence and power of action mirror the energies of the source of life itself. That the fate of the earth is somehow bound up with the possibility of the inner evolution of individual men and women resonates with the contemporary sense of impending planetary disaster.

"The Gurdjieff Work may be understood as the practical, painstaking cultivation of that state of awakening to the truth of the human condition in the world and in oneself."

How are human beings to change this state of affairs and begin drawing on the universal conscious energies which we are built to absorb but which now pass through us untransformed? How is humanity to assume its proper place in the great chain of being? It is necessary for individual men and women to awaken, to remember who they are, and then to become who they really are, to live it in the service of truth. Without this awakening and this becoming, nothing else can help us. But it is very difficult. An extraordinary quality of help is needed. To this end, Gurdjieff created what has come to be called The Work.

"The practice of self-observation, in accordance with the overall aim of the Work, is not a form in and of itself, but is fundamentally a preparation for the inner search within the midst of life."

The work of self-observation acquires a completely new meaning as the developing attention lets go of its effort, joining and willingly submitting to a higher conscious seeing. Through such experience, a man or woman begins to come into contact with an ever-deepening sense of an inner need which allows an opening to a powerful conscious influence within oneself. According to Gurdjieff, without a relationship to this more central aspect of oneself, everyday life is bound to be an existential prison, in which the individual is held captive, not so much by the so-called forces of modernity, as by the parts of the self that cannot help but react automatically to the influences of the world.

Journey to Essence Newsletter

The Kindom ofHeaven

""For a human being, any serious critique of reality must commence with himself, that is, with him who is making the critique in the first place."

Charles Daly King

"The level above Man is called the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God in the Gospels. It has many other names in different writings. In the Gospels, it is said that the Kingdom of Heaven is within. It is at a higher level of a man. To reach it, a man must reach a higher level in himself. If everyone did this, the level of life on this earth would change."

Maurice Nicoll

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Gurdjieff Work - The Fourth Way, Maurice Nicoll, Spiritual ...

We are nestled in a secluded nook in the foothills of the beautiful Santa Monica mountains, only a few short miles from Malibus sandy beaches, yet seemingly a million miles from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan Los Angeles.

As our driver takes you up through a small, winding glen dotted with clusters of coastal oak and solitary ranch homes, if you listen very carefully you will hear a gentle streams soft serenade coming from below.

And as you arrive at the main building and pause at the front door, a wonderfully comforting presence invites you to enter and stay a while.

You have arrived. Your weeklong retreat dedicated to health, fitness and renewal has begun. Get ready for the time of your life. Welcome to The Ashram!

"Only in L.A., the spiritual home to something called 'life enhancement' and 'wellness', would they invent a boot camp for the movie stars. Ashram alumni include Oprah Winfrey, Dan Aykroyd, Shirley MacLaine, Jane Fonda, Faye Dunaway, Ashley Judd, and Amber Valleta."Vogue

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The Ashram - Spa Retreat Resort | Calabasas California | Lodging

Georges Ivanovich Gurdjieff (Armenian: , Georgian: , Greek: , Russian: , Georgiy Ivanovich Gyurdzhiev, or Gurdjiev) was an influential Greek-Armenian mystic, spiritual teacher of the early to mid-20th century, and a self-professed 'teacher of dancing'.

He taught that the vast majority of humanity lives their entire lives in a state of hypnotic "waking sleep," but that it was possible to transcend to a higher state of consciousness and achieve full human potential. Gurdjieff developed a method for doing so, calling his discipline "The Work" (connoting "work on oneself") or "the Method." According to his principles and instructions, Gurdjieff's method for awaken

He taught that the vast majority of humanity lives their entire lives in a state of hypnotic "waking sleep," but that it was possible to transcend to a higher state of consciousness and achieve full human potential. Gurdjieff developed a method for doing so, calling his discipline "The Work" (connoting "work on oneself") or "the Method." According to his principles and instructions, Gurdjieff's method for awakening one's consciousness is different from that of the fakir, monk or yogi, so his discipline is also called (originally) the "Fourth Way." At one point he described his teaching as being "esoteric Christianity."

At different times in his life, Gurdjieff formed and closed various schools around the world to teach the work. He claimed that the teachings he brought to the West from his own experiences and early travels expressed the truth found in ancient religions and wisdom teachings relating to self-awareness in people's daily lives and humanity's place in the universe. The title of his third series of writings, Life Is Real Only Then, When 'I Am', expresses the essence of his teachings. His complete series of books is entitled All and Everything.

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G.I. Gurdjieff (Author of Meetings With Remarkable Men)

Barbara Marx Hubbard is President of The Foundation for Conscious Evolution. A speaker, social innovator and author of five books, Barbara is an evolutionary educator, communicating the new worldview of conscious evolution.

She is the producer and narrator of the award-winning documentary series, Humanity Ascending: A New Way through Together. Part One: Our Story, is now translated into seven languages, and in Part Two: Visions of a Universal Humanity, she brings together some of the finest minds of our time, presenting us with positive, future scenarios for humanity based on the latest scientific, social and spiritual realities.

She is developing a new educational program: The Sacred Way of Conscious Evolution: A Critical Developmental Path with a design team formed by Rivers Edge, Sisters of St Joseph. Her educational program Gateway to Conscious Evolution is a global educational curriculum enrolling participants in the developmental path toward the next stage of human evolution.

She produced 25 SYNCON conferences to bring opposing groups together in the light of the potential of the whole system, and is now reviving the SYNCON process and the Wheel of Cocreation.

Her name was placed in nomination for the vice-presidency of the United States on the Democratic ticket in 1984 proposing a Peace Room in the office of the vice presidency to scan for, map, connect and communicate what is working in America and the world. She is currently working to develop the Peace Room concept into an operating internet platform called The Synergy Engine.

She remains a leader on the growing edge of the womens movement, supporting the emergence of the Evolutionary Woman, the Feminine Cocreator, who is calling for the next level of creativity and partnership between women and men to guide our world through our current challenges and opportunities. http://WWW.BARBARAMARXHUBBARD.COM

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Barbara Marx Hubbard | Evolutionary Leaders: In Service to ...

According to a report from the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, more than half of the jobs expected to see the most career growth and highest pay in Michigan between now and 2018 require a bachelor's degree or above. Online education may make earning a postsecondary degree more attainable by giving students more options and flexibility than traditional brick-and-mortar schools. Students juggling work or family commitments can often complete online course work on their own timeline, and those with travel limitations can access higher education from any location with an Internet connection. Online colleges in Michigan could help the state fill more job openings in coming years by helping students achieve the educational requirements necessary for the hottest occupations in the state.

Michigan has a number of options for students who wish to pursue a college degree online. Many of the state's colleges and universities now offer distance learning and online degree programs, including the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan State University, and Michigan Technological University, all ranked among U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges for 2012. The Michigan Community College Association also offers a Virtual Learning Collaborative that allows students to take courses that aren't offered at their own colleges, while still receiving support from their "home" campus.

National online colleges are another option for Michigan students pursuing post-secondary education. These colleges often offer degree programs and courses of study that are not yet available at area colleges. A number of national schools also have campus locations throughout Michigan, allowing students to pursue hybrid degree programs that combine online and on-campus learning.

Importance of Accreditation for Online Colleges in Michigan

Accreditation, a method adopted by American secondary and post-secondary institutions more than 100 years ago, ensures that an academic institution has met certain educational standards. Moreover, accreditation evaluates an institution as a whole to determine how well it meets the needs of its students. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), an independent corporation that is part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), grants accreditation to most degree-granting colleges and universities in Michigan. Some colleges with campuses in Michigan may actually be based in another state or region of the United States, however, and are therefore accredited by that region's accrediting body.

Aside from the six regional accreditation agencies, there is also national accreditation, which is not based on geography. National accreditation evaluates specific types of schools and colleges. For example, the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) accredits institutions offering distance education. Before enrolling in any program, prospective students should make sure it is properly accredited by contacting a school representative.

Just like tuition rates for on-campus programs, rates for online degrees vary by school and major. Tuition is usually charged based on the number of units or credits taken, or by the semester or quarter. The University of Michigan charges per semester and by level of study, with a higher tuition rate for out-of-state students. Online programs often do not differentiate between in-state and out-of-state students when determining tuition and may offer, for example, one set rate for online classes, charged per credit hour, that's often higher for graduate-level studies. Additional fees and expenses may be required. Students interested in a particular university or program should contact that school directly and speak with an admissions counselor for more information on tuition rates and the application process.

Online Nursing Degrees in Michigan: Depending on the particular degree path, nursing programs typically train students in various aspects of patient care and medicine. Many online nursing degrees are hybrid programs, requiring some time spent on-campus for labs or clinical courses. Types of careers one might pursue with a nursing degree include registered nurse (RN), licensed practical nurse (LPN), licensed vocational nurse (LVN), or nurse practitioner (NP).

Online Education Degrees in Michigan: Education degrees help prepare students interested in the field of teaching, research, or school administration, and can include concentrations such as early childhood education, adult education, or special education. Depending on their particular area of focus, those with education degrees may qualify for positions as K-12 teachers, special education instructors, or school administrators.

Online Psychology Degrees in Michigan: Psychology programs may prepare students for a number of positions in the field, depending on the level of study. In addition to the proper licensure, professional psychologists typically need a doctoral degree to practice, while counseling positions generally require a master's degree. Some areas of specialization include abnormal psychology, forensic psychology, and family therapy.

There are many other degrees available through Michigan online colleges, including engineering, business administration, health sciences, and more. For details on a program that interests you, contact an admissions advisor or request information from one of the schools listed below.

Sources: http://www.finaid.umich.edu/TopNav/AboutUMFinancialAid/CostofAttendance.aspx http://www.davenport.edu/davenport-university-online http://www.mtu.edu/gradschool/programs/degrees/online/ http://www.ncahlc.org/component/com_directory/Itemid,/form_submitted,TRUE/institution,/showquery,/state,MI/submit,Search/ https://vcampus.mccvlc.org/?CFID=4265363&CFTOKEN=85713848 http://milmi.org/?PAGEID=67&SUBID=178 http://www.reg.msu.edu/ucc/OnlinePrograms.asp http://michigantoday.umich.edu/story.php?id=8210#.UVYlpzdfZ8G http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/10/01/u-s-news-world-report-ranks-michigans-top-colleges/

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Online Schools in Michigan - Online-Education.net