Sponsored link.

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh(1931-1990) was born Rajneesh Chandra Mohan in Kuchwara, a town in central India. Various sources state that "Bhagwan" means either "The Blessed One" or "God" and that "Shree" means "Master". At the end of his life, he changed his name to Osho.

His parents' religion was Jainism. However, Osho never subscribed to any religious faith during his lifetime. He received "samadhi" (enlightenment in which his soul became one with the universe) on 1953-MAR-21 at the age of 21. Rajneesh obtained a masters degree in philosophy from the University of Saugar. He taught philosophy at the University of Jabalpur for nine years and concurrently worked as a religious leader. In 1966, he left his teaching post and gave his full attention to teaching his sannyasins (disciples) while pursuing a speaking career. He had an apartment in Bombay where he often met individuals and small groups, where acting as spiritual teacher, guide and friend. Most of his Sannyasins came from Europe and India in the early years.

In 1974, Osho moved from Bombay southward to Pune, India. Some anti-cult groups have claimed that this decision was made because of local opposition from the public in Bombay. In reality, it was to establish an ashram (place of teaching) which would provide larger and more comfortable facilities for his disciples. The ashram consisted of two adjoining properties covering six acres in an affluent suburb of Pune called Koregaon Park. Some estimate as many as 50,000 Westerners spent time seeking enlightenment there with the guru. In 1979, he saw his movement as the route to the preservation of the human race. He said:

He taught a syncretistic spiritual path that combined elements from Hinduism, Jainism, Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, ancient Greek philosophy, many other religious and philosophic traditions, humanistic psychology, new forms of therapy and meditation, etc.

In 1980, he was the victim of a knife attack by a Hindu fundamentalist during his morning discourse. Because of police incompetence, the charges against the terrorist were dropped.

In 1981 he left India reluctantly because of health problems. He went to the United States in order to obtain advanced treatment. There have been rumors of income tax evasion, and insurance fraud; it is not known whether these have any validity. The group settled on the 65,000 acre "Big Muddy Ranch" near Antelope, Oregon, which his sannyasins had bought for six million dollars. The ranch was renamed Rajneeshpuram ("City of Rajneesh"). This "small, desolate valley twelve miles from Antelope, Oregon was transformed into a thriving town of 3,000 residents, with a 4,500 foot paved airstrip, a 44 acre reservoir, an 88,000 square foot meeting hall..."8 Many of the local folks were intolerant of the new group in their midst, because of religious and cultural differences. One manifestation of this intolerance was the town's denial of building permits to the followers of Rajneesh. Some buildings were erected on the ranch without planning board approval. When officials attempted to stop the construction, their office was firebombed by unknown person(s). When the local city council repeatedly refused to issue permits for their businesses, some sannyasins elected themselves to the city council. The town of Antelope was renamed City of Rajneesh.

Top aides of Osho were charged with a number of crimes, including the attempted murder of Osho's personal physician. There were stories of a hit list. Some fled the country for Switzerland where they had control over the group's bank accounts. Two were eventually convicted of conspiracy to murder local lawyer Charles Turner in an attempt to prevent closure of the ranch.

More:
OSHO ; BHAGWAN SHREE RAJNEESH - Religious tolerance

(Above) NBC News states: Dr Morse has done more to prove the existence of life after death than any other scientist

Dedicated to healing therapies for grief and loss, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and the human spirit"

(CLICK HERE TO SEARCH SITE)

LEARNING FROM THE NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE

"If an angel spoke to you today, would you listen? How would you know it was real? How could you trust what the angel had to say?"

What is a Near Death Experience

(Click here to watch video)

MELVIN L MORSE MD FAAP Onemissionis to promote an understanding that we all have a"God Spot"in our brain which permits communication with a source of wisdom and knowledge that exists outside our physical bodies.Our organizationwants to explore and promote the practical applications of understanding thisnew paradigm of consciousness.

Idon't "believe in" near death experiences. It is my opinion that the scientific research validates that near death experiences are real. The science of 2014 indicates that we all have a "god spot" or (as per Mario Beauregard MD) a "god brain" that connects us with the divine, the all knowledge timeless space-less domain.

Children who have experienced thisall knowledge domaindescribe it as a "light that had a lot of good things in it" (age 5), or "I saw the sun and it had a happy face for me" (a 3 y/o),"you'll see, Dr. Morse, heaven is fun"(age 7), most intriguingly, "I went into a huge noodle when I died, well it must have been a tunnel because I don't think noodles have rainbows in them.(age 5).

Visit link:
Spiritual Scientific

Vipassan (Pli) or vipayan (, Sanskrit; Chn. gun; Tib. , lhaktong; Wyl. lhag mthong) in the Buddhist tradition means insight into the true nature of reality,[1][2] namely as the Three marks of existence: impermanence, suffering or unsatisfactoriness, and the realisation of non-self.

Vipassan meditation is an ancient practice taught by Buddhas, reintroduced by Ledi Sayadaw and Mogok Sayadaw and popularized by Mahasi Sayadaw,S. N. Goenka, and the Vipassana movement, in which mindfulness of breathing and of thoughts, feelings and actions are being used to gain insight in the true nature of reality. Due to the popularity of Vipassan-meditation, the mindfulness of breathing has gained further popularity in the west as mindfulness.

Vipassan is a Pali word from the Sanskrit prefix "vi-" and verbal root pa. It is often translated as "insight" or "clear-seeing," though, the "in-" prefix may be misleading; "vi" in Indo-Aryan languages is equivalent to the Latin "dis." The "vi" in vipassan may then mean to see into, see through or to see 'in a special way.'[2] Alternatively, the "vi" can function as an intensive, and thus vipassan may mean "seeing deeply."[citation needed]

A synonym for "Vipassan" is paccakkha (Pli; Sanskrit: pratyaka), "before the eyes," which refers to direct experiential perception. Thus, the type of seeing denoted by "vipassan" is that of direct perception, as opposed to knowledge derived from reasoning or argument.[citation needed]

In Tibetan, vipashyana is lhagthong (wylie: lhag mthong). The term "lhag" means "higher", "superior", "greater"; the term "thong" is "view" or "to see". So together, lhagthong may be rendered into English as "superior seeing", "great vision" or "supreme wisdom." This may be interpreted as a "superior manner of seeing", and also as "seeing that which is the essential nature." Its nature is a luciditya clarity of mind.[7]

Henepola Gunaratana defined Vipassan as:

Looking into something with clarity and precision, seeing each component as distinct and separate, and piercing all the way through so as to perceive the most fundamental reality of that thing" [2]

In the sutta pitaka the term "vipassan" is hardly mentioned:

If you look directly at the Pali discourses the earliest extant sources for our knowledge of the Buddha's teachings you'll find that although they do use the word samatha to mean tranquillity, and vipassan to mean clear-seeing, they otherwise confirm none of the received wisdom about these terms. Only rarely do they make use of the word vipassan a sharp contrast to their frequent use of the word jhana. When they depict the Buddha telling his disciples to go meditate, they never quote him as saying "go do vipassan," but always "go do jhana." And they never equate the word vipassan with any mindfulness techniques.

The suttas contain traces of ancient debates between Mahayana and Theravada schools in the interpretation of the teachings and the development of insight. Out of these debates developed the idea that bare insight suffices to reach liberation, by discerning the Three marks (qualities) of (human) existence (tilakkhana), namely dukkha (suffering), anatta (non-self) and anicca (impermanence). This is a summation on the knowledge and insight on the Four Noble Truths which can only be reached by practising the Noble Eightfold Path. According to Theravada tradition enlightenment or Nibbana can only be attained by discerning all Vipassana insight levels when the Eightfold Noble Path is followed ardently. This is a developmental process where various Vipassana insights are discerned and the final enlightenment may come suddenly as proposed by other schools.

The rest is here:
Vipassan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Meditations on First Philosophy[1] (subtitled In which the existence of God and the immortality of the soul are demonstrated) is a philosophical treatise by Ren Descartes first published in 1641 (in Latin). The French translation (by the Duke of Luynes with Descartes' supervision) was published in 1647 as Mditations Metaphysiques. The original Latin title is Meditationes de prima philosophia, in qua Dei existentia et anim immortalitas demonstratur. The title may contain a misreading by the printer, mistaking animae immortalitas for animae immaterialitas, as suspected already by A. Baillet. [2]

The book is made up of six meditations, in which Descartes first discards all belief in things that are not absolutely certain, and then tries to establish what can be known for sure. He wrote the meditations as if he had meditated for six days: each meditation refers to the last one as "yesterday" (In fact, Descartes began work on the Meditations in 1639.[3]) One of the most influential philosophical texts ever written, it is widely read to this day.[4]

The Meditations consist of the presentation of Descartes' metaphysical system in its most detailed level and in the expanding of Descartes' philosophical system, which he first introduced in the fourth part of his Discourse on Method (1637). Descartes' metaphysical thought is also found in the Principles of Philosophy (1644), which the author intended to be a philosophy guidebook.

Letter of dedication

To the most wise and illustrious the Dean and Doctors of the Sacred Faculty of Theology in Paris

Descartes says that he is asking the protection of the Faculty for his work, and to this end he writes the present dedication.

His first consideration is that the existence of God has to be demonstrated philosophically, besides the theological reasons for belief, particularly if we consider to make a demonstration for the non-believers. Moreover, the believers could be accused of making a circular reasoning, when saying that we must believe in God because of the Scriptures, and in the authority of the Scriptures because they have been inspired by God. He further indicates how the very Scriptures say that the mind of man is sufficient to discover God.

His aim is to apply a method to demonstrate these two truths, in a so clear and evident manner that result to be evident. This method he has developed for the Sciences.[5]

Preface to the reader

Descartes explains how he made a mention of the two questions, the existence of God, and the soul, in his Discourse on Method. Following this, he received objections, and two of them he considers are of importance. The first is how he concludes that the essence of the soul is a thing that thinks, excluding all other nature. To this he says that he has a clear perception that he is a thinking thing, and has no other clear perception, and from this he concludes that there is nothing else in the essence of the self.

Read this article:
Meditations on First Philosophy - Wikipedia, the free ...

.

Ashram Yogas Ohui Retreat (pronounced oh-hooey)is located on a beautiful 20-acre beachfront property at the northern end of Opoutere Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula.

Just two hours from Auckland (see map), find yourself transported to the expansiveness of white beaches, endless ocean and stunning sunrises. Yoga is on your doorstep every morning plus much more to help ease the mind and revitalise. We welcome all, whether you are new to yoga or you have been practising for many years.

.

Even though it gets cooler in winter, Ohui is still a beautiful place to visit. The average temperature in the Coromandel during winter is between 12-14 degrees Celsius, so there is never any snow and nothing that a hot cup of tea, warm blanket or cosy fire cant fix.During winterwe can almost guarantee that you will have Opoutere Beach all to yourself and it is 5 kilometres long.

.

..

.

Additionally, we accept wwoofers who are willing to experience a yogic lifestyle.

Continued here:
Ohui Retreat | Ashram Yoga

By brian@brianschell.com, on December 1st, 2008

Question:

I have heard the phrase If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him! many times. Can you explain this?

Answer:

It actually comes from an old koan attributed to Zen Master Linji, (the founder of the Rinzai sect). Its a simple one:

If you meet the Buddha, kill him. Linji

Im sure you already realize that its not being literal. The road, the killing, and even the Buddha are symbolic.

The road is generally taken to mean the path to Enlightenment; that might be through meditation, study, prayer, or just some aspect of your way of life. Your life is your road. Thats fairly straightforward as far as metaphors go.

But how do you meet the Buddha on this road? Imagine meeting some symbolic Buddha. Would he be a great teacher that you might actually meet and follow in the real world? Could that Buddha be you yourself, having reached Enlightenment? Or maybe you have some idealized image of perfection that equates to your concept of the Buddha or Enlightenment.

Whatever your conception is of the Buddha, its WRONG! Now kill that image and keep practicing. This all has to do with the idea that reality is an impermanent illusion. If you believe that you have a correct image of what it means to be Enlightened, then you need to throw out (kill) that image and keep meditating.

Original post:
If You Meet The Buddha On The Road, Kill Him Daily Buddhism

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to transhumanism:

Transhumanism is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities.[1] Transhumanist thinkers study the potential benefits and dangers of emerging and hypothetical technologies that could overcome fundamental human limitations, as well as study the ethical matters involved in developing and using such technologies.[1] They predict that human beings may eventually be able to transform themselves into beings with such greatly expanded abilities as to merit the label "posthuman".[1] Transhumanism is often abbreviated as H+ or h+ ("humanism plus").

Transhumanism can be described as all of the following:

Neophilia strong affinity for novelty and change. Transhumanist neophiliac values include:

Survival survival, or self-preservation, is behavior that ensures the survival of an organism.[7] It is almost universal among living organisms. Humans differ from other animals in that they use technology extensively to improve chances of survival and increase life expectancy.

Technological evolution

Hypothetical technology technology that does not exist yet, but the development of which could potentially be achieved in the future. It is distinct from an emerging technology, which has achieved some developmental success. A hypothetical technology is typically not proven to be impossible. Many hypothetical technologies have been the subject of science fiction.

Some people who have made a major impact on the advancement of transhumanism:

Originally posted here:
Outline of transhumanism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the world of personal development, motivation, public speaking and sales, there will never be another Zig Ziglar. His infectious sense of humor, his masterful story-telling skills, his uncanny ability to inspire, and his downhome Southern charm' that is the legend of Zig Ziglar.Zig Ziglar is the world's foremost authority on motivation and teaching proven paths to success.

An internationally renowned speaker and authority on high-level performance, Zig Ziglar has traveled more than 5 million miles across the world delivering powerful messages with humor, hope and unbridled energy and enthusiasm. These messages have touched millions of people and helped to improve countless lives.Zig Ziglar is one of Nightingale-Conant's most popular and beloved authors. His audio programs and DVD videos, both new and old, continue to be experienced by people who wish to reach their goals, enhance their sales careers, strengthen their family bonds, and simply win at life.

Among his most popular titles are The Born to Win Seminar, Goals, See You at the Top, A View from the Top, Selling, and Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World.

Facing multiple hardships, his father and his sister died when he was just six years old. Zig Ziglar's mother had to raise eleven children on her own.After serving in the Navy and being discharged in 1946, he begin studying at the University of South Carolina. Deciding to pursue a sales career, he started selling pots and pans for the Wearever Aluminum Company. It wasn't long before Zig Ziglar honed his sales skills and became the top salesman at several organizations.Zig knew his experiences and his passion paved the way to become a motivational speaker and self help author. He published his classic book 'See You at the Top' in the early 1970s. The success of that first book blossomed into more bestselling books, audio programs, and sold-out seminars.'You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.' ' Zig Ziglar'Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.' ' Zig Ziglar

Over his long and illustrious career he has published more than twenty-five books and several audio and video programs on leadership, personal growth, sales, faith, family, Christianity, and success. His messages and quotes have been engrained in millions of minds, while his instruction on winning has been utilized in countless businesses and organizations.Zig Ziglar passed away at the age of 86 with pneumonia.

He died on the 28th of November, 2012 in a Plano, Texas hospital.To this day, Zig Ziglar's inspiring words develop champions. To his family, friends, peers, and business associates, he certainly was one.Click here to watch Zig Ziglar share his insight on "setting goals."

View post:
Mr. Zig Ziglar - Nightingale Conant

One Stop Resource Center For All Your Aerobics Exercise Needs

Dear Friend,

We've all heard of aerobics exercise, but few people really appreciate the various types of aerobics and the benefits. This website is designed to raise the awareness of the fabulous aerobics exercise. We hope that the articles and resources in this website can help you.

Aerobic plainly means with oxygen and the exercise uses large muscle groups in order to maintain them over a period of time and is also performed in a rhythm. The major fuel is oxygen that is used to sustain activity over lengthy periods of time. Generally speaking, the exercises require the muscles to work in great part in order to raise the heart rate to between 60 percent and 80 percent of its maximum rate and should be continuously performed for a quarter of an hour, up till a full hour.

Aerobic exercise is a kind of workout that not only helps in maintaining your fitness level, but also makes your heart stronger. A person who performs aerobic exercises will be able to work longer and with more vigor and will also be able to recover quicker when the session ends. You can read more about the benefits of aerobic exercise and some tips and guides on aerobic exercise in All About Aerobics and Get Ready For Aerobics.

Some common examples of aerobics exercises include cycling, biking, jogging, running, swimming and dancing. You can also carry out your aerobic workout on different machines in the gym like treadmill, stationary exercising bike, stair-stepper etc.

Recently, Step Aerobics, Dance Aerobics and Water Aerobics are growing in popularity. As such, we have added various articles on these aerobics exercises. We have also added some Alternative Aerobics such as chair aerobics.

In spite of its popularity, it may come as a bit of a surprise that many people find a thousand and one excuses to not take up exercise, at least not three workouts per week and people often claim that they do not have the time to go to the gym or they say that the gym membership is too expensive.

No matter what excuse is found, there is still good news for those who want a heart pumping and sweat filling aerobic exercise in the comfort of their home. Since Jane Fondas video on aerobic exercises came out there have been a plethora of similar videos and there are hundreds of them to choose from. There are low-impact as well as high-impact videos as well as specialist videos that cater to women in maternity as well as those that cater to the elderly and the range is pretty awesome.

Last but not least, if you have an interest in aerobics and would like to consider becoming an aerobics instructor, be sure to check out the articles in Be An Aerobics Instructor.

Excerpt from:
Aerobics Exercise | Aerobics Fitness

Conscious Evolution: Awakening the Power of Our Social Potential by Barbara Marx Hubbard Posted by: DailyOM

A Seminal Work of Visionary Hope, Updated for the 21st Century

In this era of government gridlock, economic and ecological devastation, and seemingly intractable global violence, our future is ever more ripe for and in need of fresh, creative reimagining. With her clear-eyed, inspiring, and sweeping vision of a possible global renaissance in the new millennium, Barbara Marx Hubbard shows us that our current crises are not the precursors of an apocalypse but the natural birth pains of an awakened, universal humanity. This is our finest hour.

Conscious Evolution highlights the tremendous potential of newfound scientific knowledge, technological advances, and compassionate spirituality and illustrates the opportunities that each of us has to fully participate in this exciting stage of human history. As we do, we will bring forth all that is within us and not only save ourselves, but evolve our world.

EXCERPT

Discovering the Importance of the New Story

It was a cold November day in Paris in 1948 during my junior year abroad from Bryn Mawr College. Somehow I had separated myself from my classmates and wandered into Chez Rosalie, a small caf on the Left Bank. A wood fire was burning and the smell of Gauloises cigarettes filled the air.

I sat at one of the wooden tables and ordered my lunch. A tall, handsome young American man opened the door, letting in the cold. There was only one place left for him to sit, opposite me. I smiled at him, immediately attracted, and introduced myself. He told me his name was Earl Hubbard. He had such a special intensity that I decided to ask him questions that had dominated my thoughts ever since the United States dropped the atomic bombs on Japan three years earlier, when I was fifteen years old, in 1945. My horror had stimulated these questions: What is the meaning of our new scientific and technological powers that is good? What is the purpose of Western civilization? What are positive images of the future commensurate with these new powers?

In my quest for answers, I had read through philosophy, science fiction, and world religions. But amazingly, except for brief glimpses in science fiction and mystical revelation, I found none. The philosophers looked back toward a golden age, as the Greeks did; or were cyclical, as in Eastern thought; or were stoical, believing there was nothing new under the sun as the Roman philosopher Marcus Aurelius said; or were existentialist, like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, proclaiming that the universe has no inherent meaning except what we give it as individuals. Finally, I read the materialistic philosophers who proclaimed that the universe is nothing but matter and is inevitably degenerating to a heat death through increasing disorder or entropy as stars burn out, and with them all life will die. Although some visionaries and mystics foresaw a life beyond this life, beyond death, I found no positive visions of the future to work toward in this life.

With these questions I became a metaphysical seeker. My upbringing had been Jewish agnostic. I was a spiritual tabula rasa a blank slate with no religious beliefs. When I asked my father What religion are we? he answered, You are an American. Do your best! But at what? I wondered. My father was a Horatio Alger type, a poor boy from Brooklyn who had become the toy king of the world. He told his children that the purpose of life was to win, to make money. But I couldnt believe him. I knew that even if everyone had money, everyone would be as frustrated as I was, seeking the meaning of life but finding nothing. Material comfort alone could not be the goal of existence. I had grown up with so many toys that by the age of six, I knew that more toys would not make me, or anyone else, happier.

Here is the original post:
DailyOM - Conscious Evolution: Awakening the Power of Our ...