Let’s face it, we all know we’re mortal but that doesn’t stop us searching for a fountain of youth book to help us stay young for longer. There are lots of these books out there (not to mention endless creams and other potions that claim to knock years off your age) so which one should you choose?

To my mind, the best fountain of youth book is probably the oldest. It was written way back in 1930 and the fact that it’s still in demand is a testimonial to how good it is. After all, most books from almost a century ago have long since gone out of print and aren’t missed in the slightest.

The book describes five simple Tibetan rituals that you carry out on a daily basis. Nothing too onerous and – like all exercise routines – you build them up gradually anyway.

These simple exercises don’t take long. Maybe ten minutes or so a day, which even the busiest person can fit into their routine.

They’ve been used by famous people such as Martin Sheen but you don’t need a personal trainer or any special equipment. Yourself and a floor are about the extent of it.

There have been other fountain of youth books written since 1930 but a lot of them have turned out to be fads. A bit like most diet books come out one year and fade into obscurity the next.

Despite how long ago it was written, the 5 Tibetan rituals is an easy read and the exercises are spelled out in easy to understand language. Plus there are illustrations as well, so you’ll know that you’re carrying out the instructions in this fountain of youth book to the letter.

It’s your choice how you buy a fountain of youth book but I’d strongly recommend getting a digital version. First off, it’s environmentally friendlier than chopping down trees, pulping them and spraying ink over the result. Secondly – and this is good news if you’re sceptical – digital downloads of the fountain of youth book come with a money back guarantee so that you’ve got time to test it out for yourself rather than accept someone else’s word.

Take a look at this in depth review of the fountain of youth book and find out how the 5 Tibetan rituals can help you stay looking young.
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Nechey nechey ai Ma Shyama/ Ami je tore shonge jaboe/

Tui khabi  Ma panthar muroe/ Ami je tore prasad paboe !

Roughly translated, it reads Mother Kali, come dancing on, I will follow you/ you will munch the sacrificed goat’s head/ I will have the leftovers.

Not quite an appetizing meal, but the Bengali singing unsteadily on his feet was dripping piety. Probably, it was the country liquor with which he filled up himself, but his devotion and religiousity was unmistakable. In that, at least, he was different from Gunter Grass, who excoriated Ma Kali in his book, Show Me Your Tongue. Ma Kali, anyway, had her turn of excoriating Grass. It became known that Gras had enrolled in the Nazi air force at 16.

Since paleolithic times humankind have been worshipping goddesses, and anthropologists think (without firm evidence) that the first god or the entity for worship conjured up by those of our .distant ancestors was female. This belief is somewhat supported by the ancient myth of creation by self- fertilisation, very common in the vegetable kingdom and in parthenogenetic insects, mollusces and snails.  Probably, this had given rise to the belief that the Mother Goddess created not only herself , but also the universe all by herself,  alone.

Agricultural religions

And that accounted for the growth of agricultural religions, belief systems narrating that the benevolence, happiness and prosperity the gods shower on us are all due to the Mother Goddess (MG for short). No wonder,  that nearly all such early religions, societies and tribes were matriarchal.  Be that as it may, there is no evidence that the female members of such societies considered themselves superior to their male constituents. Usually, a balance was achieved by equally honouring the female and male gods. This could be the origin of that charming myth of the marriage between Earth Mother and Sky God in many early cultures and societies. A line from a poem by Mao Ze Dong stating that women hold up the sky reflects that belief.

Images

The first images (excavated) which the Cro-Magnons of the Upper Paleolithic Period had made are all unmistakably female figures going back to as early as 35,000 BCE.  Naturally, they are all called Venus, after Botticelli’s masterpiece renaissance painting, The Birth of Venus.  There is a Venus of Vestonice  (Czechoslovakia -  circa 35,000 – 25,000 BCE); of Willendorf (Germany – ca 22,000 BCE); and one in Laussel, southern France chiselled out as a bas-relief in a rock shelter, ca  19,000 BCE. There is also the doubtful Venus of Morocco (ca 400,000 BCE) because experts are not sure how it was made – shaped by the actions of rain and wind or by human hands. They are, however, unanimous in their opinion that it was used as a figurine. The Laussale Venus is painted in red, perhaps suggesting blood . This and the detail showing a bison horn held in one hand suuggests that the rock shelter was probably a hunting shrine. There are Cro-Magnon paintings in caves showing women during during child birth. An interesting painting in the Pyrennes depicted a naked woman  apparently  as a mascot of mammoth hunters , the guardian of wild things and the defender of the cave shelter. 

Proto-Neolithic (circa 9,000 – 7,000 BCE); Middle Neolithic (ca 6,000 – 5,000 BCE); and Higher Neolithic (ca 4,500 – 3,500 BCE) Periods also yielded female figurines, some of which were decorated and appeared to have been objects of worship.  Isis or the Horned Goddess was depicted in cave paintings (ca 7,000 BCE) in Africa, interestingly as a bisexual woman. MG was called  Ta – Urt (Great One) in predynastic Egypt before ca 3100 BCE, and was shown as a pregnant hippopotamus standing on her hind legs. MG figurines associated with cow, sheep, goat, dove, humped ox, snake, pig and double axe were the characteristics of the Halaf culture flourishing in the Tigris basin, ca 5,000 – 4,000 BCE.  The  Sumerian culture (ca 4,000 BCE) associated princesses and queens of the cities with the MG, while the kings were regarded as gods.

Different roles

In the millennia gone, MG asumed and played many roles — mother, wife, creator, destroyer, homemaker, huntress, healer, sorcerer…and so on, her roles depending on the state of development of the culture she was a part of. She could be a queen with a royal consort; she could be a mother whose son had died or sacrificed to represent the birth and rebirth of the seasons; she was called by a myriad of names and had many faces, but always unfailingly she represented nature, and was identified with the sun and the moon;  with the earth and the sky. Her devotees, whatever they called themselves,  were nature worshippers as well.  She was the Supreme Being, while the gods were described in anthropomorphic terms.

It is generally believed that the Black Madonna icons were created from the descriptions of ancient goddesses, particularly the Egyptian Goddess Isis holding on her lap her son, Horus. Spirits of the benevolent or malevolent kinds are described in many languages (for example Syriac) in the feminine gender. So it was in early Christianity upto circa 400 CE, after which the practice was discontinued.  Even at present, the  Latter – day Saints or the Mormons (followers of a tangential Christian doctrine) subtly accept the existence of a Heavenly Mother, but chastise the members who openly declare their adherence to this goddess instead of praying to God the Father.  The Mother Goddess was the central figure, the very essence of the craft and practice of Neo – pagan Witchcraft. As the Great Mother, she represented fertility bringing forth all life; as Mother Nature, she embodied the world of the living and the world of the planets.  She herself was the elemental force: the creator and the destroyer.  She was the Queen of Heaven; and she was the moon. Emotion, intuition, magical powers and psychic faculty were her attributes.  A genderles Divine Force  was the power behind her, but in the universe it was manifested as male and female principles.  Though both the principles were accepted,  the Goddess or the female principle was given importance by excluding the Horned God or the male principle.  Many aspects, facets and names characterised the Goddess; but in Neo – paganism and Witchcraft, She was worshipped in her three Goddess forms : Virgin, Mother and Crone.

Mother Goddesses elsewhere

In ancient cultures Mother Goddesses were worshipped in different forms with varying names. She was known as Tiamat in Sumerian mythology; Ishtar or Inana and Ninsun were her names in Mesopotamia; Asherah in Canaan; Ashtart in Syria; and  Aphrodite in Greece. The Mother Goddess of the Celts or the  ancient  Irish,  Anu or sometimes called Danu lend her name to  Irish literature, and  Tuatha de Dannan meaning people of Danu came to be known as the last and most favoured generation of gods.  The  Nordic Bronze Age was the time  when probably a Mother Goddess was worshipped by the Germanic  tribes as a part of their religious practice, known as  the  Nerthus of  Germanic mythology. She lived on in the Norse mythology as Frevia, and was worshipped by that name. Njord, interestingly, was her male counterpart in Scandinavia, the only male deity in an otherwise female pantheon,  which included Yggdrasil or World Ash.  It is said that the image of Grendel’s mother in the poem Beowulf  was based on a Mother Goddess from Norse mythology.

Ancient Near Eastern culture zones surrounding the Aegean Sea worshipped the  MG known as Cybele. Her  other forms,  revered in  Rome were known as Magna Mater,  Great  Mother,  Rhea and Gaia.  Classical  Greece  had  twelve  Olympian  Mother  Goddesses  like  Hera, Demeter and so on with many special powers. Potnia Theron,  the MG of the  Minoans was the Mistress of the Animals  besides many other qualities.  Apparently,  all her  powers were later appropriated by Artemis born of Zeus and Leto.  Apollo, the very good-looking Greek God was her twin brother.  She was beautiful and energetic; wore a short dress leaving her legs bare; and looked young all the tme.  She was also the MG of  the place  known  as  Ephesus  where she wore a peculiar dress representing honeycombs, breasts, fruits and the like. Experts are divided over the purposes of her outfit, but the general opinion is that it represents a lactating woman capable of feeding many babies.  A  bow  is her  symbol, her hunting weapon;  and she often wears a crescent on her  brow.  Her strength lies in her ability to defend herself, and naturally  she is a defender of women and animals.  She  provides  comfort to women  during  child birth.  She dislikes men, an example of misandry perhaps,  and  hates  marriage for the bondage it imposes on women.

Greek  and  Roman (Italian)  Mother Goddesses 

Quite a number of  Mother Goddesses are  common in  Greek and Roman mythologies,  among whom perhaps the most revered is Cybele. She is a Near  Eastern  MG  with her domain spreading from Phrygia to Greece, Rome amd other places. The  Agora in Athens,  a sort of gathering and commercial centre once, has a temple known as Metroon dedicated to her.  Sacred  prostitution, castration and fertility rites were the forms in which she was paid tributes. Her cult followers raised monuments in her honour from circa 6,000 BCE to the end of the Roman Empire. Recent archaeological finds have established that she was venerated even in Thrace. Rhea is her other name in Greece, and Agdos is what she is called when she takes the form of a rock.  In an interesting observation,  Ean Begg in his work on Christian Black Virgins speaks of a link Cybele has with the Ka’bah : “Her name is etymologically linked with the words for crypt, cave, head and dome and is distantly related to the Ka’aba, the cube-shaped Holy of Holies in Mecca that contains the feminine black stone venerated by Islam” Begg, p.57.  Though famously known as The Great Mother, she was also called  Mater Kubile;  while her Roman Ceremonial name  name was Mater  Deum  Magna  Idaea (Great Idaean  Mother of the  Gods). She  was one of the various nature deities worshipped in Asia Minor, and Phrygia in west – central Turkey  was  the original place of her cult – followers.  The Greeks saw her resmblance to their own  MG, Rhea and unhesitatingly combined the two. In 204 BCE,  when Hannibal was marching  to conquer  Rome,  there was a prophecy stated to be from her that the enemy would be defeated and expelled  if the “Idaean Mother” was brought to Rome, together with her sacred symbol, a small stone reputed to have fallen from the heavens. Though emphasis was placed on her maternal instincts and attributes,  her worship was orgiastic in nature. Apparently, only castrated males could become her priests, so as to honour her lover the agricultural god Attis  who  self – mutilated himself that way and died bleeding under a pine tree.                                                                                                           

Aurora or Eos is the Greek Goddess of Dawn, daughter of the Titan, Hyperion; the Sun God, Helios is her brother and the Moon Goddess,  Selene  is her sister. Homer described her in his works as the Rosy – Fingered  one.  Her lover is the hunter Orion as also Cephalus, who is the father of her child, Phaethon.  Artistically,  she is depicted as rising from the sea in a chariot drawn by winged horses,  and morning dews falling  from the two pitchers held in her hands.

The Furies are so called because they are the Goddesses of anger, jealousy and revenge. The Greeks  (probably not to provoke them) called them euphemistically Eumenides (meaning  “The Kind  Ones),  and Romans (not so tactful) addressed them as Furiae. Older than the Olympian  Pantheon,  this trio or triune were the punishing force of  the Mother  Goddess  disciplining  Her law – breakers.  It is speculated that they were personification of curses and rose from  ghosts or the victims of murder. The Greek poet Hesiod believed them to be the daughters of the Earth Mother, Gaia and to come out of  the mutilated body of Her spouse, Uranus.  Aeschylus in his plays called them the daughters of Nyx; Sophocles in his works described them as daughters of Darkness and Gaia; and it was Euripides who spoke of them as three in number.  Subsequent authors named them  Alecto (Unceasing in Anger); Tisiphone (Avenger of Murder); and Megaera (Jealous). They lived in the underworld, due to which they were associated with the fertility of the soil, and came out often to chase and punish the wicked. The Greeks were afraid even to utter their name,  Erinyes, and in addition to the appeasing title of  “The Kind Ones” called them  Semnam Theai meaning The Venerable Goddesses.

Quite a contrast to The Furies was  the Italian or Roman  Goddess of the hearth,  Vesta; her Greek counterpart was called Hestia. Her priestesses were required to protect a continuously burning fire symbolising the hearth, and to remain virgins.  The Vestal cult was one of the oldest in Rome, and in ancient republican times state functions began with a prayer to the god Janus and concluded by invoking Vesta.  As opposed to this, the Hestia cult was not that important in Greece; nor was her image (unlike Vesta) kept for worhip  in  housealtars.  The state worship of  Vesta was quite elaborate, carried out in a circular building similar to the early Italian huts and to the hearth in a home.  There was a Temple of Vesta in the Roman Forum,  restored and renovated many times during the ancient Roman Imperial and Republican phases.  Inside that temple burned perpetually the fire of the public/state hearth attended by the  Vestal  Virgins.  On March 1, the first day of the ancient Roman New Year, the fire was put out once only to be rekindled again. If it went out accidentally or otherwise,  the event was regarded as the omen for an impending disaster. The inner sanctuary was not open to the public; only during the 9 days of Vestalia in June 7 to 15, barefoot matrons were allowed to go inside.  Those days were considered unlucky, and the temple was kind of sanitised by ceremonial sweeping and dumping the refuse in a particular spot along the Clivus Capitolinus or by throwing them in the Tiber river. Atrium Vestae was the name of the sacred area and  consisted of the Temple of  Vesta, a sacred grove, Regia  or the chamber of the chief priestess (pontiflex maximus) and the House of the Vestals. Vesta was portrayed as a fully draped woman with an ass, her favourite animal. As she was the patroness of bakers and an ass was used to turn the millstone  grinding the grain, the animal accompanied her. Fornax or the spirit of the baker’s oven was also associated with her.

The New Year festivities of both the Greeks and the Romans were held around 15 March, the time of Spring Equinox when the Sun had completed its annual journey according to their belief, and was called Anna Perenna. As the Sun was the giver of Life and Food, this festival was also considerd a homage to the Mother Goddess. Incidentally, it sounds nearly the same as Anna Purna, the name of a Hindu Mother Goddess.

The Greek Goddess Aphrodite’s counterpart in Roman mythology was Venus. As she was the mother of Rome’s founder  Aeneas, she was considered a Mother Goddess and ancestor of all the subsequent Roman rulers. During the rule of Julius Caeser, she was called Venus  Genetrix.  The legend of the founding of Rome, however, has it that the city was founded by Romus and Romulus, sons of a vestal virgin.

Buddhist  Mother  Goddess        

The  origins of the female Bodhisattva, Kuan Yin (also called Kwan Yin and Quan Shi Yin) are still a matter of debate among Buddhist scholars. Etymologically, her name means someone attending to the cries of the distressed, a definitive maternal quality placing her in the Pantheon of Mother Goddesses. She is considered to be the female form of Avalokiteswara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, whose worship in China began in the early years of the Common Era.  Apparently, the first reference to this MG is in the Lotus Sutra of 405 CE; but, by the tenth crntury she was also thougt of as a male. During the reign of the Chang Dynasty, Tantric Buddhism conceptualised her as a beautiful white-robed female Bodhisattva in the eigth century CE.   In the next century, there were statues of  Kuan Yin  in all the Chinese Buddhist monasteries. 

Imagining  Bodhisattva as a female was not inconsistent to Buddhist belief because the Bodhisattva could assume any form, wearing it like a garb to bring salvation to the people. There are references to such acts of redemption by “a variety of shapes” in the Lotus Sutra. Some are of the opinion that Kuan Yin was the title conferred on Miao Shan, a Chinese Princess of circa 700 BCE.  It is believed that she was in Pu-To-Shan, the sacred  island – mountain in the Chusan Archipelago for nine years bringing rescue and  relief to ship – wrecked sailors. Tales of her acts of mercy spread all over northern China in no time.

Kuan Yin assumes  various  forms  representing different aspects of her attributes. A slender woman in a flowing white robe, carrying in her left hand a white lotus is the manner in which she symbolises purity. She may be without any ornament as a sign of her humility; or, she may be wearing some, as appropriate for a  Bodhisattva. It is, however, as a companion and friend of children, she is portrayed in homes and temples. She is normally seen sitting on a lotus with a great white veil entirely covering her, and holding a child in her arms. Or, the child is sitting on her lap; or, standing holding on to her knees; or, there may be several children playing around her. In this form of Bodhisattva, she is known as the “White – robed Honoured One”.  In her thousand -  eyes,  thousand – hands Bodhisattva form, she has a multitude of arms, eyes and heads. in this form she is the Mother Goddess, observing, sensing and reaching out to help humanity with her infinite compassion and tenderness.

Kuan Yin  is associated with a willow branch with which she sprinkles compassion and wisdom drawn from a precious vase containing the nectar of life. She holds a scroll of prayers in her hand (like her predecessor Miao Shan did) to recite Sutras or Teachings or The Buddha and wears a rosary on her neck to receive help and succour fromThe Avalokitesvara.  The beads in the rosary are a manifestation of all living things while the action of rotating them sgnifies The Buddha guiding them through unending cycles of birth and rebirth to Nirvana.

Mahayana Buddhists along with Taoists of China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan worship the Bodhisattva Kuan Yin as the patroness of craftsmen, men under unlawful detention, sailors, women, children, and particularly those women desiring to have a child. It is believed that her healing powers and saving grace are so profound that a mere recitation of the Kuan Yin Sutras in the twenty-fifth chapter of the Holy  Text Lotus Sutra  would bring relief from troubles like shipwreck, fire, imprisonment, robbers, demons, fatal poisons and karmic woes, in which the devotee is immersed.        

HA  HAI – I  WUHTI :  Hopi (American – Indian)  Mother  Goddess

Ha Hai – I  Wuhti means “pour water woman”, an imagery similar to Deities in many faiths shown pouring the water of life on the world. The Hopis believe that their Divine Mother does so from a hollowed – out gourd held in one hand, while a sheaf of corn is held in the other hand. She is considered to be the Mother of all things, sentient or otherwise. Kachinas or dolls with magical powers are a central feature of the Hopi beliefs, and Ha Hai – I  Wuhti is their mother and her husband Eototo is their chief. Unlike the kachinas, she is quite vocal, and speaks during Hopi festivals like Powamu, Water Serpent and Hopi Shalako through some intermediary. A  flat image of her made by the doll carver is the first present a baby receives. Such images are also given to captive eagles adopted by the tribe. Dolls carved in full relief are given to girls.

SGROL – MA : Tibetan  Mother  Goddess  

Her more popular name is Tara, and her numerous forms are worshipped in Mongolia,  Nepal  and  Tibet. Regarded as the feminine counterpart of Bodhisattva, she is said to have developed from a teardrop of  Avalokitesvara which fell on the ground and formed a lake. The legend mentions that a lotus came out of the water in full bloom revealing Tara. She comes to the aid of those who are crossing waters or going on tour. Like wise, she  helps those who are on their paths to enlightenment.      

Srong-brtsan-sgam-po, the first Buddhist king of Tibet had two wives, princesses of Chinese and Nepali origins. Like every pious Tibetan woman, they were considered as reincarnation of Tara. The Chinese princess was incarnated as The White Tara, signifying purity. In the legend, White Tara is the consort of The Avalokitesvara and in scrolls shown as standing to His right, or seated alone with her legs crossed holding a lotus in full bloom in her hand.  Normally, she has a third eye in the middle of her brows. In Mongolia she is called  “Tara of the Seven Eyes”, as the scrolls there show her with four more eyes, two on her palms and two more on the soles of her feet.  

The Nepali princess was regarded as the original Tara or “Green Tara”.  Her scrolls also portray her as a consort of The Avalokitesvara and show her sitting on a lotus throne with the right leg hanging down. She wears the ornaments of a Bodhisattva and holds a lotus bud  (utpala) in her hand. The full – blown and the unopened lotuses in the hands of the two Taras represent the unceasing efforts they make all the time to relieve humanity  from the worldly woes. Like the 108 traditional “Avatars” in Hinduism,  Tibetan Lamaism also invest the two Taras with 108 forms. The pennants fluttering on top of Tibetan temples normally show 21 different Taras coloured red, white and yellow surrounding a green Tara. Her headgear or scarf often depict the self – born Buddha or Amitabha because she like Avalokitesvara is also regarded  as an emanation of Amitabha. The blue form is her fearsome incarnation  Ugra – Tara or Ekajata, and like the Greco – Roman Furies destroys the wicked; the red form known as Kurukulla is the Goddess of Love and also  provides antidote to snake – bite when she is calle Janguli. Bhrukuti is the name of her yellow form, and shows her anger and displeasure in arched and raised frowning brows. There is also a Hindu Tara, a reincarnation of the goddess Ma Kali or Kali Mata.

Turkic Siberian Mother Goddess 

She is called Umai, Ymai  or  Mai, and is shown as having sixty golden tresses,  like the radiating rays of the sun.  Much earlier,  in  antiquity, she was identified with the Mother Goddess of the  Mongols known as Ot.  Interestingly, the Hindu god Shiva’s consort is also known as Uma and Mai is the vernacular form of addressing one’s mother in quite a few Indian languages. 

Hindu Mother Goddesses

In the pantheon of Hindu Mother Goddesses,  a very special position is held by Lakshmi because she holds the purse – strings, is the goddess of prosperity and wealth.   In the home – altars, she necessarily have a spsce, and thursdays are set aside for her weekly puja in addition to the annual festivities honouring her on a full – moon night in the autumn. . Seated on a lotus, her portrait is that of a full – bodied woman with a smiling face and being annointed by two elephants one on each side. It is believed that she rose from the sea when it was churned by deities and demons, and after a controversy she went to the side of the deities. She became the wife of Vishnu, and changed her name for each of his incarnations.  For example, when Vishnu took the form of a dwarf, she came to be known as Padma or Kamala.  A white owl is her pet animal, and in her four hands she holds a conch, a lotus, a treasure chest and makes a gesture of assurance to the devotee in the fourth.

Sarasvati is the Mother Goddess for all the finer things in life. Music, painting, sculpture, dance…are the spheres in which one can not excel without her blessings. Besides, it is her, the legend goes, who taught humankind how to write so as to compose songs to be sung praising the deities.  She is a four – armed goddess shown riding on the back of a white swan, holding a book and a lotus in two hands and playing the veena with the fingers of the other two. She has a mellifluous voice and sings charmingly. With all these attributes, she has one shortcoming : she is terribly jealous of her sister,  Lakshmi, and vvithdraw all her gifts bestowed earlier on someone shifting loyalty to  Lakshmi.  She need not be,  because Lakshmi by nature is fickle and often go away for no reason.

Ma Kali, Kali Mata or Kalka  Mata  derives her name from Kaal in Sanskrit  meaning  time. Besides being a destroyer of the wicked Asuras,  She also helps in banishing  the self – importance one acquires from time to time,  and in that sense appears to be ageless. It is not entirely correct to associate her with death, the exclusive preserve of  the god, Yama. She and her consort , the god Shiva are said to inhabit the cremation grounds, and devotees often used to go there to meditate. Their intention, apparently,  was to think of the evanescence of things  by looking  at the bodies consigned to flames nearby, decidedly a scary procedure to the uninitiated.  Eventually, however, the idea of impermanence takes hold, and the Mother Goddess and her consort help one in attaining that. The idea is somewhat similar to the Biblical injunction that proclaims one as dust to which one ultimately returns, but the process there is a bit long.

Of all the Hindu MGs,  Ma  Kali is the most compassionate because she (it is believed) helps the devotee to attain Moksha, yet another name for Nirvana, Salvation and so on. Her  outfit,  a  skirt  of severed hands and a neckless of  skulls is fearful enough, and the effect is further heightened by a severed head dripping blood and a chopper in the two hands on her left. Some reflection would, however, reveal that the severed head was on the shoulders of an oppressor and that the severed hands belonged to his gang members.  And,  then,  her  two right hands  (she is four – armed) are in gestures of assurance to the innocent.  Finally,  in that killing spree, she still retains her sense of proportion by sticking out her tongue as a gesture of abashment, when she steps on to the chest of  Shiva who (on finding that things are getting out of control) lies down on her path to stop her. An incrrect idea of Tantric worship associates Ma  Kali with orgiastic  violence,  providing  an excuse  for organised debauchery. According to legends, she is very motherly, a celibate and helps her devotees to attain renunciation. This is evident from the songs of Ramaprasad (circa 17th century CE) in Bengali suffused with Bhakti or devotional attachment. One roughly translated song goes like this :

           Who says my Mother  Shyama is black?

           She is definitely not; and is of many hues

           She could be white; and she could be yellow;

           Often, she is aquamarine: 

           It is this many – splendoured  aspect of her,

           Thinking of which Ramaprasad lives on… 

The Hindu Goddess of Primal Energy or Shakti is also associated with Ma Kali.  Pure awareness, as stated in scriptures, is transcendent, unchanging and kind of inert (though not a bad thing in itself). As opposed to this, Shakti is dynamic, energetic and vibrant, and is a manifestation of the female principle. It is, as though, the will and energy components of a resolve, without which nothing comes to a successful conclusion. It is said that this primal energy resides within awareness,  and goes through periodic cycles of  motion and immobility.           

Fall from pedestal

The MG’s state of glory (at least in parts of  Eurasia) had ended apparently  with the beginning of the Hebrew religion when the god Yahweh became the ruling deity in circa 1800 – 1500 BCE, and the prophet  Abraham was living in Canaan. Her enemy number one was the Christian Church, especially the Roman Catholic Church, which identified the MG with all the pagan deities and with the evil without offering any logical proof.  The term ex cathedra perhaps describes the situation accurately,  but the attempts to suppress MG worship were not entirely successful. MG continued to remain within the hearts of the people. This was demonstrated forcefully in the sacred city of Ephesus, where the MG known as the Divine Mother, as also the Mother of Animals,  was worshipped by “all Asia and the world” according to the Bible before it was Christianized. Her most famous Ephesus image was that of a lactating woman  capable of nurturing and feeding the whole world.  In 432 Common or Christian Era (CE), the Church Council held a conclave of bishops in  Ephesus,  when people took to the streets and rioted demanding that the worship of the Mother Goddess  be restored,  and the first name they put forward was Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ. The bishops had to give in to the people’s demand and allowed Mary to be called the Mother of God,  but there was strict injunction against calling her the Mother Goddess or Goddess.  It is ironic that even to this day many  Christians wonder  why do the Catholics  show such extraordinary devotion to the Virgin Mary,  little realising  that by this the Catholics are celebrating and continuing their early ancestors’  worship of the  Mother  Goddess.

A controversial but decidedly feminist point of view is that the peace – loving, matriarchal and agricultural religions worshipping  various Mother Goddesses were annihilated or subjected to a strict regimen of a different kind when nomadic patriarchal warrior tribes appeared on the scene. In that scenario, the early Hebrews with their male God dispossessed the Mother Goddess of her throne and established a male – dominated society where women were brutalised, degraded and oppressed.   

Restoration (partial)

Anyway, in a theological sense,  Christians usually regard Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ as a “spiritual mother” because she not only was cast in a maternal role, but also served as a protector of the humanity and as the  intermediary between the divine and  the people in general. The Catholics take her to be “the woman” described in Revelation 12 of the Bible,  who stated to have given “birth to a son,  a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod” in verse 5. That male child is Jesus Christ.   Subsequently, in verse 17,  “the rest of her offspring” was described as “those who keep God’s  commandment and bear witness to Jesus”.  The Catholics regard them as belonging to the rest of Mary’s offsprings, and their commitment to Jesus and the God’s commandment  invest them with the right to call Mary their mother. As a further back-up for their claim,  they cite  John  19 : 26 – 27 where Christ tells the  Apostle John to take care of His mother as the evidence that Mary is the Mother of all Christians. They contend that when Christ was asking his “beloved disciple” John to “behold your Mother”,  He was addressing all Christians.  In addition, many titles are conferred upon  Virgin Mary in  Catholicism, like Star of the Sea (Stella Maris), Queen of Heaven and so on, which are in line with the traditions of Near East.  Then, Hagia Sophia or the concept of Heavenly Wisdom is taken to be a feminine entity,  a  noticeable departure from the Catholic understanding of  God as subsuming and transcending both masculinity and femininity. Omnipotence and creative force constitute the masculine aspect of God;  all – encompassing love and heavenly wisdom represent his femininity.  Christ  or The Son of God  is the personification of this  wisdom. Likewise in Orthodoxy,   reverence to Mary is on the same basis  as it is in Catholicism.  Mother of God and Birth – giver of God are the two honorifics bestowed on her, and she is taken to be the greatest of all human beings. But she can not be worshipped,  though she holds the positions of the supreme saint and the patroness of the humankind.      

A  Counterview

The opposing view is offered by examining the “real female deities of early human culture”.

Lotte Motz says that she found no sign of the MG there in her book, The Faces of the Goddess :-

” From the Eskimos of the arctic wasteland, whose harsh life even today most closely mirrors the earliest hunter gatherers, to the rich cultures of the sunny Fertile Crescent and the islands of Japan, Motz looks at a wide range of goddesses who are called Mother, or who give birth in their myths. She finds that these goddesses have varying origins as ancestor deities, animal protectors, and other divinities, rather than stemming from a common Mother Goddess archetype. For instance, Sedna, the powerful goddess whose chopped-off fingers became the seals and fish that were the Eskimos’ chief source of food, had nothing to do with human fertility. Indeed, human motherhood was held in such low esteem that Eskimo women were forced to give birth completely alone, with no human companionship and no helpful deities of childbirth. Likewise, while various Mexican goddesses ruled over healing, women’s crafts, motherhood and childbirth, and functioned as tribal protectors or divine ancestors, none of them either embodied the earth itself or granted fertility to the crops: for that the Mexicans looked to the male gods of maize and of rain. Nor were the rituals of these goddesses nurturing or peaceful. The goddess Cihuacoatl, who nurtured the creator god Quetzalcoatl and helped him create humanity, was worshipped with human sacrifices who were pushed into a fire, removed while still alive, and their hearts were cut out. And Motz closely examines the Anatolian goddess Cybele, the “Magna Mater” most often cited as an example of a powerful mother goddess. Hers were the last of the great pagan mysteries of the Mediterranean civilizations to fall before Christianity. But Cybele herself never gives birth, nor does she concern herself with aiding women in childbirth or childrearing. She is not herself a mother, and the male character figuring most prominently in her myths is Attis, her chaste companion. Tellingly, Cybele’s priests dedicate themselves to her by castrating themselves, thus mimicking Attis’s death–a very odd way to venerate a goddess of fertility.”

“To depict these earlier goddesses as peaceful and nurturing mothers, as is often done, is to deny them their own complex and sophisticated nature as beings who were often violent and vengeful, delighting in sacrifice, or who reveled in their eroticism and were worshipped as harlots….”

   ( taken from the Oxford University Press webpage -     http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/ReligionTheology/Ancient/?view=usa&ci=9780195089677)

Source: Wikipedia and others

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WHAT  IS  SHAMBALLA?  IS  SHAMBALLA  A  REALITY??

I was reading a book called “The autobiography of an yogi”. It is a very famous book and it is a book that gives a glimpse of spiritual India. It gives a glimpse of the other face of India. Incredible  India. The writer was a disciple of  Shyama Charan Lahiri also known as Lahiri mohashoy. The writer was Swami Yogananda Lahiri Mohashoy’s Guru was Babaji a celestial guru who is believed to have been living for the past hundreds of years. He is believed to be living in the Himalayas and is believed to have powers to materialize anywhere at will and dematerialize at will.  I will narrate a story here to illustrate this very nature of such Gurus. This story is a factual story as experienced by Shyama Charan lahiri mohashoy.

“Babaji’s first meeting with Lahiri Mahasaya is an enthralling story, and one of the few which gives us a detailed glimpse of the deathless guru.”

These words were Swami Kebalananda’s preamble to a wondrous tale. The first time he recounted it I was literally spellbound. On many other occasions I coaxed my gentle Sanskrit tutor to repeat the story, which was later told me in substantially the same words by Sri Yukteswar. Both these Lahiri Mahasaya disciples had heard the awesome tale direct from the lips of their guru.

“My first meeting with Babaji took place in my thirty-third year,” Lahiri Mahasaya had said. “In the autumn of 1861 I was stationed in Danapur as a government accountant in the Military Engineering Department. One morning the office manager summoned me.

“‘Lahiri,’ he said, ‘a telegram has just come from our main office. You’re to be transferred to Ranikhet, where an army post [1] is now being established.’

“With one servant, I set out on the 500-mile trip. Travelling by horse and buggy, we arrived in thirty days at the Himalayan site of Ranikhet. [2]

“My office duties were not onerous; I was able to spend many hours roaming in the magnificent hills. A rumour reached me that great saints blessed the region with their presence; I felt a strong desire to see them. During a ramble one early afternoon, I was astounded to hear a distant voice calling my name. I continued my vigorous upward climb on Drongiri Mountain. A slight uneasiness beset me at the thought that I might not be able to retrace my steps before darkness had descended over the jungle.

“I finally reached a small clearing whose sides were dotted with caves. On one of the rocky ledges stood a smiling young man, extending his hand in welcome. I noticed with astonishment that, except for his copper-coloured hair, he bore a remarkable resemblance to myself.

“‘Lahiri, you’ve come!’ The saint addressed me affectionately in Hindi. ‘Rest here in this cave. It was I who called you.’

“I entered a neat little grotto which contained several woollen blankets and a few kamandulus (begging bowls).

“‘Lahiri, do you remember that seat?’ The yogi pointed to a folded blanket in one corner.

“‘No, sir.’ Somewhat dazed at the strangeness of my adventure, I added, ‘I must leave now, before nightfall. I have business in the morning at my office.’

“The mysterious saint replied in English, ‘The office was brought for you, and not you for the office.’

“I was dumbfounded that this forest ascetic shouldn’t only speak English but also paraphrase the words of Christ. [3]

“‘I see my telegram took effect.’ The yogi’s remark was incomprehensible to me; I inquired his meaning.

“‘I refer to the telegram that summoned you to these isolated parts. It was I who silently suggested to the mind of your superior officer that you be transferred to Ranikhet. When one feels his unity with mankind, all minds become transmitting stations through which he can work at will.’ He added gently, ‘Lahiri, surely this cave seems familiar to you?’

“As I maintained a bewildered silence, the saint approached and struck me gently on the forehead. At his magnetic touch, a wondrous current swept through my brain, releasing the sweet seed-memories of my previous life.

“‘I remember!’ My voice was half-choked with joyous sobs. ‘You’re my guru Babaji, who has belonged to me always! Scenes of the past arise vividly in my mind; here in this cave I spent many years of my last incarnation!’ As ineffable recollections overwhelmed me, I tearfully embraced my master’s feet.

“‘For more than three decades I’ve waited for you here-waited for you to return to me!’ Babaji’s voice rang with celestial love. ‘You slipped away and vanished into the tumultuous waves of the life beyond death. The magic wand of your karma touched you, and you were gone! Though you lost sight of me, never did I lose sight of you! I pursued you over the luminescent astral sea where the glorious angels sail. Through gloom, storm, upheaval, and light I followed you, like a mother bird guarding her young. As you lived out your human term of womb-life, and emerged a babe, my eye was ever on you. When you covered your tiny form in the lotus posture under the Nadia sands in your childhood, I was invisibly present! Patiently, month after month, year after year, I’ve watched over you, waiting for this perfect day. Now you’re with me! Lo, here’s your cave, loved of yore! I’ve kept it ever clean and ready for you. Here’s your hallowed asana-blanket, where you daily sat to fill your expanding heart with God! Behold there your bowl, from which you often drank the nectar prepared by me! See how I’ve kept the brass cup brightly polished, that you might drink again therefrom! My own, do you now understand?’

“‘My guru, what can I say?’ I murmured brokenly. ‘Where has one ever heard of such deathless love?’ I gazed long and ecstatically on my eternal treasure, my guru in life and death.

“‘Lahiri, you need purification. Drink the oil in this bowl and lie down by the river.’ Babaji’s practical wisdom, I reflected with a quick, reminiscent smile, was ever to the fore.

“I obeyed his directions. Though the icy Himalayan night was descending, a comforting warmth, an inner radiation, began to pulsate in every cell of my body. I marvelled. Was the unknown oil endued with a cosmic heat?

“Bitter winds whipped around me in the darkness, shrieking a fierce challenge. The chill wavelets of the Gogash River lapped now and then over my body, outstretched on the rocky bank. Tigers howled near-by, but my heart was free of fear; the radiant force newly generated within me conveyed an assurance of unassailable protection. Several hours passed swiftly; faded memories of another life wove themselves into the present brilliant pattern of reunion with my divine guru.

“My solitary musings were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. In the darkness, a man’s hand gently helped me to my feet, and gave me some dry clothing.

“‘Come, brother,’ my companion said. ‘The master awaits you.’

“He led the way through the forest. The sombre night was suddenly lit by a steady luminosity in the distance.

“‘Can that be the sunrise?’ I inquired. ‘Surely the whole night hasn’t passed?’

“‘The hour is midnight.’ My guide laughed softly. ‘Yonder light is the glow of a golden palace, materialised here tonight by the peerless Babaji. In the dim past, you once expressed a desire to enjoy the beauties of a palace. Our master is now satisfying your wish, thus freeing you from the bonds of karma.’ [4] He added, ‘The magnificent palace will be the scene of your initiation tonight into kriya yoga. All your brothers here join in a paean of welcome, rejoicing at the end of your long exile. Behold!’

“A vast palace of dazzling gold stood before us. Studded with countless jewels, and set amidst landscaped gardens, it presented a spectacle of unparalleled grandeur. Saints of angelic countenance were stationed by resplendent gates, half-reddened by the glitter of rubies. Diamonds, pearls, sapphires, and emeralds of great size and lustre were imbedded in the decorative arches.

“I followed my companion into a spacious reception hall. The odour of incense and of roses wafted through the air; dim lamps shed a multicoloured glow. Small groups of devotees, some fair, some dark-skinned, chanted musically, or sat in the meditative posture, immersed in an inner peace. A vibrant joy pervaded the atmosphere.

“‘Feast your eyes; enjoy the artistic splendours of this palace, for it has been brought into being solely in your honour.’ My guide smiled sympathetically as I uttered a few ejaculations of wonderment.

“‘Brother,’ I said, ‘the beauty of this structure surpasses the bounds of human imagination. Please tell me the mystery of its origin.’

“‘I’ll gladly enlighten you.’ My companion’s dark eyes sparkled with wisdom. ‘In reality there’s nothing inexplicable about this materialisation. The whole cosmos is a materialised thought of the Creator. This heavy, earthly clod, floating in space, is a dream of God. He made all things out of His consciousness, even as man in his dream consciousness reproduces and vivifies a creation with its creatures.

“‘God first created the earth as an idea. Then He quickened it; energy atoms came into being. He co-ordinated the atoms into this solid sphere. All its molecules are held together by the will of God. When He withdraws His will, the earth again will disintegrate into energy. Energy will dissolve into consciousness; the earth-idea will disappear from objectivity.

“‘The substance of a dream is held in materialisation by the subconscious thought of the dreamer. When that cohesive thought is withdrawn in wakefulness, the dream and its elements dissolve. A man closes his eyes and erects a dream-creation which, on awakening, he effortlessly dematerialises. He follows the divine archetypal pattern. Similarly, when he awakens in cosmic consciousness, he will effortlessly dematerialise the illusions of the cosmic dream.

“‘Being one with the infinite all-accomplishing Will, Babaji can summon the elemental atoms to combine and manifest themselves in any form. This golden palace, instantaneously created, is real, even as this earth is real. Babaji created this palatial mansion out of his mind and is holding its atoms together by the power of his will, even as God created this earth and is maintaining it intact.’ He added, ‘When this structure has served its purpose, Babaji will dematerialise it.’

“As I remained silent in awe, my guide made a sweeping gesture. ‘This shimmering palace, superbly embellished with jewels, hasn’t been built by human effort or with laboriously mined gold and gems. It stands solidly, a monumental challenge to man. [5] Whoever realises himself as a son of God, even as Babaji has done, can reach any goal by the infinite powers hidden within him. A common stone locks within itself the secret of stupendous atomic energy; [6] even so, a mortal is yet a powerhouse of divinity.’

“The sage picked up from a near-by table a graceful vase whose handle was blazing with diamonds. ‘Our great guru created this palace by solidifying myriads of free cosmic rays,’ he went on. ‘Touch this vase and its diamonds; they will satisfy all the tests of sensory experience.’

“I examined the vase, and passed my hand over the smooth room-walls, thick with glistening gold. Each of the jewels scattered lavishly about was worthy of a king’s collection. Deep satisfaction spread over my mind. A submerged desire, hidden in my subconsciousness from lives now gone, seemed simultaneously gratified and extinguished.

“My stately companion led me through ornate arches and corridors into a series of chambers richly furnished in the style of an emperor’s palace. We entered an immense hall. In the centre stood a golden throne, encrusted with jewels shedding a dazzling medley of colours. There, in lotus posture, sat the supreme Babaji. I knelt on the shining floor at his feet.

“‘Lahiri, are you still feasting on your dream desires for a golden palace?’ My guru’s eyes were twinkling like his own sapphires. ‘Wake! All your earthly thirsts are about to be quenched forever.’ He murmured some mystic words of blessing. ‘My son, arise. Receive your initiation into the kingdom of God through kriya yoga.’

“Babaji stretched out his hand; a homa (sacrificial) fire appeared, surrounded by fruits and flowers. I received the liberating yogic technique before this flaming altar.

“The rites were completed in the early dawn. I felt no need for sleep in my ecstatic state, and wandered around the palace, filled on all sides with treasures and priceless objets d’art. Descending to the gorgeous gardens, I noticed, near-by, the same caves and barren mountain ledges which yesterday had boasted no adjacency to palace or flowered terrace.

“Re-entering the palace, fabulously glistening in the cold Himalayan sunlight, I sought the presence of my master. He was still enthroned, surrounded by many quiet disciples.

“‘Lahiri, you’re hungry.’ Babaji added, ‘Close your eyes.’

“When I reopened them, the enchanting palace and its picturesque gardens had disappeared. My own body and the forms of Babaji and the cluster of chelas were all now seated on the bare ground at the exact site of the vanished palace, not far from the sunlit entrances of the rocky grottoes. I recalled that my guide had remarked that the palace would be dematerialised, its captive atoms released into the thought-essence from which it had sprung. Although stunned, I looked trustingly at my guru. I knew not what to expect next on this day of miracles.

“‘The purpose for which the palace was created has now been served,’ Babaji explained. He lifted an earthen vessel from the ground. ‘Put your hand there and receive whatever food you desire.’

“As soon as I touched the broad, empty bowl, it became heaped with hot butter-fried luchis, curry, and rare sweetmeats. I helped myself, observing that the vessel was ever-filled. At the end of my meal I looked around for water. My guru pointed to the bowl before me. Lo! the food had vanished; in its place was water, clear as from a mountain stream.

“‘Few mortals know that the kingdom of God includes the kingdom of mundane fulfilments,’ Babaji observed. ‘The divine realm extends to the earthly, but the latter, being illusory, can’t include the essence of reality.’

“‘Beloved guru, last night you demonstrated for me the link of beauty in heaven and earth!’ I smiled at memories of the vanished palace; surely no simple yogi had ever received initiation into the august mysteries of Spirit amidst surroundings of more impressive luxury! I gazed tranquilly at the stark contrast of the present scene. The gaunt ground, the skyey roof, the caves offering primitive shelter-all seemed a gracious natural setting for the seraphic saints around me.

“I sat that afternoon on my blanket, hallowed by associations of past-life realisations. My divine guru approached and passed his hand over my head. I entered the nirbikalpa samadhi state, remaining unbrokenly in its bliss for seven days. Crossing the successive strata of self-knowledge, I penetrated the deathless realms of reality. All delusive limitations dropped away; my soul was fully established on the eternal altar of the Cosmic Spirit. On the eighth day I fell at my guru’s feet and implored him to keep me always near him in this sacred wilderness.

“‘My son,’ Babaji said, embracing me, ‘your role in this incarnation must be played on an outward stage. Prenatally blessed by many lives of lonely meditation, you must now mingle in the world of men.

“‘A deep purpose underlay the fact that you didn’t meet me this time till you were already a married man, with modest business responsibilities. You must put aside your thoughts of joining our secret band in the Himalayas; your life lies in the crowded marts, serving as an example of the ideal yogi-householder.

“‘The cries of many bewildered worldly men and women have not fallen unheard on the ears of the Great Ones,’ he went on. ‘You’ve been chosen to bring spiritual solace through kriya yoga to numerous earnest seekers. The millions who are encumbered by family ties and heavy worldly duties will take new heart from you, a householder like themselves. You must guide them to see that the highest yogic attainments aren’t barred to the family man. Even in the world, the yogi who faithfully discharges his responsibilities, without personal motive or attachment, treads the sure path of enlightenment.

“‘No necessity compels you to leave the world, for inwardly you’ve already sundered its every karmic tie. Not of this world, you must yet be in it. Many years still remain during which you must conscientiously fulfil your family, business, civic, and spiritual duties. A sweet new breath of divine hope will penetrate the arid hearts of worldly men. From your balanced life, they will understand that liberation is dependent on inner, rather than outer, renunciations.’

“How remote seemed my family, the office, the world, as I listened to my guru in the high Himalayan solitudes. Yet adamantine truth rang in his words; I submissively agreed to leave this blessed haven of peace. Babaji instructed me in the ancient rigid rules which govern the transmission of the yogic art from guru to disciple.

“‘Bestow the kriya key only on qualified chelas,’ Babaji said. ‘He who vows to sacrifice all in the quest of the divine is fit to unravel the final mysteries of life through the science of meditation.’

“‘Angelic guru, as you’ve already favoured mankind by resurrecting the lost Kriya art, will you not increase that benefit by relaxing the strict requirements for discipleship?’ I gazed beseechingly at Babaji. ‘I pray that you permit me to communicate Kriya to all seekers, even though at first they can’t vow themselves to complete inner renunciation. The tortured men and women of the world, pursued by the threefold suffering, [7] need special encouragement. They may never attempt the road to freedom if Kriya initiation be withheld from them.’

“‘Be it so. The divine wish has been expressed through you.’ With these simple words, the merciful guru banished the rigorous safeguards that for ages had hidden Kriya from the world. ‘Give Kriya freely to all who humbly ask for help.’

“After a silence, Babaji added, ‘Repeat to each of your disciples this majestic promise from the Bhagavad Gita: “Swalpamasya dharmasya, trayata mahato bhoyat”-”Even a little bit of the practice of this religion will save you from dire fears and colossal sufferings.”‘ [8]

“As I knelt the next morning at my guru’s feet for his farewell blessing, he sensed my deep reluctance to leave him.

“‘There’s no separation for us, my beloved child.’ He touched my shoulder affectionately. ‘Wherever you are, whenever you call me, I shall be with you instantly.’

“Consoled by his wondrous promise, and rich with the newly found gold of God-wisdom, I wended my way down the mountain. At the office I was welcomed by my fellow employees, who for ten days had thought me lost in the Himalayan jungles. A letter soon arrived from the head office.

“‘Lahiri should return to the Danapur [9] office,’ it read. ‘His transfer to Ranikhet occurred by error. Another man should have been sent to assume the Ranikhet duties.’

“I smiled, reflecting on the hidden crosscurrents in the events which had led me to this furthermost spot of India.

“Before returning to Danapur, I spent a few days with a Bengali family at Moradabad. A party of six friends gathered to greet me. As I turned the conversation to spiritual subjects, my host observed gloomily:

“‘Oh, in these days India is destitute of saints!’

“‘Babu,’ I protested warmly, ‘of course there are still great masters in this land!’

“In a mood of exalted fervour, I felt impelled to relate my miraculous experiences in the Himalayas. The little company was politely incredulous.

“‘Lahiri,’ one man said soothingly, ‘your mind has been under a strain in those rarefied mountain airs. This is some daydream you’ve recounted.’

“Burning with the enthusiasm of truth, I spoke without due thought. ‘If I call him, my guru will appear right in this house.’

“Interest gleamed in every eye; it was no wonder that the group was eager to behold a saint materialised in such a strange way. Half-reluctantly, I asked for a quiet room and two new woollen blankets.

“‘The master will materialise from the ether,’ I said. ‘Remain silently outside the door; I shall soon call you.’

“I sank into the meditative state, humbly summoning my guru. The darkened room soon filled with a dim aural moonlight; the luminous figure of Babaji emerged.

“‘Lahiri, do you call me for a trifle?’ The master’s gaze was stern. ‘Truth is for earnest seekers, not for those of idle curiosity. It’s easy to believe when one sees; there’s nothing then to deny. Supersensual truth is deserved and discovered by those who overcome their natural materialistic scepticism.’ He added gravely, ‘Let me go!’

“I fell entreatingly at his feet. ‘Holy guru, I realise my serious error; I humbly ask pardon. It was to create faith in these spiritually blinded minds that I ventured to call you. Because you’ve graciously appeared at my prayer, please don’t depart without bestowing a blessing on my friends. Unbelievers though they be, at least they were willing to investigate the truth of my strange assertions.’

“‘Very well; I’ll stay awhile. I don’t wish your word discredited before your friends.’ Babaji’s face had softened, but he added gently, ‘Henceforth, my son, I shall come when you need me, and not always when you call me. [ [10]‘

“Tense silence reigned in the little group when I opened the door. As if mistrusting their senses, my friends stared at the lustrous figure on the blanket seat.

“‘This is mass-hypnotism!’ One man laughed blatantly. ‘No one could possibly have entered this room without our knowledge!’

“Babaji advanced smilingly and motioned to each one to touch the warm, solid flesh of his body. Doubts dispelled, my friends prostrated themselves on the floor in awed repentance.

“‘Let halua [11] be prepared.’ Babaji made this request, I knew, to further assure the group of his physical reality. While the porridge was boiling, the divine guru chatted affably. Great was the metamorphosis of these doubting Thomases into devout St. Pauls. After we had eaten, Babaji blessed each of us in turn. There was a sudden flash; we witnessed the instantaneous dechemicalisation of the electronic elements of Babaji’s body into a spreading vaporous light. The God-tuned will power of the master had loosened its grasp of the ether atoms held together as his body; forthwith the trillions of tiny lifetronic sparks faded into the infinite reservoir.

“‘With my own eyes I’ve seen the conqueror of death.’ Maitra, [12] one of the group, spoke reverently. His face was transfigured with the joy of his recent awakening. ‘The supreme guru played with time and space, as a child plays with bubbles. I’ve beheld one with the keys of heaven and earth.’

“I soon returned to Danapur. Firmly anchored in the Spirit, again I assumed the manifold business and family obligations of a householder.”

Lahiri Mahasaya also related to Swami Kebalananda and Sri Yukteswar the story of another meeting with Babaji, under circumstances which recalled the guru’s promise: “I shall come whenever you need me.”

“The scene was a Kumbha Mela at Allahabad,” Lahiri Mahasaya told his disciples. “I had gone there during a short vacation from my office duties. As I wandered amidst the throng of monks and sadhus who had come from great distances to attend the holy festival, I noticed an ash-smeared ascetic who was holding a begging bowl. The thought arose in my mind that the man was hypocritical, wearing the outward symbols of renunciation without a corresponding inward grace.

“No sooner had I passed the ascetic than my astounded eye fell on Babaji. He was kneeling in front of a matted-haired anchorite.

“‘Guruji!’ I hastened to his side. ‘Sir, what are you doing here?’

“‘I’m washing the feet of this renunciate, and then I shall clean his cooking utensils.’ Babaji smiled at me like a little child; I knew he was intimating that he wanted me to criticise no one, but to see the Lord as residing equally in all body-temples, whether of superior or inferior men. The great guru added, ‘By serving wise and ignorant sadhus, I’m learning the greatest of virtues, pleasing to God above all others-humility.’”

There is another factual story about Babaji which only proves that such Gurus are still there in India, The spiritual center of the earth,and that they have tremendous powers that will be harnessed by such Gurus to pull mankind from slipping into oblivion.

This is an incident of 1942 when the king of Kumaon invited an army officer of Western Command, LP. Farrel for a picnic trip to the hills. There was a special reason for inviting Mr. Farrel; in spite of his being a Britisher he was very much interested in Indian religion, philosophy and culture. He had a few opportunities of witnessing demonstration of miraculous feats of some Indian yogis. He had become a pure vegetarian. That is why he always welcomed any opportunity to go towards the Himalayan wilderness, with the hope of meeting some saint or yogi who could initiate him into spiritual sadhana.

Mr. Farrel, the king and the queen and their entourage reached a place near Nainital full of natural beauty. It so enchanted them that they decided to camp overnight there. So, the dozens of tents were pitched and the lonely place got filled with the hustle and bustle of servants. Gossip, merriment, eating and drinking went on till midnight. Everyone went to bed and due to exhaustion of the whole day’s exertions, immediately slipped into deep sleep. The first phase of the sleep was hardly over when Mr. Farrel felt that there was someone near his cot. He waked up and clearly listened-”We need the place where your tents have been pitched. You vacate this place. If you are unable to understand, then you should come to that northwestern hill in front of you. I will explain you everything.” “But who are you?” – saying this Mr. Farrel got up from the bed and lit his torch. But there was no one. He came out of the tent but there too no one could be seen nor heard anyone’s footsteps. After a momentary fear he became normal and then went back to his bed again for sleeping. It was 3.30 AM by his watch.

Despite his best efforts he could not sleep. Somehow he was keeping his eyes shut. Again he felt someone’s presence. Still lying on the bed he opened the eyes and he saw a shadow of a person standing in front of him. This time again he uttered the same words. In order to identify that person, as soon as Mr. Farrel lit the torch, even the shadow vanished. His body started shaking and perspiring. This army officer who did not get frightened even by watching the horrible bloodshed in the war, momentarily got un-nerved and dumbfounded by mere imagination of a supernatural being. He lay awake in his bed with his eyes closed till the morning but heard nothing. A strange attraction was arousing within him to see the hill mentioned by the shadowy presence. He put on his clothes and shoes and silently came out of the tent and walked towards that hill.

Describing this incident Mr. Farrel has himself written: “The way to the place where I was directed to reach was very difficult, narrow and dangerous. I was not at all able to climb up by myself but I was constantly feeling that somebody was showing me the way and was providing me the energy to climb up. After a hard effort of three and a half hours I could climb up. It seemed difficult to go ahead due to heavy breathing and perspiration. So I sat down on a square stone, lying down on it to take some rest. Hardly two minutes had passed and the same voice awakened me. ‘Mr. Farrel! Now you put off your shoes and slowly climb down the stone and come to me. With these words in the ears, I looked around and saw that a saint, with very weak constitution but brilliant splendor on the forehead, was standing in front of me. Leave aside the acquaintance, I had never met or seen him earlier. Then how could he know my name? He was here, then how did his shadow reach in my tent in the night? There was no communication link like a radio or a microphone etc between us. Then how could his voice reach me? Several such questions arose in my mind. Putting a stop to the unending trail of questions the sadhu said-whatever you have heard and seen cannot be understood by ordinary human mind. For this purpose one has to do long sadhana and the practice of yoga, abandoning the worldly pleasures and attraction of the senses. There is a specific purpose for which you have been called here.”

Farrel could not make out whether the saintly person was a human being or a god. The thoughts arising in his mind were being constantly read by that person like an open book. Mr. Farrel climbed down the rock and in a short time reached the place where the Sadhu was sitting. The place was so small that only one person could take rest there. There was nothing except the fire burning in the Dhooni (firepit).

Farrel further writes- “The Sadhu patted me on the back with his weak hand and I was stunned how could this electricity like power be there in that old body. My body that was almost breaking with pain due to exhaustion – now seemed light like a flower. As an humble gesture of respect for him I knelt down and touched his feet. I had seen many sadhus; but I have always felt that sahdus and saints who had influenced Indian philosophy and increased its dignity were not those who were roaming around on the roads but they were truly such secluded and devoted persons only. Their physical bodies might weigh 80-90 pounds but intensity of their energy and power was more than that of thousand bombs and they were the storehouses of knowledge.”

The Sadhu told me-”I have inspired a youth to reach the place where your tents have been pitched. He was my disciple in his previous birth. His sadhana is half-completed. Now I want to guide him again to undertake his sadhana and penance for the universal welfare. But the memories of his previous birth are dormant. The impressions and circumstances of this birth are attracting him. Therefore he is unable to take up the sadhana again. I have called him through subtle inspiration. If he comes here and is unable to locate the directed place, then he will get confused. In that event, whatever I want will not become possible, Therefore, please vacate that place immediately.”

Mr. Farrel said – “Lord! Please tell me also a few things about my previous birth “? The Sadhu replied-”My son! These siddhis (accomplishments) are not for demonstration. They are meant for some special purposes and it is better they are utilized for that only. Of course, if you wish you can be present at the time when I show him the events of his previous birth. Now you go. People are searching for you in the camp. I too am in a hurry.”  Mr. Farrel returned to the camp. Indeed, people had been searching for him. Mr. Farrel narrated the incident to the king. They then left that place and pitched the camp some 200 yards away.

By the evening of that day a young man did indeed come searching for that place. After satisfying himself in all respects, he sat down there. In the meantime, Mr. Farrel also reached there. His curiosity was getting more and more intense as the time passed. In a short while sadhu too reached there. Mr. Farel and the young man touched his feet and stood waiting for his instructions. That place was in the centre of a grove of trees.. After lighting the fire sadhu did some puja, recited some mantras and told us to sit down in a meditating posture. A ray of light emanated from his forehead and a circular spot of light appeared on the trunk of a thick tree. Then whatever was seen in the spot was just like a cinema where they saw the characters actually walking and talking. Like a movie, they saw the events of the previous birth of that youth with their own naked eyes. In between that youth used to get excited and would say – ‘Yes-yes I had done that’.

At the end, that youth touched the feet of that sadhu and said “Lord! Now my attachment with the mundane world is broken. I am ready to take up the unfinished sadhana of my previous life. Please guide me so that I can complete the unfinished task.”  The Sadhu said – “My son! Today you take rest here. In the morning, you return to your home. At an appropriate time, I will call you.” After that Mr Farrel did not know when that youth was called again? What he became later and with what name he became popular? But he became a staunch devotee of Indian religion and spirituality. This incident has been narrated by Mr. Farrel himself in an article in the May 17, 1959 issue of Saptahik Hindustan (a weekly Hindi magazine).

These incidents though, are rare, but they are true and these incidents do happen of and on but it happens to people who are choosen by the powers themselves. Not all and everybody is priviledge to such sightings and incidents. Celestial gurus and saints do live for eternity and it is believed that they stay somewhere in the Himalayas and that these gurus can materialize out of no where and can vanish in thin air. It is believed that there are seven such celetial gurus or saints and that they keep a watch on humanity and when the earth is burdened with evil and when the people of this earth begin to play GOD themselves and Humans begin to looses all qualities of  the most precious creation of GOD, these saints come into action. They select certain people with qualities that are essence of the creator and then will save the earth and its inhabitants from total annihilation. Indian scriptures are filled with descriptions of immortal souls like Shiva, Bhairav, Hanuman, Ashwatthama and many siddhas. There is a story in Kalki Purana, which goes like this. When Lord Kalki saw that the entire world has sunk neck-deep in perversities like sex indulgence, anger, greed, attachment, ego, laziness, etc. and the light of the souls had been extinguished, he decided to guide the masses groping in the darkness of ignorance. The darkness was dense. The entire world was badly trapped in the materialistic pursuits and the pleasures of the senses. Lord Kalki felt that he lacked the power required for this awakening of the masses. Then his spiritual mentor Parashuram called him to the Himalayas and made him undertake a penance at a place where he (Parashuram) had himself done it. This penance awakened the enormous power, which was needed for the transformation of the era, within Kalki. Lord Parshuram was born in Vedic Yuga, which came much earlier than the Kaliyuga. His presence in Kaliyuga too is an indication of his immortality and a testimony of the fact that immortal souls like him are still present in the Himalayas. Dr. Hari Dutta Bhatta, Shailesh has given an interesting description of his mountaineering experience of Janwali (Garhwal) hill, which is 22000 feet above the sea level, in Dharmayuga (Hindi weekly, 23 rd August 1964 issue). He was convinced that some supernormal power saved him and his group from getting buried under a landslide. All these incidents prove the fact that immortal souls possessing fierce supernatural power are still present in the Himalayas and they will remain there for an infinite time.

Modern scientists are also actively engaged in the research for finding the elixir of life. Zoologists of Russia, France, Britain, Germany, USA, etc. have been investigating for a long time the process of aging and death. On the basis of the results obtained so far, they have concluded that death is not an inevitable phenomenon. Aging is a kind of disease. If it be possible to find a cure for it, a person could live for a thousand years. The modes and methods of kayakalpa (rejuvenation) mentioned in Ayurveda also prove this fact.

In traditional histories of India like the Puranas and Brahmanas, it is pointed out that in addition to the kingdoms in northern India, there were kingdoms north of the Himalayas with the same culture as in India, which would be in the regions that we are considering for the Celtic peoples. Most important is the famous land of the Uttara Kurus, described as a spiritual paradise north of the Himalayas. Comparison of European Celtic culture with Hindu culture shows a large number of similarities between them. Some of these were shown in a two part article that appeared in the May and June issues of the magazine Hinduism Today. Therefore, we have cultural evidence to back up the traditions and the archaeology.  Religiously, these red-haired northern Vedic people are known to have some point taken up Buddhism. Certain traditional sources indicate that they learned Buddhism from the Buddha previous to Siddhartha Gautama, who was named Kashyapa. A Kashyapa rishi also appears as one of the oldest Vedic rishis and as associated with northern regions like Kashmir, that was originally called Kashyapa Mira or Kashyapa’s lake. Tibetan literature, I have been told, indicates that they learned their Buddhism, not from India, but from “Shamballa” which is placed exactly where these people lived.

Such a prediction has been made in Kalchakra a sacred text of the buddhist,now mainly of Tibet of which I will speak later, one can find the necessary teaching provided for preparation of the prophesized war. We find in it ‘the psychology of invasions’ and detailed instructions on how to build various machines to ward off the invaders. The sacred texts go on to say the Dark Age will last until the year 2424 AD, when a ‘great war’ will begin in India. The human race will be rescued from total destruction by the armies of Shambhalla riding ‘flying horses’ and ‘boats that fly in the air’. According to the Vedic Text Shambhalla is also called as the “Paradesh”.

James Hilton wrote about it in the 1933 book Lost Horizon, Hollywood portrayed it in the 1960s film ‘Shangri-la’, and recent films such as ‘Kundun’, ‘Little Buddha’ and ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ allude to the magical utopia. Even author James Redfield, noted for his New Age best seller The Celestine Prophecy, has written a book called The Secret of Shambhala: In Search of the Eleventh Insight.

Shambhala, which in Sanskrit means “place of peace, of tranquillity,” is thought of in Tibet as a community where perfect and semi-perfect beings live and are guiding the evolution of humanity. Shambhala is considered to be the source of the Kalachakra, which is the highest and most esoteric branch of Tibetan mysticism. As per the vedic scriptures this esoteric place lies somewhere in the Himalayas and it could be the ultimate Hindu pilgrimage place which Mount Kailash and the Mansorovar lake.

Shambhala can be identified with the region surrounding Mount Kailash, the mountain in southwestern Tibet holy to both Hindus and Buddhists. This makes sense because, according to Tibetan etymology, Shambhala means the abode of bliss, a synonym for both the Hindu god Shiva and the Buddha-figure Heruka. Hinduism regards Mount Kailash as the seat of Shiva, and Buddhism as the main location of Heruka. Some scholars identify the three regions between India and Shambhala – Bhotia, Li and Chin – as Tibet, Khotan and China, and then presume that Shambhala is somewhere in East Turkistan (the modern Chinese province of Xinjiang), but this seems to be erroneous. These three names are also used respectively for the Terai, Kathmandu Valley and Dolpo regions of southern, central and northwestern Nepal. The sixth region, Himavan, the land of snows, is a common name for Tibet. Mount Kailash is not really Shambhala, however, but only represents Shambhala on this earth. The Kalachakra Tantra speaks of four holy places around Vajrasana (Bodh Gaya), the site where Buddha manifested his enlightenment: Five-peaked Mountain in the east, Potala Mountain in the south, Shambhala in the north and Oddiyana in the west. These are the special places associated, respectively, with Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, the Kalki rulers and Guru Rinpoche. They can be identified with Wutaishan in northern China, the Vindhya Range in southern India, Mount Kailash in southwestern Tibet and Swat in northern Pakistan. If we go to these places, however, we do not actually find these great beings living there, or even archeological traces of them. As explained earlier, the journey to Shambhala is a spiritual, not a physical one.

“Holy places never had any beginning. They have been holy from the time they have been discovered, strongly alive because of the invisible presence breathing through them. Man is amazed or fearful as he feels the vibrations of invisible power in the air, and religions, feebly falling behind like all human institutions, gradually assign various names and symbols to delineate the mystery.”

Mount Kailash is the ultimate place of pilgrimage for the disciples of four religions. For Hindus the mountain is the abode of Shiva, the God symbolising all the destructive forces in the universe and yet at the same time all regenerative power and energy. At the summit of Kailash, Shiva sits on his celestial throne. Almost significantly, the mountain is also perceived as the physical manifestation of the mythical Mount Meru. The Hindus have for centuries traversed the Himalayas to circumnavigate Kailash, believing that a circuit of the mountain will erase the sins of a lifetime and break the karmic cycle.

Hindus also believe that the waters of the sacred lake Manasarover were created from the mind or ‘manas’ of Brahma, the God who symbolizes the creative force in the universe. Hindus revere the whole Himalayan Range as a manifestation of the divine consciousness. The presence of the mountain and sacred lake is the ultimate endorsement of the sanctity of the whole range. Buddhists, particularly the Mahayana Buddhists of Tibet and the surrounding region, call the mountain Kang Rinpoche, the ‘precious snow mountain’. For them this is the cosmic mountain, a link between the physical world and the spiritual universe. For Buddhists and Jains the concept of Meru is also crucial, for it lies at the centre of their cosmology. Kailash is seen as the physical manifestation of Mount Meru.

The Jains, a small but important religious sect in India, know Kailash as Mount Ashtapade. It was on the mountain that the founder of the faith, Rishabanatha, attained spiritual liberation.

Prior to the introduction of Buddhism in Tibet, the prevailing faith was the Bonpo religion. To the adherents of Bonpo, Kailash was, and is still known as the nine-storied swastika mountain, the mystical soul of the Tibetan Plateau. The swastika is the holy image for all these religions and is symbolic of spiritual strength. Kailash and Manasarover have also been dubbed the fountainhead of the world. Early pilgrims recognized Kailash and the nearby lake as the source from which stemmed the river systems of virtually the whole of the Indo-Gangetic plain. Indeed within a few miles of the holy peak can be traced the source of the rivers Indus, Brahmaputra, Sutlej, Karnali, and although somewhat further off, the holy river Ganges. That the rivers should be considered holy is no surprise, for they are the lifeblood of Northern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and irrigate the land that still sustains a third of the subcontinent’s population. That they their legendary source should be seen as an object of devotion and pilgrimage is easily explained. The rivers which find their source in this remote part of the Tibetan Plateau enter the plains thousands of miles apart, a unique and extraordinary phenomenon. In geographical chronology, The Tibetan Plateau was formed before the Himalayas themselves, and thus the river systems, which drain from the plateau predate, the mountains through which they flow.

As the Aryan tribes moved from Central Asia Southwards onto the Indian subcontinent, so they developed a cosmology, which became the basic of Vedic faith. Central in this cosmological model was a mountain called Meru, ‘Shining like the morning sun and like a fire without smoke, immeasurable and unapproachable by men of manifold sins’. On the summit of Mount Meru stood Indra’s heavenly city Swarga and leading upto the mountain was the pathway to the stars, where the souls of the dead await rebirth.

Perhaps the most complete description of the cosmological pattern comes from the Vishnu Purana, which explains how the world is made up of seven continents, ringed by seven oceans. The central island has Meru as its core, bounded by three mountain ranges to the north and three to the south. Mount Meru is the central fulcrum of the universe, and the navel of the world, from which four mighty rivers take their source. This legend spread throughout Asia and found expression in the design of temples, stupas, pagodas and other places of religious worship. As the early Vedic beliefs became transformed into the religions we are aware of today, so Kailash has become the earthy avatar of Mount Meru. People of all times from around the world have stood in awe when faced with majestic mountains. From these sublime experiences have come myths about great mountains as homes of the gods, as stairways to the heavens, as pillars of the earth. One mountain range in particular inspired this kind of awe, wonder and devotion – the vast Himalayas.

The Tibetans and the Hindus especially held the great Himalayan mountain range as sacred. Its grand peaks seemed to reach beyond the profane human realm and stretch up, touching the divine realm of the gods, so the Tibetans and Hindus saw the mountains as a means of transition between both the human and heavenly worlds. The mountains were created, myth tells us, by the god Indra. A huge herd of flying elephants had displeased him, so he punished them by cutting off their wings and they turned into the Himalayas. The mountains were important to all of the gods for they all made sacrifices there. They were especially significant to the god Shiva, however, whose paradise was on Mount Kailas and whose deep meditation upon the mountain ensured the continued existence of all things. The most sacred mountain of the whole Himalayan range though was most definitely Mount Meru. As we have discussed, Mount Kailas is the home of the great god Shiva. Well, Mount Kailas is an actual Himalayan mountain in the Ngari region of Tibet. It rises 22,000 feet high from the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and is highly inaccessible. It is Mount Kailas then that is the physical embodiment of Mount Meru for the Buddhist and Hindu peoples. Mythical Mount Meru was thought to be the axis of the universe, sitting at the centre of the Himalayas. Myths say that Meru rested on the hood of the coiled primeval cobra Vasuki, who, it was said, caused earthquakes when he yawned. It was also believed that the whole world would be devoured by this ancient snake at the end of the present age, world cycle. The Hindus and Buddhists both regarded Mount Meru as sacred for it was thought to be the centre of the cosmos and supported all of the spheres of existence, from Brahma’s divine city of gold at its peak, to the seven netherworlds at its base, and especially as the source of the sacred Ganges river. They said that Mount Meru’s slopes were studded with glittering gemstones and were thick with trees heavy with delicious fruit. Its peaks were rimmed with gold and a huge lake encircled it. The divinity of this mountain is reflected in the religious objects of worship, yantras, of these peoples for the mountain is symbolized in their conical shape. Mt. Kailash, at 6714 m also known as Tise, Kailasa & Kang Rinpoche(Jewel of the Snows), has since time immemorial been celebrated in many Eastern cosmologies as Mt. Meru, the axis mundi. And as the center of the physical & metaphysical universe, Mt. Meru is sacred to the Buddhist, Jains, the Hindus & the Bonpos. For the Hindus, the mountain represents the seat of Lord Shiva; for the Buddhists, a terrestrial projection of the cosmic mandala of Dhyani-Buddhas & Boddhisatvas….The Wheel of Life; for the Bonpos, Kailash was the sacred nine storey Swastika Mountain, upon which the Bonpo founder Sherab alighted from heaven. Four of the great rivers of the Indian subcontinent originates from here: the Karnali, which feeds into the Ganges (south); the Indus (north); the Sutlez (west) & the Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo, east.

A single circumnambulation around Mount Kailish wipes away the sins of a lifetime. Revered by Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and Böns, this remote Tibetan mountain attracts scores of pilgrims.

High on the remote western Tibetan plateau, in the northernmost region of the Himalayas, sits Mount Kailash, the holy mountain. The Tibetan people have named it Kang Rinpoche, or Snow Jewel, and the Indians refer to it as Mount Meru. Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain pilgrims from the world over go to this holy mountain to circumambulate rather than scale the 22,028-foot high peak. In fact, climbing Mount Kailash is forbidden. The only person to have ever been atop the sacred mountain was Milarepa, a 11th century Tibetan Buddhist yogi.

Mount Kailash is commonly referred to as the center of the universe in Eastern religious texts from India to Japan. Rooted in the seventh hell and bursting through the highest heaven, it is also believed to be the World Pillar. Hopi Indians recognize Kailash as being at the opposite side of their Black Mesa, thus it’s a cosmic backbone.

Hindus who walk around the 32-mile circumference of Mount Kailash use the term parikrama. They believe that Lord Shiva, one of their three main gods, resides atop what they call Mount Meru. Tibetans refer to the clockwise circumambulation as a kora. Both words mean the same thing: pilgrimage. Doing a walk around the mountain can wipe away a lifetime’s worth of sins, or negative karma as is the term in Eastern religions. “He who performs the Parikrama, the ritual circumambulation of the holy mountain, with a perfectly devoted and concentrated mind goes through a full cycle of life and death” Lama Anagarika Govinda, ‘The Way of the White Clouds.’ The Jains who refer to Kailash as Mount Ashtapada believe the founder of their faith, Rishabanatha, resides atop the mountain. And the Böns [or Bönpos], the religion which predates Buddhism in Tibet, maintain that the entire mystical region and the Nine-Story Swastika Mountain is the seat of all power. When viewed from the south face, a swastika can be seen. Unlike the Jains, Buddhists or Hindus, the Böns make counterclockwise circumambulations. “According to Bönpo accounts, 18 enlightened teachers will appear in this eon and Tönpa Shenrab, the founder of the Bön religion, is the enlightened teacher of this age. He is said to have been born in the mythical land of Olmo Lung Ring, whose location remains something of a mystery. The land is traditionally described as dominated by Mount Yung-drung Gu-tzeg (Edifice of Nine Swastikas), which many identify as Mount Kailash in western Tibet. Due to the sacredness of Olmo Lung Ring and the mountain, both the counter-clockwise swastika and the number nine are of great significance in the Bön religion.” From ‘The Office of Tibet’

Devout Tibetan Buddhists will do full length prostrations, a feat which takes several weeks, around Mount Kailash, increasing the amount of purification they will receive. Many pilgrims do a complete round of the mountain in one day, an accomplishment made more difficult by the 15,000-foot high altitude. Pilgrimages are by their very nature meant to be arduous, and as the Ngari region of Mount Kailash has no airports or train stations nearby, people arrive at their spiritual destination by foot, horseback, yak or jeep. Tarchen is a small settlement near the south face of the mountain; the place where most pilgrimages begin. Those unwilling or unable to make the kora around the mountain can hire someone who will, thereby splitting the accumulated merit 50/50. This doesn’t allow either the person who sponsors the kora or the one who actually makes the journey to attain instant enlightenment. For those who make the kora, aside from enduring highly changeable weather conditions, there are four prostration points in which to pay physical homage. Many pilgrims make sure they visit the three monasteries located along the path. Near the top of the kora is the Shiwa Tsal, named after the famed cremation grounds in India. Pieces of clothing, a lock of hair or a drop of blood are left there as an offering, signifying the pilgrim’s understanding of death and rebirth. At the highest point of the circuit, just over 18,000 feet, is Dolma La Pass, meaning ‘She Who Helps Cross.’ [The Sanskrit name for the female Buddha is Tara]. This refers to the crossing over to liberation as well as being able to complete the pilgrimage circuit around Kailash. The great boulder of Tara is swathed with long, colorful strings of prayer flags which send out messages of peace with each flap they make in this windy region.

Mount Kailash is also the source of four major rivers: the Indus, the Brahmaputra, the Karnali and the Sutleg. The comparison to the Indian legend of Mount Meru from whose summit flows four great rivers that irrigate all of Asia is hard to miss.

Eighteen miles southeast of Kailash is the circular, turquoise Lake Manasarovar, or Tso Rinpoche, [Precious Lake], a 64-mile circuit, which is rarely completed except by the most devout. Bathing in the lake, or even dousing one’s head with the holy water, is said to be of enormous spiritual benefit to those who can brave the icy water which many claim contain miraculous powers. Hindus are told that complete immersion into the lake ensures they be reborn as a god. Tibetans, on the other hand, avoid bathing in the lake so as not to make it dirty. This is a freshwater lake, three miles above sea level. There is a saltwater lake, separated by a narrow peninsula, named Raksas Tal, or devil’s lake. Pilgrims don’t bathe or circumambulate this crescent moon-shaped body of water, but do pay their respect by glancing in its direction.

Five monasteries have been rebuilt on the shores of Lake Manasarovar since 1981—before the Chinese invasion in 1959 there were eight. Fatigued pilgrims are allowed to stay in the monasteries. Fewer than 500 Indian nationals are allowed to make the pilgrimage per year due to the Chinese and Indian governments. Most of the Indians allowed in are selected via a lottery and the ability to pay their own way is evident in the fact that the majority of them are middle-aged businessmen from large cities.

Before the Cultural Revolution, pilgrims were selected by their bountiful faith. They traveled on foot or horseback. Some of them made the journey by doing the full-length prostrations along the way, an endeavor which could last for years, depending upon the distance and the weather conditions. Few pilgrims were armed, making them prey to thieves. But even under such extreme conditions, they were unafraid of death; dying during a pilgrimage pretty much guaranteed them a lot of good karma points. Pilgrimages require a degree of flexibility that most people aren’t required to possess in a world with guaranteed insurance benefits and retirement plans. To make a spiritual journey is to rid oneself of habits and to open the heart, making the pilgrim ego less and pure; then allowing this transformation to reach out and positively affect others.

“There is no place more powerful for practice, more blessed, or more marvelous than this; May all pilgrims and practitioners be welcome!” Milarepa, Tibetan Buddhist yogi [circa 1052 – 1136]

The spiritual center of the World has had different names in different traditions, but in many spiritual systems there is referred to a certain and unique point of emanation of spiritual order, most often described in a way that indicates it being placed in a parallel world or a higher dimension. The Hindus have called it “Paradesha”, the Buddhists “Shambhala”, the Christians and the Jews the “Garden of Eden”. In the esoteric literature it has become known as “Shangri-La”, “Agarttha” or “the Land of the Living”.

The early European travellers to Tibet consistently told the same tale of a hidden spiritual centre of power. Adventurers recounted fantastic tales of a hidden kingdom near Tibet. This special place is known by numerous local and regional names, which no doubt caused much confusion among early travellers as to the kingdom’s true identity. These early travellers knew it as Agharta (sometimes spelt Agharti, Asgartha or Agarttha), although it is now commonly known as Shambhala.

Is there really a hidden galaxy of minds living in seclusion in an inaccessible part of Asia, or is it merely a myth? Shambhala, the “Hidden Kingdom,” is thought of in Tibet as a community where perfect and semiperfect beings live and are guiding the evolution of humankind. Shambhala is considered to be the source of the Kalacakra, which is the highest and most esoteric branch of Tibetan mysticism. The Buddha preached the teachings of the Kalacakra to an assembly of holy men in southern India. Afterwards, the teachings remained hidden for 1,000 years until an Indian yogi-scholar went in search of Shambhala and was initiated into the teachings by a holy man he met along the way. The Kalacakra then remained in India until it made its way to Tibet in 1026. Since then the concept of Shambhala has been widely known in Tibet, and Tibetans have been studying the Kalacakra for the least 900 years, learning its science, practicing its meditation, and using its system of astrology to guide their lives. As one Tibetan lama put it, how could Shambhala be the source of something which has affected so many areas of Tibetan life for so long and yet not exist?

Tibetan religious texts describe the physical makeup of the hidden land in detail. It is thought to look like and eight-petaled lotus blossom because it is made up of eight regions, each surrounded by a ring of mountains. In the center of the innermost ring lies Kalapa, the capital, and the king’s palace, which is composed of gold, diamonds, coral, and precious gems. The capital is surrounded by mountains made of ice, which shine with a crystalline light. The technology of Shambhala is supposed to be highly advanced; the palace contains special skylights made of lenses which serve as high-powered telescopes to study extraterrestrial life, and for hundreds of years Shambhala’s inhabitants have been using aircraft and cars that shuttle through a network of underground tunnels. On the way to enlightenment, Shambhalans acquire such powers a clairvoyance, the ability to move at great speeds, and the ability to materialize and disappear at will. The prophecy of Shambhala states that each of its kings will rule for 100 years. There will be 32 in all, and as their reigns pass, conditions in the outside world will deteriorate. Men will become more warlike and pursue power for its own sake, and an ideology of materialism will spread over the earth. When the “barbarians” who follow this ideology are united under an evil king and think there is nothing left to conquer, the mists will lift to reveal the icy mountains of Shambhala. The barbarians will attack Shambhala with a huge army equipped with terrible weapons. Then the 32nd king of Shambhala, Rudra Cakrin, will lead a mighty host against the invaders. In a last great battle, the evil king and his followers will be destroyed.

By definition Shambhala is hidden. It is thought to exist somewhere between the Gobi Desert and the Himalayas, but it is protected by a psychic barrier so that no one can find the kingdom who is not meant to. Tibetan lamas spend a great deal of their lives in spiritual development before attempting the journey to Shambhala. Those who try to get there who are not wanted are swallowed by crevasses or caught in avalanches. People and animals tremble at its borders as if bombarded by invisible rays. There are guidebooks to Shambhala, but they describe the route in terms so vague that only those already initiated into the teachings of the Kalacakra can understand them.

Strange sightings in the area where Shambhala is thought to be seem to provide evidence of its existence. Tibetans believe that the land is guarded by beings with superhuman powers. In the early 1900s an article in an Indian newspaper, the Statesman, told of a British major who, camping in the Himalayas, saw a very tall, lightly clad man with long hair. Apparently, noticing that he was being watched, the man leaped down the vertical slope and disappeared. To the major’s astonishment, the Tibetans with whom he was camping showed no surprise at his story; they calmly explained that he had seen one of the snowmen who guard the sacred land.

A more detailed account of these “snowmen” guardians was given by Alexandra David-Neel, an explorer who spent 14 years in Tibet. While traveling through the Himalayas she saw a man moving with extraordinary speed and described him as follows: “I could clearly see his perfectly calm impassive face and wide-open eyes with their gaze fixed on some invisible distant object situated somewhere high up in space. The man did not run. He seemed to life himself from the ground, proceeding by leaps. It looked as if he had been endowed with the elasticity of a ball, and rebounded each time his feet touched the ground. His steps had the regularity of a pendulum.”

While people (especially Tibetan lamas) have been searching for Shambhala for centuries, those who seek the kingdom often never return, either because they have found the hidden country and have remained there or because they have been destroyed in the attempt. Tibetan texts containing what appear to be historical facts about Shambhala, such as the names and dates of its kings and records of corresponding events occurring in the outside world, give Tibetans additional reason for believing that the kingdom exists. Recent events that seem to correspond to the predictions of the mythic kingdom add strength to their belief. The disintegration of Buddhism in Tibet and the growth of materialism throughout the world, coupled with the wars and turmoil of the 20th century, all fit in with the prophecy of Shambhala.Shambhala is the place where King Sucandra, having come from the north of Kashmir, brought and developed the practice of Kalachakra, after he had received its empowerment and teachings at Dhanyakataka.

Shambhala Prophecy

The prophecy of Shambhala states that each of its kings will rule for 100 years. There will be 32 in all, and as their reigns pass, conditions in the outside world will deteriorate. Men will become more warlike and pursue power for its own sake, and an ideology of materialism will spread over the earth. When the “barbarians” who follow this ideology are united under an evil king and think there is nothing left to conquer, the mists will lift to reveal the icy mountains of Shambhala. The barbarians will attack Shambhala with a huge army equipped with terrible weapons. Then the 32nd king of Shambhala, Rudra Cakrin, will lead a mighty host against the invaders. In a last great battle, the evil king and his followers will be destroyed. The Buddha prophesized that all who received the Kalachakra empowerment would take rebirth in its mandala.

Kalachakra Mandella – “Wheel of Time”

The outer meaning deals with the universe and all traditional sciences such as astronomy, astrology, mathematics, and medicine. The inner meaning relates to the human body, its internal structure and subtle energies, to be developed through yogas and tantras. The secret meaning refers to the complete cycle of study and practice of the Tantric meditation on the Kalachakra deity and its Mandala. The “Kalachakra Tantra” is regarded as the essence and heart of Vajrayana. The first king of Shambhala, Sucandra, an emanation of Vajrapani, requested Buddha Sakyamuni to give teachings about Kalachakra. On the full-moon day of the third month, at the stupa of Dhanyakataka in the south of India, before an assembly of innumerable Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Dakas, Dakinis, gods, nagas and yakshas, the Buddha manifested in the form of Kalachakra, transmitted the complete empowerment and gave teachings on this Tantra, which belongs to the most profound and highest class of Tantras. When back

Author has a masters degree in Anthropology from calcutta University, which is now called the Kolkata university
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A remarkable man, Jack LaLanne, left the planet recently at age 96 in the way
we’d all like to do – healthy and active right up to the end.

It reminded me of a central theme in Dr. Terry Grossman’s lectures. Terry
Grossman is an MD specializing in longevity medicine. He and futurist Ray
Kurzweil co-authored the book, “Transcend,” a comprehensive guide to
staying healthy and living life to the fullest.

Dr. Grossman says we can live a healthy, active, sexy life right up to the
end and he calls it ‘squaring the curve.’

He’s referring to the downward curve on most health graphs that begins
about age 30, when the average person begins to lose some degree of strength,
stamina, flexibility and energy.

Most such graphs show a steady line that begins to curve down and continues
that way for decades until death. But Dr. Grossman says we can work on
squaring the curve and keep that line level until the time when we die and it
makes a sudden turn downward.

That’s exactly what Jack LaLanne did. Known as the ‘Godfather of
Fitness,’ LaLanne squared the curve just like we’d all like to do. He
lived a healthy, active life and then died a month ago of pneumonia at the
age of 96 after a brief illness.

LaLanne had said more than once, “People don’t die of old age. They die
of inactivity.” And the wonderful thing about his legacy is that he lived
true to his beliefs and convictions, and never stopped living a full and
active life. He continued to exercise daily well into his 90s.

Some of us who are old enough remember his TV show that began in the ‘50s
and aired until 1985.

We also remember his trademark tight-fitting jumpsuit and his enthusiasm for
exercise and fitness. I can still picture him doing jumping jacks – on
black and white TV.

His determination to become fit grew out of a desperate attempt to curtail
his addiction to sugar and relieve the suffering from terrible headaches,
mood swings and depression.

After hearing a lecture by Paul Bragg about the health benefits of exercise
and eating unprocessed foods, the young LaLanne swore off white flour, sugar
and most fat and began eating more fruits and vegetables. By age 15, he had
built a backyard gym of climbing ropes, chin-up bars, sit-up machines and
weights.

Even if you’ve never heard of LaLanne, his ground-breaking work in
body-building and strength training for extended health, as well as his
nutritional guidelines, influenced the entire health and wellness awareness
of the past 60 years.

Jack was definitely a trail-blazer way ahead of his time in the area of
health and fitness. We’ve all benefited from his commitment to helping
others build positive habits and live long, healthy and happy lives.

Yes, Jack LaLanne squared the curve and you can too. Think about it! Why
waste away when you can use body, mind and spirit action steps to stay vital,
interested and active until it’s time to go?

I’ve spent the past 7 years discovering and practicing these steps and have
completely turned my life around. I can honestly say at age 74 that I have
the stamina, energy and enthusiasm I had in my 20s and 30s! A major part of
my daily exercise routine is the Five Tibetan Rites. You can watch a
demonstration on how to do them at
http://www.howtogrowyounger.com/p/tror.html

I send a grateful salute to Jack LaLanne for paving the way to health
consciousness since the 1930s – and want to honor him for showing us how to
live with strength and vigor until it’s time to leave. Growing younger
isn’t about living forever – it’s about living and leaving like Jack
LaLanne.
http://www.howtogrowyounger.com Author, anti-aging coach, columnist and
speaker, Ellen Wood helps men and women grow younger with body/mind/spirit
action steps. She is living proof that they work. Sign up for three free
gifts at her website: http://www.howtogrowyounger.com. Watch her demonstrate
the Five Tibetan Rites at http://www.howtogrowyounger.com/p/tror.html
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Since 1993, I’ve helped thousands of men and women of all ages and fitness levels to look and feel their very best — people just like YOU!
Grab A Copy Click here
You see, my 40-page downloadable eBook Supercharge Your Energy with Five Secret Tibetan Rejuvenation Rites reveals easy-to-do exercises that will give you more energy and help you feel better than you’ve felt in years.

Originally written over seventy years ago by a man named Peter Kelder and entitled The Eye of Revelation, my 21st century version of the Five Rites contains

* the complete text of the first edition, including original line drawings, as well as modern annotations;

* a fantastic self-help technique that allows you to get in touch with your subconscious mind so you can remove limiting thoughts about exercise (or anything else, for that matter);

* and my Living to the Max program, a state-of-the-art diet and lifestyle plan that works in tandem with the Five Tibetan Rejuvenation Rites to help you experience the best health and the most vibrant energy since your teen years.

This downloadable eVersion of Kelder’s manuscript contains not only the original drawings but also the unedited and unexpurgated story of British Colonel Bradford, the man who searched for and found the long-hidden Tibetan monastery that housed the ageless monks who taught him the secret rejuvenation rites in the 1920′s.

Believe me , you’ll have a wonderful time just reading the fantastical story that composes this natural health classic, even if you never do the five exercises.Grab A Copy Click here

But that would be several kinds of dumb because adding these simple movements to your health routine will give you a suppleness and energy boost that you’ll find most remarkable.

Turn back the clock and rejuvenate your body…

* The Five Rites represent the heart of this volume. Each of the five rites, very simple exercises involving slow and gentle body movements, stimulate and activate the seven psychic vortexes that will then rejuvenate your body and energy.

* Some people who have been doing these exercises for years look decades younger than they really are.

* Think what it’ll be like to look and feel younger… just from doing five simple and gentle exercises!

In the chapter entitled Importance of a Clean, Simple Diet you’ll learn some simple truths about foods and diet that will dramatically improve your health and your digestion:

* You’ll learn about the foods eaten by the Tibetan monks, foods that are available to us today, and foods you can eat to improve your energy and over all sense of well-being.

* You’ll learn why the predominantly vegetarian monks also included certain animal foods in their diet.

* You’ll learn how the monks combine their foods during meals, a simple action that can improve many digestive problems.

* Learn a simple technique that you can put to use at every meal that will reduce by half the amount of food you eat!

Grab A Copy Click here

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Millions of Americans are suffering from obesity. Along with that comes a huge lack in energy. Can these five exercises developed by Tibetan monks over a thousand years ago and brought to the West in the 1930′s by a British Colonel be the answer to what we are all looking for?

The Five Tibetans or Five Rites are a blend of 21 Hatha Yoga movements blended into five exercises. They were brought to the west in the 1930′s when a retired British officer came to the United States and then traveled to India and finally to Tibet to find relief from a crippling disease. At 77 he returned to the United States and began teaching the Five Rites to small and select groups of students. Most of his students guessed his age to be in the mid forties. All of them had no idea of the crippling disease he suffered from years earlier. Years later his work would inspire Peter Kelder to write a short book describing the exercises. It was called “Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth.”

The word Yoga means the union of the human soul to the universal soul. Hatha Yoga poses are not really exercises, but movements that purify and balance the endocrine, nervous and circulatory systems. Hatha Yoga is used by healers through out the world to effectively treat disease and lack of energy. In eastern philosophy the seven chakras or energy vortexes are the pumps or valves that regulate the flow of healing energy through the body. The speed of the chakra spin or pumping action is the key to vibrant health. The Five Rites speed up the spinning of the chakras. The chakras are not physical and we decide when to open and close these energy valves during our lifetime based on what and how we are thinking. Some things we just wish to filter out. Some things we just “store away”. Other Doctors and Healers have recognized this as Dr. Richard Schulze says: “The one and only cause of any disease, physical or emotional is blockage…”

The Five Rites can be done in as little as ten minutes a day. You should start slowly and work your way up to 21 reps for each.

Rite 1. Stand erect arms outstretched, horizontal to the floor. Spin around clockwise until you become slightly dizzy.

Rite 2. Lie flat on the floor face up. Extend your arms along your sides and place your palms of you hands against the floor. Raise your head off the floor, tucking the chin against the chest. As you do this lift your legs, knees straight, into a vertical position. Let the legs extend over the body but do not let the knees bend. Then slowly lower both the head and legs, knees straight, to the floor.

Rite 3. Kneel on the floor with the body erect. Place your hands against your thighs. Incline the head and neck forward, tucking the chin against the chest. Then throw the head and neck backward, arching the spine. Breathe in deeply as you arch the spine.

Rite 4. Sit down on the floor with your legs straight with your feet about twelve inches apart. With your trunk erect, place the palms of your hands on the floor alongside the buttocks. Then tuck the chin forward against the chest. Now, drop the head backward as far as it will go. At the same time raise your body so that the knees bend while the arms remain straight. The trunk of the body will be in a straight line with the upper legs, horizontal to the floor. Then tense every muscle in your body. Finally, relax and return to your original sitting position. This is the most difficult of the five.

Rite 5. Lie face down on the floor. Support yourself with your hands palm down on the floor and your toes in a flex position. Keep your hands and feet straight. Start with your arms perpendicular to the floor, and the spine arched, so that the body is in a sagging position. Now, throw the head back as far as possible. Then, bending at the hips, bring the body up into an inverted “V”. At the same time bring the chin forward, tucking it against the chest.

Students have reported such amazing results as more stamina and energy, dramatic weight loss and improved flexibility and strength. The body will rid itself of toxins and waste and your circulation will improve. Most experience results within two weeks.

Marty Meshek is a natural energy and cleansing specialist. He owns and operates the website http://www.energyfortoday.com dedicated to cleansing and natural energy boosters. A full description of the five rites can be found there.
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To conclude this section may we just add that Newton’s subjects emphasize strongly that God is never once seen in the higher realms, although a strong feeling of a Supreme Power is felt ruling the ongoings of devachan, or “heaven,” and the kinetic motion of magnetic streams of energy flowing in the atmosphere and environment. This truth denounces certain religious beliefs that in heaven one would finally see God face to face–for while on earth one may not see God’s face and live, one would surely behold God’s countenance in heaven. This principle has been vmisunderstood and misinterpreted for the past two thousand years; it should actually be understood in a mystical rather than in a literal manner. It reminds us of Gautama Buddha’s silence when questioned about God–the implication of his subtle answer revealing a profound truth to the initiated.

Summarizing the scientific viewpoint on death and the afterlife–based on years of careful psychical, parapsychological research–the following conclusions have been reached:

1) That humans are essentially immaterial in nature and that the human essence, or self-awareness, survives physical death.

2) That human soul-units exist at differentiated levels of awareness in dimensions beyond the physical light-spectrum, beyond the reach of physical sensory perception.

3) That contact with departed souls is a possible feat under certain conditions and circumstances.

4) That all human soul-units periodically re-embody or reincarnate to continue their evolution.

5) That all re-embody according to the law of causation, or karma; or soul desire.

DISCUSSIONS

As we have seen in the previous chapter, death according to the various traditions, metaphysical experiences and modern scientific discoveries, does not annihilate the human soul; and relationships formed on the physical plane do not cease at the termination of one’s incarnation, as is normally believed; also, one’s aspirations, goals and ambitions, though simply and seemingly cut-short prematurely at a stroke of the scythe by the grim reaper called death, is actually brought over to the Otherside for a further strategic development that would bloom in a later incarnation. We have also seen that the nature of death and the afterlife can be known to those who are willing to develop the necessary sensory faculties of the astral form and its ability of soul-flight. Additionally, we have dealt somewhat of the nature of heaven and hell, including the Judgment, from the various metaphysical, religious and scientific perspectives. We have described and hinted of some of the ways and means of avoiding those undesired experiences, states and conditions to be found in the bardo, and even in the lower astral. Non-attachment to the physical form and earthly life is helpful in the process of a peaceful and easy transition, and in a smooth journey through the bardo–this ought to be kept in mind. And lastly, with the descriptions by subjects of NDEs and communications from the beyond concerning the death process, we can be assured that dying does not have to entail any mental, emotional or physical agony; on the contrary, it may result in one of the most joyful states that average souls may experience at its present evolutionary level. It provides a certain pre-taste of what the nirvanic state is like when once the soul is liberated and fully aware of its divine unity with All That Is.

Humans may fear death, but “being dead” is actually the present state of awareness of most people. To be unaware of one’s higher microcosmic principles is simply a consciousness of death. What separates the seen from the unseen is the level of one’s waking consciousness, and the psychological impurities within one’s subconscious mind. There are several components in the microcosm making up what we call the divine, human being. The more components we are aware and conscious of, the more alive we become in the spiritual sense. Non-experience of the higher principles and realities do not mean that they do not exist, it is just that the faculty for higher perception has not yet been developed. Fear is what closes the veil to spiritual knowing. When we fear, we circumscribe our consciousness. Fear of the unknown, is the ignorance of the source of our fear. Identification with mortal principles simply perpetuates (or perpetrates?) one’s mortal existence as a normal human being–and it also maintains one’s fears. We are meant to be perfect–as advised by the Piscean Master–perfect in consciousness, in knowledge, and in awareness. Attaining immortality, or awareness of such, requires the shedding of mortal concepts, beliefs, attitudes and feelings. With such spiritual labour we gradually build the link between the lower and higher principles and ensure the continuity of consciousness, and the awareness of the illusory nature of death. With each extermination of a false concept we become more alive in a spiritual sense. Death, “the last enemy,” as declared in scriptures, though inevitable, will be swallowed up in victory when once its maya-nature is understood and the continuity of consciousness acquired. Death will then lose its sting. Death ends when once the multidimensionality of one’s being is realized, and when once one’s liberation from the wheel of reincarnation is attained. What we call death is an illusion. This is echoed in the words of the Taoist poet, Chuang Tzu:

“Birth is not a beginning, death is not an end.”

Fear simply robs individuals of their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual energies–energies which could be used for more constructive and creative purposes. When enlightened of the nature of death, like Socrates, we will not fear it; and this knowledge, understanding, and enlightenment would greatly help humanity to live an abundant life, as promised by Master Jesus. Like a chain effect, the awareness of the non-existence of death and the truth of man’s purpose for being would improve the quality, nature, and service of every governmental department and institution, affecting society’s consciousness, development and welfare. But to return to the emotion of fear ingrained in Man, there are several principles that assist one to “die” without fear:

1) Non-attachment to physical form, earthly possessions, and relationships.

2) Understanding that death is natural and that it does not end one’s aspirations.

3) Understanding and being aware of one’s true nature as divine and immortal.

3) Preparation through spiritual practices such as meditation, purification, and the acquisition of merit through service.

4) The unfoldment of love and compassion.

From a higher perspective, death is no enemy. It is a merciful friend that grants us rest at a time when we need it. It provides a moment’s respite until we re-engage ourselves in the battle of life through another incarnation with new–or old, unlearned experiences. What is important is the assimilation of experience, for if it does not take place, it will have to be undergone again and again until the lesson inherent in each one is learnt by the soul; this can sometimes prove to be wearisome. Life on earth should not be seen as a chance happening, as a biological occurrence in time and space, or as a chemical formation spawned by chaotic forces. Life is Real, is the only Reality and has a definite purpose. Knowing that life was formed on the earth plane for a purpose encourages the soul to discover that purpose. Soul-objective is known to the awareness-principle at deeper levels of consciousness and at the conscious level prior to incarnation. The purpose or intent of the Spirit, however, is normally forgotten once the “waters of Lethe” is drunk during the process of birthing.

Our main task set by evolution is to be aware or more conscious of the “unconscious” levels of the mind; thus transcending the state of mediocrity or mortality. Mortal beings are not courageous enough to think, contemplate or face the conditions of death, they thus miss the true opportunities that life affords. When one fears death, one has not yet begun to live. “Death” to average individuals, is always thought of in connection with other people and never their own. This refusal to be spiritually-aware bind souls to an unproductie life in the cosmic scheme. This is the complaint of all mystics concerning the sons of men. In the Old Testament we read,

“Man lies down and never rises. They rouse not from their sleep.” (Job 14:12)

From what we have said so far, it may be surmised that there are various forms of death, and this is true. St. Paul hints of this when he declared, “I die daily” (I Cor 15:31). We tabulate the forms of death in the following:

1) Death to higher realities and verities

2) Death to a higher awareness of divinity

3) Death of one’s slumber in matter

4) Death of the false ego and its carnal, self-centered desires

5) Death of sleep

6) Death of the physical and etheric bodies

7) Death of the astral body

Death of the mental form

We will briefly describe each one: death to higher realities and verities, and the death to higher awareness of divinity are related. This is in fact the involutionary path of the soul as it descends for the first time in a new cycle of manifestation, or “manvantara.” In involution the soul loses a certain awareness only to regain it with an enhancement during the Path of Return. Most souls prolong this period of ignorance and awareness of higher multidimensional truths by their own free-will.

Death of one’s slumber in matter is the awakening of the soul’s aspiration to spiritual possibilities–paradoxically, it could also mean being spiritually unconscious; this is followed by the death, or transcendence of the false ego and its expressions in the movement within the evolutionary spiral. The death of sleep occurs every night as the soul takes flight to subtle worlds. Death of the physical and etheric bodies occur when one leaves the present incarnation for the astral world. This is followed by the deaths of the astral and mental forms as the soul rises higher and higher to rest for a period in the causal body before preparing to reincarnate.

Knowledge of the nature of death and the other worlds are important subjects for every metaphysician. As said earlier in this paper, in the course of one’s metaphysical ministry, one would often encounter individuals in bereavement requiring comfort and solace. Equipped with a higher understanding of the nature of death and the purpose of life, metaphysicians are in a better position to enlighten humanity, and to fulfill one of their functions as ministers. To Catholics, administering the “Extreme Unction,” or the last sacrament to the dying may be considered vital. But to the metaphysician, much more is required to guide the soul through the dying process. With the appropriate knowledge and occult ability, the metaphysician may assist souls in making a more meaningful transition. Deathbed-rites of an occult formula and design, taking the bardo into consideration, are needed by those engaged in the metaphysical field.

The importance and purpose of life should be appended and stressed in those rites as a lesson not only for the departed, but for those who are left behind. An experience of a loss of a beloved one through the portals of death on the part of grieving and confused individuals should be looked upon by metaphysicians as opportunities for the sowing of the seeds of truth into their receptive consciousness. Metaphysicians as farmers in the vineyard of truth should play their part perfectly. By offering various truths concerning the nature of death-truths that are rational, logical, helpful and spiritually stimulating–we improve the whole image of the metaphysical ministry in the minds of the public. The more metaphysicians have to offer to the public as to occult and esoteric knowledge and as to the expressions of their high psychism, the more will the public’s awareness be stirred and lifted to a higher plane of consciousness. Metaphysics as a synthesis of religious, spiritual, philosophical, and scientific truths has the capacity to offer what traditional forms of religion, science and modern philosophies are incapable of offering–that is, real help.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

In the Introduction of this paper we presented the purpose and the need of why this subject had to be written and discussed–of the importance of its place in the metaphysical ministry as well as its influence upon the individual and society as a whole. This purpose was again stressed in the previous chapter. In order to organize our thoughts regarding the subject, we formulated several themes that would be the basis for the structure of our paper. Our fundamental themes consisted of the following:

1) The survival of personal consciousness

2) The process of transition

3) The nature of life after so-called death

The structure of our findings and of this paper, was based upon four perspectives:

1) Religion/mythology

2) The occult tradition

3) Tibetan Buddhism

4) Parapsychology

From each perspective, we initially dealt with the basic themes from a certain point of view, but ended up with the same findings, the same conclusions, and the same cosmic truths; nevertheless, among the above perspectives, there is still much to be said about religion as a whole that has somewhat misrepresented the spiritual truths as taught by their founders. We are certain, though, that every metaphysician would research into this subject sooner or later as it is mentally and spiritually rewarding. In years to come “death” will be a time of celebration and not a time of mourning as it is now.

Finally, in the fifth chapter, we discussed on humanity’s basic psychological problem–that of senseless fear. We have seen how this fear robs man of his or her true life as a divine son or daughter of God living an abundant life in the here and now. We have also briefly discussed how the elimination of the fear of death would transform the individual and society as a whole.

To sublimate and transcend this fear condition that overwhelms society we suggest that additional research be conducted into along the lines of soul-investigation, and into the many other principles of the bardo process not discussed or discovered by Tibetan Lamas. Ways of researching into this should be conducted in a scientific and intuitive manner, though this may not always be through conventional methods. Researchers should not fear probing into the invisible, into the immaterial, or into the abstract. Through research within a single avenue, other possibilities will present themselves. An answer to a single question begets many more questions, ad infinity; thus humanity progresses.

Bibliography

Agrippa, Henry Cornelius 1995 Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN.

Bailey, Alice 1972 A Treatise on White Magic. Lucis Publishing Company, London.

Barrie, Donald C. 1991 You Need Not Age Nor Die! Finbarr International, Folkestone, England.

Budge, E.A. Wallis (Trans) 1953 Book of the Dead, The. Routledge & Kegan Paul, Ltd. London.

Chaney, Earlyne 1989 Mystery of Death and Dying, The. Samuel Weiser, York Beach, Maine.

Currie, Ian 1995 You Cannot Die. Element Books Ltd, Dorset, England.

Drolma, Delog Dawa 1995 Delog: Journey to Realms Beyond Death. Padma Publishing, Junction City, CA.

Evans-Wentz, W.Y. (ed) 1975 Tibetan Book of the Dead, The. Oxford University Press, England.

Lauf, Detlief Ingo 1989Secret Doctrines of the Tibetan Books of the Dead. Shambhala Publications, Inc., Dorset, England.

Liverziani, Filipo 1991 Life, Death & Consciousness. Prism Press, Dorset, England.

Lodo, Lama 1987Bardo Teachings: The Way of Death and Rebirth, Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca, New York.

Ma`sumian, Farnaz 1995 Life After Death. Oneworld Publications, Oxford, England.

Newton, Michael 1995 Journey of Souls. Llewellyn Publications, Minnesota.

Poe. Lori M. 1995 Journeys to Worlds Beyond. The Place of Light Publisher, Cincinatti, Ohio.

Ramacharaka, Yogi (Year not given) Life Beyond Death, The. Yogi Publication Society, Chicago, ILL.

Rinpoche, Bokar 1993 Death and the Art of Dying, Clearpoint Press, San Francisco, CA.

Rinpoche, Chokyi Nyima 1991 Bardo Guidebook, The. Ranjung Yeshe Publications, Hong Kong.

Saraydarian, Torkom 1993 Science of Meditation, The. Aquarian Educational Group, Sedona, Arizona.

– 1983 Cosmos in Man. Aquarian Educational Group, Sedona, Arizona

Swedenborg, Emanuel 1958 Heaven and its Wonders and Hell. The Swedenborg Society, London.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore

Leonard Lee aka Luxamore
Metaphysical teacher, counseler, healer and merchant of occult/magickal items of Indonesia.Magickal Items from Indonesia: talismans, mustika pearls, kerises, etc.Magickal Bezoar Mustika Pearls from Indonesia.
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Our post-modern electric kool-aid acid world has swept most rituals into the compost pile. Even defining ritual is a struggle.

from Wikipedia:

“The purposes of rituals are varied; they include compliance with religious obligations or ideals, satisfaction of spiritual or emotional needs of the practitioners, strengthening of social bonds, demonstration of respect or submission, stating one’s affiliation, obtaining social acceptance or approval for some event — or, sometimes, just for the pleasure of the ritual itself.”

Dictionary.com has a number of definitions, including:

“any practice or pattern of behavior regularly performed in a set manner ”

I like to go a little more specific. I think of a ritual as a habit with an attitude, or a deliberate habit with a purpose.

Bad habits are easy to develop. Bad rituals are not. The secret is in the word “deliberate”.

I place the five rituals into the physical realm of what I refer to as critical activities. In each major area of one’s life – mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, vocational, social – an individual can identify certain activities which are critical to success. Critical activities vary from person to person.

For example, if one is type II diabetic, a critical activity in the physical plane might be not consuming any processed foods containing sugar or flour. For other individuals, a trip to the donut shop is a treat, not an invitation to a sugar coma.

I work each day to turn what I perceive as my critical activities into rituals. The five Tibetan rituals make that job easier.

I started a new job recently with an online university where most of my co-workers are half my age. When I saw the ID badge they gave me, I wondered who the old man was in the photo. (Inside every old man is a young stud wondering what happened.)

We work 10 hour days in an intense environment. Without the lift I receive from performing the Five Rituals before work, I would not have the energy to keep up with the kids. Red Bull is not enough.

Proponents of the Five Rituals claim the following benefits:

-look younger

-feel younger

-increased energy

-live longer

-reduced stress

-increased vitality

-increased virility

-sense of well-being

-spiritual enlightenment

-balanced life

-unlock the potential of the brain

-positive outlook on life

-slow the aging process

-increased productivity

-boost in self-esteem

-heightened immune system

-less fatigue

-positive emotions

-less depression

Let’s face it. The promises are just about everything except the location of Jimmy Hoffa’s remains. I’m a skeptic. I don’t need everything on the list. If I have more energy, look a bit younger than that ID photo, and a touch more virility, the rest of the items in the list will take care of themselves.

Caveats:

1.Start with 7 reps of each ritual instead of 3. If you are basically healthy, 3 reps just seems to be too little. Max for each ritual is 21.

2.Ritual 6 is one you will want to add.

3.Ritual 7 is one most will avoid, especially if your virility has increased, if you get my drift.

If you find, as I do, that the Five Rituals are critical to your physical and mental well-being, you will find 10 minutes each morning to start your day right.

Charles Lamm is an advocate for asset protection for the masses and living government free under the radar. His blogs include http://www.live-free-in-an-unfree-world.com/five-rituals/ and http://www.corp-llc-bct.com
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From ancient times, the lotus flower has been considered a powerful symbol in many cultures and civilizations. The most important features of the lotus flower are actually at the root of its deep symbolism: it only grows in murky waters and it rises with an incredible beauty above. The great thing is that at night the lotus flower closes and goes underwater, only to rise up in its splendor again at dawn.

From the six species of lotus flower mainly known as water lilies, the white and yellow varieties are among the most common. Yet, getting a glimpse of the beautiful delicate shapes of the blue Egyptian lilies, is a rare occasion that would completely prove to the spectator that this flower has been labeled sacred for a very good reason. Its complexity of structure is only matched by the variety of of its symbolic meanings.

The beauty of the lotus flower remains untouched by the impurity from which it springs, therefore it is used to symbolize the highest level of spiritual serenity, rising far above the muddy waters of daily life. Other common meanings associated with it include longevity, health and honor; however we’d be limiting the potential of the symbol if we are to consider only these associations.

In different cultures and geographical areas, the lotus flower shares other significance levels as well; let’s consider, for instance its Egyptian interpretation as a symbol of the sun and perpetual rebirth. Such mythological meanings were deeply rooted in the sacred rituals of the ancient world where all activities took place according to the various sun cycles.

For the Tibetans, the lotus flower is the symbol of the supreme spiritual accomplishment; the very mantra they hum in sacred meditations, “Om Mani Padme Hum” is an invocation of this supreme symbol, “Hail to the Jewel in the Lotus”. Nevertheless, the lotus is not confined to the Asian religious realms in its symbolism. In Christianity, the lotus flower with its parallel representation – the white lily – is the symbol of the Archangel Gabriel.

Whether in mystical yoga, Tibetan rites, ancient Egyptian tradition or Christian interpretations, the lotus flower remains a clear epitome that there is more to this world than mere material representations. There is always some higher reality to represent beyond the mundane aspect of things; and precisely such points of view have lead to the attempt of transposing the depth of a symbolic flower into the beauty of artistic representation.

Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Flowers for Years. For More Information on Lotus Flower, Visit His Site at LOTUS FLOWER
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