An international epic will explain the role of Karma in the lives of Tiger Woods and Michael Jackson as well as everyday people battling odds from cancer to the credit crunch.

NEW YORK, March 4 /PRNewswire/ — As the world continues to analyze the apology of Tiger Woods as well as the death of Michael Jackson, the global epic “Karma: The New Revolution” will explain the role Karma has played in both of these events. Furthermore, it will highlight how Karma Yoga has helped everyday individuals overcome cancer, crime and the credit crunch.

Filmed in over a dozen countries, the film will combine the teachings of Buddhism and Eastern philosophies with key aspects of Judeo-Christianity as well as wisdom from visionaries like Franklin, Einstein, Gandhi, Jung, Russell, Sagan, Nietzsche and their peers.

The film’s Presenter and one of the only Buddhist-Brahmins in the West, Acharya Zen elaborates, “Although the word ‘Karma’ has become a part of the pop culture lexicon, few really understand all that it entails. In fact, Karma and Redemption go hand in hand and in Verse 173 of The Dhammapadas, the Buddha states that ‘a person who makes amends for his mistakes can light up the world like the moon merging from the clouds’. This suggests that Tiger Woods can redeem himself by following the Buddha’s last words ‘Appo Deepo Bhava’ or ‘Be a lamp unto yourself’”.

Acharya Zen adds, “Similarly, instead of merely mourning the death of the King of Pop, we should focus on the lessons we can learn from his life. The film will also discuss the heroic ’Karma mindset’ embraced by our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, the film will highlight the Karmic Law of Detachment which can cushion the Law of Attraction by cultivating contentment over craving in light of the recent recession.”

“Karma: The New Revolution” will be released on March 15th and exclusive previews are available at www.RightKarma.net

Acharya Zen is one of the only Buddhist Brahmins from the West who hails from the distinguished lineage that authored and maintained most of the Buddhist and Hindu scriptures over the millennia. He uniquely combines Eastern spirituality with Western Motivational Speaking and can be visited at AcharyaZen.com and AcharyaZen.org.

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Above is the giant Leshan Buddha built during the Tang Dynasty around the seventh century.  It is carved where the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of the Sichuan province of China meet. The giant stone Buddha faces toward Mount Eimi and the rivers flow below his feet. It is the largest stone Buddha carving on the planet.

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Self Help

Life Lessons to Help Yourself

One of the most popular survey’s on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga is Your Biggest Mistakes in Life survey.  Life is really not long enough to make and recover from every possible mistake, so it is very important to learn, not just from your own mistakes, but also, to learn from the mistakes of others.  For this reason, I think this survey is one of the most important ones we have running, and for those really interested in true Self Help, it is priceless.

So, I would like to update you with the results of this ongoing survey, as now more than 160 responses have been processed.  This means we can help ourselves by learn from the experience of these 160 people and help avoid making the same mistakes that they regret making.   This survey really helps us learn some very important life lessons.

Please note, that since multiple answers were allowed for each participant, the percentages will not add up to 100%, but instead reflect the ratio of that response to the total number of participants.

Survey Results of Biggest Mistakes in Life

Lessons Learned to Help Yourself:

Still number 1 on the list is “Delayed Your Spiritual Practice.”  So just don’t procrastinate anymore!  This is the biggest mistake people have made in life, and I cannot emphasize enough the importance of avoiding this mistake if you have the chance.  Start your practice today.  Do not wait for things to be perfect.  Do not wait for the perfect time, place, guru, etc.  Just start, as best as you can, everything else will fall into place.

Once you start your practice, other self help issues will start to resolve themselves.  The insight you will gain from a strong spiritual practice will help you understand relationships better.  It will help you uncover your real passions.  It will give you the heart and courage to take the necessary risks.  And of course, it will improve your health DRAMATICALLY.  Nothing is better for your health and longevity than a good yoga and meditation practice.  So what are you waiting for?  Jump in and let the adventure begin.

Here are some popular self-help articles that explore each of these topics in greater detail.  Find the ones in the category that you feel you need some work on and follow through.  Good ideas are just ideas.  You must implement these ideas in order to grow personally and spiritually.  Make a reasonable commitment and follow through on it.  Your muscles of willpower will grow, as will your intuitive abilities and courage.  Then you will find yourself able to align your life with your passions, and that is the key to living a meaningful and joyous life.

Stop Procrastinating Now:

Golden Rule to Stop Making Excuses and Start Meditation Now

10 Keys for Turning Ideas Into Reality

Understanding Money and Finances:

Money Money Money and the Path to Enlightenment

Role of Money, Pleasure & Career in Spirituality

Importance of Passion in Life:

Stop the Madness of Self-Discipline

Having the Courage to Take Risks:

Osho Speaks on Courage

New Kundalini Yoga Classes & the Courage to Live Dangerously

How to Improve Your Health and Longevity:

Please take a look at the free online classes and the articles on Ayurveda

Free Online Yoga & Meditation Classes

Ayurveda Category

Improving and Understanding Relationships and Love:

The True Purpose of Relationship

Relationship Issues for the Spiritually Inclined

Special Technique for Fun and Healthy Relationships

Final Word on Self Help Lessons:

An important final word I do want to make, is that another purpose of this survey is to ensure you make thoughtful decisions and don’t rush into commitments that are then hard to get out of.  Of course, all challenges are learning opportunities for us, so technically there are no “mistakes” in life, but it is also up to us to live intelligently and try to do our very best always.  The results are, of course, always in the Lord’s hands.

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Related Articles at Mastery of Meditation, Kundalini Yoga and Zen:

• Important Life Lessons to Learn from Biggest Mistakes In Life Survey
• Survey: What Are the Biggest Mistakes You Have Made in Life?
• Top 5 Mistakes in Establishing a Daily Meditation Practice
• Vast Benefits of Meditation Confirmed by Survey
• 11 Requirements for Becoming a Champion Meditator

Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of Buddha which are referred to as “Dharma” or “the Dharma.”  Buddhist believe they are on a spiritual quest to attain a state of complete enlightenment known as Nirvana.

Over time the Buddhist religion has evolved, fractured and adapted as the religion spread to the continent of Asia and around the globe.  There are three main sects of Buddhism today along with several smaller variants of the religion.

These different Buddhist religions are all united under some core Buddhist principles. In each, the Buddha is considered the spiritual leader.  The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path are core principles and philosophies of the faith.  All believe that Buddhahood is the highest possible state that can be achieved.

The Theravada or “doctrine of the Elders” was established around 300 BC.  This religion centered around the teachings of Buddha and encouraged it’s followers to use meditation as a means to teach the mind and eliminate suffering with the ultimate goal of reaching Nirvana.  Theravada Buddhism established the canon of Buddhist teachings and the Ten Precepts which govern the lifestyle of Buddhist monks.

This discipline of Buddhism originated in India and moved through southeast Asia into Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam and other Asian countries.  As this form of Buddhism was embraced by the indigenous people, the Theravada was altered to incorporate the religious beliefs of the various geographic regions. It is still practiced in Laos, Sri Lanka and Cambodia today.

Mahayana, or Eastern Buddhism, expands the Pali Canon and includes other religious philosophies and texts that encourage altruism and the need to live a life of universal compassion.  These beliefs are central to their concept of an “Awakened mind.”  Practiced primarily in China, Korea and Japan, Mahayana Buddhism incorporates elements of mysticism and cosmology.

Mahayana Buddhism itself has divided into two main sects.  Zen Buddhism, which focuses more on internalization of the spiritual path and self-reliance and Pure Land Buddhism which teaches that dedication to the Amitabha Buddha is required to reach Nirvana. Although deeply influenced by Mahayana Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism or Vajrayana is another distinct discipline of the Buddhist faith.

Referred to as Tantric Buddhism, Vajrayana incorporates text and scriptures from both Mahayana and Theraveda Buddhism along with Buddhist Tantras.  A major difference of Vajrayana Buddhism is that it teaches that Buddhahood can be achieved in a single life time without need for reincarnation.

The Path to Enlightenment and Buddhahood is the most significant difference between the various Buddhist disciplines.  While all believe in the core principles of meditation and spiritual questing guided by the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, the attainment of Nirvana varies considerably.

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Easy Yoga Posture

Simple Yoga for Stretching

During my Kundalini Yoga teacher’s training course, we were required to take yoga classes from different types of yoga, as well as yoga classes taught by other teachers.  One such class was a Hatha Yoga Class, with an excellent teacher.  During this class, one of the poses we practiced was a very simple and easy looking pose, designed to stretch the entire body.  Sure it was an easy yoga pose, but boy did this simple posture end up giving us a great sweat and workout.  Today’s yoga pose is a variation of this very pose and I am sure you too will learn how to use this simple exercise as a great full body stretch.  The pose is called the Palm Tree Pose in Hatha Yoga and the variation we practiced was called Mountain Pose.

One of the first rules of of doing yoga is to make sure you do easy poses first and then after you are nicely warmed up move onto more difficult poses and sets.  Palm Tree Pose is perfect for the warm-up section of your practice.  Since it is a very simple exercise, it is also very safe to do, and in addition, it helps to stretch the entire body nicely, thus preparing it for the tougher yoga that is to come.  For more guidelines on doing yoga properly please refer to the following to articles:

Beginner’s Guide to Yoga Practice

Guidelines for Kundalini Yoga Practice

I noticed recently that although we have many yoga poses in our Free Online Hatha Yoga Book, our Standing Poses Section needs to be beefed up a little.  Palm Tree pose will contribute nicely towards this section and I will be adding some more standing poses in the near future as well.  In general, the standing yoga postures tend to be easier and simpler than poses from the other categories.  Palm Tree pose will also be added to our Online Kundalini Yoga Exercises e-book.

Below you will find an illustration of this posture, along with practice details, benefits and other related information.

Easy Yoga Pose – Palm Tree Pose

Illustration of Palm Tree Pose

Palm Tree Pose – Easy Yoga Pose:

A. How to Do Palm Tree Pose:

• Stand straight up with feet about shoulder width apart.

• Keep your eyes open and focus on a point in front of you to help you keep your balance. Advanced practitioners can also look upwards.
  
• Interlace your finger, stretch your arms up and have your palms facing UP.

• Now slowly slowly rise up onto your toes and STRETCH UPWARDS.

• Breathe normally and hold this pose for the duration of the exercise.  Keep STRETCHING.  The key to getting the most out of this pose, is to keep stretching upwards.  This aspect makes the pose very effective.

• This pose has a few variations to this exercise and below I give 2 good ones.

• Variation 1: After you reach up, bend to the left and hold, then come back to center.  Then bend to the right and hold.  Repeat stretching gently from side to side for the remainder of the exercise. This is called Swaying Palm Tree, and is also a nice easy way to stretch and warm-up.

• Variation 2: In the version I referred to above, called Mountain Pose, you don’t interlace your fingers.  Instead keep the palm wide open, facing forward with the fingers all stretched and pointing upwards.  Then STRETCH upwards, consciously stretching every joint and reaching towards the sky.  In this pose, you can also stretch left and right if you like.
  

B. Duration for Palm Tree Pose: 15 seconds – 3 minutes.

C. Benefits of Palm Tree Pose:

• Great easy stretch for the entire body.
  
• Helps stretch and strengthen up the joints.
• Helps stretch the ligaments as well.
  
• Stretches the side abdominal muscles and back as well.
• Good for your back and spine.
  
• Good way to feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
• Helps build balance and mental focus.
  

D. Practice Tips and Cautions for Palm Tree Pose:

• This is a nice easy pose which almost everyone can practice without any problems.
• If you really stretch well, you will be able to break a sweat even while doing such a simple pose.
  

Here are some more simple and easy yoga poses to help you develop your practice.

Basic Yoga Poses | Beginner’s Yoga Poses

Basic Yoga Poses for Balance

Basic Yoga Poses for Balance – Tree Pose – Part 2

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Related Articles at Mastery of Meditation, Kundalini Yoga and Zen:

• Free Online Hatha Yoga Poses Galleries
• Free Online Illustrated Kundalini Yoga Poses & Exercises E-Book
• Best Hatha Yoga Pose for Spontaneous Healing
• Important Hatha Yoga Posture for October Practice
• Lower Back Exercise – Yoga Spinal Twists

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama prayed for world peace here on Tuesday.

Hundreds of Buddhists and followers of the Dalai Lama converged at the Kaal Chakra Maidan (Wheel of Time Ground) in Bodh Gaya, the place where Buddha attained enlightenment, as the five-day-long ‘Geluk Monlam puja (prayers)’ began.

“He (Dalai Lama) has given a lot of practical advise on being nice to the people and being transparent to yourself in your life so that you don’t have to hide things from people because you’ll have better relations with them and being open to them you’ll have more friends,” said James, a devotee from London.

Around 50,000 people from across the world are expected to assemble in Bodh Gaya over the five days to hear the Dalai Lama’s discourses.uring his stay the Dalai Lama would inaugurate a multimedia museum and visit new stone carvings on Buddha’s life erected in the Mahabodhi Mahavihara premises.

The 1,500-year-old holiest Buddhist shrine Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya is where the Buddha attained enlightenment 2,550 years ago.

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Whatever a hater may do to a hater or an enemy to an enemy, a wrongly directed mind will do us greater mischief.

-  Buddha

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Below is an excerpt from  Barbra O’ Brien’s Blog on Buddhism – Barb’s words were a bit twisted by the Family Research Council to defend Brit “If It Ain’t Christian…It’s Crap” Hume.  It’s a good read.

Today I was disappointed to learn that the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian organization, has quoted from my “Let’s Forgive Brit Hume” post to “prove” the superior forgiveness/redemption power of Christianity over Buddhism.  Peter Sprigg of the FRC writes,

Has Brit Hume slandered Buddhists by mischaracterizing their theology? Not really. Barbara O’Brien, author of “Barbara’s Buddhism Blog,” admits, “Mr. Hume is right, in a sense, that Buddhism doesn’t offer redemption and forgiveness in the same way Christianity does. Buddhism has no concept of sin; therefore, redemption and forgiveness in the Christian sense are meaningless in Buddhism.”

From here, Mr. Sprigg proceeds to slander Buddhism by mischaracterizing our “theology.”

Read the rest of this entry

Therefore, be ye lamps unto yourselves, be a refuge to yourselves. Hold fast to Truth as a lamp; hold fast to the truth as a refuge. Look not for a refuge in anyone beside yourselves. And those, who shall be a lamp unto themselves, shall betake themselves to no external refuge, but holding fast to the Truth as their lamp, and holding fast to the Truth as their refuge, they shall reach the topmost height.

- Buddha…

Tibetan Buddhism is considered as the guardian of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a paradise for diverse species, with its rigorous doctrines.

“The Tibetan Buddhism stresses the harmony between humans and the nature. Despite harsh natural conditions, however, Tibet has done a good job in environmental protection. This has much to do with the Tibetan Buddhist dogmas requiring quietness during self-cultivation in order to better merge oneself with the nature,” said Cao Ziqiang, 75, former vice president of the High-Level Tibetan Buddhism College of China.

The plateau has offered this religion an ideal environment for its expansion. There, all lamaseries have luxuriant woods, vast pastures and fertile land.

“To cherish the land has naturally become a mission for those Buddhist followers,” Cao said, adding: “Meanwhile, some Buddhist disciplines and taboos have helped protect the ecological environment as well. For example, the precept of no killing is actually regarded as a respect to life and conducive to the protection of both animals and plants.”

Tibetans have internalized these disciplines into self-awareness and have been pursuing them to the letter in their daily life. “Tibet’s weak ecosystem has been protected to the utmost this way,” he said.

According to China Meteorological Administration, the growth rate of temperatures in Tibet is four times the national average. Consequently, Tibet has become a big victim of climatic changes. Its Buddhism, closely tied up with the nature, has no choice but to accept this reality.

Related articles

• Stop Torture In Tibet (thepetitionsite.com)
• Dalai Lama visit to India border region too close for comfort for China (nationalpost.com)
• That’s The Spirit [Snap Judgment] (jezebel.com)