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Godless Britain
The Archbishop of Canterbury must hear this: Britain is the most godless nation on earth! Tell it at Anglican Church. Say it at Buckingham Palace. This is not “A Revisionist History of Britain” by Philip Roth. Nor is it a posthumous work entitled...
Only Two Paths
Once upon a time, there was a retarded young man whose heart's desire was to go out on church visitation. One might wonder what good a retarded person could accomplish. But, it was decided to let him go. He walked up to a strange door, in a...
Religious Dating - Traditions and Values
Dating someone with the same religious beliefs as you, can often result in a rewarding relationship where both you and your partner can share in the same values and traditions. It also means that if your dating becomes serious, you are less likely...
The Power of Love
There is no doubt in my mind that the quality of love is the #1 quality that God would like to get worked into our souls and personalities. Even nonbelievers, atheists and agnostics can see the power of love and how it has the ability to change...
Zombies of the Christian Reich
One of these days I am going to write a screenplay. This story will be titled, “Zombies of the Christian Reich.” I am offended by the far right thinking Christians that promote the ludicrous idea that this is a Christian Nation. Isn’t that...
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Contemplation
One of the aids to meditation is Contemplation.
Osho Rajneesh in one of his books tells the story of contemplation regarding the Buddha. It is a famous story and very meaningful. The Buddha was born a prince and he was so brought up that he had no conception of the suffering that exists in this world. His father arranged it so that he should not know that in life people fall sick, that they grow and old and that they die. The father wanted the Buddha to never meet anybody old or sick, to never be informed of suffering. But when he was 29 the Buddha toured the kingdom around his palace and saw one after the other, a sick man, an old man and a dead man. He asked his charioteer what these men were suffering from and for the first time in his life learned that there exists death in the world and that even he was not exempt and would die one day.
The Buddha's father wanted to do everything to prevent contemplation from arising in the Buddha. I am telling you the exact opposite. Contemplate on life, how everything is subject to change, how death is inevitable and life is fleeting.
This chance encounter changed the Buddha's life and he resolved to seek the path to the end of suffering and became enlightened.
It is a Buddhist tradition that a junior monk when he first joins the order - he is sent to the crematorium for 3 to 6 months and told to observe and meditate on all that takes place there. The Buddhists place a high emphasis on the contemplation of death because they know that to do so bring out a zest for life, a longing for truth, for religion and for the ultimate experience – enlightenment.
I do not advocate that you go to a cemetery for 3 months. Indeed I have not done so myself. But at stray moments during the day, observe what is going on around you and it's implications. When you visit your parents observe how they have aged and consider whether or not you will also age and grow old. When you read the newspaper and are informed of the many tragedies and deaths taking place in the world,
contemplate as to whether or not you will also die.
This flies in the face of current culture and habits. We habitually ignore the fact that one day we will also die. We are trained to ignore this very important fact. We avoid thinking of death, we consider it unpleasant and frightening. Yet this is something that none of us can avoid. And contemplation on the fact that we will die can help us to learn how to truly live.
There is a beautiful novel written by Paul Coelho – Veronika decides to die. In the novel, Veronika, a young woman, who is leading an ordinary life suddenly, decides to take her own life. She is rescued and sent to a mental hospital. The director of the hospital decides to try out a certain technique, which will rid Veronika of her suicidal tendencies. He informs Veronika that due to the pills that she had taken, her heart is irreparably damaged and that she will die of a heart attack after 5 days. Veronika lives the next 5 days of her life with the shadow of death looming over her. And she then begins to appreciate life. She lives each day with zest and enthusiasm and roots out the demons within her by the awareness that she brings to the present moment. At the end of the 5 days she escapes from the mental hospital, finds the love of her life and begins to live life anew. Paul Coelho is a talented novelist and I recommend that you read this book.
These are the sorts of changes that you can expect through contemplation. It will yield you a passion for the truth, a zest for life. You will be more serious about meditation and spiritual practices. You will find that you have a direction in your life instead of drifting aimlessly.
Make contemplation regarding the larger issues of life a part of your life and watch the changes that take place.
About the Author
For more such articles straight to your mailbox and a free special report on the connection between Eastern Philosophy and Modern Science visit http://www.eastern-philosophy-and-meditation.com. The techniques and concepts here can transform your life
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Religion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Religion may be defined as the presence of a belief in the sacred or the holy. ... The development of religion is therefore the course of religions aligning ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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religion online |
Full texts by religious scholars. Topics include Bible, Theology, Ethics, Church and Society, Communication, Cultural Studies, Homiletics, Missions, ... |
www.religion-online.org |
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Religion and Spirituality in the Yahoo! Directory |
Yahoo! reviewed these sites and found them related to Religion and Spirituality. |
dir.yahoo.com |
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Yahoo! - Document Not Found |
Document Not Found. The document you requested was not found. The category you are trying to reach may have moved. To find a relocated category, ... |
dir.yahoo.com |
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Virtual Religion Index |
has moved! It is now located at. http://virtualreligion.net/vri/. Note the change of domain & Please notify the source of the link that landed you here. ... |
religion.rutgers.edu |
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Religious News and Information |
The latest news and coverage from the world of religion. From across the globe to here in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Time covers the most pertinent news ... |
www.latimes.com |
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World Religions Religion Statistics Geography Church Statistics |
Resources for research into world religions, large and (very) small. Includes links to websites, research papers, statistics, and specialized search ... |
www.adherents.com |
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BBC - Religion & Ethics |
News, features and weekly summary about religion in the UK. Includes information about religions, ethics issues, and BBC religious TV and radio programming. |
www.bbc.co.uk |
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BBC - Religion & Ethics - Religions |
An introduction to many of the religions of the world. Includes Jainism, Shinto, Sikhism, Rastafari, Paganism, and many others. |
www.bbc.co.uk |
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Open Directory - Society: Religion and Spirituality |
Kids and Teens: People and Society: Religion and Spirituality (307) ... World Religions and 101 Cults - Contains descriptions and personal commentary of ... |
dmoz.org |
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Google Directory - Society > Religion and Spirituality |
Kids and Teens > People and Society > Religion and Spirituality (347) ... Contains descriptions and personal commentary of religions, cults, sects, ... |
www.google.com |
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Promoting religious understanding, tolerance and freedom. |
Conflicts, evolution, science & religion evaluating each other ... "Study of the world's religions will lead to an understanding of religious diversity; ... |
www.religioustolerance.org |
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Religious Studies Page |
Gene Thursby's extensive collection of information and links for the study and interpretation of religions. Categories include religious traditions, ... |
www.clas.ufl.edu |
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Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Religion |
Religion blog: DMN writers and editors explore issues of faith, spirituality and values ... Religion links: Alphabetical list of religious and spiritual ... |
www.dallasnews.com |
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Free Religion Ecards, Religion Greeting Cards, Religion Greetings ... |
More of Religion ... Home : Religion Greetings ... Food And Drink | Gifts | Invitations | Kids | Love | Music | Pets | Religion | Specials | Sports | Stay ... |
cards.123greetings.com |
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Religion -- Philadelphia Inquirer |
Most evangelicals now live in China, South Korea, India, Africa and Latin America, where they are transforming their religion. In various ways, they are ... |
www.philly.com |
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Religion | The WWW Virtual Library |
Religions and belief systems (ancient and contemporary), religious history, mythology, ethics and humanism. this resource in English is indexed under: ... |
vlib.org |
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Religion - washingtonpost.com |
We explore matters of faith and religion on the first Sunday of each month. ... Religion Online Chats. Thursday, Nov. 16, 11 a.m. ET: Faiths Condemn Gay Sex ... |
www.washingtonpost.com |
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allAfrica.com: Religion |
All over Africa, religion is big business. In East Africa, I am particularly impressed by the rate of its growth in Uganda. Uganda is also the country in ... |
allafrica.com |
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Obituaries · -- Death Notices · Schools · Detroit History. Nation/World. Nation/World · Politics/Gov · -- Election · Health · Religion · Technology. Sports ... |
detnews.com |
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