The Sun, the Moon and Ascendant- Basic Principles

In most social astrological conversations, the first question asked is: “what is your Sun, Moon and Ascendant? The questioner often seems to assume that these factors are almost interchangeable. In reality, they are three important, distinct, and non-interchangeable, influences. They are, however, interrelated. Let’s examine them, one at a time, and ascertain the true implications of each.

The Ascendant represents the most spiritual aspect of the individual; it deals with the individual’s self-awareness. Any student of psychology can tell you the importance of self-image in determining character. A person can only be what he or she is honestly capable of conceiving himself to be, and until the self-images in changed, the person cannot changes. Before there can be personal possessions, thoughts, a real home, creative self-expression, work, partnerships, joint resources, a philosophy a profession, friend or an awareness. This awareness of self and determination to survive is directly related to the Ascendant.

The Ascendant also determines how a person views reality. It indicates the fundamental capacity for awareness from which self-expression springs. The ascendant, in traditional Astrology, is said to influence physical appearance, and this is true. More important, however, is its influence on the basic consciousness, which is the individual.

Some older astrological texts state that the Sun in the h

The Sun in the horoscope is the channel for the expression of active, creative energy. Through this creative activity and the expression of the will, an individual realizes his or her creative potential.

The Sun rules the dynamic expression of energy in the process of creation, and the Sun sign determines the manner in which this energy is expressed. Aspects to the Sun indicate the channels for its expression and the degree of harmony or disharmony which accompanies it.

The house position of the Sun, the Fifth House, and the house(s) on whose cusp(s) Leo is found indicate the practical affairs of life that are directly influenced by creative activity.

If the sun is weak in the horoscope, the individual may lack the dynamic drive and will power for creative self-expression. If the Sun is heavily aspected, elevated, or angular by placement, the necessary drive and will power to bring about dynamic activity will be in evidence. If many squares and oppositions, in conjuncts or exact minor aspect afflictions are evident, conflict, discord, obstacles, and ego confrontations may accompany such efforts. Generally speaking, it is better to have afflictions to the Sun than to have a weak, unaspected Sun, because, even if mistakes are made, something is accomplished and the individual grow by experience.

People usually do not begin to fully realize their Sun’s potential until they reach astrological adulthood, or twenty-one year of age. Until that time, their typical behavior is often characterized by their Moon sign, its house position, and its aspects.

The Moon’s position in the horoscope represents those aspects of human behavior that depend upon automatic responses, whether they be the familiar motions of driving a car or national stimulus-response based on past experience which the individual can’t consciously remember. The Moon represents in-ertia or character or the tendency to go on behaving and living in the manner to which one is accustomed and familiar. A consciously directed effort of the will is required to change these automatic response patterns. Often, these patterns are inappropriate, and even dangerous, and serve only to impede the individual’s success and progress. This is especially true if the Moon is addicted. Then, such response patterns are apt to be irrational and aberrant. Usually, they are based on past experiences that have been re-stimulated without the individual’s conscious, rational awareness. Hence, the Moon in the horoscope represents something to be outgrown and over-come through a conscious awareness of all the reasons for choosing a particular path of self-expression.

The Moon has a great deal to do with everyday affairs, family and domestic matters, food and eating habits. When one stops to consider the extent to which most people’s eating habits are dictated by irrational emotional needs, rather than by what is good for health and vitality, it becomes apparent that irrational responses to past emotional conditioning can dictate dietary habits that are actually detrimental to health and well-being.

The sign position of the Moon indicates the manner in which the individual’s habitual responses are expressed. The house position of the Moon shows what department or affairs of life will be directly influenced by such responses (as will the Fourth House and the houses(s) on whose cusp(s) Cancer is found in the horoscope).

Dr. Shanker Adawal, Jyotishacharya in Astrology is a professional and Astrology is his passion and an urge. His predictive technique is based on Bhrigu Technique whose principles and doctrines have been deciphered from research of above two decades . He is a professional in the field of telecommunications. He is presently working for one of the Fortune 500 Indian companies at a senior position. Did his MBA and PhD. and worked with Multinationals in India and abroad, before joining his presnt assignment. He has travelled extensively both in India and abroad. He also has keen interest in Human Rights.He got interested in astrology when he was young, did his Jyotishacharya. His desire and aspiration to share the findings of his research and the new dimensions which can be given to the science of astrology. www.connectingmind.com

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Vedic Astrology – Historical Perspective & Uses – Lesson 1

An Introduction

Vedic Astrology, the Science of Time, the Eye of Wisdom and the foremost among the branches of knowledge has come to us from 18 seers. While Varaha Mihira is hailed as the Father of Indian Astrology, Parashara is hailed as the Father of Indian Predictive Astrology. IndianAstro-Physics is divided into 3 major portions – Siddhanta (Astronomy ), Samhita ( Astro-Philosophy ) & Hora ( Astrology ).

The English word ” hour” is derived from the Sanskrit word Hora.

The Precession of the Equinoxes

While the Western astronomers compute everything from 0 degree Aries which is the beginning of the Tropical Zodiac, the Indian astronomers compute everything from 0 degrees Aswathi ( Beta Arietis ) , which is the beginning of the Sidereal Zodiac. Sidereal is derived from the Latin word “Sidereus” meaning the constellation of fixed stars. The Vernal Equinoctial Point was found to precede one degree in 72 years and hence 360*72 = 25920 years was fixed as the Precession of the Equinoxes or the Precessional Cycle.

Flamsteed anticipated

Long before Flamsteed fixed the beginning of Zodiac at 0 degree Aries, the Indian astronomer Brahmagupta fixed it at 0 degree Aswini ( Beta Arietis ). Another great astronomer-mathematician Aryabhata wrote treatises on Spherical Astronomy and Spherical Trignometry in his magnum opus Aryabhateeyam. It is said that Arabs acquired a knowledge of maths and astronomy only after Brahmagupta̵

The Philosophic Aspect

As the destructive power is imbedded in the atom, so are the acts of preservation, creation and destruction invested in the womb of Almighty Time. Time Eternal alone is the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. Past,Present & Future are imbedded in the womb of Time Eternal and a knower of Time can get an insight into Past, Present & Future. The Present is a product of the Past. Future is contained in the Present inasmuch as it is determined by the Present. The Lord equates Himself with the cosmic phenomenon of Time. ” I am Time Eternal ” declares He in the the Geetha ( “Kalosmi ” ). Oppenheimer, the Father of the Atom Bomb quoted this verse from the Geetha when saw the first atomic explosion. To him, the destructive power of the atom was a mere manifestation of the destructive power of Time Eternal!

Uses of Astrology

The Practical Aspect

The great French mathematician Laplace advocated Probability as a weapon to cope up with Reality. Astrology is the application of the Law of Probability in toto, based on astronomical facts. Our life is hindered by many an obstacle & we are busy battling the barriers to Success. These barriers are always there, some known, some unknown. But via the Wisdom of the Heavens (Astrology ) these barriers can be known, why it is there and what are the heavenly causes which generated it. Everything happens by Cause. Classical Philosophy postulates that natural causes have corresponding celestial causes and this is known as the Law of Correspondences. This message is contained in the aphorism ” As above, so Below “. Once the causes are known to us from a bona fide astrologer, overcoming the barriers becomes easy.

The scientist manipulates the effect: the diviner or the poet manipulates the Cause. Astrology and Yoga are sciences which deal with the Cause. The Divine is the Transcendant Causeless Cause.Astrology has been described as a Lamp in Darkness. Without it, life becomes a lightless nightmare and we roam about groping in the dark. “Forewarned is Forearmed “. It is the negative aspects of the planets which create all the barriers in our life. Once they are known, by means of the Great Art we can transcend its negativity. Life becomes more smooth sailing and success becomes ours.

The New Age Movement

New Age – A Paradigm Shift to Divine Consciousness & a Universal Philosophy

The New Age Movement (NAM) is a revival of spiritual and divine values and can be called as a Divine Regeneration Movement. New Age Philosophy has conquered the West intellectually and Western culture is currently experiencing a phenomenal shift – sociological, spiritual & ideological. It’s a secular, multi-cultural, multi-religious synthesis, of the Oriental mystical philosophies, mainly Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism & Western Occultism, emphasising Holism, the doctrine that Reality is organically One ( now taught in American Universities after Einstein’s Theory of Relativity ).

Behind the evolution of the species, there is an evolution of Consciousness. The aim of Life is Self-Actualisation, to evolve to the level of Unity Consciousness, defined as the 7th state of Consciousness in Transcendental Philosophy.

The social disturbance caused by the Vietnam War, the threat posed by AIDS, the disillusionment with materialistic ideas and the erosion of faith in Morality & Ethics brought a sense of futility & meaninglessness in the Western psyche.The limitations of the Western system of Chemotherapy & adverse side-effects of antibiotics, sedatives and certain other drugs and the disillusionment with the promises of science & technology made millions turn to Oriental philosophies, occult practices & systems of therapy.( Interest in Alternative Medicine developed to such an extent that there are now more than 180 systems of Alternative Medicine.

Exponents of New Age Philosophy in Europe and America include Transcendentalists like Thoreau, Emerson & Walt Whitman, Wordsworth, Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), , & Theosophy introduced by Madame Helena Blavatsky (1831- 1891) & Col Olcott & the philosopher, Annie Besant. As the world witnessed a Consciousness Revolution, Transcendental Meditation, Yoga ,Zen, Carlos Castañada, the Beatles, Holistic Medicine ( both Western and Ayurveda ), Tantra, Astrology ( both Western & Vedic ) all became popular .

There are 6 million New Age sites on the Web and the NAM consists of a massive & well organised network consisting of thousands of groups, trusts, foundations, clubs, lodges, and spiritual groups whose goal and purpose is to prepare the world to enter the coming Aquarian Age. ( The Age of Aquarius ). In astrological symbolism, Aquarius represents Spirituality and Pisces Rationality. The Piscean Age, an age of Computer and Cybernetics revolution, will be followed by an Age of Consciousness Revolution or a Spiritual Revolution, the Aquarian Age.

Some New Age Organisations are : California New Age Caucus, New World Alliance, World Goodwill, The Church Universal and Triumphant, The Theosophical Society, Amnesty International, Zero Population Growth, the Forum, Planetary Initiative for the World We Choose, the Club of Rome, Church Universal & Triumphant, Christian Science, and the Unity School of Christianity.

New Age believes in the essential goodness of Man and the Divine Spark in Man and the New Age movement is not a unified cult system of beliefs and practices, even though its roots derive from Vedic Philosophy. There is no central authority, no official leader, no headquarters, nor membership list, but instead is a network of groups working toward World Peace and Universal Love. There are millions of worldwide followers of various New Age practices and the world is moving from Chaos ( Disorder ) to Cosmos ( Order ) ! This is a Phase Transition from Entropy ( Disorder ) to Order !

Significant influence has been gained by NAM affecting almost every area of Occidental culture—Sociology, Psychology, Medicine, the Government, Ecology, Science, Arts, Education, the Business Community, the media, entertainment, sports, and even the Church. Organised spiritual forms such as Christian Science, Unity and even forms of Witchcraft ( from the German ‘ Wicca’ meaning the Wise; Witchcraft means the Craft of the Wise ) are all its expressions. Various Human Potential Seminars, Transcendental Meditation, Zen Meditation and some Alternative Holistic Medicine practices are also its manifold manifestations.

Some popular New Age publications and journals are New Age Journal, the Z Files, Clarity, Body Mind Spirit, Yoga Journal, Gnosis, East West, Noetic Sciences, the Millenium Being and Omega. The new tendency of people now is to view everything from a New Age perspective

The major goal of the New Age Movement is to prepare Man for entering the Aquarian Age and to bring world peace in an already bruised world. “All is wrong with the world” said Shaw & some of the other goals of the NAM are to establish an entirely New World Order in the fields of Economy & Government. The idea of a World Government was proposed by Bernard Shaw earlier and was implemented by Mahesh Yogi and occurs in the writings of the foundational apostle of the New Age Movement, Alice Bailey.

The word ‘Initiation” is derived from the Latin “In ire” to go within and Initiates were termed by the Great Master as the salt of the Earth. The mystic Ward defined Reality as “Within and within and within and within” . Another mystic described it as “It is hidden, it is hidden and it is hidden”. To the mystic, self evolution is the means and only by changing and correcting ourselves can we change others . The primary goals of the movement then, are to prepare the world to receive the Divine Consciousness and to enter the Age of Aquarius, thus establishing the New World Order.

New Age Philosophy believes that human evolution can be accelerated, if not in the entire mass of humanity, at least in suitable individuals. Human nature is perfectible, through an intensive process of purification and Initiation.

The New Age Movement is secular & universally diffused over the earth’s surface & its basic underlying philosophy emphasises Gnosticism and Occultism. (Gnosticism is an ancient philosophy stating that Divine essence is the highest reality, and that the Self of man is actually this Essence. Behind the phenomenal world is the Transcendent Reality which Intuition alone can see ). It bears a remarkable resemblance to the Universal Religion that H.G. Wells predicted would one day take over the world.

The six main characteristics of New Age thinking are: (1) All is Unity; (2) All is Divine (3) Humanity is divine (4) A change in Consciousness; (5) All religions are One; and (6) Cosmic Evolutionary optimism.

Basically Dialectical Integralism, New Age Philosophy unites both Matter and Spirit.

Spirit shall see through Matter’s gaze

Matter shall reveal the Spirit’s face !

The 13 main principles of New Age Philosophy are:

(1) One Global Order – One World Governement, One Currency, One Universal Being.

(2) Universal Energy, Universal Matter, Universal Life, Universal Soul As God

(3) An Eternal Universe – Uniform in Space and Unending in Time

(4) Divine practices ( Astrology Yoga & other esoteric arts)

(5) Syncretism ( Unity of all Religions ).

(6) The need for Meditation ( for generating altered states of Consciousness );

(7) Life is Cyclical- Everything is cyclical, subject to the cyclical upheavals of Time.

(8) Holistic Medicine & Vegetarianism (The patient is more important than the Doctor & Alkaline diet)

(9) Pacifism ( Anti-war activities);

(10) Reincarnation; ( The Law of Conservation of Soul )

(11) The Evolution of Man into Divinity; ( The latent Life Force evolving naturally to the Divine )

(12) The Union of Man with the Divine; ( Merger of man into the Infinite )

(13) Matter’s Illusoriness; – Esse est percipii – Perception is Essence; Mind is Substance.

The practices of the New Age are psychic practices like : Astrology, Reiki, Bioenergy, Chi energy, Chakras, Nirvana, Christ- Consciousness,Spiritualism, Native American Spirituality, Prajna, Out-of-body/near- death experiences, Reincarnation, Yoga, Meditation and the occult disciplines, as well as psychotherapeutic techniques and scientific applications of the healing powers of crystals and pyramids.

Some commonly used New Age terms are: Quantum Healing, Transmutation, Transfiguration, Guided Imagery, Reincarnation; Positive Thinking; Human Potential; Holistic; Holographic; Synergistic; Unity; Oneness; Transformation; Awakening; Networking; Communal Sharing; One-world/globalism/new world order (i.e., One language, One Government, One currency, One religion); Cosmic Consciousness; Zodiac, etc.

Some New Age practices are: Transcendental Meditation, Parapsychology, Inner healing; Biofeedback; Yoga; I Ching; Reflexology; Therapeutic Touch; Transpersonal Psychology; Witchcraft; ; Magick; Tai Chi; Shamanism; Hypnotherapy; Acupuncture/Acupressure; Martial arts; Zen; Relaxation; Silva Method (formerly Silva Mind Control); Visualization; etc.

Some prominent New Agers are: Jeremy Rifkin, Norman Cousins, Elizabeth Clare Prophet, John Denver, George Lucas, Norman Lear, Alice Bailey, Alvin Toffler, Dr. Barbara Ray, Benjamin Creme, Levi Dowling, George Trevelyan, Fritjof Capra, Abraham Maslow, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Ruth Montgomery, Shirley MacLaine, J.Z. Knight, Marilyn Ferguson and David Spangler.

Soothing audio environments are created by New Age musicians and they believe rightly that Music has psycho-therapeutic properties. ( This concept is derived from the Vedic Philosophy that All music is Samaveda, the 4th Veda of the Indians ). Born of an interest in spirituality and healing in the late 1970s, it is often used as an aid in meditation.

Essentially meditative, New Age Music is soothing to the Soul. Isnt Music defined as the food for the Soul ? Harmonic consonance, uplifting themes, contemplative melodies & nonlinear song forms are the characteristics of New Age music. Even natural sounds or sounds from Nature and traditional electronic instruments are used by New Age musicians. With roots in classical music or Eastern Music, New Age music is often meditative. Prominent New Age musicians include vocalist Liz Story; harpist Andreas Vollenweider, electric violinist Jean-Luc Ponty , electronic-music pioneer Brian Eno, multi-instrumentalist Kitaro & solo-piano artist George Winston.

New Age practices have almost conquered the world. Athletes are using guided imagery. Graduate schools of business are invoking T M, Yoga, and Tarot cards in teaching courses on creativity in business (e.g., Stanford Graduate School of Business). Based upon Astrology, the Science of Time, stock market gurus employ Fibonacci numbers and “Wave Theory” in their forecasting.

We can summarise that the term New Age is an innovative term derived from the mother of all sciences, Astrology, indicating that this earth is undergoing an evolutionary transitional phase from the Piscean Age of Scientism to the Aquarian Age of Divine Wisdome, Cosmic Consciousness , Knowledge and Love.

Since the New Age is a conglomeration of spiritual practices, let us analyse the basic principles of N A M

1. The Divine Source of Authority. New Agers do not claim any source of authority—Only Inspiration by the Divine. By the Divine we mean a principle within, the Divine Spark or the Self and many are there who receive the revealations of the Self within or the intuitive insights of the Self.

2. The Lord. – Since Matter and Energy can neither be created or destroyed and the sum total energy in the Universe is an absolute constant ( Universal Being ), the Lord did not create the world, He became the world. Monism—( “All is Unity” ) averrs that there is only One Essence in the universe, everyone and everything being a part of that essence. The Self is an utter Being and all these are its Becomings. New Agers view God as an Impersonal Life force, Consciousness, or Energy (e.g., the “Star Wars Force”) mainly but they also believe in His personal aspect, as the Ocean ( which is Formless ) can take the form of an iceberg! They averr that every human has a divine spark within him because all created beings are reflections of the Divine Idea. The eternal state is called by various terms among different New Age groups, i.e., God-consciousness, Universal Love, Self-Realization, the I AM, Higher Self, Brahman, Nirvana, etc.

2. The Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Christ Consciousness or the Divine Consciousness is what the New Age advocates mean by Christ. . In other words, Christ is a Divine Principle rather than an individual, such as Jesus. This idea of Christ Consciousness asserts that Jesus was only one of the Christs, but that He equipped Himself to receive the Christ Consciousness (i.e., He was a great Master who attained Christ Consciousness), as did other prophets like Buddha, Krishna, and Mohammed. New Agers believe Dr Paul Brunton who stated the Jesus spent 18 years in India absorbing Indian Mysticism and that he was initiated into the highest esoteric doctrine.

3. Human Destiny. Man is the measure of all things and is more divine than the animals & hence the salvation of the world depends upon Man. Cleansing the negative elements from the collective subconscient should be the aim of humanity. Once Negativity is cleaned from the collective subconscient, the human positive energy will shine forth and the noble ideals of the New Age will be actualised in an era of Enlightenment. Since man is intrinsically divine and perfect, his only real problem is ignorance of that fact. Gnosis means experiential knowledge and Salvation in the New Age is for man to become enlightened through this Divine Gnosis. New Age groups offer various spiritual techniques to enable individuals, and ultimately the world, to evolve into this Unitive Consciousness . These techniques may include psychotechnologies for attaining altered states of consciousness – Transcendental Meditation, Yoga, Zen, Attunement , Channeling (Spirit guides), Psychics, Acupuncture, etc.

4. The Ethical Opposites, Good & Evil – Believing in the Oriental philosophies, New Agers make the distinction between good and evil. All wickedness is weakness and Evil is imperfection. By the method of Trial and Error, we come to know what is good and what is bad for the world and we have to transcend the dualities.

5. Reincarnation. New Agers believe in the ancient Vedic philosophic concept of Reincarnation—that through a long process of rebirths, man can eventually attain Divine perfection. They also teach the Universal Law of Karma -(( The Law of Cause and Effect ( Every effect has a cause ), the Law of Action and Reaction, the Law of Retribution )) that what a person sows , he shall reap. This is also the doctrine of God’s non-responsibility, that the Self is not responsible and it is the Ego which experiences bitter & sweet mental experiences due to its own Karma.

6.Salvation is Self-Actualisation and Sin is Ignorance – SSome theoreticians taught the concept of Man’s Original Sin. New Age exponents teach the concept of man’s essential goodness. Instead of systems which emphasised the human negative aspect and sin, New Age highlights that every man is essentially divine and it is a sin to call man a sinner ! However, New Agers speak of troublesome desires which are natural impulses which retard human evolution and make the Ego move away from the Self. Sin is merely ignorance of man’s essential divinity. The atrophied spiritual consciousness of the normal man who lives in ignorance of his Divine Self is Sin. Like the Law of Conservation of Energy which states that Energy cannot be created or destroyed, the Law of Conservation of Soul states that the Soul can neither be created nor destroyed. Matter exists in 3 states, liquid, gaseous and solid and matter cannot be created or destroyed. Nothing ever begins to be. Similarly Life does not at physical birth begin to be. It merely enters physical conditions and assumes physical guise. It merely undergoes a parallel transformation into conditions which preexisted in other conditions. The Soul is reincarnated in different bodies in a continous succession of lives. The good or bad Karma earned in the present lifetime determines one’s subsequent incarnation. Attaining higher states of Consciousness should be our aim.There are many different paths to the goal of Divine perfection and we should be tolerant of other paths.

The divine Aurobindo predicted that spiritual influences from India will trigger off a global spiritual movement.There will be Mass Incarnations ( many people divinely inspired ) who will work for World Peace and Universal Love !

I saw them cross the twilight of the Age

The massive barrier breakers of this world

The sun-eyed children of a marvellous dawn

The architects of immortality

Carrying the magic Word, the mystic Fire

Carrying the Dionysian Cup of Joy !

The four systems of Philosophy which triggered the N A M are Hinduism, a product of 5,000 years of development, Buddhism, circa 560 B.C., Taoism, circa 500 B.C & Druidism, circa 300 B.C, the religion of the Celts, which extended upto the Middle Ages.

Article by G Kumar, Astrologer, writer & programmer of www.eastrovedica.com. Recently he was awarded a Certificate by the Planetary Gemologists Association Global ( www.p-g-a.org ) as a Planetary Gem Advisor. He has 25 years psychic research experience in the esoteric arts. To subscribe to his free informative Ezine, the Z Files mailto:info@eastrovedica.com?subject=SubscribeZF. His blog is up at http://www.zodiacastrology.blogspot.com Mobile 091 9388556053

Article by G Kumar, Astrologer, writer & programmer of www.eastrovedica.com. Recently he was awarded a Certificate by the Planetary Gemologists Association Global ( www.p-g-a.org ) as a Planetary Gem Advisor. He has 25 years psychic research experience in the esoteric arts. To subscribe to his free informative Ezine, the Z Files mailto:info@eastrovedica.com?subject=SubscribeZF. His Astro blog is up at http://www.zodiacastrology.blogspot.com & his Philosophy blog is http://transcendentalphilosophy.blogspot.com Mobile 091 9388556053

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By: Gita Saraydarian
BBC’s Religion and Ethics page writes “Wesak is the most important of the Buddhist festivals and is celebrated on the full moon in May. It celebrates the Buddha’s birthday, and, for some Buddhists, also marks his birth and death.”

In the Esoteric Teachings, Alice A. Bailey writes, “The day of the Festival is to be known as the “day of safeguarding” whilst the two succeeding days are called the “days of distribution.”

Torkom Saraydarian has written and lectured extensively on Wesak. In the book Cosmos in Man, he writes:

“At this time, as the Full Moon is approaching, the Great Ones, the Initiates and disciples are forming a great field of energy in the Himalayas, through their meditation, contemplation, mystical and sacred rituals, and through Their great striving, invocations and contacts. This is the field which will be charged more and more by the presence of Christ, and through the blessings of the Great Lord Buddha; it will provide a chalice for cosmic energy, and a channel through which these energies can pass to the kingdoms of nature. This energy field is formed of the four cosmic ethers and, as a huge cloud formation, spreads itself all over the world.

“All those who are sensitive enough to this energy field will slowly notice that seeds of great beauty, truth, and goodness start to bloom within their hearts. All those who love their fellow man, all those who really work for the unity of mankind, who really strive beyond their physical satisfactions to reach and touch this field of energy, will be impressed by new age visions, ideas and goals.”

I decided years ago that our TSG Annual Conference would take place to coincide with Wesak. I wanted to celebrate this time with friends and family in a very special setting and special programs. I went to work to create an event that would stay in the memory of every participant and that memory would be a continuous source of joy and upliftment and we have succeeded in doing so since 2000!

Several kinds of memories and experiences helped me make this decision. One was the special energy I felt every time I attended a Wesak lecture and meditation. Whether the speaker was Torkom or another person, the energy was always electric. I have forgotten the contents of the lectures, but I have never forgotten that special feeling, that impressed inner joy.

The second was the feeling I had at every annual conference that Torkom presented. These were intense five days of lectures, meditations, and visualizations held in the summers in Sedona. I felt like every part of my nature was getting cleaned out and re-aligned. The joy of meeting old friends, sitting together hour after hour, and doing mental and spiritual work together unified me in heart and soul. The events and participants were disciplined and on a very high spiritual level. It was like a mini monastery experience with devoted disciples. The impressions and friendships have been long lasting. They were magical days and I wanted to recapture this feeling after Torkom passed away.

Another reason for my decision was to have an outer celebration of what the mysteries tell us happens on the inner planes: the symbolic joining together of two spiritual traditions. I wanted to experience what this feels like with others of like mind and heart. I did not want this time to be spent in religious or academic discussion but rather a time where an inner experience is impressed and acknowledged in our life. Wesak is not the time for intellectual curiosity, but rather a time of worship, remembrance, healing, understanding, connecting, uniting, and accepting the vastness of the universes and the vastness and beauty of the Divine Guidance received through so many Great Ones. I wanted to organize something that would resonate in the unifying heart of every participant. I wanted to focus on how to unite rather than divide in our actions, feelings, and speech and thinking. I wanted an outer reflection of the work that takes place on the inner planes.

So what happens at our annual Wesak Conferences? I usually present a series of lectures focusing on a specific topic. I try to stretch and expand our minds by the lectures and meditations and the overall experience. This year (2008), the topic is our Spiritual Legacy: what is it that lasts life after life and gives meaning and sustenance to our life? How do we build the inner mechanism that will heal us and bring us into life situations that are truly blessed and deeply meaningful? I will speak about emotional healing, about our life narrative and what it is based on, and about the spiritual education and practice that builds our true legacy. We have plenty of time to do group meditation and intense visualizations for clearing, healing, and connecting our consciousness. We discuss high-level Teachings with each other in small groups and learn how to understand the Teaching without mental posturing or personal opinions. We dig deep into the Teaching and try to understand it as a group. The group mind brings out so many hidden treasures of meaning. It is tremendously satisfying for all of us to see how we all experience the “aha” moments as light bulbs go off one by one!

We also do something that is my favorite part of the program: we sing together, using the sacred songs that Torkom wrote and composed. I love these songs and have a passionate interest in hearing them sung with understanding. I rely on my feeling of the song, its rhythm, and the message and meaning it is trying to impart. These are not the usual sacred songs or the usual church songs. They are really different. The key to singing is to use the musical sounds and simple words to understand our relation to the greater whole in a way that is totally different from the intellectual approach. Music surpasses the intellect and goes straight to the heart and intuition. It moves us and influences us in ways that are not easily expressed. Music and sacred songs realign our bodies and clear our aura of disturbing patterns and inharmonious recordings.

I have also formulated sacred dances and movements that we do as a group. We learn how to walk in rhythm and move in rhythm and together learn a dance ritual that combines movement, songs, and candlelight to give a beautifully balanced feast for all our senses. On Wesak eve, we have a special program of songs, dance ritual, and group meditation and Holy Communion.

A participant once told me “I don’t dance Gita.” So, I said, “fine, but just humor me and walk and move with the group and you will see what happens.” He did. At first, he felt tired. The next day, he had more energy. By the third day, he was the first in line and ready to move! Both sound and movement act to move energy and, when they are specially organized and composed and sung, there is a tremendous effect in our life. You have to do it to experience it!

We have been very fortunate to have the Lutheran Retreat Center in Carefree, Arizona to hold our events. It is so beautiful and serene with special desert landscaping. The desert is a beautiful and suitable place for such expansion. It is so big, broad, and open that it begs for our minds to knock down walls and expand and broaden our consciousness. Often, as we sing and dance and listen to lectures, various desert birds entertain us with their flights and songs on the surrounding trees. You cannot be insular or limited in the desert. It forces you to open and expand. It moves the walls of separation and makes you see a much bigger picture, as far as you dare to look.

Esotericists have long believed that this special day, and more specifically, the exact time of the Taurus full moon, something very special happens to our planetary consciousness: that the Buddha arrives from higher, celestial realms and pours out blessings to a gathering of Masters. The legend says that the Lord Christ is at the head of the gathering and receives the bolt of energy and then distributes it to all the Masters present, which in turn release the energy blessings to the world.

For some people, this is about as far fetched as it gets! For me, it does not really matter how it happens. I know that on the inner planes, there is no division of religions, of Buddha or Christ or any other Great One. It is an event that is steeped in mystery but in that mystery is the truth of unity and oneness of God.

More importantly, it is a point of inner contact. This is Wesak at its foremost symbolism, the point of contact between East and West, between heart and mind, between all Great Ones and humanity, between groups and individuals, between group members, and between our daily personality life and our soul. It is a symbolic marriage in its best form, presented to us in a mysterious tale of contact between the Lord Buddha and by the Lord Christ.

This is the spiritual New Year for esotericists. It is the beginning of the Zodiacal cycles and for this reason, it is a perfect time for a spiritual retreat before we position our life in the coming New Year.

At Wesak, I encourage everyone to find time to sit quietly and contemplate on what your life means. Think about your spiritual path and what you are doing to enhance your life in its inner dimensions. Meditate on the meaning of contact and try to come into contact with your inner, core beliefs. If everything is stripped from your life, what are the core principles that operate in your life?

Think as a unified humanity. On this day, we want to take our walls down and expand out to the horizon. On this day, we want to experience the feeling of sacredness and heal our hearts and minds. We want to use the energies of goodwill and higher contact to foster greater meaning to our life. As these higher contacts filter down to our daily life, we become better men and women, better wives and husbands, better loved ones, better parents and better friends; we become better human beings and see each human being in the light of the heart and mind.

What happens on the inner planes also happens on the outer planes when dedicated human beings take the time to link and love and unite.

www.tsg-uk.org (UK)

www.tsgfoundation.org (USA)

Gita Saraydarian is the Founder and President of TSG Foundation, and TSG University. She is the daughter of Torkom Saraydarian. Gita is a teacher and lecturer on the Ageless Wisdom Teachings and has established a worldwide audience as a creative educator for progressive ideas, transformation, and goodwill. TSG has offices in
London, Peru, Germany and USA

Read more about Gita

Related posts:

1. Buddha Statues – What are the Meanings of Different Types of Buddha Statues?
2. Meditation, Psychic Powers: Shaktipat, Kundalini Kriyas, Siddhis and Deepankara Buddha
3. Magha Puja –an Important Religious Celebration

By: Leonard Lee
The subject of Rays is abstruse and complex. With our limited minds and consciousness we can only perceive and comprehend a general picture. Consciousness play a role in unfolding the knowledge we have of ourselves, or rather SELF. It is for this reason that spirituality is equated with the expansion of consciousness, for the more conscious we are, the more divine our expression; the more we apprehend Cosmic purpose, the more responsive we are to sentient contiguity. The inner differences between one kingdom and another is the quality of the consciousness. Those interested in delving more on the subject of Rays ought to study the works of Alice Bailey.

Now we will discuss the interesting subject of consciousness. Consciousness can be considered as a stream of energy limited in its awareness in the lower planes because of the sheaths that it occupies. This limitation causes an illusory, dualistic sense of fragmentation–of separation from the other elements of the Omniverse. This thread of Ariadne, or the stream of consciousness, is never disconnected or severed as the waking consciousness would have us believe. It is in reality a continuum. There is only one divine consciousness functioning at various levels. These levels are:

1) Waking Consciousness–both the objective and subjective aspect

2) Subconsciousness

3) Superconsciousness or Christ Consciousness

4) Cosmic Consciousness

In Hindu philosophy they correspond to:

1) Jagrat

2) Swapna

3) Sushupti

4) Turiya

The first two classifications are the consciousness levels of the Personality; superconsciousness is the state of awareness of the Ego. Turiya is the consciousness-state of the Monad–Buddhism call it Adi Buddha or Alaya Vijnana. Sushupti is the Christ-state that we are immediately concerned with. We are all striving to acquire this state by spiritual living. It is the intermediate state prior to the attainment of Cosmic Consciousness. Sushupti is the “dreamless state,” the Christ Consciousness that we are told to form within us by St. Paul:

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you . . . ” (Ga 4:19)

To possess Egoic Consciousness is to dwell in the secret place of the Most High. This secret place is Munsalvaesche, or Mt. Salvation in the Grail Mysteries. Initiates of the Huna teachings of Hawaii, the “Kahunas,” refer to superconsciousness as, “Aumakua.” Expansion of the consciousness causes a parallel development in the brain, its structure changes to conform to the quality of the operating consciousness.

Swapna, the “dream-state,” is our subconsciousness. It is the storehouse of unprocessed impulses that we create and record in the waking state, such as our phobias. Our instincts have their source here too. The subconsciousness is also the channel for psychic contact with other intelligences–disembodied and embodied. Impulses of this “Id,” as Freud calls it, often emerge in the form of dreams when the waking consciousness is quiescent. Sometimes it erupts in the waking consciousness, and thus we have the interesting phenomenon of hallucinations, which may occur through the auditory or visual faculty. The subconsciousness runs our involuntary functions such as the pulsations of the heart, the peristaltic movement of the bowels, and the pumping of the lungs. The Swapna-state is very receptive to suggestion. It carries-out commands given to it by the waking mind without question–that is, to a certain degree. Hypnotism is a practice that reaches the subconsciousness by bypassing the awareness of the waking consciousness.

Our waking consciousness is dual in nature: it is objective, and it is subjective. Objective consciousness is the result of external stimuli, the perception of vibrations emanating from the world around us. Our subjective consciousness is related to psychic processes occurring inside the psyche and are within voluntary control, such as reasoning, visualization, and imagination. Here inside the subjective consciousness lies most of the tools of Transcendental Magic. Quantum physics is beginning to realize the principle that consciousness affects that which it observes. This is evident in the atomic level. Occultists have long known of this law and have applied it in the art of transmutation.

Mantras are useful tools in producing an altered state of consciousness. Every initiatic tradition employs its use to further Man’s spiritual unfoldment. It is interesting to note that strong emotions such as fear causes an abrupt change and orientation of one’s consciousness state. For instance, when a person is in a state of fear or shock, he often faints. the consciousness shifts from Jagrat to Swapna. This occurs similarly, although in reverse, when one experiences fright in the dream state. One is often jolted back into waking consciousness. Between the various levels of consciousness are what we call the borderline state. We are most familiar with the borderline between Jagrat and Swapna. In this state, psychic manifestations occur more readily. Psychology calls the interesting images seen in this consciousness-level “hypnogogic.” What really occurs in this state is the thinning of certain etheric webs which facilitates the entrance of impulses and vibrations emanating from the etheric and astral planes.

The brain of man produces waves of electromagnetic energies, and these are recorded in EEG machines. Four primary types of brain waves are recognized and they represent his state of consciousness. These waves are called Alpha, Beta, Theta, and Delta.

In an esoteric sense, the classification of humanity into the caste system by the lawgiver Manu symbolizes the levels of consciousness of Man as he evolves and expands his awareness. Jagrat corresponds to the Sudras–the laborers, the lowest class among mankind. Vaishas are the skilled workers and the merchants–they correspond to Swapna. Ksatriyas, or the ruling class are of the Sushupti-state; while the Brahmans are of Turiya. By evolving his consciousness, Man progresses from one state to the next.

Man’s Purpose on Earth

Ever since the fires of the mind began to grow, several profound questions have vexed Mankind, such as , where and how did we originate? who are we? why are we here? Such questions caused Man to formulate hundreds of philosophies and dogmas designed to provide him with a meaning to his existence. Sometimes Man experiences pain, suffering, and struggle in his life–and then asks “why.” If one’s philosophy does not adequately answer the query or offer solace, then the philosophy itself has to be looked into as to what intrinsic value it contains, and whether it is wise to hold on to it, to modify or to replace it altogether.

The subject of Man’s origin and true nature has been discussed previously in a succinct manner; and although our presentation was just the tip of the iceberg, they do provide food for thought. In this section we will concentrate on Man’s purpose here on earth, for this gives us some insight on Man’s collective destiny.

There is a clue to man’s purpose here on earth if we consider what Man takes along with him at the time of so-called death; for if we acknowledge the existence of the higher worlds and the continuity of consciousness through the change called death, then Man’s descent into this physical plane of coarse matter has a definite purpose which is normally forgotten as soon as incarnation takes place. A newly-developed brain does not contain the soul-knowledge acquired in previous lives and in heavenly planes. It is only by the attunement and alignment of brain-consciousness with the Soul that will bring this state of knowingness to the fore-consciousness.

It is evident when we look at the great change called “death” that Man is unable to carry his earthly goods or material things along with him when he passes away from this earthly scene; what he does reap and is able to take along with him from his earthly sojourn are immaterial treasures–things which are often considered valueless by the materialist and in most cases only realized as of great worth in the higher worlds when a greater perspective of life is perceived. The apostle Paul said:

“For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (II Cor 4:18)

As we analyze the situation, we can only conclude that the immaterial essence, the “things which are not seen” that Man benefits from being in this world and takes along with him when the mortal body is shed, are the practical experiences that he gains from manipulating matter and the conditions of space and time; also his relating to sentient beings while encumbered in a form made out of clay. The resistence of matter tries the mettle of the soul. It is this resistance of matter that evolves soul-consciousness. The interaction between consciousness and dense matter creates the illusion of time and space. these factors, although unreal, play a part in the evolution of Man’s consciousness. As we can see from this, spiritual evolution is expressively the main purpose of Man’s presence here on Earth.

Evolution can be said to be the law of the expansion of consciousness of a life-unit. It is the principle of becoming aware–aware of the All, of the total expression and essence of the Cosmos. From another point of view, it is simply to be–to be our True SELF. This is a state that transcends space and time. Abiding in the SELF is the perception of God “face to face.” In case someone of a Christian persuasion thinks this as impossible just refer to the incident where Jacob wrestled with some force and ended up by saying:

” . . . for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” (Gen 32:30)

An individual who lives in such a spiritual condition constantly, no longer lives as a Personality, or Soul, but lives as Spirit. St. Paul knew of this higher state of Be-ness. He wrote concerning it in one of his epistles:

“The first Man Adam, was made a living soul, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” (I Cor 15:45)

Evolution is the process of manifesting the qualities of God inherent within the consciousness. Heretofore, evolution was worked upon Man by external agencies; now, at our present evolutionary stage of self-consciousness, we are to participate in our own soul-progress. It is said in Genesis, in the Pentateuch, that God rested on the seventh day. The “seventh day” is a symbolical term expressing the inception of Man’s personal involvement with his own soul culture, for where God’s works ends, Man’s labour begins. The twelve tasks of Hercules are the tasks of the soul as it acquires the immortal qualities of the signs of the zodiac. Mortal concepts and behaviour caused the fall of Man. So long as our belief-structure contains ideations and feelings of unworthiness and mortality, we will continue to live in the abyss and not feel the light of the Sun. As Man climbs the steep slopes of the abyss, he learns more and more of the laws of the Cosmos governing his being. Obedience to those laws aligns Man with the Tao.

At each step of the way, evolving Man earns certain symbolical appellations which indicate his spiritual status. In ancient writings these stages of Man’s unfolding consciousness are described as “the darkened spark,” the “flickering light,” and “the radiant son of God.” Relating these stages to the rays, we may say that each stage is influenced by one of the Rays of the triune aspect of Man’s being; for instance, the individual with a “darkened spark,” may be said to be ruled by the Personality Ray; one who is spiritually awakened, who is described as a “flickering light”–such a person is ruled by the Ray of the Ego; and so it goes with the monadic Ray and the person of the third classification. Oriental mystics have their own unique manner of describing these stages based on the condition of discipleship. Buddhism classifies them in the following:

1) Srotopati–”he who has entered the stream.”

2) Sakridagamin–”he who will receive birth only once more.”

3) Anagamin–”he who will be reincarnated no more.”

4) Arhat–”he who sees Nirvana during his life.”

There are higher classifications based on the bhumis of the Bodhisattva.

The steps in the growth of Man’s consciousness are also delineated in that esoteric “book” called the tarot. Each card of the major arcana denotes a certain stage of Man’s spiritual unfoldment. Evolution is God’s Plan. The formulation of this divine idea had its inception in archetypal worlds–in Kether, the first emanation of Ain Soph in the Qaballistic “Tree of Life.” According to this magickal system, to evolve, Man has to balance and embrace the polarities, the various opposites that we experience in life such as, love/hate, wealth/poverty, thinking/feeling, etc. These dualities are symbolised by Boaz and Jachin, the two pillars in King Solomon’s Temple. Man is pulled into entirely different directions by these two conditions; it is Man’s task to harmonize them and walk the central path. The middle way is the Royal Road home.

Conclusion

Man is endowed with several different faculties that assist him in determining and in creating his destiny and reality. Reason, imagination, free-will, are all tools that should be used to realize the true nature of things, the essence of life. Man’s belief-framework determines to a large extent his reality–the environment is a reflection of the contents of the mind and emotions. Replacement of beliefs with a direct knowing of the Spirit liberates man from all conditions that binds and limits divine expression. The Orphics of ancient Greece called the body “the prison house of the soul”–and Man can only free himself from such a dungeon by widening the cracks that emit light. In order for Man to know eternal verities and manifestations of Cosmic life in celestial spheres he would have to develop the necessary apparatuses, the spiritual mechanisms that would aid in the reception of impressions and cognizance of higher vibratory activity. “As above so below” is a truism that Man has to prove for himself; for if the macrocosm creates, and is limitless in its nature and creativity, so likewise is the microcosmic being of Man. At present humanity is patterning and expressing very little of what lies above in the Kingdom of Souls. The potentiality to manifest God’s Kingdom is present, however. Mastery of the elements of our being leads us to management of the cosmos.

Life is a Mystery School. Each day Man faces trials and tribulations–the overcoming of which gives him a greater strength and understanding. Man’s manifold experiences disciplines his mind, body, and soul. Man’s philosophy and attitudes towards life are tested as to their wholesomeness and truthfulness. Revisions to his philosophy are made when they fail to provide him with the peace and energy to grow through life. The search for one’s SELF is the search for enlightenment that is already part of the Spirit. Vajrayana Buddhism teaches the practice of knowing, feeling and imagining that the enlightened state were a part of the consciousness level in the “now,” in the eternal present. This they call the divine pride of being a Buddha. The whole subject of Man can be complex in its simplicity, or simple in its complexity. It all depends upon our understanding and the perspective that we hold, whether we desire to “become” or just “to be,” or perhaps both?

[Note: This paper contains images which may be seen as originally published at our website]

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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1. Beyond mental man and neuronal man
2. Fall? Of Man
3. Tantra: Divine Union of Man & Woman

By: Bruce Bloom
Advice calling is networking. It’s a program of seeking advice, and ultimately help, from influential people, knowledgable executives in the field that interests you. It’s your way to generate the high-level contacts that lead to the best careers for women. Career-seekers who use it aggressively say they’re amazed how readily the doors to opportunities open for them.

Influential people know where the prime opportunities can be found. They can tell you where to look. And a few words from them in the right quarters can open doors you couldn’t open yourself.

Look behind a big success and it’s likely you’ll find a believer, someone who wants it to happen, and is willing to help.

The right influentials have spent years getting where they are, and learning who’s doing what in the field. They already know what you’ll have to find out to get started. That’s why you want to ask for their help.

So you see, it really is who you know that matters. The good news is: You can know a lot of important people in a very short time.

Why they’ll help you

Many influentials will take the time and effort to help you. Here’s why:

They like to see newcomers get a good start.

They remember the problems they faced earlier in their own careers.

They want to tell you what the real world is like.

They’re alumni of your school.

They feel they have a corporate duty to help others.

They’re flattered to be asked.

They want to discover new talent.

They like you.?

Remember, you’re asking for advice, not a job. There’s a big difference.

The influential who would turn you down if you were asking for a job interview, because she had no openings, is likely to give you the advice you seek, because you’re asking for something she can give, and wants to give.

Finding your influentials

Start by identifying the influentials with whom you want to have meetings. You want the right people in appropriate organizations, so you’re searching for companies as well as people. Here are some places to begin:

People you know and people they know. Talk to your family, friends, teachers. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, bankers, clergy and insurance agents come into contact with many people.

Alumni of your school. Talk to your school’s alumni office or placement office.

Trade periodicals. Watch the news and see what companies and people are doing things that interest you.

Trade directories. The Directory of Directories or Klein’s Guide To American Directories will help you find the right ones.

The Chamber of Commerce and other local trade organizations. Call on the president of the Chamber. He or she knows everybody.

National associations. Check the Encyclopedia of Associations at the library. Tip: many associations sponsor trade shows. If you can wangle your way into a trade show, you’ll find exhibit booths manned by people who can steer you to the right decision-makers in their companies. A lot of job-hunting goes on at trade shows.

Choosing the right person

Job titles will give you clues. In general, the smaller the organization, the higher you can reasonably go to make your contact. You might get a meeting with the president of a $15 million company, but not with the boss of a $5 billion organization.

But if in doubt how high to shoot, go higher, not lower. You want to enlist help in your career search, and the more highly placed influential has more of the clout you want on your side. A phonecall on your behalf from a vice president is more likely to expose you to a wider range of opportunities than a call from a lower level manager.

Besides, if the big guy won’t see you, he or she may buck your request down to somebody else.

Authority flows down, not up.

Your advice call letter

It’s your first contact with an influential you hope will help you in your career. Give careful thought to this letter. It should be:

Short. Confine it to the essentials. Your goal is to get the appointment, nothing else. You”re not asking for a job. Three to five short paragraphs is plenty. This is a brief, one page letter.

Appealing. You want to be perceived as someone serious about your career, someone interesting and worth seeing. Devote part of the letter to yourself, part to the person who’s going to read it. See below.

Actionable. You want the reader to know she’s going to have to take some action, to meet with you, or to refuse. She can’t just ignore you.

Let’s see what an effective advice call letter might look like:

Dear Ms. Comstock,

Your advice could be very valuable to me.

As a Syracuse University graduate, a principal of a major advertising agency, and a recognized leader in the industry, you’re the ideal professional to advise me how to choose a productive career path in advertising.

I have a BA in marketing from Syracuse. I believe a career in account management is right for me, and I’m eager to know how you evaluate today’s opportunities in this field, particularly in the Chicago market. Your insights will help me make important decisions in planning my career program.

May I have just 20 minutes of your time? I’ll call your office on Tuesday, April 21, to ask you for an appointment.

Very truly yours,

Check it out. You’re telling your influential you want help only she can provide. You’re aware of her status and accomplishments. She’ll earn good-guy points by seeing you. She knows you’re going to call, and must be prepared to respond to you.

Follow up by phone

You’ve sent out a batch of these letters, each carefully personalized, and now it’s time to nail down the appointments.

Make each phonecall on the day you said you would. If you have trouble getting past the secretary, say, “Ms. Comstock is expecting my call,” which is true, since you said you were going to call today. “I’m calling to follow up on my letter of the thirteenth’” is another logical approach.

You may have trouble getting through to your influential. Leave your name and a call back number. If there’s no call back, try a second time, then a third. Then give up, and go on to the next name.

You won’t win them all. Forget the nos and move on to the yeses.

When you get through, push to set a face-to- face meeting. Resist conducting the meeting on the phone. Don’t get into more facts about yourself. The more you reveal about yourself now, the more likely you are to give your influential reasons not to see you.

Remember, a phone call that ends in agreement to meet is a successful call.

Your objectives

Your meeting has three distinct objectives:

Information. About the industry: latest trends, new developments, areas of greatest opportunity.

Counsel. Real-world advice about how to conduct your job search.

Contacts. You want to be referred to others who are likely to have appropriate openings for you, or who know where openings exist. Save this for last.

Come prepared to ask such questions as these:

What are the most important challenges being faced in your area today?

What changes do you believe will come about in the next few years?

What are the most meaningful talents and skills of successful people in your area?

Which part of your industry offers the best opportunities?

What is the typical career path in that area?

If you were starting out today, how would you approach the job market?

Come with the questions written down. Refer to them throughout the meeting, and take notes as your influential answers. You want to be seen as a serious, effective career-seeker, someone who has clear goals and aspirations. And you’ll want a written record of what you’ve learned.

Keep your eye on the time

You promised the meeting would only last 20 minutes, and you must keep that promise—unless the influential clearly wants to spend more time with you.

About 15 minutes into the meeting, start prospecting for leads. Ask these two questions:

Do you know anyone who may have a need for someone with my qualifications?

May I use your name when I make the contact?

When your influential identifies specific individuals, you want to be able to use the influential’s name when you make your contact. Then you’re not some unknown quantity. You’re someone who’s known by an influential.

The influential may offer to make phonecalls on your behalf, and that’s great. But even if she doesn’t, now you’re in a position to start building your network.

Thank your influential for the meeting, give her a big smile and leave on an upbeat note. Write her a thank-you that night and mail it the very next day.

Following the trail

Armed with the name of an influential, you’re now in a position to phone each referral contact. You can use the influential’s name to help you get past the secretary.

When she asks you what the call is about, you say, “Alice Comstock, vice president of the Johnson Agency, advised me to call Mr. Bailey. She said Mr. Bailey could give me some advice on an important matter.”

That should be enough to get you through to Mr. Bailey. If it isn’t, you may have to explain that you’re looking for advice to help you in your job search. Just make it clear you’re not calling to ask for a job, or to sell anything.

Tip: Some executives get to the office earlier than their secretaries, and stay later. Often, if you call just before or just after regular hours, you’ll find that the phone will be answered by the person you want, not the secretary or some other gatekeeper.

Two possibilities

When you don’t know if there’s an opening for you in the referral’s organization, you say, “I had a meeting with Alice Comstock at the Johnson Agency. She said some very nice things about you, and told me you’d be an ideal person to give me advice about a career in marketing. I’ll be very grateful if you could give me your views on the opportunities in your field. I realize you’re busy, but I’d take just 20 minutes of your time. May I come to your office and talk with you?”

If your influential has told you there’s reason to believe an appropriate opening for you exists in the referral’s organization, handle the phone contact this way: “I had a meeting with Alice Comstock at the Johnson Agency, and she told me there might be a job opening in your company for which I’d be a strong candidate…” Outline your background very briefly, and ask for the interview.

Will you get preferred treatment? Probably you will. After all, you’re Alice Comstock’s friend, aren’t you?

Keep prospecting

It’s impossible to predict all the twists and turns your advice call networking will take. Keep growing your network, and you’ll discover opportunities you’d never find any other way.

128 influential people

That’s how many you could know if you start by making advice calls on just two people, and each refers to you two more, and each of those to two more, and so on—through just six levels of contacts. But you’ll have the job you want long before you get that far.

Just stay sharp, focused and aggressive, and you’ll get offers.

Bruce J. Bloom is a respected writer on job-hunting and career opportunities. He is a contributor to the hard-hitting career strategy website “Fast Track For Women,” http://www.winyourcareer.com. His career manual “Fast Track To The Best Job” was published by Blazer Books

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By: Baljeet Sangwan
For tropical vacations, the Bahamas are legendary. And with good reason. Even as one of the smallest countries in the world, the Bahamas archipelago, with its approximately 700 tiny islands and 2,000 tinier islets, offers a broad spectrum of topography, facilities and recreational opportunities, and gorgeous, pristine beaches besides. There are nearly 30 inhabited islands here, and of those more than a dozen hold tourist interest.

So, for those visiting the Bahamas for the first time, or even those revisiting, here are the ‘Top 10′ islands in the archipelago, which are also the ones most easily accessible to visitors.

1. New Providence

New Providence is the principal island in the Bahamas. It is by far the most populous, most popular, and literally a magnet for vacationers, particularly Americans. On it is located Nassau, the largest and best known Bahamian city, which claims more than 175,000 people and over 400 banks (oh, did we mention that the Bahamas is a tax haven? No? Well, it is!)! Accommodations, dining choices and other visitor facilities are plentiful here, as are other realtime tourist attractions. Besides its history-laden narrow streets and British-era forts, the chief draws here are the Atlantis International Resort and Casino and the Queen’s Staircase, the latter a 65-step stone stairway, representing one step for each year of Queen Victoria’s rule, which climbs 102 feet to Fort Fincastle. Popular activities include swimming, snorkeling, windsurfing, parasailing, diving, sport fishing, walking and bicycling.

2. Grand Bahama

Grand Bahama is the fourth largest island in the Bahamas. A travel brochure for the island describes it as “cosmopolitan glitz and glamour, coupled with miles of pristine beaches and endless turquoise seas.” And that really sums it up. The island has a dozen or so good hotels, several excellent waterfront restaurants, outstanding shopping venues, two casinos, and miles and miles of sandy beaches. The main city here is Freeport, which is the second largest and most modern in the Bahamas, with a population of 50,000. The big draw on the island is the Lucayan National Park, an environmental happening of sorts.

3. The Abacos

The Abacos, or just Abaco, is a cluster of tiny islands, islets and outcroppings that forms a 100-mile-long archipelago of its own. This is the second largest such island group in the Bahamas, and the most visited among the Bahamian ’Out Islands’. Its capital city, Marsh Harbour, which is really a one-stop-light town, is the third largest in the Bahamas. There are other quaint towns and villages on the other Abacos islands as well, with pastel-colored clapboard houses, sun-drenched beaches, abundant tropical flora, quiet country lanes, and more than 50 species of wild tropical birds. Recreation in the Abacos includes all the warm-weather outdoor sports you can think of, while the amenities here can be described as modern.

4. Andros

Andros is by far the largest island in the Bahamas, 104 miles long and 40 miles wide, located  just north of the Abacos, with an island-wide population of 8,000. There are three main towns on Andros, Nicholl’s Town, Fresh Creek and Kemp’s Bay, all of them accessible by boat or direct flights from either Miami or Nassau. There are good visitor facilities here, including a wide selection of accommodations, ranging from full-fledged resorts to neat little guest houses. The island is particularly popular with divers.

5. Bimini

Bimini, just a stone’s throw from Florida (okay, 50 miles) and made famous by the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Zane Grey, is all about fishing, fishing, and fishing. It comprises two distinct islands, with a combined land mass of less than 10 square miles, and a population of around 1,600, most of whom live in Bailey Town in North Bimini. However, Alice Town, the other Bimini population center, is the primary tourist hub, with all the hotels, restaurants and fishing charter companies located there. Most visitors go to Bimini to fish, and the island, besides, is the locale of more than 20 well-known fishing tournaments.

6. Eleuthera

Eleuthera, which is perhaps the longest of the Bahamian islands, more than 110 miles long, and which lies 60 miles west of Nassau, is the playground of the rich and famous. It is consequently also one of the most accessible of the Bahamas islands, with daily flights from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Nassau. The island has a population of 10,800, and its principal towns are Spanish Wells, the wealthiest colony in the Bahamas; Harbour Island, a resort island with clear water and a pink-tinged beach; Gregory Town, the locale of the island’s Pineapple Festival; Governor’s Harbour, a typical tropical town with history and charm; and Tarpum Bay, an artists’ community where, among others, artists Mal Flanders, an American, and MacMillan Hughes, a Scotsman, went to paint the scenery.

7. The Exumas

Situated 35 miles east of New Providence, the Exumas comprise a chain of roughly 350 islands and cays, strung out along some 95 miles of open ocean, all the way down to Long Island. There are about 3,500 inhabitants in the Exumas, the majority of whom live on Greater Exuma and Little Exuma, located in the southern part of the island chain, in the principal population centers of George Town and Williams Town, respectively. The Exumas are also well connected via daily flights to both Miami and Nassau. Boating, fishing, beachcombing and swimming are the main pursuits here, with good, modern amenities for vacationers.

8. Cat Island

For sheer natural beauty and solitude, Cat Island is the pick of the bunch. A 50-square-mile island, it offers a tranquil retreat with rolling hills, lush green forests and vast expanses of windswept beaches. There are few creature comforts here, and visitor activities typically center around swimming, hiking and poking through the ruins of the old, Colonial plantations. Sights on the island include the Hermitage, a miniature, hand-built abbey on Mount Alverina, the highest point on the island at 206 feet; and the ruins of the Deveaux Plantation at Port Howe, a veritable slice of local history in a spectacular setting.

9. The Inaguas

The third largest, remotest and most southerly in the Bahamas chain, the Inaguas are also the most sparsely populated. There are fewer than 1,200 inhabitants here, all of them on Great Inagua, with Little Inagua, just to the north, uninhabited. And while the Inaguas are hardly a top choice for tourists, the few who do venture this far south are well rewarded with miles and miles of unspoiled rocky shorelines and more wildlife than on any of the other islands. Walking, bicycling, fishing and bird-watching are the order of the day. Besides which, two places of particular interest here are the Inagua National Park, with its 280 miles of rocky shoreline, inland waters, saltwater flats, shrubland and jungle, populated with its famous flamingos and over 200 other species of birds; and the picturesque Matthew Town Lighthouse, standing at the southern tip of the Inaguas like a lone sentinel.

10. San Salvador

San Salvador, situated just to the northeast of the Bahamas’ Long Island, is 12 miles long and 6 miles wide, with fewer than 600 people. The main population center here is Cockburn Town, the capital of both San Salvador and its smaller sister island to the west, Rum Cay. Virtually all of the island’s residents live here, yet this is one of the smallest communities in the Bahamas Out Islands. Oh, and Club Med is here as well, just a couple of miles from Cockburn Town.

Baljeet Sangwan is a globetrotter, travel editor and travel writer who has published 12 travel guidebooks. He is a co-publisher at iChiefTravel and contributor to The Bahamas, the Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands and Aruba travel guides.

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hough the fascination with the identity of the Antichrist has been a major aspect of bible prophecy for hundreds of years, the twentieth and twenty first century has witnessed more focus on the end time Antichrist debate more than any other time primarily because the rise of the internet has created more exposure and access to information related to the development of the new world order than at any other time in history.

The “New World Order” whilst a political term used by the likes of Barack Obama, Henry Kissinger and George Bush Senior, is a term with a more sinister meaning which at the heart involves the creation of a final socialist world government system that will full the biblical prophecy of a final world empire dictatorship that will enslave mankind into a demonic economic system called the Mark of the Beast.

Whilst there are literally countless interpretations of Daniel and Revelation’s end time prophecies there are 5 major categories of belief which have had a significant influence over biblical eschatology.

1. A EUROPEAN SUPER STATE

The traditional and classical view is that this final world empire will be a european super state, arising out of the European Union. Some of the world’s greatest prophecy scholars such as Dave Hunt, David Breese and the late John F Walvoord and Dwight Pentecost believed that this final empire would be a Revived Roman Empire according to the prophecies of Daniel.

David Breese one of the most respected end time researchers in decades comments on Europe’s plans t

2. THE CLUB OF ROME MODEL

The modernist viewpoint is that the final world empire will consist of 10 bio regions (known as the Club of Rome model) in that the earth has been divided into blocs where the idea is that the national sovereignty of nations will be subject to a regional union. The 10 bioregions governed by 10 political leaders would then report to a supreme world leader as alluded to in Revelation 17:12-13.

Some of these regions it is believed already have been formed such as the European Union, the South American Union, the African Union and the Arab League. There is also presently recent controversy regarding the North American Union which is a supposed planned union between the United States, Canada and Mexico which will surpass the previous NAFTA agreements. Reports even suggest that there are plans to create a centralised currency across these 3 countries called the Amero which will replace all 3 national currencies.

3. AMERICA: GUARDIAN OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER

An alternative modernist view point is that America is the final world empire. Adherents of this viewpoint believe that the traditional view which places Europe as the primary power in the last days, has significant failings. They believe that the power of Freemasonry migrated from England to the United States and that the symbology on the American Dollar bill justifies this. Much of this view is also tied in with the interpretation of Revelation 18 description of a last days end time commercial Babylon which bears the hallmarks of the United States because of its military, political and commercial strength on the world stage.

Jack Van Impe, Stan Deyo, Tim Mchyde and others have championed this view that the last days commercial Babylon is not applicable to a literal rebuilding of the ancient city in Iraq as championed by Dr Charles Dwyer or the seven hilled city of Rome as mentioned by Dave Hunt in his book “A Woman Rides the Beast”, but symbolic of the world greatest super power, the United States.

4. AN ISLAMIC ECONOMIC AND MILITARY ALLIANCE

A more recent view which is enjoying a significant amount of coverage is the belief that the Antichrist and his empire will be a confederation of Islamic nations led by the long awaited Islamic Madhi. This view championed by Rodrigo Silva and Joel Richardson author of “Antichrist: Islam’s Awaited Messiah” is based on reviewing Islamic prophetical teachings known as “hadith” which refer to the final coming of the Al-Madhi (a return of Jesus Christ) to overthrow the Al-Dajaal (a Syrian/Jewish Antichrist) and establish a new world Islamic order. Scholars who hold to the islamic view believe that the biblical final world empire will be an Islamic confederation which will use its significant oil reserves as a secret weapon to bring the world economy crashing down under Islamic domination.

5. THE VATICAN AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Finally, there is the traditional medieval view that the Antichrist is linked to the Roman Catholic Church and Jesuit order. This view which was born out of the persecution of the early reformers by Rome even today has significant appeal. Malachi Martins book the “The Keys to this Blood” is one of the best documented insights into the Vatican’s struggle for world supremacy and the internal state of the Roman Catholic Church with a specific split amongst high ranking clergy between those holding onto the historical teachings of the apostles and the early church fathers, and those who wish for many of the church’s teachings to be changed under new liberal new age philosophies which encompass a universalist religion unification ideal.

The discussion over the Antichrist identity is even more heated with the outright bizarre of beliefs to the most sophisticated. History has seen many labelled the Antichrist such as Roman Emperor Nero, Charlemagne King of the Holy Roman Empire, Napoleon Bonaparte, Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, and within in recent times, Henry Kissinger, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pope John Paul II, Saddam Hussein, Vladimir Putin, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Karl Von Habsburg of the Habsburg Dynasty, Javier Solana of the European Union, Prince Charles of Wales and more recently and controversially, Barack Obama.

Does the Bible as well as the secular New World Order publications shed any light on who the Antichrist will be? What will be his lineage? European, Muslim, Jewish, Merovingian stock etc.

The understanding and interpretation of prophecy can be be enhanced with the analysis of secular documentation such as the new age bible “The Keys of Enoch” and other heavy weight illuminati inspired epistles such as Alice Bailey’s “Externalisation of the Hierarchy” and the Masonic writings of Albert Pike in “Morals and Dogma” .

It is within these materials that the true nature of the coming final world empire will be revealed which will provide significant clarity to the debate.

Reece Woodstock was one of the main researchers who contributed to the release of the Antichrist Identity Report in 2008. http://www.theantichristidentity.com

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“New Age” is a term seen frequently in personality-development books and magazines these days. They claim that we are in an age when humans can take total control of their bodies and minds. Contrary to what the name suggests, the New Age Movement is a very ancient Cult, and they claim it to be “New” only to deceive people. Plenty of Christians have become spokesmen and agents of this movement without realizing it for what it is. The New Age Movement has its origin in Satan who promised to Eve that by eating the forbidden fruit, she would become “like God”. Realizing this promise is the basic promise and quest of this movement.

The pursuit to become like God became an organized movement with Nimrod and the Tower of Babel. There one observes the seeds of the first one-world religion and government, both contrary to the course of human history as decreed by God. Consequently, God dispersed this movement. Yet Satan, the architect of this movement, continued in his struggle to raise up another all-world religious and political union. The story that unfolded in the millennia that followed is quite complex, but what one needs to know took place only in about one century.

Since time of the dispersal at Babel, there was no convenient communication-medium available to Satan to influence all the people at the same time. However, mass-media took a massive leap towards the close of the last century. The beginning of the twentieth century brought cheap newspapers, books, radio, TV, Telephones, CDs, INTERNET, and other mas

It was during this period that the Theosophical Society was founded by Helena P. Blavatsky and her companions. This Occult-based organization immediately became popular among the educated, the rich, and the rulers of masses. The movement even tried to present one of its trainees as the Christ of the Second Advent, but this attempt did not work. Yet they did not lose courage and continued to influence people in the highest circles with one-world Occult philosophies.

Unsatisfied with the depth of Occult activities in Theosophy, Alice Bailey moved out and established the Lucipher Trust. Since this name was too obviously that of the Devil’s, she soon modified it to Lucis Trust, Lucis being the Latin synonym for Lucipher. Soon a demon by the name of Dhwaj Khul started dictating books to her, and she produced a massive amount of writings. The essential message in all these books was the same: the Christian faith must be destroyed and a New World Order should be ushered in. Her books are very popular with Occult groups all over, including the widespread Pranic Healing people who have put her books into “essential study” category.

Numerous people received inspiration and went on to establish thousands of organizations worldwide to spread the message of the erstwhile Lucipher Trust. From these organizations was born the New Age Movement in the Nineteen Sixties. At the dawn of the twenty-first century it has already become one of the largest international movements. Marxism, Humanism, Atheism, Pantheism, and almost all aberrant streams have directly or indirectly joined hands with this movement making it very powerful. The version of Christian theology that is popular in the radical churches, the ecumenical movement, and the “dialogue” crowd is Christian only in name, but is New Age in outlook and essence.

Doctrines Of The Movement

New Age doctrines are a vast collection of flexible and fuzzy philosophies based primarily upon Eastern Philosophy and Mysticism. Consequently, every religion and philosophy in the world is welcome here except the  historic Christian faith. The following are some of the major tenets of the New Age.

1-The world and God are one and the same in essence, but appear as different to humans. Actually every person is a part of God, and the very God himself.

2-As a consequence of the above, no one is a sinner in the absolute sense. Sin is only ignorance and illusion. Even the perceived world is an illusion. Escape from this illusion and recognizing that one is part of God is the key to salvation.

3-Christ is not the name of a historical person. Rather it is the name of a Cosmic Spirit called the Cosmic Christ. We can also rise to the same level of this Cosmic Christ (who is actually Lucipher).

4-Salvation can be attained through any religion (except perhaps the Evangelical Christian faith). All religions, faiths, and even Occult practices lead people to the same blessed salvation.

5-The Universe is controlled by a hierarchy of invisible spirits. Humans can also join this hierarchy, and rise to higher levels. The highest hierarchy is called “Masters Of The Universe”, and these ten or so many Masters reside in a secret place in Tibbet. Above them is the Occultic spirit being called “Cosmic Christ”.

6-Bible is NOT to be read an understood in its plain (direct) meaning, but only though its hidden and mystical meaning. Only Occultists know this mystical meaning and the mystical use of the Bible.

7-Bible is not the only inspired word of God. All holy books of all religions are equally inspired and equally holy. Perhaps some of them are at a higher plane than the Bible.

Any discerning Christian can see that each one of the above doctrines and their implications are totally contrary to the Bible. There is no meeting-place between the New Age Movement and the Biblical Christianity.

Strategies And Expansion

The New Age strategy is to control seven key areas: Philosophy, Theology, Sociology, Psychology, Education, Science/Technology, and Medicine. Once this is done, the world is ready for the domination of Anti Christ, the emissary of Satan who is the mastermind behind the New Age movement. The movement has been amazingly successful in contaminating all the seven fields mentioned above. For example, in theology there are many who now propagate the idea that ultimately everyone would be saved, irrespective of whether he accepted or rejected Christ during his earthly life. There are others who claim that information leading to salvation is available in all religions.

Even a field like Physics has been successfully contaminated by these people. Almost everyone has heard about books like The Tao Of Physics, The Dancing Wu Li Masters, etc. These books are not pure physics at all. Rather, their aim is to expound physics in terms of Eastern Mysticism !  A special area of conquest for them is Medicine. What is called “holistic medicine” today is a New Age offshoot. There are an estimated four hundred systems of medicines that call them alternative medical systems or holistic medicines. Almost eighty to ninety percent of them are ultimately rooted in the Occult or Paranormal philosophy.

The best examples are Pranic Healing and Reiki. Claiming to be totally science-derived, actually these systems receive their healing power through demonic sources. Yet even many Christians practice them because the New Age Movement has convinced them that these “spirit guides”  (demons) that help them are agents of the Holy Spirit. Any discerning believer should realize that these are “angels of light” who are here only to deceive.

New Age movement is a powerful movement. Eventually it will unite the whole world under a single religio-political leader. That would be the time of the Anti-Christ. Workings of this movement are so subtle that the anti Christian element is often difficult to discern. The best strategy is to compare the ultimate philosophy of every group with the seven cardinal points of the New Age Movement given above.

Dr. Johnson C. Philip is a scientist (PhD in quantum-nuclear physics), and has worked extensively in the fields of free distance education and alternative medicines. His works in Christian Apologetics enjoy worldwide reputation.

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Humanity throughout the ages have seen death as something loathsome and gruesome; something dreadful, something preferable to avoid at all cost–that is, if a choice were given–but without any other option, are forced to succumb for lack of any power over its occurrence. Anticipating the termination of life at an unexpected moment and the possible prospect of annihilation of self-identity, humanity views death as a state or condition to be feared. This fear is sustained when all around, most of the dying are seen to seemingly suffer in anguish and in agony in the death process. The fear of death is actually man’s fear of the unknown, and it indicates man’s bondage to his ignorance which ultimately grows into superstitious expressions. Because of the underlying fear, man attempts laboriously to postpone death through medicine and other means; medical science has, however, not yet found a way to prolong life indefinitely–or to ease one’s fears, to offer solace, or to answer profound questions regarding this ancient mystery. Knowing the true nature of death releases man from his bondage to his fears and to the clinging of his varied superstitions pertaining to it. Such knowledge based upon personal experience may be acquired–beliefs to the contrary places an illusory boundary upon the unfolding soul. Alice Bailey, writing for the Tibetan in “A Treatise on White Magic,” refers to man’s fears regarding death:

“The mind of man is so little developed that fear of the unknown, terrors of the unfamiliar,

We can see from her statement that one of the factors that causes man to struggle against death, is the attachment to form. The identification of the Self with the physical form misleads one into thinking that the dissolution of the physical body results in the annihilation of the Self. Sri Sankaracharya, the eminent exponent of Advaita Vedanta, taught that the deluded mind with its beliefs in the reality of form causes bondage to Maya, or Cosmic Illusion. Philosophically speaking, this is the state of duality, and unless man perceives the One Reality underlying the dualistic worlds, and as his true nature, he lives in fear and in a state of slavery. What is Real cannot be destroyed, what is unreal does not exist apart from our false perception and understanding. This is avidya, or ignorance. To apprehend the true state of things is to be truly liberated from death. One’s consciousness is expanded and raised to a divine estate when Reality is known and death seen for what it really is. What Bailey does not mention is that the soul-process of “death” may be experienced in the meditative state. Mystics call this “dying while living,” and advanced mystics have reached a state where they may predetermine and trigger the time and process of their physical and mystical deaths–these are executed with divine permission. Mystical deaths offers one the opportunity to acquire the beautific vision called Marifatullah by Islamic gnostics. We will not dwell on this mystical aspect in this paper but focus more on the physical side of death and dying.

Before continuing further, let us first provide a definition of the branch of study dealing with death. The study is properly termed, “Thanatology” (from Greek thanatos, “death”). The Encyclopedia Britannica explains it thus:

“. . . the description or study of death and dying and the psychological mechanisms of dealing with them. Thanatology is concerned with the notion of death as popularly perceived and especially with the reactions of the dying, from whom it is felt much can be learned about dealing with death’s approach . . . Generally, psychologists have agreed that there are two overall concepts concerning death that help in understanding the simultaneous processes of living and dying. The “my death versus your death” concept emphasizes the irrational belief that while “your death” is a certainty, an exemption may be made in “my case.” The second concept, “partial deaths versus total extinction” stresses the belief that by experiencing the bereavement following the deaths of friends and relatives, a person is brought as close as possible to realizing “partial death.” These experiences colour the individual’s attitude toward greater personal losses, culminating with the ultimate loss, life itself.

“Thanatology also examines attitudes toward death, the meaning and behaviours of bereavement and grief, and the moral and ethical questions of euthanasia, organ transplants, and life support.”

Thanatology deals with death from various perspectives, from the cultural and anthropological standpoint, the clinical, biological, religious, metaphysical, etc. Death itself is defined in dictionaries as “an extinction of life,” the “ceasing to be.”

Ordinarily, the average person would avoid talking or thinking about death. When chosen as a topic for discussion, for instance, the subject is frequently and promptly relegated to the background of life’s many “evil” necessities and often spoken in hushed tones. Death has always been a taboo subject in unenlightened social circles. Man’s present negative attitude and understanding of the nature of death may cause self-inflicted suffering, torment, and pain. Man’s lack of understanding of the truth of death is mainly the result of a deficiency in the knowledge of spiritual verities, and in an absence of spiritual awareness. Religious doctrines and materialistically-oriented educational systems have inadvertently encouraged man’s negative attitude towards death. They paint horrible conditions of the after-death state, ranging from eternal punishment and torture in fashions exceeding the cruelties and atrocities of the Inquisition, to the materialistic view of nihilism and annihilation. Religion and the academic institutions offer no real comfort or solace to those whose loved ones have faced the great change. The only recourse for individuals seeking a greater understanding of death is by acquiring metaphysical knowledge concerning its nature and by developing a greater awareness of multi-dimensional life; for life simply is, it cannot cease to be. Life is Real and eternal for it is not compounded. Forms are compounded, therefore, they are evanescent. Clinging and being attached to what is temporal, and from the point of view of the Absolute as “illusory,” makes one often feel threatened to life’s varied circumstances.

In order to be relieved from suffering in the form of bereavement and anguish, humanity as a whole would have to be re-educated as to the true nature of death, its value, its process, and regarding the state of life after the great transition. One’s frame of reference for personal existence has to be expanded to include multi-dimensional worlds, to one’s immortal aspect, and not circumscribed to physical matter. Concomitant to this cleansing process of the mind of its false beliefs and notions concerning death–both the result of social conditioning and brainwashing–there should also be a search, an investigation into the true purpose of life. For to pass through transition not knowing the purpose of one’s personal existence is to have lived in vain. It is said that to die well we must first learn to live well, and this is true, for our negative karma and our wrong attitudes and apprehension of death causally leads us to pain and suffering in the bardo, the death process–of which we will deal in later chapters. For this reason it is incumbent upon us all to embark upon the study of thanatology–the science of death, as understood by metaphysics, to live a worthwhile life, to relieve the sense of suffering, and to efface our misgivings regarding death and the after-death state. Death is simply a transformation, a process analogous to a caterpillar-turned-butterfly through metamorphosis.

Our “fate” and experiences in the afterlife and in the death process are both determined largely by our karma, beliefs, knowledge (or lack of it), purity, righteousness, and understanding of the mission and purpose of our sojourn in the physical plane. Life in this physical dimension should be seen as an opportunity to mature and to liberate oneself from all mortal restrictions even though functioning through an organic vessel. Some people experiencing the vicissitudes and hardships of life often complain that it was not their wish to be born, implying that it was not their wish to live or to be here in this physical world, and yet, in this they contradict themselves by expressing a fear of death, saying that they do not wish to die–implying that they wish to live. Such inconsistencies reflect the state of non-awareness of spiritual realities and verities. Death should be perceived as an initiation into the higher mysteries of Nature. It is thus one of the most important events in one’s spiritual journey. Mastery of one’s life, of one’s lower self, and service to the Higher Intelligences, is the wise preparation for this great initiatory experience.

In ancient cultures, the existence of the afterlife was taken for granted. In former eras there have been concepts or beliefs in the afterlife such as the “Happy Hunting Grounds” “Olympus” and the “Elysian Fields.” The spiritual instincts of early and modern man have always rebelled against the idea of death, and rightly so, for death in reality is non-existent, but the average person is normally unaware and ignorant of this truth, or he chooses to ignore it for some unknown reason. Death should not be looked upon as an ultimate chapter or conclusion of one’s life, for death is simply a change, a passing, a transition to a different plane of consciousness, a different dimensional activity. Orthodox, or conservative scientists in conformity with Einstein’s equation, “E=mc2,” tell us that nothing in the universe can be destroyed, that there can only be a transformation, a change or conversion of the patterns of energy-fields; this is the economy of life which is acknowledged as a law of the Cosmos; and yet, although furnished with this scientific theorem and understanding, these same scientists are skeptical concerning the survival of the personal consciousness or “awareness-principle,” as Tibetan Buddhists designate it. Mainstream science, although faced with many positive data concerning the survival of the consciousness acquired by researchers in the paranormal and related fields, still express incredulity as to its reality. Why is it that the life-force, soul, and consciousness are not seen by these scientists as energy-fields, just as all objects down to their minuscule component, the electrons, protons and neutrons are known to be such? More succinctly, why do scientists not recognize the soul? Is it, perhaps, because of the unconscious opposition and antagonism towards Religion that has long persecuted Science in the centuries past? From the occult point of view, group minds form living entities or currents of energy with certain qualities in accord with the thoughts and feelings generated by the originators or individuals of the same group-mind. This is called an egregore. Such egregores may have an indefinite life span, living for centuries, and influencing all that comes within its mental and emotional force fields. It is through these egregores that an individual, a scientist, for instance, living in the distant past may influence a scientist living in the present. Prejudicial feelings toward Religion and its tenets, such as its declaration of the living soul that survives the dissolution of the physical body, may therefore, be carried from the past to the present. As can be understood from the above, the antagonism of scientists may not be truly directed to the concept of the afterlife, or soul-survival, but towards religion as a whole, and this discord is an unconscious feeling–the result of centuries of maltreatment in the hands of Religion–executed in the name of the Almighty.

Investigators and exponents of mainstream science, however, have not proved in their laboratories the cessation of life, and the non-survival of consciousness after death. On the contrary, they are very close to discovering and proving its reality and validity. It would seem that the Veil of Isis is thinning; nevertheless, the question of the survival of consciousness, we feel, can only be satisfactorily and adequately answered to us by personal experience–through phenomena such as NDEs (Near Death Experience) and the projection of one’s consciousness and subtle bodies. Without personal experience there would be an element of doubt, the truth would elude our comprehension, and the false delude our understanding. Knowledge pertaining to the the truth of death eliminates fear, pain and sorrow. When one understands the nature and mechanism of life and death, one begins to lead a philosophical and mystical life, open to spiritual verities and impressions. One commences to live in harmony with the forces and laws of Nature, in accord with the purposes of the Divine Plan. Scientists would have to become philosophers and mystics in order to break through any bias constraining their minds from the truth of life after death.

It is a fallacy to think that the nature of death and the afterlife state cannot be known while one is embodied and functioning in the three-dimensional sphere. Religious fundamentalism, in general, would have us believe this. Man dies temporarily every night during the sleep-state, and he calls his activities during such a state as “dreams.” Man practices death every time he enters the delta-theta state. Poor recollection of one’s nocturnal activities results in an inadequate comprehension of the nature and relationship between sleep and death. Spiritual development improves the recollection of astral activities and the awareness of the “no-dream” state. Refinement of the soul disperses the etheric web at the crown chakra and forms a link between the brain and higher mind allowing for free movement of the personal-consciousness to higher dimensions without a break in awareness. Fundamentally, the only difference between death and the sleep-state is that death is the permanent evacuation of the awareness-principle from the physical body, whereas in sleep it is merely a temporary condition. In death the sutratma, or silver cord, snaps, and the personal-consciousness leaves the physical body to disintegrate and return to the ground from whence it came. In the sleep state, this cord which connects the physical body to the subtle bodies is maintained. Essentially, death is an illusion. Death is actually an interval between two states or planes of consciousness. It eventuates in the return of every component of the microcosm to its proper place. This truth is embodied in the poetic verse of Ovid:

“Four things of man there are: spirit, soul, ghost, flesh;

“These four, four places keep and do possess,

“The earth covers flesh, the ghost hovers o’er the grave,

“Orcus has the soul, stars do the spirit crave.”

Man has the divine ability to be aware of his being as existing independently of the physical vehicle. This is accomplished in what has come to be called lucid dreaming and astral projection, or “OBE” (out-of-the-body experience) as a modern designation for the phenomenon. Like St. Paul, it is possible for all of us to say that we “knew a man who went to the third heaven,” and hear of things not suitable for the non-initiate. Death is a change of focus of our consciousness, from one plane to another. This is also accomplished through the above means. Astral projection is an ability that all metaphysicians should seek to acquire–for it is educational and it opens-up avenues of services that one may render. Most, if not all mystical traditions teach of this occult ability. The practitioner of Taoist Yoga, for instance, learns in the course of his studies how to separate the soul and spirit from the physical body. Advance mystics and occultists are all able to function in full awareness in the physical, astral and mental worlds. Such individuals are not concerned with the arguments of materialists–arguments stating the non-survival of self, for every mystic knows the truth of the matter through personal experience.

Dying, to the initiate, is a science and an art. The technique of death is known to the inter-dimensional consciousness-traveller. The psychonaut is familiar with the many phases of the bardo that leads to one of the “six realms,” or to liberation from the cycle of reincarnation. It is the reality of reincarnation that proves to us that we are no stranger to death. We incarnate and pass through the change of death repeatedly until we emancipate ourselves from the wheel of birth and rebirth. We have all met the angel of death countless times and shall meet that specter once again in the future. All religions refer to this life-death cycle, though some metaphorically.

Every metaphysician should be familiar with the subject of death, as understood in the esoteric sense, and as to its occult process. In the course of one’s metaphysical ministry, one would often meet individuals suffering from anguish and bereavement. The metaphysician should be able to offer the kind of solace that goes beyond the service of the burial ceremony and the pronouncement of the words, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust . . .” To the dying, and those newly passed-on, the advanced metaphysician should act as a guide to the inner levels of being. He should play the role of Anubis, guiding the departed soul to its proper place. This should be an integral part to any last rites or sacraments given. There is much superstition, fear and ignorance regarding the nature of death among the masses. It, therefore, behooves the metaphysical counselor to play his or her part in enlightening society; and this ministration would benefit humanity as a whole. We feel that this paper should be written to remind metaphysicians of the importance of conveying the truths to the masses regarding the continuity of life, personal identity, and consciousness. One’s professional image is enhanced when well-equipped with the requisite knowledge. Even though much has been written on the subject of death, with much invaluable information given, we take this opportunity to add some of our own insights and experiences to enrich the existing literature and the storehouse of humanity’s learning.

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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The Buddhafield spreads its dissolving energy by means of spiritual Evolutionary vibrations from the highest sources from chakras above the Crown Chakra: The Soul, The group Soul AND higher than the Avatar of Synthesis.

The Buddhafield energy spreads from the Aura of Masters of Meditation to imprint everything produced by them. their Books, their Audio Talks, their Video Talks and Video Courses etc. Anything produced by them contains their energy seed.

Your access to the higher energies of the Buddhafield makes more possible during your meditations. The Advanced techniques of meditation available in every culture like – Meditation, Shaktipat, Energy Circulation, The Kundalini Kriyas, The Five Elemental Paths Of The Chi Of Chinese Alchemical Taoism, The Grounding Of Negative Energies, V.I.T.R.I.O.L and The Art Card Of The Thoth Tarot, Access To Kundalini Energy, Strong Psychic Protection, Learn The Merkaba, Pyramid Protection, Power Tower Protection, Create The Antahkarana, Soul Fusion, Monadic Infusion, Logos Infusion, painlessly dissolve all Energy Blockages at the Energy Level. This gives the Painless Removal Of Stress, Trauma And Negative Emotion.

There is no need to go into memory or emotion as it all happens at the level of energy which underlies those other higher mechanisms.

As well as helping to remove energy blockages the Buddhafield creates the possibility of Kundalini experiences. It, as well as the Advanced Techniques of Meditation give you more energy to Speed Up the Meditative Process by painlessly removing Energ

The action of the Buddhafield of practiced meditators is talked about in the scriptures from 5000 years.. Siva Samhitã, iii, 10-19: “Now I shall tell you how easily to attain success in Yoga, by knowing which the Yogis never fail in the practice of Yoga. Only the knowledge imparted by a Competent Teacher through his lips is powerful and useful; otherwise it becomes fruitless, weak and very painful.

I, the writer of this article, say, “With this higher energy radiating as a Buddhafield after many years of meditation, you become, “a walking point of Crisis, a necessary point of Tension.” These words were originally spoken by Alice Bailey and Djwan Khul, meaning that the Buddhafield has the effect of provoking change and evolution. As we say, “Love is the energy of change.”"

I do not believe I am special in any way, just lucky. I say, “I am just a another guy who has been added unto. I am just a custodian of the energies which have been given to me by the many Enlightened masters I have encountered, Roshi Hogen Daido Yamahata, Swami Satchidananda of Yogaville, Sri Yogendra of Bombay, Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Osho and Father Bede Griffiths, and also into which I have been Initiated by the highest Ascended Masters of Enlightenment.

Before being given energy, first you must prove yourself. Be tested and found to be true. I am just a Channel for the higher energies which expand my aura as a Buddhafield of Energy whose integrative effect is now quickening and speeding up all the Evolutionary practices it touches and removes all Energy Blockages at the Energy level thus removing misfortune and pain in all my students and throughout the world.

The Buddhafield removal of Energy Blockages is just an expression of what is already happening here on this small planet. This is an amazingly auspicious time for every soul who wishes to evolve, here, now!! Incredible opportunities are available for speedy evolution, increasing of Luck and intelligence, removing pain and disease.

If you have ever wanted to enter into the spiritual path, to make this change in yourself, NOW is the time. Vast Spiritual energies are, for the first time in eons, being sent to this planet and more enlightened people are necessary to be trained how to handle them.

Side effects of Energy Blockage removal and brain energy stimulation are an increase in IQ, more emotional stability, more energy, more GO!! We have been equipped to give this training with the teaching of Advanced Meditation practices.

In this one encounter much can happen. All my students know this from their own psychic and Evolutionary experiences in the Buddhafield and this same Energy Blockage removal and Brain Stimulation can be given to any person who comes into the Buddhafield to learn advanced practices of Meditation.

The Speeding up of your Meditative processes towards Enlightenment, the spreading of the Light of Synthesis through the creation of New Nodes of Light, growing ever stronger with the passage of time, the gaining of strength, energy, luck and Light.

We have to be inwardly rich to give away everything. We need a large Evolutionary bank account.

The Buddhafield of Energy is the expression of that Generosity.”

Director Satchidanand, is one of the leading teachers of Meditation.

He helps people worldwide reach further than they EVER thought possible, FASTER!!!
http://www.energyenhancement.org

Related posts:

1. Energy Enhancement Meditation And The Kundalini Kriyas Of Kriya Yoga.
2. Energy Enhancement Meditation Opening the Heart, Relationships, Hanbledzoin, Kundalini + Shaktipat.
3. The Energy Enhancement Ancient and Effective Meditation techniques and Old Meditation Systems.