Definition and meaning of Gaia theory:

Gaia theory - a model in which the organisms on the Earth have radically altered its composition. A stronger position is that the Earth's biosphere effectively acts as if it is a self-organizing system, which works in such a way as to keep its systems in some kind of equilibrium that is conducive to life

(Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) )

Also see these pages: Oceanography, Oceanography Sitemap, Coral Reef, Environment, Sustainability, Climate Change,

In science, a Gaia theory is a class of scientific models of the biosphere in which life fosters and maintains suitable conditions for itself by affecting Earth's environment. The first such theory was created by the English atmospheric scientist James Lovelock in 1969. He hypothesized that the living matter of the planet functioned like a single organism and named this self-regulating living system after the Greek goddess Gaia.

Read more here: » Gaia Theory: The Gaia Theory in Science

Seven cities in India correspond to seven centres or chakras in our body: ÒAyodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi, Kanchi, Avantika, Puri drawaravati chaiva, Saptaide moksha dayikaÓ. The seven cities are companioned  with seven sacred rivers; Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Godavari, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri

The microcosm and the macrocosm are interlinked. Planet earth, home to many organisms, is itself a large organism. It is not just a place for living beings; it is a living organism as a whole. This is what the Gaia theory says. Materialism considers everything as objects. Spirituality, on the other hand, discovers life in everything.

Read more here: » Gaia Theory: Chakras and the Seven Sacred Cities

Gaia philosophy is a broadly inclusive term for related concepts that living organisms on a planet will affect the nature of their environment - to make it more suitable for life. This set of theories holds that all organisms on a planet regulate the biosphere to the benefit of the whole. The Gaia concept draws a connection between the survivability of a species, (hence its evolutionary course) and their usefulness to the survival of other species.

Read more here: » Gaia: The Gaia philosophy - an overivew

“Daisyworld and the Gaia Hypothesis are controversial because they touch on the definition of what constitutes life. If we think that life is about the selfish gene, competition, and survival of the fittest, then it is hard to see where the Earth fits in. However, it isn't necessary to think that the Earth is alive in order to appreciate that it is a highly complex system. And, if we say it is alive, why is that so threatening? No one doubts that plants are alive, but they don't do anything nearly as complicated as the Earth does.”

A brief introduction to the intriguing Gaia theory, as developed by James Lovelock, Lynn Margulis and others.

Read more here: » Gaia Theory: Gaia Theory - Science of the Living Earth

Most of us sense that the Earth is more than a sphere of rock with a thin layer of air, ocean and life covering the surface. We feel that we belong here as if this planet were indeed our home. Long ago the Greeks, thinking this way, gave to the Earth the name Gaia or, for short, Ge. In those days, science and theology were one and science, although less precise, had soul. As time passed this warm relationship faded and was replaced by the frigidity of the schoolmen. The life sciences, no longer concerned with life, fell to classifying dead things and even to vivisection. Ge was stolen from theology to become no more the root from which the disciplines of geography and geology were named. Now at last there are signs of a change. Science becomes holistic again and rediscovers soul, and theology, moved by ecumenical forces, begins to realise that Gaia is not to be subdivided for academic convenience and that Ge is much more than just a prefix.

James Lovelock

Read more here: » Gaia Hypothesis: What is Gaia?

Theory of Evolution and Involution: The Sankhya adopts the theory of evolution and involution. The cause and effect are the undeveloped and developed states of one and the same substance. There is no such thing as total destruction. In destruction, the effect is involved into its cause. That is all.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Evolution and Involution: Vedic Philosophy - Theory of Evolution and Involution

Our love and concern for animals emerge out of two basic postulates of Indian philosophy. One, that like us, every plant and living being is the ansha or part of the one Param Brahma, the Omnipotent One, and two, that born of the one earth mother all of them have equal right on all resources. So they are like our own siblings. All life forms have a symbiotic relationship - we are all linked together and our actions are bound to have an effect on our environment and other living beings.

(See also: Sacred Nature , Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Sacred Nature: Back to Basics: Nature Talk  

Man is no longer to be the measure of all things, the centre of the universe. He has been measured and found to be an undistinguished bit of matter, different in no essential way from bacteria, stones and trees. His goals and purposes, his egocentric notions of past, present and future; his faith in his power to predict and through prediction to control his destiny - all these are called into question, considered irrelevant, or deemed trivial.

(See also: Sacred Nature , Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Sacred Nature: Man not Measure Of All Things  

(See also: Sustainable development , Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Sustainable development: Transform Self to Heal the Earth  

Ancient scriptures say we have five sheaths: physical environment, physical body, mind, intuitive sheath or subtle environment, and the Self.

Indian tradition believes in the sanctity of nature. Our rishis perceived the mountains, rivers, Sun, Moon and trees to be sacred. That which is sacred is honoured. Environmental consciousness has been built into our way of life, to become our second nature. But when we start moving away from our nature we begin polluting the environment. Unfortunately, we pollute our rivers and mountains in the name of sacred rituals.

(See also: Spirituality and Ecology , Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Spirituality and Ecology: Reverence for Nature Is The Only Way to Save It  

In this article, I'd like to present a few ideas about Love and what Love means to me. It is not meant to be a definition of Love--I don't think Love can be defined, only described. This article is not an essay on what Love "should" or "should not" be. I'm not sure there are any "shoulds" when speaking about Love. The ideas in this article are only my opinions. I'm also sure that none of the ideas in this article are new or original because Love has been around longer than I have.

I'd like to explain a thing I call "Bob's Theory of Relativity." Stated simply, it says that everything Einstein said about light also applies to Love.

Read more here: » Love: Bob's Theory of Relativity of Love

Darwin's theory: Theory of evolution developed by Charles Darwin (18091882) stating that plant and animal species develop or evolve from earlier forms due to hereditary transmission of variations that enhance the organism's adaptability and chances of survival.

See: evolution of the soul, nonhuman birth.

(See also: Darwin's theory , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Man can be compared to a plant. He grows and flourishes like a plant and dies in the end but not completely. The plant also grows and flourishes and dies in the end. It leaves behind it the seed which produces a new plant. Man leaves when dying his Karma behind—the good or bad actions of his life. The physical body may die and disintegrate, but the impressions of his actions do not die. He has to take birth again to enjoy the fruits of these actions. No life can be the first, for it is the fruits of previous actions, nor the last, for its actions must be expiated in the next life following. Therefore, Samsara or phenomenal existence is without beginning and an end. But there is no Samsara for a Jivanmukta or liberated sage who is resting in his own Sat-Chit-Ananda Svarupa.

The death and dying and the life after death has always fascinated man. This is an excerpt from the book What Becomes Of The Soul After Death by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Reincarnation: Theory Of Rebirth

Sacred Numbers: Maths as Tool to Attain Mukti

"I bow to that glorious Lord of the Jainas, who as the shining lamp of the know-ledge of numbers made to shine whole of the universe", said Mahaviracharya in Ganita Sara Sangraha. Few know that ancient Jain scientific thought is a rich source of Indian scientific heritage. The grand Jain spiritual tradition and its masters broadly influenced Indian thought and rationality in three key areas: Atomism, non-absolutism and mathematical concepts including the theory of numbers. As realists, a satisfactory explanation for the origin of the material world was important to Jain philosophers.

Read more here: » Jainism: Maths as Tool to Attain Mukti - Sacred Numbers

According to its founder, the biologist Rupert Sheldrake, a morphogenetic field, is an equivalent to an electromagnetic field that carries information only, not energy, and are available throughout time and space without any loss of intensity after they have been created.

Morphogenetic fields are created by the patterns of physical forms. They help guide the formation of later similar systems where a newly forming system "tunes into" a previous system by having within it a "seed" that resonates with a similar seed in the earlier form.

Morphogenetic fields can be used to describe how the human consciousness is shared. The Morphogenetic fields therefore play the main role in the idea that humanity at one point in time will go thru a dramatic collective shift in consciousness. A shift that will happen when the critical mass for a shift is reached, or in other words, when a certain number of spiritually awakened individuals are reached.

Read more here: » Morphogenetic fields: Morphogenetic fields according to Robert Gilman, Terence Mckenna and Rupert Sheldrake

Acupunture is the Chinese healing art that can be dated back at least two thousand years. Some authorities maintain that acupuncture has been practiced in China for even four thousand years.
On the most basic of levels, acupuncture can be described as the insertion of very fine into the skin at specific acupuncture points in order to influence the functioning of the body.

Read more here: » Acupuncture: What is acupuncture?

One should become perfectly desireless and should be full of Vairagya before attempting to awaken Kundalini. It can be awakened only when a man rises above Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and other impurities. Kundalini can be awakened through rising above desires of the senses. The Yogi, who has got a pure heart and a mind free from passions and desires will be benefited by awakening Kundalini. If a man with a lot of impurities in the mind awakens the Sakti by sheer force through Asanas, Pranayamas and Mudras, he will break his legs and stumble down.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Yoga Sadhana: Yoga Sadhanas for Kundalini Awakening

Amazingly, as we approach the 21st century, there is still very little known about the inner universe of sleep and dreams. In fact, numerous common misconceptions still exist, many of which are perpetuated by so-called professionals. The author, David F Melbourne, has been studying dreams for 25 years and is known all over the world for his accurate dream interpretations.

Read more here: » Meaning of dreams: Common misconceptions about sleep and dreams

Science and Spirituality: An Islamic View of Creation & Life

According to Islamic tradition, life is God's creation - regardless of whether life was specially created or resulted from evolution. Evolution itself is a process of creation as admitted by Darwin in The Origin of Species.

Creation falls into four categories - inanimate matter, plants, animals and human beings. According to Islam, all four are separate creations. Among living things, a number of species co-exist, all having been created separately. There is doubtless some similarity in physical attributes; yet, each has a permanent, separate existence. There is no concept of a missing link in Islam.

Read more here: » Science and Spirituality: An Islamic View of Creation Life