In a conversation with his consort Parvati, Shiva is believed to have said that through self-knowledge, one can attain salvation. People are born as human beings due to their past good samskaras, but to attain liberation they will have to attain self-knowledge.

In ancient times, Parvati symbolised the spirit of enquiry. She would pose questions to Shiva, and Shiva's answers provided deep insight into the nature of spirituality. Parvati's questions are collectively known as the Nigama shastra. Shiva's answers are philosophical; they are also of great practical value.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Spiritual Evolution Is The Key To Salvation

A person who lives in his home with his family, going about his daily business with loving detachment is in the world and yet out of it.

Like the boat whose place is in the water and which, floating, does not allow water to enter it, the realised samsari lives in this world not allowing worldly things to enter his mind.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Writing Notes From 'I' To 'Me'

Western writers tend to describe silence in negative terms. We grow up with images of "the eerie silence of the night", "the disturbing silence of the graveyard", "the hollow sounds of loneliness".

In the East, silence is synonymous with bliss. Whether one is visiting an isolated temple on a hilltop, or at the samadhi of a saint, one gets a feeling of peace and harmony. Silence is of two types. The external silence that can be easily created in a sound-proof room. It is the other, the internal silence, which is difficult to achieve.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: The Circle of Positive Energy - Silence

We seem to be free, to do that which we choose and not that which is chosen for us; but possibly, the freedom may be illusory; in fact, it may be bondage.

We may be bound by predestination, the will of a Supreme Intelligent Power, or blind inexorable Nature, or the necessity of our own previous development.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Of Freedom, Fate And Free Will

How many of us fritter away the gift of the present moment by wondering when our lives will finally take off? What do you think will do it for you? A five-bedroom house, the latest model of Mercedes Benz or BMW, a world tour, a diamond ring, winning the lottery or becoming rich and famous beyond your wildest dreams?

"Man is engaged in an eternal quest for that 'something else' he hopes will bring him happiness, complete and unending. For those individual souls who have sought and found God, the search is over: He is that Something Else," said Paramahansa Yogananda.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: What Do You Really Want?

What do we generally do when we want to get something done, or want to expel something unnecessary, unnatural or repugnant? We take a vow and feel immensely satisfied in the bargain. But we forget that taking a vow is quite an unintelligent act.

When we vow not to do something, it simply means we have not understood certain underlying truths, or are unaware of the workings of our unconscious. It is an act of suppression that can turn into a strange and poisonous repression as well.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Transcendence Helps Conquer Anger

Poet Terhune recollects how when he was a child, his mother, returning after an hour from a neighbour's, asked him, "When I left you were playing on the floor and a sugar candy was there on the table. Now you are there, but not the candy." "I ate at it up, Mother," replied the child.

"But you already had your share and I had forbidden you to touch what was left" demanded the mother.

"You had, Mother, but believe me, I wept while I was eating it," said the boy.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: The Silent Soul Bides its Time

Men pass, mountains remain. Little wonder, why mountains are a sign of solidity and stability. They tower over us, touching the sky, sometimes through clouds ... they convey a sense of mystery.

In fact, philosophers say that the mountain is the point where heaven and earth meet. Mountains, therefore, are considered holy in many faiths. They are believed to be the abode of gods, even a place where one can find salvation.

Christian literature reveals the symbolic role of mountains. In the Old Testament, God was depicted as God of the mountains. But God was also a God of the valleys.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Mountains - Source of Divine Inspiration

Marx wrote: "Life is not determined by consciousness, but consciousness by life". He assumes that man's ability to think, and the quality of his thoughts depend largely on the quality of the life he lives.

Marx's thrust is primarily to improve the living conditions of man, a pre-condition for intellectual growth. Marx thus attributes primacy to living by establishing a hierarchy of 'living' and 'thinking'. Descartes' cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I am) can be placed antithetically to Marx's perception. The Cartesian proposition, which is translated as "I think, therefore I exist", subverts the Marxian hierarchy by attributing primacy to 'thinking'.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Longing For Right Action

I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Isaiah 43.25

Whatever defect I have of eye, of heart, of mind,

or whatever excess there is,

may Brihaspati remedy it.

Gracious to us be the Lord of the world.

Yajur Veda

Carry us across, as by a boat

across the sea, for our good,

Shining bright, drive away our sin.

Rig Veda

Without forgiveness life is governed by... an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation.

Roberto Assagioli

Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it forgoes revenge, and dares forgive an injury.

E H Chapin

Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.

Hannah Arendt

It is far easier to forgive an enemy after you"ve got even with him.

Olin Miller

He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven.

Thomas Fuller

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Quotes on Forgiveness

The Ramayana, the saga of Rama's life written by Valmiki, is widely acclaimed as among the greatest of all Indian epics. The narrative is regarded as a veritable treatise on social sciences, offering lessons that transcend both time and space. In fact, this famous Grantha carries useful tips on ethics and values, statecraft and politics, and even general and human resources management.

The Ramayana can serve as a useful reference book for those willing to learn. With Rama Rajya as a model for good governance, the Ramayana is a must read for practitioners of statecraft. More so, because much fuss is being made today over Ayodhya being the birthplace of Rama and the controversy over the building of a Ram temple at the Ramjanmabhoomi.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Ramayana's Tips for Good Governance

Para vidya alone can show us the path to eternal bliss. Mundane knowledge, which produces 'intellectualism"cannot confer wisdom on us. Even the most amazing of scientific and technological advances have failed to bring lasting happiness in our lives. The exponential increase in knowledge has,surprisingly, led to more conflicts and destruction.

Para vidya is transcendental knowledge, which leads to wisdom.

Apara vidya or secular knowledge merely enhances our vision of the outer world. Wisdom is perennial while knowledge is mainly informative and therefore transient. The former is stable, the latter, subject to change.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Para Vidya, Path To Eternal Bliss

Suryayog or Sun-meditation is one of the most rewarding and natural of all human activities, says Swami Surya Jowel. It produces wonderful results at all levels of our being - physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and spiritual.

It connects us with our very own inner powers of vitality, clarity, light and love. It removes blocks and so unfetters our natural abilities. It helps us to improve ourselves. Our relationships become centred, balanced, and more loving. It cultivates awareness and the quality of being alive. Suryayog is not just a technique for relaxation; it is the path of surrendering to the Absolute.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Relax and Surrender with Suryayog

Sankara's views on advaita are best encapsulated in the classic line from his Brahma-Sutra Bhasya: "Brahma satyam jagat mithya, Jiva brahmaiva naparah - the Brahma alone is real, the world illusory, the individual and universal soul are one."

Using everyday references to illustrate advaitic concepts, the Atmabodha, set in 68 verses, seeks to put the abstruse philosophy of the Brahma-Sutras within easy reach of the average person. Sankara begins by stating that the Atmabodha will serve as a primer to those desirous of liberation, equipped with the tools of discernment and renunciation.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Atamabodha - Path of Self-Enquiry

In the language of yoga, the purpose or the effect of continuous nada sadhana on the human mind is ananda - extreme bliss.

Nada, or sound, is divided into two parts - aahada and anhada, heard and unheard. Heard means that which is possible for you to hear 'through the physical ears', and unheard means 'felt', which is the condition of nada before it is musically shaped and regularised. Then come the shrutis, then swaras, notes, which from time to time have been explained by the masters.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Shunya to Nada Yoga - Journey of Peace

Once upon a time, a musk deer went searching for musk. Round and round the forest she went, month after month, quite unaware that the heady fragrance, so desperately sought by her, lay beneath her own belly button. Many times, we humans, too, behave like the musk deer. We search for self-realisation outside, blissfully unaware that it lies within us, all the while untapped.

To experience this bliss, however, the seeker has to put in a different sort of effort with regularity and devotion. One way lies through the world of forms, through the path of bhakti, where the seeker concentrates on any of the manifest forms of the Ultimate.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: The Ideal Way to Get Close to God - Bhakti

The computer era has popularised the term "solution". All metros now display advertisements and posters that offer a variety of solutions.

The names are equally enterprising: "Ideal Solutions", "Smart Solutions", "Party Solutions", "Curtain Solutions", "Critical Solutions"... the list is long. When the question is of one's well being, a superficial solution will not work.

Non-apprehension of Reality is the cause for all misapprehensions. A deluded mind creates misunderstandings. One who broods over the past mars the present which is what shapes the future.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: The Solution For Eternal Peace

Karmapa comes from the word karma or karmaka, which means activity. The Karmapas are the first to have realised successive reincarnations. This unbroken succession of masters who have preserved and transmitted the instructions of the Karma Kagyu tradition is referred to as the 'Golden Rosary".

Hence in the Kagyu lineage and practice, the oral teachings and the master-disciple relationship are of supreme significance.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: The Tradition of Harmonious Living - Karmapa

Can science and meditation, each dealing with different phenomena, have common ground? Physics deals with the external world of matter, space and time, from the giant galaxies in outer space down to the infinitesimally small particles which make up the atom.

Meditation looks inward; its domain is that which is not physical. When we close our eyes in meditation, we are cutting off the senses which connect us with the physical world. What we perceive at this time cannot be seen, heard, tasted, touched or smelled. We are investigating the nature of the inner consciousness which makes us alive, alert and aware of the world around us.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Physics Shows The Way To Consciousness - Meditation and Science

The future is unpredictable, so the end is unknown to us. This is the mystery of human life. Ancient wisdom had no hesitation in accepting this truth. But today, we find it difficult to accept.

T S Eliot lamented: "Where is the wisdom, we have lost in knowledge;/ Where is the knowledge, we have lost in information".

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Think Cosmic - Save the World

It is a truism that we are creatures of habit. Very soon what may have initially been a challenge becomes a routine and predictable affair.

We seem, by and large, to prefer it that way. Every now and then, however, comes a challenge that requires a supreme effort of will to absorb and routinise it - a life-shattering experience is one such instance. You are left with the shards of your life and have the task of rearranging the pieces. Instinctively, you want to recreate the past - but, like Humpty Dumpty, you find that this is an impossible task.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Embarking on an Incredible Journey