Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who founded the Transcendental Meditation technique, recently said that a great shift is about to take place in the world; a new paradigm is unfolding for faster progress. Maharishi said this great leap of progress for mankind will be a shift from "knowing to Being".

For generations, life has been lived on the level of "knowing" (I know this, I know that). But "Being" is the basis of knowing. The field of Being is infinitely more powerful than the surface level of "knowing". Physics tells us that more subtle levels of nature contain more intelligence, more power (the atomic level is more powerful than the molecular level).

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

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Knowing to Being - A Paradigm Shift

Who is a good human being? Charles Dickens said people were good and bad. But he couldn"t figure out what made them that way. Unfortunately, Dickens missed - by about 50 years - the revolution in psychology brought about by Sigmund Freud.

Freud believed an individual'spersonality was shaped in his infancy, with later influences having only a negligible impact. However, Freud erred in focusing on natural instincts to the exclusion of social structures.

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

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Goodness, a Lighter State of Being

In most religious scriptures, Shabd or the Word is referred to as the creator of the universe. It is a current from the ocean of pure consciousness that is characterised by ethereal and sublime sound vibration.

It is the all-pervading manifestation of God, the radiant sound current, and it is the connecting link between God and His creation. All the powers of nature depend on and work through Shabd.

(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 Wavelength Of Celestial Sound

Sage Narada had the knack of bringing about social change and spiritual growth wherever he went. Adored and respected by Lord Krishna, Narada employed different ways to bring people nearer to God. He convinced the dacoit Ratnakar to chant "Mara, Mara" - the reverse of "Rama, Rama" - helping him evolve enough to get transformed into a sage (Valmiki).

Narada taught five-year-old Dhruv how to meditate. The result? The Lord manifested Himself before Dhruv. Narada'spointer that all eight children of Devaki could be a threat to King Kansa'slife led to Kansa being killed and liberated at the hands of God. Somehow, Narada brings all to God.

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

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Divine Inspiration of Narada Bhakti Sutra

I've nursed a deep desire since childhood to see truth, face-to-face. I knew that truth would remain elusive unless I learnt to recognise the true nature of my own self and the world around me. But bookish knowledge did not take me any closer to this goal. Knowledge derived with the help of the senses is not entirely dependable, for our senses can deceive us.

Restless, I read the biographies of Jesus Christ, the Buddha, Ramakrishna, Mirabai, Mahatma Gandhi and others. Inspired, I tried to acquire qualities that could elevate me to a higher position. But it was not easy; I was young and passions and desires had me in their grip.

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

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Eternal Game of Hide-and-Seek

The word riyaz has its origins in r iyazat, which implies ibadat, bandagi, bhakti or devotion. If riyaz is performed with a spirit of devotion, the exercise becomes ibadat. But while r iyaz is rather mechanically equated with practice or exercise, the all-important difference is one of spirit. Riyaz is to achieve that which has not been achieved so far. For that, the student has to struggle with faith.

In the initial stages one might be less than sure whether one is correct in what one is doing. But that is the struggle! In the absence of faith, one's riyaz will be filled with doubt. Faith is of great importance in r iyaz . Practice with a doubt-ridden mind will achieve little.

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

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Divine Music Springs From the Soul

The season changes. In the midday sun, the squirrels multiply. One more troubled night passes in the shadow of unknown ghosts. The Koel and the Bulbul continue to call. You tell yourself, it's nothing. It will be a normal sort of day. It will pass.

You watch in wonder at the new white shoots dyed in pink and orange, sprouting out of the dry branch of the Bougainvillea. The Kesuda, erect, tall, thorny, stands shedding leaves in emptiness. It's red flowers, smooth as velvet, blossom in a bed of thorns. Blood flows in our city of sorrow. Clogging our lives with shrouds without forms. Bags of ashes stand alone and unattended like funerary stones. Columns of smoke lick the sky with demonic tongues of fire

(See also: Peace of Mind , 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: » Peace of Mind: Long Night of the Unsheathed  

Chanting mantras inspires the body to heal itself, the mind to become calm and the soul to grow strong. Chanting makes room for divine energies. Mantras are vibrations - they unlock hidden centres and help to dissolve the ego; they help us build invisible tools for shaping a better life. We start discovering resources within.

A young farmer, simple and ego-less, was rearing goats. One day a realised soul in ordinary attire visited him. The poor farmer welcomed him with respect without knowing that he was a great guru. Affectionately, he offered goat milk to the visitor. The guru left after some time. His blessings created a great spiritual armour around the farmer, unbeknownst to him.

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

Read more here: » Mantra Yoga: Transform Yourself With Mantra Yoga

Suryayog is a dynamic spiritual yoga which brings us in tune with nature and the inner self. We are drawn towards eternal light, from saguna swaroop to nirguna swaroop - from the human to the Supreme.

Suryayog is a meaningful way of life taught by Himalayan Masters and practised by yogis who survive without food and sustenance for days. They draw power from Surya or the Sun, whose vibrant energy transforms and changes the bio-electric powers in all beings, fusing body, prana, mind and soul into a divine experience of cosmic consciousness.

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

Read more here: » Suryayog: Surya, The Healer And Energiser

Consciousness is beauty and Creation is an expression of consciousness. Beauty is present in all creation. Eastern philosophy believes beauty is the nature of things, while western thought sees it as perception. Perhaps beauty is both subjective and objective.

The East emphasises subjectivity; it sees beauty as the nature of existence - as Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram, an objective phenomenon.

In the West, where objectivity is emphasised, beauty is seen as a subjective phenomenon. But as the old proverb goes, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Beauty bridges the subject-object divide.

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

Read more here: » Soundarya Lahiri: Soundarya Lahiri And Inner Beauty

Wars happen when intolerance reaches epic proportions, when the reasons for war become greater than the sanctity of peace. Wars happen when we fail to realise the value of being alive. World leaders try to bring peace, but it is not an issue of institutions. It is human beings who start wars. Before a war begins outside, it starts inside.

The war on the inside is more dangerous because it is a fire that may never be put out. Wars are being fought because peace is not being found within, because it is not being allowed to unfold.

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

Read more here: » Peace on Earth: Give Peace a Chance - Don't Go to War

Action is imperative for success and progress because otherwise, inactivity takes over and leads to devolution. Activity, however, can generate a lot of stress in the individual.

Progress, therefore, is risky. When progress is gained at the expense of peace of mind, it comes to lose its significance, because it does not translate into giving happiness. And to achieve happiness is the goal of all activity. So thereÕs a dilemma: How does one be dynamic and still achieve peace of mind?

Read more here: » Peace of mind: Stress-free Action Brings Peace and Joy

The ultimate solution to all problems - ecological, social and personal - lies within you. However, when you embark on that spiritual journey to go within, you will find that the solution is not sitting there, waiting to be discovered.

It is hidden away, made almost inaccessible, under the many-layered maya or illusion, that keeps you mired in ignorance. The spirit, obscured by this many-layered veil, is unable to reflect and know the nature of its true self.

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

Read more here: » Peace on Earth: Getting In Touch With Yourself

Mahavira, a great prophet and teacher, systematised the Jain doctrines and embodied them in a comprehensive constitution of the faith. He built the edifice of Jainism by renovation, modification and extension. Most of all, he infused new life and vitality into Arhata tradition.

In his own time, he was referred to in Buddhist literature as "Niggantha Naatputte "and his teachings were described as "Nirgrantha Dharma ", a way of life that found its truth in the universe and not in a single scripture.

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

Read more here: » Mahavira: Non-Violent Search For Supreme Truth

To be born a human being with the unique faculties of discrimination and choice is both a great blessing and a terrible curse. This is because exercising one's choice often creates conflicts.

One can neither live with conflict nor solve conflict through suppression or desensitising the mind temporarily - the conflicts simply resurface. So it seems that there is no permanent solution to conflict, and hence in this matter we are left with no choice. But should we give up so easily? Don't we deserve to be free from conflict?

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

Read more here: » Peace on Earth: Krishna's Advice for Resolving Conflict

The preamble to the United Nations Charter sums up the existential dilemma of today:

"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that defences of peace must be constructed".

 In a land where history had sought to be sketched in an arc from Gautama to Gandhi, it is appropriate reflect on such defences and revive them today when war and terrorism have cast their shadow on the world.

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

Read more here: » Peace on Earth: War and Peace

Faith - The Power to Move Mountains

Faith is an awesome force that can give us the power to accomplish the seemingly impossible. There are many well-known examples of the power of faith in action. Mother Theresa, for instance, always had faith that God would somehow provide the food, money and provisions she needed to continue her service to the poorest of the poor. Writings about her work are filled with miracle stories of how the things she needed showed up exactly when she needed them, often in the most surprising ways.

Read more here: » Faith: The Power to Move Mountains - Faith

Ending Poverty Consciousness

Definition number one of "poverty" in the American Heritage Dictionary is: "The state of being poor; lack of the means of providing material needs or comforts." It is further defined as "deficiency in amount; scantiness; unproductiveness; infertility."

By "poverty consciousness," I mean the set of attitudes and beliefs and feelings and values associated with material lack or fear of material lack. Poverty consciousness equals a belief in limitation, and almost always includes fear.

Read more here: » Poverty Consciousness: Ending Poverty Consciousness

We must set a positive goal of where we want to go. Without this positive goal, we're like a driver who gets in the car and just starts driving around, looking for who knows what. Look at people you know well, and you'll see lots of these types of "drivers." They don't like the relationship, job or home they're in, but they've not yet determined what they want instead. They drive in circles and never really go anywhere.

Read more here: » Setting Goals: Driving Toward Success - Tips for Working with Spiritual Law when Setting Goals

The world over, women continue to suffer community-sponsored injustice, whether they live in a secular or non-secular country. We can know how progressive a community is, by the way it treats its women.

Shocked at the condition of Indian women, Swami Vivekananda said that there was no reason to view women as being inferior to men or as obstacles to salvation - contrary to popular misconception, there is no scriptural sanction for oppressing women.

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

Read more here: » Peace on Earth: Shanti Alone Can Help Save Shakti

Buddhism advocates tolerance - to accept that there are differences in human experiences; that diversity is part of life, whether in experiences, cultural backgrounds or religions/faiths. Buddhism is the religion of compassion, mercy and forgiveness for all life forms.

It does not preach the superiority of its belief systems over those of other religions, nor does it believe in any sort of hierarchical ordering of faith systems; it does not discriminate against anyone, least of all on account of faith or belief. The recognition and embracement of diversity and pluralism and the resulting absence of any coercive or violent means for proselytising is the very essence of the humanism of Buddhism.

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

Read more here: » Peace on Earth: Compassion and Peace Go Hand in Hand

Recently, this sentence stopped me short: "Before we can live in peace, we have to be able to imagine, to image peace." On similar lines, sculptor and activist Dana Toomey writes of how once, reading the newspaper, she counted 50 different kinds of war around the globe.

Why is it when most of us want peace, war is so prevalent, she wondered. Trying to envision a new culture without war, she asked herself - since humanity has never experienced life without violence, what would peace be like? How would we get the things we want? Who would be our heroes? Is anyone or anything pointing the way?

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

Read more here: » Peace on Earth: Waging Peace Through Constructive Images