New Years Rituals

New Years Rituals
BY BARBARA BIZIOU

Each New Year millions of people make resolutions to do things
differently. Because cultures from around the world understand that
the New Year is an opportunity to spiritually turn the wheel of the
year and begin anew this is the perfect time to look at areas that
need adjustment.

Take the time to do rituals of purification and closure to prepare
for a new vision to manifest. As we move into the year 2005, more
than ever, it is crucial to take the time to acknowledge our
experiences with joy and grief. We must strive to bring balance and
harmony into our lives so we can imbue the coming year with the
qualities that we most desire.

Turn this holiday into a meaningful occasion.
You'll be surprised how easy it is to turn holiday occasions that you
normally take for granted or move through without thinking into a
meaningful ritual. Instead of just coming up with guest list and
planning the usual gathering for the New Year, if you slow down,
realize that you're taking part in a time-honored tradition that
connects you to your past, and concentrate on your intention--to
commemorate an important holy day--you will get deeper meaning and a
greater sense of connectedness out of each occasion.

New Years Ritual:
Spend the day on December 31st by taking some time to be quiet and
reflect on the year that is drawing to a close. Think about the
people that mattered most to you, your greatest accomplishment,
challenging difficulties and the lessons you learned.

Take a purification bath. Scrub yourself with sea salt and wash
yourself thoroughly in the water. Feel free to anoint yourself with
your favorite oil or perfume.

Contemplate the patterns in your life that keep you stuck. Write down
the limiting beliefs or habits that you wish to leave behind with the
old year. In a fireproof bowl or fireplace, safely burn the paper. As
the paper burns, be aware that you have just made space for new ideas
people, and opportunities to enter your life. Carefully, throw out
the ashes when they cool.

Light a candle for those who have passed on to spirit.
Light a candle for your new potential in the coming year.
Light a candle to acknowledge the earth.
Contribute to your community by planting a tree, helping a homeless
family or baking cookies for your local nursing home.

Share your holiday with others: invite friends to a New Year's
ceremony that honors your individual path. Have each person light a
candle and share his or her vision for the year. It is powerful to
have witnesses to your dreams.

Take five minutes to focus on peace- have each person light a candle
for peace and healing. Play inspirational music

Dance, sing and celebrate life.

Forgive, forgive, forgive- end the old year by opening your heart to
yourself and others.

During Tashlich, the Hebrew ritual for Rosh Hashanah (New Year), Jews
throw bread into moving water as a symbol of releasing the previous
years's transgressions. The bread feeds the fish and birds so it is
also a way to connect to all of God's creatures. Yom Kippur, the
Jewish Day of Atonement, is a time to fast and contemplate the past
year and any transgressions one has committed. You ask forgiveness of
anyone you have harmed in words, deeds or action in the past year.
Traditionally you ask the person personally three times. If they do
not respond you then turn it over to God.

In Bali, the day before the New Year. All statues of the Deity are
taken to the water for purification ceremonies. Great processions of
people walk to the river or ocean and offer prayers. A great ceremony
is held where you make as much noise as possible to appease the gods,
because on the actually day of the New Year (Nyep) the entire island
is in silence. One prays and meditates on the coming year. Even the
airports are closed.

In China, it is important to pay all debts before the year begins so
you can start off fresh. Families clean their homes thoroughly to
release any traces of bad luck from the past year. On New Year's Eve
it is important to put purifying herbs like crushed lime leaves into
the bath water.
New Year's day is filled with huge parades and processions including
dancing dragons that are associated with long life and prosperity.
People bring in lucky plants and flowers like the Kumquat trees and
peach blossoms to decorate their homes. All Chinese children and
people who are not married are given money in special red envelopes
to bring good luck for the coming year.

Watch your head in an Italian town on New Year's eve, because the
inhabitants literally do "out with the old" by throwing unwanted
possessions from their windows. Everything that lands on the pavement
is up for grabs, making street shopping a fun part of the night's
activity.

For good luck in the coming year, some cultures throw money into the
house the first time that they enter after the New Year has begun. If
you are staying home, go to your front door at 12:01 am and throw
coins into the front door. Keep them there for 24 hours and then
place them on your altar or give them away to the needy.

Many years ago the Bulgarian master Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov told me
that the first 12 days of January represent the whole year. January
1st stands for the month of January, January 2nd stands for February
and so on. By practicing loving kindness, openness, and generosity
while giving thoughtful attention to the significance of each day,
you will consecrate the coming year.

In the African tradition, divinations are made on New Years for the
coming year. Luisah Teish, in Carnival of the Spirit says that in the
African Diaspora there is a tradition of divining for the coming
year. Divination may be done for individual, groups or the world. It
is both will-directed and destiny-directed prophecy. Pam nuts, kola
nuts, or cowry shells are cast to determine what natural occurrences
(earth quakes, tidal waves) and what human tendencies (fear,
communion) are most likely to manifest in the coming year. We ask
what do the deities have in store for us and how are we to conduct
ourselves. These predictions are made and the diviner prescribes
various rituals to be performed throughout the year in order to
receive blessings and avert danger.

Barbara Biziou, author of The Joys of Everyday Rituals

Energy Healing 101: Pranic, Tantric, and Reiki

You have probably come across exotic-sounding terms such as “chakra”, “prana”, “aura”, and “tantra” in your course of reading books on spirituality, sex, and healing in the New Age literature section of the bookstore. But what’s the real scoop behind these exotic vocabularies?

Are All Energy Healings the Same?

Chakra or energy center is a term used in Pranic healing, an ancient Hindu system of energy healing. “Prana” means life energy. “Aura” is another terminology traced to Pranic healing. Aura is a non-physical body that consists of energy, which exists along with our physical body. The aura that covers our body is said to have seven layers pertaining to the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of an individual as manifested by energy. Studying the color and thickness of auras give ideas on the state of health of individuals. Six colors are associated with aura and interpreted into six personalities. These colors are all present in an individual but one or two are more pronounced.
Green – ambitious achiever
Blue – spiritual peacemaker
White – unconventional chameleon
Red – activist
Orange – creative communicator
Violet - psychic

Although Tantra is popularly associated with the peculiar practice of sex and spirituality, it is another method of energy healing. It comes from the word “tan” which means to spread or expand. The concept of connectedness is a recurring theme in Tantric writings on sex and spirituality. As a method of healing, spirituality and sex figure prominently. It is presupposed that the union of man and woman can reach spiritual levels during orgasm, which removes the body and mind off collected impurities. These impurities being negative energies can in turn manifest as physical illnesses.

Unlike Pranic and Tantric healings, which have Hindu origins, Reiki originated from Japan. It is relatively younger than Pranic and Tantric healings having been rediscovered in the early 1900’s. Reiki stands for universal energy, an energy brought forth by higher intelligence. Students of Reiki are taught how to tap this energy to heal physical, emotional, and mental illnesses.

Although Pranic, Tantra, and Reiki are all systems of energy healing, they differ in the type of energy tapped for healing: life energy, sexual energy, and universal energy respectively.

The concepts of the connectedness of mind, body, and spirit; the connection of individuals to all living and nonliving things around them and to the universe; and how energy impacts physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are some of the salient similarities of these three healing methods.

Why Do People Turn to Energy Healing?

Pranic, Tantric, and Reiki are considered alternative methods of healing. In spite of the availability and relative accessibility of modern medicine, how come more and more people are being drawned to them? Here are some possible reasons:

· Energy healing worked where modern medicine failed.

For several reasons both explainable and unexplainable, modern medical treatment failed to heal ailments and conditions in several if not many persons. Research or data may not be able to support this statement. But for the families of the dying as well as for the dying patient, they would take the risk of using alternative methods ranging from herbals and organics, faith healers, witch doctors, and New Age healing techniques just to be get well.

· People perceive modern medicine to be isolating.

Medical treatments are oftentimes focused on the disease and its causative agent, which can make a patient feel isolated and treated like a mere host of the disease. Although recent developments in hospital practice are gradually promoting the holistic treatment of a patient, the perception still persists. Unlike in energy healing, since energy and spirituality are intimately linked, the patient feels that all aspects of his health are being attended to.

· Energy healing is non-obtrusive and natural thus it is safer.

Repeated surgical procedures are physically and emotionally traumatic for most patients. It is but a logical and attractive option to both patient and families to look for less stressful health interventions. Moreover, with the rising popularity of New Age religions, going natural is the way to go.

· Energy healing is a good way of relieving stress.

Meditation is part and parcel of energy healing methods and this is an added come-on for highly stressed people. Moreover, sophisticated equipment is not required thus it becomes all the more convenient for students and future students of energy healing.

The battle between alternative healing and mainstream medicine continues as both present the benefits of their approach. But in the final analysis, what matters is the restoration of good health.

The Sweet Power Spot BEFORE Winter Solstice

It is that magical time of the year again, my favorite. We get to sink into the
dark, mysterious arms of the Dark Goddess, who then rebirths the Light God of
the Sun. I am speaking of course of Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the
year, when the six month Great Cycle of Yin magically turns into the six month
Great Cycle of Yang.

This solstice event has been recognized by many major religions as expressing
some divine power, and they have aligned their major holy-day celebrations
around it. Its interesting that they chose winter solstice over summer solstice
- perhaps the need of patriarchal religions to honor their yin side and process
of maternal birthing. Thus did the Romans declare that Jesus was born around
this time, and so on.

The Taoists simply stuck to the natural facts, since that suited their natural
cosmology - no need to dress it up with a humanized divinity. Why not just have
each human being BE that divinity? Well, if you are like the typical excess-yang
Westerner, who is stuck in a dominant head mode, it is not so easy to experience
your body as that divinity. It takes a lot of qigong or other body centered
practice and body-centered meditation like inner alchemy to get deeply in touch
with that Dark Goddess.

This year we have a special opportunity to tap into a Triple Yin cycle, the
conjunction of the maximum Yin points of the solar, lunar, and earthly cycles.
We know the darkest point of the solar cycle is Thursday, Dec. 21. We always can
choose to celebrate solstice at the darkest moment of the earthly day cycle,
which is midnight of any given day. But this year we have the unusual near
conjunction of the new (dark) moon on the day before winter solstice: Wednesday,
Dec. 20 at 10 am Eastern Daylight Time.

This triple conjunction creates a very powerful "sweet spot" in this year's
natural cycle - a kind of an orgasm of dark light. A dark moon, a darkened sun,
and the darkness of midnight as the earth spins and births a new day. If we stay
up until midnight of Dec. 20, we can celebrate all three dark cycles at the same
moment. (Some might argue for Tuesday night going into the new moon, which could
also work).

This month’s New Moon is in Sagittarius, in Western astrology a great time to
initiate a quest of some kind, whether it’s inner or outer. And the Sun just
passed through a conjunction with Pluto on Dec. 18. Although recently demoted to
"planetoid" status, tiny Pluto is still considered to symbolize our deepest
spiritual will at the outer reaches of our solar system. Pluto will be conjunct
with the massive black hole at the Milky Way's Galactic Center on Dec. 29, so
its passing presence can be expected to intensify this solstice event as well.

If we do our ceremony at that triple-dark moment on midnight Dec. 20, we can
plant our seed-intention deep into the womb of darkness, when it is most fertile
and fecund. Farmers know well that if you plant by the new moon, the earth chi
is stronger and your crops grow much bigger. (It's not a superstition, but a
fact supported by numerous studies). Similarly, if like the farmer we plant a
seed using ceremonial movement, a focused thought, a strong feeling, a color
seen within and our breath released without - the Life Force will more
powerfully respond to our request. The Life Force will hear us more clearly,
because our intention has penetrated so deeply into the womb of Nature.


The Power of Physical Movement in Ritual

I feel the most powerful ceremony includes a ritual qigong (chi kung)
form. The movement of the physical body invokes your deepest soul essence
(jing) if you are deeply centered while moving. When you combine a
movement ritual with specific intention, it becomes nei kung
(neigong), or "internal skill in cultivating the life force".

My favorite ceremonial form is one developed by the Taoist sage Chang
San Feng, the creator of the original tai chi form and its esoteric
sister, wuji gong. Wuji gong I translate as Primordial Chi Kung or Tai
Chi for Enlightenment. (For more about its origins and efficacy, see
www.taichi-enlightenment.com. Its available in dvd or video, and has
an optional audio training as well).

The Yang family tai chi chi kung 8 movements/5 directions form taught
by Mantak Chia is also a lovely ceremonial form, and very grounded. It
circles left and right and interacts with the chi of all five
directions. But it doesn't evoke as much heaven chi as wuji gong does.

The Deep Healing Qigong form (available on dvd) is also very
ceremonial in nature. It faces all the directions and harmonizes the
center of the Sun with the deep center of the Earth Being. Doing just
one of its six movements - the three part mandala of Sun-Earth exchange
- transports me into an altered state. It's called medical qigong
simply because it was developed with that intention. But it could be
directed to any other goal, or used to add power to a solstice
ceremony.

You don't have to know a qigong form, although doing the same form
every solstice/equinox is more powerful. Using the same form
"programs" and empowers your energy body to contact the yuan chi at
those times. It helps to capture/embody the elusive yuan chi, which
our polarized egos don't want to notice because it threatens our
illusory belief that we are an island. Original Chi is boundary-less,
so it challenges our belief that the energy we feel is uniquely
'mine", under "my" control.

The truth is no one owns the chi field, and it is not controlled by
any one deity or external agent/God. It just IS. It is self-generating
and self-regulating. Everyone can use its abundance if we have the
skill to do it. We use it unconsciously all the time. But if we
consciously use it to promote harmony and balance in our life, the Tao
will give us more chi to play with. If we abuse it or over control for
selfish ends, a natural contraction occurs. We will face increased
resistance in our life and chi flow, resulting possibly in suffering,
disease, or death.

And So This Is Christmas

And So This Is Christmas
By Cindy Sheehan
t r u t h o u t Guest Contributor

Monday 25 December 2006

And so this is Christmas,
And what have you done?
Another year over,
A new one just begun.
- John Lennon

Today is the 21st birthday of my youngest child, Janey. It is the third birthday that she has "celebrated" since her oldest sibling, Casey, was killed in Iraq. My other son, Andy, turned 21 the year Casey was killed. Carly, my oldest daughter, turned 24 the year after Casey was killed ... the same age he was when BushCo sent him to die in their oil war for profit. In the one letter that Casey was writing three days before he was killed in the ambush that took the lives of six other soldiers, he expressed regret that he wouldn't be home for Janey's high school graduation that June. Little did we know that he would be home, buried in his "final resting place," forever.

Christmas 2006 will be the third Christmas that our family has endured since the death of Casey. The holiday season is hard for so many people as evidenced by the skyrocketing number of suicides and suicide attempts. Many people feel lonely and separated from joyous events, and the orgy of consumerism that now is the "reason for the season." Especially since Christmas 2003 was the last time we saw Casey alive, this season is so difficult for our family. Imagine getting out the boxes of Christmas decorations and pulling out your dead child's stocking or "Baby's First Christmas, 1979" ornament. Well, the Sheehan family and almost 3,000 other American families don't have to imagine the pain - we deal with the trauma 24/7; Christmas, birthdays, graduations, weddings, births, anniversaries, will never, ever, be the same for us again.

2006 was a year of ups and downs for our family and for the nation. Despite the facts, the criminal and corrupt occupation of Iraq continues unabated, and in fact - worsens on an hourly basis. Body bags are coming home from the Middle East in the dark of night at a steady clip, and our troops are being grievously wounded for no other reason than to reward the CEOs of the war profiteers with phenomenal holiday bonuses. Our children are being sacrificed like Christmas turkeys so the turkeys in the White House can strut around and posture like dictators of banana republics.

With the transfer of power in the legislative branch of Congress, our nation has a unique opportunity for true change in 2007. But with the Democratic leadership cozying up to the killers who have led our country down a path of destruction in the name of "bipartisanship" - which in this case can only be truthfully called criminal collusion - we have little hope of the change that we the people voted overwhelmingly for this past November.

The best holiday presents for my family, our nation and the world, would be for the troops to speedily and safely exit from Iraq and for BushCo to be held accountable for their crimes against our Constitution and humanity. These gifts, however, will not be realized unless the grassroots community who put the Democrats back in power redouble our efforts for peace and accountability.

A very Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year,
Let's hope it's a good one,
Without any fear.

As Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." An out-of-control Executive Branch, threatening to send more troops to Iraq and another battleship group to the Persian Gulf - to intimidate Iran and perhaps incite an attack from that country that would justify another war - is not the only thing the world has to fear. I am also afraid that the recent electoral victory of the Democratic Party will lead to complacency in the grassroots movement. May I remind everyone that the Democrats have started more wars in the last century than the Republicans - and all war is wrong, no matter what political party or which politician starts it. We have to do more than "hope" for a good 2007. We have to stay vigilant and motivated, and constantly remind our employees in DC who they work for and what we expect from them. The Democrats cannot be afraid to end the monstrosity that BushCo has perpetrated on the world. Our nation and the nation of Iraq demand heroes.

We have to be the ones who give our leaders the courage to do the right thing.

War is over, if you want it,
War is over, if you want it.
War is over, war is over,
If YOU work for peace.

Free Holiday E-Book

I have a nice ebook about holiday traditions that I would like to give to you absolutely FREE of charge. Please email me dottye789@earthlink.net to get your copy.

George Harrison~hard to believe it's been 5 years...

Hare Krishna George...we miss you, mate!

TELL WALMART: STOP SELLING RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE FOR CHRISTMAS.

What's Wal-Mart promoting this holiday season? The religious right's extreme ideology.

Just in time for Christmas, the religious right has released a violent video game in which born-again Christians aim to convert or kill those who don't adhere to their extreme ideology. The video game, "Left Behind: Eternal Forces," is based on the apocalyptic "Left Behind" novels - written and promoted by religious right leader Tim LaHaye. Despite the violent, intolerant message being marketed to children, Wal-Mart, the nation's #1 video game seller, is selling the "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game - just in time for the holidays!

Take action now and urge Wal-Mart to stop selling religious violence this holiday season.

"Left Behind: Eternal Forces" takes place in New York City, shortly after the rapture. Gamers are charged with creating Christian militias who roam the streets of New York City, looking to convert non-believers and killing those who they are unable to draw to their side. In fact, after particularly bloody battles, players must use prayer to recharge their "soul points" that have been diminished by the killing.

Most disturbing is the game's apparent attempt at religious indoctrination - aimed at children and focused on violent, divisive, and hateful scenarios.

The game has outraged progressive and conservative Christians alike, and despite the religious right's typical opposition to violent video games, "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" has not generated any criticism from this group and in fact gained a gleaming review from a Focus on the Family affiliated website this week.

While the religious right apparently has no problem pushing the product this holiday season, America's #1 video game seller should know better.

Click here and urge Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott to stop selling our kids religious violence.

Post-purchase deity evaluation form

Post-Purchase Deity Evaluation Form

God would like to thank you for your belief and patronage. In order to better serve your needs, (S)He asks that you take a few moments to answer the following questions:

1. How did you find out about your deity?

__ Newspaper
__ Bible
__ Torah
__ Koran
__ Television
__ Book of Mormon
__ Divine Inspiration
__ Dead Sea Scrolls
__ My Mama Done Tol' Me
__ Near Death Experience
__ Near Life Experience
__ National Public Radio
__ Tabloid
__ Burning Shrubbery
__ Other (specify): _____________

2. Which model deity did you acquire?

__ Jehovah
__ Jesus
__ Krishna
__ Father, Son & Holy Ghost [Trinity Pak]
__ Zeus and entourage [Olympus Pak]
__ Odin and entourage [Valhalla Pak]
__ Allah
__ Satan
__ Gaia/Mother Earth/Mother Nature
__ God 1.0a (Hairy Thunderer)
__ God 1.0b (Cosmic Muffin)
__ None of the above, I was taken in by a false god

3. Did your God come to you undamaged, with all parts in good working order and with no obvious breakage or missing attributes?

__ Yes
__ No

If no, please describe the problems you initially encountered here. Please indicate all that apply:

__ Not eternal
__ Finite in space/Does not occupy or inhabit the entire cosmos
__ Not omniscient
__ Not omnipotent
__ Not infinitely plastic (incapable of being all things to all creations)
__ Permits sex outside of marriage
__ Prohibits sex outside of marriage
__ Makes mistakes
__ Makes or permits bad things to happen to good people
__ Makes or permits good things to happen to bad people
__ Looks after life other than that on Earth
__ When beseeched, doesn't stay beseeched
__ Requires burnt offerings
__ Requires virgin sacrifices

4. What factors were relevant in your decision to acquire a deity? Please check all that apply.

__ Indoctrinated by parents
__ Needed a reason to live
__ Indoctrinated by society
__ Needed focus in whom to despise
__ Needed focus in whom to love
__ Imaginary friend grew up
__ Hate to think for myself
__ Wanted to meet girls/boys in church
__ Fear of death
__ Wanted to piss off parents
__ Wanted to please parents
__ Needed a day away from school or work
__ Desperate need for certainty
__ Like organ music
__ Need to feel morally superior
__ Thought Jerry Falwell was cool
__ Thought there had to be something other than Jerry Falwell
__ @#%$ was falling out of the sky
__ My shrubbery caught fire and told me to do it

5. Have you ever worshipped a deity before? If so, which false god were you fooled by? Please check all that apply.

__ Baal
__ The Almighty Dollar
__ Left Wing Liberalism
__ The Radical Right
__ Amon Ra
__ Beelzebub
__ Bill Gates
__ Barney The Big Purple Dinosaur
__ The Great Spirit
__ The Great Pumpkin
__ The Sun
__ The Moon
__ The Force
__ Cindy Crawford
__ Elvis
__ A burning shrub
__ Psychiatry
__ Other: ________________

6. Are you currently using any other source of inspiration in addition to God? Please check all that apply.

__ Tarot
__ Lottery
__ Astrology
__ Television
__ Fortune cookies
__ Ann Landers
__ Psychic Friends Network
__ Dianetics
__ Palmistry
__ Playboy and/or Playgirl
__ Self-help books
__ Sex, drugs, and rock & roll
__ Biorhythms
__ Alcohol
__ Marijuana
__ Bill Clinton
__ Tea Leaves
__ EST
__ Amway
__ CompuServe
__ Mantras
__ Jimmy Swaggert
__ Crystals
__ Human sacrifice
__ Pyramids
__ Wandering around a desert
__ Insurance policies
__ Burning shrubbery
__ Barney T.B.P.D.
__ Barney Fife
__ Other:_____________________
__ None

7. God reputedly employs a limited degree of Divine Intervention to preserve a balanced level of felt presence and blind faith. Which would you prefer? Circle one below:

a. More Divine Intervention
b. Less Divine Intervention
c. Current level of Divine Intervention is just right
d. Don't know.
e. What's Divine Intervention?

8. God also reputedly attempts to maintain a balanced level of disasters and miracles. Please rate on a scale of 1 - 5 your opinion of the handling of the following (1 =unsatisfactory, 5 = excellent):

a. Disasters:
1 2 3 4 5 flood
1 2 3 4 5 famine
1 2 3 4 5 earthquake
1 2 3 4 5 war & holocausts
1 2 3 4 5 pestilence
1 2 3 4 5 plague
1 2 3 4 5 Spam
1 2 3 4 5 AOL

b. Miracles:
1 2 3 4 5 rescues
1 2 3 4 5 spontaneous remissions
1 2 3 4 5 stars hovering over tiny towns & previously unknown hamlets
1 2 3 4 5 crying statues
1 2 3 4 5 water changing to wine
1 2 3 4 5 walking on water
1 2 3 4 5 coincidence of any sort
1 2 3 4 5 getting any sex whatsoever

9. From time to time God reputedly makes available the names and addresses of Her/His followers and devotees to selected reputedly divine personages who provide quality services and perform intercessions in His behalf. Are you interested in a compilation of listed offerings?

__ Yes, please deluge me with religious zealots for the benefit of my own mortal soul
__ No, I do not wish to be inundated by religious fanatics clamouring for my money

10. Do you have any additional comments or suggestions for improving the quality of God's services? (Attach an additional sheet if necessary.)

Aztec Religion

Like all the Mexican peoples, the Aztecs worshiped a multitude of gods, each of whom demanded offerings and sacrifices. Above all, the Aztecs considered themselves the chosen people of HUITZILOPOCHTLI, the sun and war god, in whose name they were destined to conquer all rival nations. Huitzilopochtli shared the main temple at Tenochtitlan with Tlaloc, the rain god, important to the farmers in a land where drought was a constant threat. Another important god was QUETZALCOATL, the feathered serpent, patron of arts and crafts and the god of self- sacrifice. Religion was ever present. Each place and each trade had its patron deity: each day, and each division of the day, was watched over by its own god. Priests were expected to live in chastity, to mortify their flesh, and to understand astronomy, astrology, the complex rituals and ceremonies, and the art of picture writing. Games also formed part of the religious ritual. A popular ball game was lachtli, in which a small rubber ball had to be struck by the hips or thighs and knocked across a special court. In another ritual game, men attired as birds and attached to ropes were slung in a wide circle around a pole.

The official state religion of the soldiers and noblemen was concerned primarily with the great and powerful gods: the creators, the solar deities, the patrons of the warrior orders. By contrast, the common people seem to have preferred the lesser, more accessible gods: the patrons of the craft guilds, the protectors of local shrines, and the deities who looked after the things of everyday life. For everyone, however, rich or poor, each month of the Aztec calendar had its festival, with music, dancing, processions, and sacrifices. All this came to an end with the Spanish conquest and the introduction of the Christian religion, although at the peasant level certain traditions from the Aztec heritage still survive in modern Mexico.

Evening With A Pagan

Over 25,000 years ago, our ancestors across the continent practiced an ancient form of religion known as paganism. During the Neolithic and Paleolithic time era, our ancestors were in awe of the great manifestations of nature. Due to lack of scientific thought, they were riddled with ignorance and superstition. Everything had a supernatural explanation.

They associated each naturalistic phenomenon with a type of god, inscribing inanimate objects with life -like characteristics .This practice is referred to as animism. Every element, be it thunder ,rain or the sun ,was thought to be a god (or goddess) within it. Eventually their gods became an object of worship known as polytheism. Eventually many forms of polytheism evolved to what is known as paganism.
Modern Paganism

Now defined as the worship of a god or goddess whose roots are in pre-Christian Western Europe. Modern paganism is alive and well today. It consists of many sub-divisions .These include ~Wicca, Druidism Santeria and many others. Wicca focuses on the worship of a god and goddess .In Wicca, there is a plethora of pantheon of deities that one can choose from including: Greek, Norse, Roman etc...... Focusing on a Greek Wiccan tradition, this will be describing the pagan festival of Hectate.

The Festival of Hecate
The festival of Hecate is celebrated between the 3rd and 4th Saturday of August. (which ever is closest to the new moon) It is in honor of the Greek goddess Hecate. She was first worshipped in ancient Greece -called the triple goddess of magic. She is often represented in triple form ; maiden (youth) ,mother (fertility) and crone (the wise woman). In ancient Rome ,she was known as trevia ,the cross road with three paths. Hecate is symbolized by the phases of the moon. Each attribute correlates with a particular phase of the moon. The waxing moon (maiden),the full moon (mother) and the new moon( crone).

The Ceremony~ Upon arrival at the festival in Georgetown Delaware, everyone gathers for the lecture. This is to educate the newcomers as to what the ceremony entails. The ceremony is always rehearsed before it is performed. After the lecture, there is a large potluck feast to keep everyone energized for the evenings festivities. The processional~ When the sun sets, the processional begins. With everyone in their appropriate magical attire,(consisting of a robe and jewelry) everyone lines up proceeds with the first phase. This is called consecration- each person is consecrated. This is done by covering the body in incense smoke and sprinkling of water. This is a purification process that cleanses the body of negative energy prior to the ritual. Next each person is permitted to enter the circle one by one. Once everyone is inside the circle, the next phase begins. Calling of the quarters~ At this point,the high priest/priestess begins the calling of the quarters or summoning the elements. Each direction is marked by an altar and each is represented by an element. West =air, east=water , north=earth and south=fire. The high priest approaches each point, says a chant and ends the chant with the phrase ““hail and welcome””. After the elements are called , the highpoint of the ritual begins ~ the invocation.

The Invocation
The invocation is where the goddess is invited to attend the ceremony. The invitation is done through a series of chants. Ex: ““He Kau ,He Kau , He Kau”” Hecate trevia trimorphos Hecate queen of the moon and all her phases”” 3 X’’s (Hek a ta) Next 3 women are chosen to represent Hecate ,each representing one of her aspects.(they are chosen prior to the ritual) The maiden is in white (purity) the mother in red (fertility) and crone in black(wisdom) These women remain in the circle. At this point the goddess speaks to the participants .Each one gives a brief message ,usually a blessing or advice. Once the crone has finished, each participant is invited to approach any of the three forms and speak to them. They may ask for advice, an offering or a boon. Once everyone has had their turn to speak with Hecate, the group becomes silent. The goddess is thanked and dismissed. Sometimes during a ritual a participant may feel a bit overwhelmed with the energy that has been raised. It is for this reason ,that the next phase ,called grounding takes place. This is done by simply placing the hands on the ground and releasing the energy. Once the grounding has been performed,it is time to close the quarters or dismiss the elements. Like the opening , the high priest approaches each element ,says a chant but this time ends with ““hail and farewell”” Once the elements are dismissed, it is time to close the circle. This is done by the whole group.

Closing the Circle
A special chant is recited to close the circle: ““The circle is closed but yet unbroken, Merry meet, merry part ,and merry meet again. Blessed Be!”” At this time ,each participant leaves the circle exiting from the point at which they entered. Again feasting of food commences, along with spirited conversation. Religious ceremonies play an integral role in our society. Paganism fills the social,physical and cognitive role that mainstream religions provide.

Bhagavad-Gita

The Bhagavad-Gita begins with the preparation of battle between the two opposing sides: on the left stands the collected armies of the one hundred sons of Dhritarashtra and on the right lies the soldiers of the Pandava brothers. Warring relatives feuding over the right to govern the land of Kurukshetra, both forces stand poised and ready to slaughter one another. The warrior Arjuna, leader of the Pandava armies, readies himself as his charioteer, the god Krishna, steers toward the opposition when the armies are ready to attack. Arjuna stops Krishna short before the two sides clash together. Hesitation and pity creeps into Arjuna’s heart as he surveys his family and relatives on the other side; he loses his will to win at the cost of the lives he still loves. As Arjuna sets down his bow and prepares for his own death, the god Krishna begins his council with Arjuna, where Krishna uses various ideas on action, self-knowledge, and discipline to reveal to Arjuna the freedom to be attained from the suffering of man once Arjuna finds his devotion to Krishna. Before Krishna begins his teachings, Arjuna analyzes his emotions and describes to Krishna the way his heart feels. “Krishna, I seek no victory, or kingship or pleasures” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 25). Arjuna admits that he stands to gain nothing of real worth from the war. He knows he cannot consciously triumph over family for his own wealth and glory. “We [Pandava brothers] sought kingships, delights, and pleasures for the sake of those assembled to abandon their lives and fortunes in battle” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 25). Arjuna continues on to state that once the family is destroyed and family duty is lost, only chaos is left to overcome what remains.

He goes so far as to describe how chaos swells to corrupt even the women in the families, creating disorder in society. Arjuna tells Krishna that the punishment for men who undermine the duties of the family are destined for a place in hell. Finally, Arjuna asks Krishna which is right: the tie to sacred duty or reason? Krishna begins his explanation by stating that all life on earth is indestructible. “Never have I not existed, nor you, nor these kings; and never in the future shall we cease to exist” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 31). Because life has always been, reasons Krishna, then how can man kill or be killed when there is no end to the self? Also, Krishna tells Arjuna that his emotions of sorrow and pity are fleeting, and that endurance is all that is necessary to outlast the temporary thoughts. “If you fail to wage this war of sacred duty, you will abandon your own duty and fame only to gain evil” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 34). Krishna reinforces the idea of dharma, reminding Arjuna of the consequences faced when one does not fulfill the duty set before him. “Your own duty done imperfectly is better than another man’s done well. It is better to die in one’s own duty, another man’s duty is perilous” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 46). Doing one’s job poorly is preferable to doing another’s well. Even if talents lie in a different area, the duty one is assigned to is the responsibility of the individual. Failure of Arjuna to abide by his duty would have a profound effect on his worldly life as well. Enemies would slander Arjuna and companions would lose faith and respect in the man they once held in such high favor. If Arjuna loses his life, then he gains heaven and if he wins then he gains the earth; thus there is no need for Arjuna to fear for his own fate. To complete his sacred duty, Arjuna must perform the necessary actions for the duty to be achieved. “Be intent on action, not on the fruits of action; avoid attractions to the fruits and attachment to inaction!” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 36). In the third teaching, the abstinence from action fails because one cannot merely reject one’s actions and find success. Inaction threatens the well-being of the physical body, warns Krishna. Discovered through techniques like yoga and inner reflection, action allows the freedom of the self to be found and attained. Once Arjuna loses desire in the consequences of his actions, then a new kind of discipline can be realized. Understanding, rated superior to action by the god Krishna, provides the necessary tools to perform the skills needed to execute the action. Krishna warns Arjuna that this understanding can be lost once man begins a downward process by lusting after pleasurable objects which creates desire, and from desire anger is born, from anger arises confusion, from confusion comes memory loss, and from this the loss of understanding, signaling the ruin of man. Krishna blames Arjuna’s current emotions on worldly desires, and encourages Arjuna to seek a detachment from these worldly ties, so that the duty may be completed and Arjuna will achieve his release from human suffering. The discussion of passion in the fourteenth teaching illustrates one of many inconsistencies in Krishna’s argument. “Know that passion is emotional, born of craving and attachment, it binds the embodied self with attachment to action” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 122). Previously, Krishna counseled that a strong detachment from action, as well as from the fruits of action, is necessary for the success of the endeavor. In a sense, Krishna says that passion creates the drive and will needed to accomplish an action. “When passion increases, Arjuna, greed and activity, involvement in actions, disquiet, and longing arise” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 122). Exactly what merits the longing remains to be seen; Krishna gives the impression that this craving may deal with the fruits of action, a clear contradiction to Krishna’s past words. In this sense, Krishna describes a unit of the three qualities that bind man to the self. Including passion, lucidity, and dark inertia, these qualities (while being praised by Krishna) must be transcended for the achievement of liberation. To receive all knowledge of the cosmos and the self, Arjuna learns of Krishna himself. Krishna describes himself as having eight aspects: earth, fire, water, wind, space, mind, understanding, and individuality. These are his more worldly factors labeled as his lower nature. His upper nature is Krishna’s ability to sustain the universe, and be the source of all in existence. The three qualities of nature arise from him, as well as the beneficial aspects of strength without desire and desire without imposing on the duty all man must possess. “The disciplined man of knowledge is set apart by his singular devotion; I am dear to the man of knowledge, and he is dear to me” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 73). To Krishna, the man of wisdom and knowledge goes hand in hand with the man who has complete devotion to the god. Krishna likens the man of knowledge to himself, saying “...self-disciplined, he holds me to be the highest way” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 73), once again establishing the need for complete submission. Knowledge, while seen as a way to achieve freedom, requires enough discipline to be able to fully devote oneself to the god Krishna. It is through devotion, Krishna reveals, that man can truly achieve freedom from life and death. “By devotion alone can I, as I really am, be known and seen and entered into, Arjuna” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 108). In his teaching on devotion, Krishna tells Arjuna to “renounce all actions to me” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 112) In the fifth teaching, Krishna calls for the release from attachment and the fruit of the action, saying that once this occurs, then joy is found in the detached individual. Yet, freedom can not be achieved through renunciation alone; it is action with discipline that is essential for the success of the enlightened. As Krishna continues his discourse, he begins to talk about the divine and demonic qualities inherent in all of man. “All creatures in the world are either divine or demonic;” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 133). Apparently, all creatures are naturally good or evil. “...do not despair, Arjuna, you were born with the divine” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 133). Born with the quality of good or evil, the individual is fated to be what is in his nature. If it is his duty to be evil, then it is at evil that the man will succeed. Krishna states that living in evil leads to the bondage of the self in worldly things. Unable to free himself, the demonic man is forced to repeat the cycle of life and death in an everlasting pattern as Krishna casts each evil man back into demonic wombs. Krishna also identifies the evil man as a slave to his own desires. Controlled and dictated by futile efforts, “they hoard wealth in stealthy ways to satisfy their desires” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 134). The god also warns against three gates of hell: desire, anger, and greed. The renunciation of these allows for the release of the self. In the seventeenth teaching, Krishna discusses the differences in the nature of man. As stated before, these three aspects (also thought of as aspects of faith) are lucidity, passion, and dark inertia. The lucid man sacrifices to the gods, eats of the rich and savory foods, and sacrifices with all the traditions met. The man of passion sacrifices to the spirits and demons, eats harsh and bitter food that cause suffering, and sacrifices only to gain. The man of dark inertia sacrifices to the dead and ghosts, eats food that has long spoiled, and sacrifices void of faith or any real emotion. Into one of these three types fits every human on earth. Krishna praises the lucid while warning of the passionate and the darkly inert. The discussion comes to a close when Krishna begins to summarize and conclude the points he has already mentioned. He specifies the difference between “renunciation” and “relinquishment”. Renunciation is the refusal of action grounded in desire, while relinquishment is the rejection of the fruit of action. In death, the relinquishing of the fruits allows the self to lose all ties to the body and the desires that go with it. Krishna reminds him that resistance to his duty, that is, refusal to go into battle is futile because Arjuna’s nature compels him to it. Krishna spurns Arjuna to go against his will and do what his heart forbids. Arjuna learns to take refuge in Krishna and to commit fully to him. Krishna vows that Arjuna will be received to him in good time. “Arjuna, have you listened with you full powers of reason? Has the delusion of ignorance now been destroyed?” “Krishna, my delusion is destroyed, and by your grace I have regained memory; I stand here, my doubt dispelled, ready to act on your words.” (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 153) Thus Arjuna, through his discourse with the god Krishna, accepted his duty with devotion and learned how to overcome his desire, while freeing himself from all worldly suffering.

So called Christians

RANT ALERT! RANT ALERT!!!

The topic of this post is hypocritical people who call themselves Christians, so that the world can admire them and respect them, when they are not worthy of being a pimple on somebody's behind.

Submitted for your approval are two of my fellow students in my online Internet marketing class, J and W. J was the lesser of two evils, up until recently. J is the wheeler-dealer who is always using the class time to try and sell the other people something. J has a web site that sells Asian Health equipment, such as Chi machines, FAR Infrared saunas, etc. J feels that the time of the class should be spent helping to improve HIS OWN individual web site, and screw the rest of us! Several times, he has interjected in class about his site falling in the page rankings, "Oh, can you take a look at my H1 headers", thus cheating the instructor out of his regular fee for private consulting, which is many time the $14.95 J has paid to be a member of this class.

J's latest thing, in conjunction with W, was to try and buy up the majority of the shares of "stock" in a Joint-Venture project that the instructor offered to his students as a way to make some holiday cash. J and W called the instructor shortly after class ended the same night that the JV was announced, and were hot to trot over the project. THEN, during the next class night, J proceeded to denigrate the project with a whole series of misleading statistical calculations. I am trying to decide of J is simply stupid, especially when it comes to math, or if he was deliberately trying to mislead the other members of the class, leading them not to invest in the project, and leaving more shares available for J and W to buy.

W is straight-out a PIG, of the male chauvinist variety. Not only is he an MCP, but he is a child abuser. He advocates beating children with a heavy leather belt as a method of discipline, and if the metal buckle strikes the child on the legs, buttocks, etc. so much the better. Because my parents did not use this form of discipline with me, he informed me that I was "spoiled"- now, ordinarily I would not care what an individual of his dubious caliber thought of me, but he did this during one of the class sessions, in front of all members present. He went on to make more unkind statements towards me, when I would not knuckle under to him, in an effort to try and humiliate me in front of the class. THIS is how a Christian acts? On our forum, he claims to have set up a temporary residence, the Inn at Fullerville, for the homeless, where they can stay for 30 days while saving the money to get into a place of their own. I shudder to think about this place, whether the children who stay there are beaten in accordance with this man's beliefs. In fact, somebody should make an inquiry to Child Protective Services in the state of Georgia, and ensure the safety of the children staying there.

The Death of Balder

The god of light, joy, purity, beauty, innocence, and reconciliation. Son

of Odin and Frigga. He was loved by both gods and man and was

considered to be the best of the gods. He had a good character, was

friendly, wise and eloquent, although he had little power. His wife is

Nanna, daughter of Nep, and their son is Forseti, the god of justice.

Balder's hall is Breidablik ("broad splendor").

Most of the stories about Balder concern his death. He was dreaming

about his death, so Frigga extracted an oath from every creature, object

and force in nature (snakes, metals, diseases, poisons, fire, etc.) that they

would never harm Balder. They agreed that none of their kind would

ever hurt or assist in hurting Balder. Thinking him invincible, the gods

enjoyed themselves thereafter by using Balder as a target for

knife-throwing and archery.

The malicious trickster Loki, who was jealous of Balder, changed his

appearance and asked Frigga if there was absolutely nothing that could

harm Balder. Frigga, suspecting nothing, answered that there was just one

thing: a small tree in the west that was called mistletoe, but she thought it

was too small to ask for an oath. Loki immediately left for the west and

returned with the mistletoe. He tricked Balder's blind twin brother Hod to

shoot with a mistletoe fig. Not knowing what he did, Hod threw the fig,

guided by Loki's aim, and Balder fell dead, pierced through the heart.

While the gods were lamenting over Balder's death, Odin sent his other

son Hermod to Hel, the goddess of death, to plead for Balder's return.

Hel agreed to send Balder back to the land of the living on one condition:

everything in the world, dead or alive, must weep for him. And everything

wept, except for Loki (who had disguised himself as the witch Thokk) so

Balder had to remain in the underworld.

The others took the dead god, dressed him in crimson cloth, and placed

him on a funeral pile aboard his ship Ringhorn, which passed for the

largest in the world. Beside him they lay the body of his wife Nanna, who

had died of a broken heart. Also Balder's horse and his treasures were

placed on the ship. The pile was set to fire and the ship was sent to sea

by the giantess Hyrrokin.

Loki didnot escape punishment for his crime and Hod was put to death

by Vali, son of Odin and Rind, who was born for just this purpose. After

the final conflict, when a new world arises from its ashes, both Balder

and Hod will be reborn.

Jesus Christ for President!

What would happen if the President of the United States resigned this afternoon and Jesus took his place immediately?

· To begin with, he would end the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan immediately, giving genuine aid to the people of those countries, without expecting oil or anything else in return.

· Would there be a repeat of the Miracle performed at the Wedding at Cana with a twist- instead of turning water into wine, would he turn water into gasoline and heating oil? I think perhaps this would be an unlikely short-term solution. Rather, Jesus in the White House would immediately issue an executive order reversing the suppression of alternative fuel technologies that Big Oil and the auto makers have kept from the public for over 50 years! What a blessing for the environment, as well as those struggling with ever-higher oil prices.

· Would Jesus revive the Welfare State, the ‘Great Society’ type programs which were intended to help the poor get back on their feet, but instead spawned an entire culture of dependency? I think not, as such programs in the long run cause harm to society. Jesus might stop the ‘globalization’ trend, resulting in the exportation of American jobs overseas, where work can be performed more cheaply.

· Congress would no longer be receiving pay increases. In fact, members of Congress might very well become elected volunteers, serving without compensation. Since most of the members of Congress are millionaires anyway, the ending of their salaries would not really hurt them- just a drop in the bucket.

· What about the controversy over Abortion? I don’t believe Jesus would endorse abortion on demand, but I also believe he would strike down any laws which would force a woman to carry a pregnancy when her very life is endangered. As evidenced by how he treated his blessed Mother and Mary Magdalene, and counter to the cultural norms of the time, Jesus truly loved women. Jesus as our President would create a culture in which women were honored and revered.

The event where Jesus wreaks havoc at the Temple in Jerusalem and expels the money changers and those who sell religious paraphernalia teaches us that if Jesus of Nazareth was anything, he was an extraordinary friend of the working person, the down- trodden, whose advocacy on their behalf so infuriated the ultra-Conservative religious and political leaders of his day. He was not as the Neoconservatives who have entrenched themselves in American government portray him- no, he was quite the opposite! In fact the members of the ‘Religious Right’ who use the name of Jesus are very much wolves in sheep’s clothing, like those money changers and clerics of long ago who battled this revolutionary prophet from the day he opened his mouth, and who plotted to destroy Him.

‘It is doubtful if any man was ever more misunderstood by the people of his own time than Jesus of Nazareth. Certainly no man was ever more grossly misrepresented by succeeding generations, and especially by those who professed to be his friends and followers.’

Wallace D. Wattles

Find out more about Jesus-
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EASTERN RELIGIONS AND "FALLING DOWN"

People in America today seem to be only concerned with them. They are always looking out for number one. That is a saying that has been taught to us for years. Along with another popular precept: you can't please everyone all of the time. These are just a couple of examples of how Americans are taught to be selfish. Sure, mom and dad always teach generosity to their young children, but in this society, those lessons diminish with age. We learn that life isn't always fair and people don't always have to share if they don't want to. In this so-called free country, the rich get everything and the poor get nothing. This type of environment has caused a rat race among the people. He who has the most wins. In America it is for the most money, but there are many other people in the world who might disagree. What would they want the most of? you ask. Well, that depends on whom you ask.

When you take a trip half way around the world, the values are totally different. The Eastern religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, to name a few, practice very different beliefs. They are more centered on love thy neighbor than the Christian Religion. This is not to say that Christians are wrong or act wrongfully, it just says that the difference in beliefs generates a significant difference in society. Here in America, our society claims we should love thy neighbor, but it tends to depend on who the neighbor is. We want our neighbors to be just like us. If they are not, then it becomes more difficult to show compassion. The Eastern religions practice compassion for all people, no matter who or what they are.

In America, compassion is scarce. It's predominant in families and in small towns, but in the larger cities, it is hard to see if it exists at all. A movie has been made illustrating this point. It is called "Falling Down". It is about a man who has come to the end of his rope. He is tired of the way society has treated him, and he begins to fight back. He thinks he is doing the right thing, but he finally comes to realize that to do the right thing you can't think only of yourself.

The movie opens with a traffic jam; the man's license plate reads: "D-Fens": This becomes his name since his real name is never told. It takes place in Los Angeles on a very hot day. This traffic jam is significant because you can tell he does a lot of thinking while in his car. The man's tension keeps rising the more he sits in this traffic, so he just walks away from his car. You learn he is trying to go see his daughter on her birthday, but everything seems to want to stop him. He goes into a store, to get change for the pay phone, and the Korean owner refuses and tells him to buy something first. It is obvious the owner is being selfish because just moments before, he broke open a roll of quarters.

I think this can best be linked to Buddhism. In Buddhism, selfish desire, also called Tanha, is the cause of unnecessary suffering, which is called dukkha. This means people who are selfish cause their own suffering and suffering to others. The owner of the store then tries to charge $ .85 for a can of soda. This infuriates D-fens because it goes against the point of buying soda in the first place - to get change for the phone. He gets upset with the owner for overcharging on numerous items and destroys a lot of his merchandise. Then he pays $ .50 for his soda, takes the change, and leaves. You get the feeling that D-fens is not a bad person, he just wants people to quit thinking of only themselves, which is the main focus of the Buddhists.

Another point in Buddhism that can be connected to the movie is following the eight-fold path. This is how suffering is ended, by extinguishing the self. There are eight rules to follow. Right views, right intends, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. All must be followed at the same time to overcome suffering. The next thing that D-fens has to deal with is a couple of gang-bangers. They claim that he is on private property, but he is obviously on public property. These scoundrels are using untruthful and uncharitable speech, which goes against the rule of right speech. They also go against right conduct, and livelihood. They lie, steal, kill, and day by day live their life going against all the other steps. D-fens fights back against these terrible people and is able to walk away unharmed. They later try to kill him in a drive-by shooting, but fail, and kill many other innocent bystanders instead. These gangsters are the epitome of dukkha. Everything they do is for themselves, and causes nothing but suffering.

Many of the incidents in the movie can also be linked to Hinduism. The Hindus believe that we are all looking for the same thing-an infinite existence. Once we all realize that who we are today is not infinite, then we can achieve Moksha, liberation from the empirical self. They believe the true self, the Atman, is distinct from that which feels and acts in this world. Nothing we go through in this lifetime is really important. Once we truly realize this, then we are no longer subject to Karma. The law of Karma says all actions produce future experiences, good or bad. For example, in the movie, D-fens takes a walk through a park and is bothered by a beggar. He lies and tells D-fens that he has run out of gas and when D-fens calls his bluff, the beggar gets very upset. He acts like he owns the park since he sleeps there, and that D-fens should feel sorry for him. This homeless person needs to realize that this existence is not significant, but that his actions are. He is only making things worse for himself by acting this way because Karma will ensure that he has to suffer from his actions over and over again until he, according to Hinduism, renounces the self. Hindus would believe that all of the problems in the movie are created because the characters have not renounced the self.

I think the movie as a whole can best be connected to Taoism. This religion believes that reality has a natural order and the less you do to change that order then the better off you will be. Taoists practice Wu-Wei. It is the rule that states to act without action, and being non-aggressive is the right way to live. D-fens thought he was doing the right thing by making all of these people pay for what they've done, but in actuality, it wasn't his right to judge. He tried so hard to get what he wanted that it backfired in his face. He damaged property and he even killed a man. True, all of the people he encountered were bad in a way, but who is to say what they deserved. Many people would agree with De-fens' actions, many Americans at least, but there are also many people who agree that we should not mess with the natural order of things. At the end of "Falling Down", D-fens is being held at gun-point by a police officer. He is very confused. He says, "I'm the bad guy?" He feels he has always done what he was told and somehow he ended up wrong. The police officer then makes a good point. He says the only thing that makes you special is that little girl. D-fens felt that he was in some way enlightened on how the world should be, and therefore special, but none of us are special in that way. No matter how right we think we are, we can't judge others. It is not our place. D-fens then purposely pulls out a toy gun forcing the policeman to shoot him. He did it for his little girl. He would rather know his child would receive his insurance money than watch her grow up while he was behind bars. This is the most selfless act he performs in the entire movie.

What is Buddhism?

Buddhism is a path of teaching and practice. Buddhist

practices such as meditation are means of changing oneself in

order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and

wisdom. The experience developed within the Buddhist tradition

over thousands of years has created an incomparable resource

for all those who wish to follow the path of spiritual

development. Ultimately, the Buddhist path culminates in

Enlightenment or Buddhahood.

Who was the Buddha?

The word Buddha is a title not a name. It means 'one

who is awake' in the sense of having 'woken up to reality'. The

title was first given to a man called Siddharta Gautama,

who lived about 2,500 years ago in Northern India. When he

was 35 he found Enlightenment whist in profound mediation,

after searching for years. In the next 45 years of his life

he spent it traveling through India teaching his way of life.

His teaching is known as Buddha-dharma.

Traveling from place to place, the Buddha gained many

disciples. They also taught of the enlightment, and the chain

has continued on to this present day.

The Buddha was not a God, and he made no claim to

divinity. There is no concept of a creator in Buddhism. He was

a human being who, thought tremendous efforts, transformed

himself.

The state of Enlightenment which he reached has three

main facets. It is a state of wisdom, of insight into the true

nature of things. It is also a source or boundless compassion,

manifesting itself in activity for the benefit of all beings. and

it the total liberation of all the energies of the mind and the

body so they are at the service of the fully conscious mind.

What Happened After the Buddha's Death?

Buddhism died out in India a thousand years ago, though it

has recently revived. In the last century Buddhism has

emphatically arrived in the West and up to one million

westerners have become Buddhists.

What Does Buddhism Teach?

Buddhism sees life as being in process of constant change

and its practices aim to take advantage of this fact. It

means that one can change for the better. The decisive factor

in changing ourselves is the mind and Buddhism has developed

many methods for working on the mind. Most importantly,

Buddhists practice meditation which is a way of developing more

positive states of mind which are characterized by calm,

concentration, awareness, and emotions such as friendliness.

How do you become a Buddhist?

To become a Buddhist in the full sense means committing

oneself to the central ideas of Buddhism. The Buddhist path is

open to all equally: men and women, young and old, people

of all nationalities, races and backgrounds.

Rebirth

Rebirth in the Six Realms

Buddhism teaches that birth, death and rebirth are part

of the continuing process of change. The is similar to the

continuous process of growth, decay, and replacement of cells

in ones' body. According to medical experts, after every

seven years, all the cells in one's body are replaced by new

ones.

At the moment of death, and the body can no longer

survive, the mind is separated from the body. At that time, the

craving for lives causes one to seek a new existence, and the

karma done previously determine the place of one's rebirth.

There are six realms which one may be reborn after

death. They are the realms of gods, the demigods, human

beings, animals, hungry ghosts, and the hells.

In general, wholesome actions like good conduct, charity,

a and mental development, are the cause of rebirth in the

happy realms of gods, demigods, and human beings. On the

other hand, unwholesome actions like immoral conduct,

miserliness and cruelty cause rebirth in the unhappy realm of

animals, hungry ghosts and the hells.

Of all the six realms, the realm of human beings is

considered the most desirable. In the realm of human beings,

the conditions for attaining Nirvana are better. In general,

in the unhappy realms, the suffering of living beings is so intense

and their ignorance so great that they are unable to

recognize the Truth and follow the path to attain freedom.

Alternatively, living beings in the realms of the gods and

demigods experience so much happiness and have so many

distractions that they do not think of rebirth until it is too

late. Then they may be reborn in one of the lower realms

of suffering. In the realm of human beings, however, people

experience both happiness and suffering, and are intelligent

enough to recognize the Truth and follow the path to attain

freedom from the cycle of birth and death. Therefore, one is

indeed fortunate to be born as a human being, and should

remember that the principal cause of birth in the realm is

Good Conduct.

The Cycle of Birth and Death

The Buddha pointed out that whenever one is reborn,

whether as a human being, as an animal, or as a god, non of

these states of exticence is permanent. The average life span

of the living beings in the six realms of existence differ but

none of them lasts forever. Eventually, rebirth will take

place. The realm into which one is reborn and one's

conditions of rebirth are determined by ones' past and present

actions. This is the law of Karma at work.

Because of the force of their karma, people are born

are reborn endlessly, in one realm of existence or in

another. The Buddha declared that there is no permanent

rest in the cycle of birth and death. It is only when one

follows the Noble Eightfold path taught by the Buddha and

eventually attains Nirvana, that one finally becomes free

from the ceaseless cycle and gains supreme and permanent

happiness.

Karma

Karma is the law of moral causation. It is action and

reaction in the ethical realm. It is natural law that every

action produces a certain effect. So if one performs

wholesome actions, one will experience happiness. on the other

hand, if one performs unwholesome actions, one will experience

suffering. The is the law of cause and effect at work. In

this way, the effect of one's past karma determine that nature

of one's present situation in life.

Jesus

Jesus is the center of Christianity, born in Bethlehem in Judea. To believers

Jesus is the son of Mary. He is the son of God. Jesus was divine but led an

ordinary life. Jesus was also a teacher. His method of teaching was without flaw.

He taught by his example. Jesus lived by his faith, and his faith was in God.

Jesus's twelve students or disciples helped spread the word of God or

Christianity. When I think of everything that is good in the world and what

brings about peace and harmony it makes me think of Jesus. I believe Jesus's

life brought much hope to the world. Hope that one day if they lived a morally

good life that they would be rewarded with a paradise called heaven. I also

believe that Jesus's suffering and serves as an example for us when we face hard

or difficult times. I believe that Jesus had great respect and love for his

parents which makes me strive to be like him. To me Jesus was a gentle person

who was compassionate and was forgiving toward sinners no matter how great the

sin was. I also see Jesus as a loving friend, parent, and guardian.

Roman Gods

Just like all other religion, the ancient Roman religion was centered around gods. A whole bunch of gods. From early childhood they were taught about all the gods. All over the house and over the fireplace were icons crowned with flowers representing the gods and spirits of the family.

The two faced god Janus who sat over the doorways watched the entry and exit of every door in the house. Penates, god of the interior, protected accumulations of the family in its storerooms, cupboards, and barns. The father and mother, the child was taught, are the embodiment of Genius and Juno, respectively. Both had to be treated and nourished divinely.

Hung on the walls were death masks of the Di Manes, warning him to stick to tradition. Other gods included: Cuba, protector of sheep; Abeona, guiding the first steps; Fabulina who taught speech; Terra Mater - Mother Earth; Mars of the soil; Bona Dea for fertility. The farms had gods for orchards, cattle, pasturage, manure, sowing, crops, corn, fire, trees and stones.

The Romans called the gods Numina, or spirits. Sometimes they were representative of Health, Youth, Memory, Fortune, Honor, Hope, Fear, Virtue, Chastity, Concord, Victory, and other abstractions. Never was there before a religion with so many dieties. There have been thought to be over 30,000 different gods, others say there were more gods in some towns than men.

Voodoo

Fon is spoken by over half the people of Benin and it is the mother tongue of voodoo. In Fon the root word for voodoo is vodoun that means spirit or god. Voodoo had its origins over 350 years ago in West Africa. In fact Allada, a small town in Benin, is often called the 'cradle of voodoo'. In 1996, January 10th became National Voodoo Day in honor of its followers that make up 65% of Benin population.

The religion Vodoun was a by-product of the slave trade. This Yoruban religion was carried to Haiti in a slave trade from Dahomey, which is currently called Benin. Once in Haiti, the slaves were forced to adopt Catholicism. Desiring to keep their native practices, the slaves continued to perform their rituals in private. They transposed Catholic saints onto the tribal deities, called loa, to please their owners. Instead of hindering the faith of the slaves, the incorporation of the saints added something new to their religion. Because of this they included into their rituals statues of the saints, candles, and other Christian relics. It is combinations like this that form religions such as Santeria, a blend of Voodoo and Spanish Catholicism, that proves what a malleable religion it is. Voodoo has spread throughout the world into major communities on Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans, Miami, and New York city. Vodoun has as many as 50 million followers throughout the world now.

Although varieties of this religion occur in different regions there are some basic tenets common among them. They all believe that the pulse of life resides in nature's elements like fire or wind. This force is also in union with the dead and thus fosters a belief that they should be respected through rituals. They believe that all things are the creation of the loa, and at the same time part of the lao and are to be servants to them. The loa take part in our world and act as intermediaries between human being and the higher god, Bodye. The practitioners of Vodoun believe that when a soul dies it become a sprit or loa. These spirits often 'posses' the living during rituals. When 'possessed' the believer dances, offers animal sacrifices, falls into a trance, or may even disappear. When these rituals are performed a group (societe) come together in a sanctuary (hounfort) where they are revolved around a priest (hougan) or priestess (mamba). These societes are crucial in the structure within small Haitian villages. They are positive forces in establishing communal cohesion and over-riding gender barriers.

For whatever good is served, Voodoo can also bring evil. The followers of the faith hold that it is a balancing act much like the karma of the Buddhists. Bad things come to those who are not good. This is often how the dark side of Voodoo is assimilated. It is believed to be brought out in both the humans and the spirits. This 'black magic' is thought to have been released on the world when the demonic spirit of Petro came to give the traded slaves of Haiti, Cuba and the Americas a warrior fervor and the ability to cast spells on their captures. Currently, black magic is practiced by priests called bokors in small rebel sects that are the main source for the misconceptions about Voodoo. These notions about cannibals, zombies, curses and pin dolls, are the portrait of Voodoo that is typically displayed in movies and literature. It is because of the explorations that many people outside of that culture have a great fear of a religion seemingly filled with evil 'witch doctors'.

Muhammad the prophet

Muhammad was born about AD 570 in the city of Mecca, an important trading center in western Arabia. He was a member of the Hashim clan of the powerful Quraysh tribe. Because Muhammad's father, Abd Allah, died before he was born and his mother, Amina, when he was 6 years old, he was placed in the care of his grandfather and, after 578, of his uncle Abu Talib, who succeeded as head of the Hashim clan. At the age of about 25, Muhammad entered the employ of a rich widow, Khadijah, in her commercial enterprise. They were married soon after. Two sons, both of whom died young, and four daughters were born. One of the daughters, Fatima, acquired special prominence in later Islamic history because of her marriage to Muhammad's cousin Ali. About 610, Muhammad, while in a cave on Mount Hira outside Mecca, had a vision in which he was called on to preach the message entrusted to him by God. Further revelations came to him intermittently over the remaining years of his life, and these revelations constitute the text of the Koran. At first in private and then publicly, Muhammad began to proclaim his message: that there is but one God and that Muhammad is his messenger sent to warn people of the Judgment Day and to remind them of God's goodness. The Meccans responded with hostility to Muhammad's monotheism and iconoclasm. As long as Abu Talib was alive Muhammad was protected by the Hashim, even though that clan was the object of a boycott by other Quraysh after 616. About 619, however, Abu Talib died, and the new clan leader was unwilling to continue the protective arrangement. At about the same time Muhammad lost another staunch supporter, his wife Khadijah. In the face of persecution and curtailed freedom to preach, Muhammad and about 70 followers reached the decision to sever their ties of blood kinship in Mecca and to move to Medina, a city about 400 km (250 mi) to the north. This move, called the hegira, or hijra, took place in 622, the first year of the Muslim calendar. In Medina an organized Muslim community gradually came into existence under Muhammad's leadership. Attacks on caravans from Mecca led to war with the Meccans. Muhammad's followers obtained victory at Badr but were defeated at Uhud a year later. In 627, however, they successfully defended Medina against a siege by 10,000 Meccans. Clashes with three Jewish clans in Medina occurred in this same period. One of these clans, the Banu Qurayza, was accused of plotting against Muhammad during the siege of Medina; in retaliation all of the clan's men were killed and the women and children sold into slavery. Two years later, in the oasis of Khaybar, a different fate befell another Jewish group. After defeat they were allowed to remain there for the price of half their annual harvest of dates. Since AD 624, the Muslims of Medina had been facing Mecca during worship (earlier, they had apparently turned toward Jerusalem). Mecca was considered of primary importance to the Muslim community because of the presence there of the Kaaba. This sanctuary was then a pagan shrine, but according to the Koran, it had been built by Abraham and his son Ishmael and had therefore to be reintegrated in Muslim society. An attempt to go on pilgrimage to Mecca in 628 was unsuccessful, but at that time an arrangement was made allowing the Muslims to make the pilgrimage the next year, on condition that all parties cease armed hostilities. Incidents in 629 ended the armistice, and in January 630, Muhammad and his men marched on Mecca. The Quraysh offer to surrender was accepted with a promise of general amnesty, and hardly any fighting occurred. Muhammad's generosity to a city that had forced him out 8 years earlier is often quoted as an example of remarkable magnanimity. In his final years Muhammad continued his political and military involvements, making arrangements with nomadic tribes ready to accept Islam and sending expeditions against hostile groups. A few months after a farewell pilgrimage to Mecca in March 632 he fell ill. Muhammad died on June 8, 632, in the presence of his favorite wife, Aisha, whose father, Abu Bakr, became the first caliph. God's Messenger According to Muslim belief, God sent Muhammad as a messenger from among the Arabs, bringing a revelation in "clear Arabic" ; thus, as other peoples had received their messengers, so the Arabs received theirs. As one who had lived "a lifetime" among them before his calling, however, Muhammad was rejected by many because he was simply a man among men and not an angelic being. As Moses had brought the Law and Jesus had received the Gospel, the Prophet Muhammad was the recipient of the Koran. He is "the Seal of the Prophets", and the Koran is the perfection of all previous revelations.