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SPIRITUAL LOUNGE
E-MAGAZINE

Spiritual Lounge
Year of the
‘Consciousness in Motion’
2012
 EDITORIAL June 2012

Dear Readers,

Once upon a time, there was a small pebble which despite its size was very
ambitious. It dreamt of seeing the world. However, it was lying in a valley dry river
bed, awaiting the floods that would take it afar, maybe to the vast oceans. But the
other pebbles dissuaded this little pebble from going. They told the little pebble that
it was better off where it laid. But the little pebble was unheeding. Months passed by
and that one day did arrive, there was a torrential rains that monsoon and the pebble
got drifted swiftly by the floods in the river. Because the little pebble was small, it did
not sink in the water. It travelled with the force of the river current, observing things
on its journey. Soon the roaring sound of the river meeting the sea was heard and the
pebble was tossed into the deep wide sea. Initially the pebble floated but soon it gave
way and settled onto the sea floor. Lost forever in the silent vast dense ocean floor.
We are like that pebble, wanting to travel and move towards the unknown.
Every pebble wants to be the big stone, not realizing that it was actually part of a big
mountain, then a stone and now a pebble and soon it would disintegrate into grains
of sand, over time. Every one transforms, into something, but it still does not lose its
actual identity. The soul also moves across the universe in many forms but it does
not lose its true identity.
This is also what's called the 'Consciousness in Motion' the spiritual year of 2012.
Come join in to spread awareness amongst all.
Join our Facebook group and like our page as well:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/spirituallounge/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spiritual-Lounge/197029616975219
Connect with us anytime at: spirituallounge@live.com or +91-9619629092
Thank you,

Editor editor@spirituallounge.com

Cover page Photo: Mayan Calender - Gautemala

Copyrights: All rights reserved
SPIRITUAL LOUNGE EMAGAZINE © 2010-2012

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 CONTENT June 2012

CONTENT
Editorial Page 2

Crystal Energy with Human Being- Binoy Page 4 - 6

Jiten Soni’s Quotes - Page 6

Achievement - By Betty Alark Page 6

Kundalini and Guilt - By Master Chrism Page 7

CinemaHall - The People VS The State of Illusion - Jean Jessup Page 8

Meditation – doing it or living it - By Jyoti Sondhi Page 9

Pramana-Naya and Syadavada - By Rahul Zota Page 10 - 11

Spiritual Ego – Part I - By Myra Godfrey Page 12

Science versus and without Spirituality By Ashwini Shenoy Page 13 - 14

Being - By Betty Alark Page 14

Faith Is the Biggest Movement - By Sushmita Mukherjee Page 15 - 16

Stories and saying I would like to live by - By Uma Krishnan -Page 17 - 18

FIRE - By Nancy Cleaves Page 18

Book Corner - 'Yoga beyond Asana' by Satya Kalra - Page 19 - 20

Book Corner - A Story to Live By written by Dr. Nancy Cleaves - Page 21 - 22

GUATEMALA - Compiled by Dhara Kothari Page 23 - 33

Edited by Dhara Kothari. Published by Moksa Publishers for Spiritual Lounge.

Designed by Biren Shah. Email: spirituallounge@live.com.
Cell: +91-9619629092 / +91-9757274289

3
Crystal Energy for Human Benefit - By Binoy June 2012

Crystal Energy for Human Benefit

Have you ever wondered about the power of gamblers stone)
crystals? Using certain crystals can help in
healing a number of physical problems. Crystals Amazonite
are known as gifts of Mother Nature.
Amazonite is considered a
The originator of crystal healing is unknown. soothing stone that
However, this practice has been around for provides hope and
centuries. People have used amulets, magical confidence and called the
stones, and gems all throughout history (though stone of courage and was
mainly in the eastern cultures in navratna said to be named after the
lockets, tavis, etc.). It is now making its way into Amazon women warriors.
the western culture, primarily in the New Age It calms the brain and nervous system and aids in
and Occult movements. maintaining optimum health. Balances the
masculine and feminine energies. Amazonite
Crystals are said to direct the flow of energy to helps you to see both sides of a problem or
the person in a particular part of the body and different points of view. It soothes emotional
bring balance to a person's energy. Ultimately, trauma, alleviating worry and fear. Dispels
they are used to cleanse the person from bad or negative energy, aggravation and blockages
negative energy believed to cause an illness. within the nervous system. Amazonite assists in
Clearing out the bad spiritual energy alleviates manifesting universal love. It protects against
the physical ailment. Crystals are used for electromagnetic pollution and absorbs
physical, mental, emotional and spiritual microwaves.
healing. Not only do people visit 'crystal healers',
in some places, professional nurses are being Malachite
trained to use crystals for their patients.
Additionally, crystals can be worn, placed next to Malachite is believed to be
a person's bed as they sleep, and in some cases a strong protector of
placed around a person's bath and also to heal children. It is said to
the seven chakras. protect the wearer from
accidents and protects
The best part is that we do not choose our travelers. Malachite has
crystals; it is the crystals that choose us, as per been used to aid success in
our needs. business and protect against undesirable
business associations. Also known as the crystal
Crystals for Archangel Raphael

Pyrite Rose Quartz

The resemblance of pyrite Rose quartz is known as the

to gold has made it a
traditional symbol for
money and good luck. Its
sunny golden color
associates it with the sun,
and with fortification and
strengthening of the mind. Also known as fools
gold (in olden days it was also known as
love stone. It helps the user
feel a strong sense of self-
worth, therefore being
worth love. Rose quartz is
the stone of universal love.
It is also the stone of love in
marriage.

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 Crystal Energy for Human Benefit - By Binoy
Amethyst
Amethyst enhances
spiritual awareness
and overcomes
addictions and
blockages of all
kind. Amethyst is
the stone of
spirituality and contentment. Cool and relaxing,
amethyst is a stone of psychic power. Wearing it
helps promote meditation, peace, tranquility
and oneness with your spiritual goals. It
enhances and strengthens the powers of the
bearer and helps attune with the higher self,
dispelling fears, heightening intuition and
helping to embrace your own intuitive wisdom.
Fluorite
Fluorite is highly
protective stone, especially
on the psychic level. It
helps you discern when
outside influences are at
work within yourself and
shuts off psychic
manipulation and undue mental influence. This
stone cleanses and stabilizes the aura.
Clear Quartz
Clear Quartz is an enhancer of
the mind, body and spirit. Clear
quartz can hold memory so it
can be charged for specific
healing activities and is a very
powerful dispeller of negative
energies and an amplifier of
positivity. Since clear quartz can receive, send
and hold energy, this crystal can help with
meditation, healing, and can center and increase
your physical energies.
Lapiz Lazuli
The wearing or carrying of
lapis lazuli is thought to
improve self confidence
and will power while
encouraging the unity of
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June 2012
mind, body and spirit. In addition to its curative
properties associated with the throat it also has
beneficial effects on communication by allowing
one to speak or write effectively with clarity,
truth and honesty.
Tiger Eye
A stone of protection,
Tiger Eye may also
bring good luck to the
wearer. It has the
power to focus the
mind, promoting
mental clarity,
assisting us to resolve problems objectively and
unclouded by emotions. Particularly useful for
healing psychosomatic illnesses, dispelling fear
and anxiety. Useful for recognising one's own
needs in relation to the needs of others.
Balancing yin-yang and energising the
emotional body, Tiger Eye stabilises mood
swings, imbues us with willpower, purpose,
courage and self-confidence, and releases
tension.
Bloodstone
As the name suggests this
interesting colored stone
are a great blood cleanser
and purifier. They are said
to neutralize and eliminate
toxins from the blood, as
well as aid your eyesight
and help skin rashes. They will build courage and
strength of mind, to do what needs to be done
within your individual reality. It was believed
that if you carried one of these stones you might
avoid dangerous situations.
Black Tourmaline
Black Tourmaline is used for protecting one's
energy field against negative vibrations, and also
for drawing negative energies away from a
Crystal Energy for Human Benefit - By Binoy June 2012

person. It can have a calming effect when Achievement

needed, grounding flighty or scattered energies Dreams- ideas caught in view
into the earth. Those who suffer from negativity,
frequent worrying, and/or OCD can work with
Thought bought to life anew
Black Tourmaline to help heal these issues. Very Vivid imagination
useful as defense against black magic. Desire to achieve

Lofty aspirations raising esteem

Citrine Seeking the venue to solidify thought
The Citrine wand is
Motivation to go forth – promote and
used to absorb teleport
negative energy and
break old patterns, Connecting with like minds
and also to integrate You're on the same page
previously blocked The arena is open
parts of the self. It
vibrates well with the Third Eye and can enhance
The way is paved
telepathy. Citrine is known as the 'success stone' You enter in - settle down
because it promotes success, prosperity, and The canvas is filled with color abound
abundance. It particularly promotes success in Lighted with brightness
business, earning it another nickname, Inspiration surrounds
'merchant's stone', and is said to bring business
if put in the cashbox of a shop or carried. Citrine
is a stone of good fortune, although it brings
Available materials at your finger tips
good fortune in sometimes unexpected ways. It Reflecting back on the origin of the
is a stone of manifestation, helping manifest dream
abundance in many ways. Along with prosperity Solidifying the creation- the end is in
and good fortune, citrine imparts generosity, to sight
share the wealth, so to speak. As a solar plexus Proud of the outcome – the finished
chakra stone it is said to increase and magnify
personal energy and power.
product
Achievement!
Binoy Sasidharan
Feeling great
Recognition, your reward
A call to return to the drawing board
A clean slate - bring forth
Jiten Soni’s Quotes A continuum of streaming ingenuity
Obstacles are really kept to stop you from Tapped into a storehouse of revenue –
moving ahead in your life, if you really want to the depth of you
stop and have a look after your obstacles, then Calling forth achievement beyond earths
have only a look and take the greatest of steps to
view!
move ahead in your life.
Achievement!
If you only keep thinking about being good, and
not acting on the same, then it's not being good,
it's only about caring and not about loving By Betty Alark
them from the core of your heart and your soul.

6
Kundalini and Guilt… - By Master Chrism
Kundalini and Guilt
It is the part of a person that helps them to
know what is the appropriate thought or
action or feeling. It teaches us and helps to
mold us by our feelings associated with its
expression within us.
We feel guilt often for something we have
done that goes against our own emotional
morality. Guilt arises due to the infraction
and helps us to realize how we have behaved
and how we may have responded differently
to the situation. How we may have handled it
better. Guilt helps us to know these
alternatives.
I feel these are all positive traits of guilt and
that guilt is really a way of teaching with love
from us for ourselves and our advancement
into greater personal understandings.
Allowing another person to inflict guilt is an
activity of allowing punishment from one
person to another and guilt is often co-opted
as a tool of passive aggression for this
purpose. No other person can inflict guilt
upon you without permission being given
from you to them. But sometimes the soul
will need this to occur if the moral structure
of the person isn't strong enough to make the
developmental advancement on its own. So a
learning scenario is created or revealed that
allows the lessons to be given.
Sometimes guilt can be used to help this
process along. At other times it is used by
others as a control method or as an abusive
activity. In these situations both people are
learning lessons of power and of love and
either one can stop if they truly wish too but
for the one 'receiving' self forgiveness must
occur. For the 'abuser' guilt for that action
may be next for them to experience and
eventually self-forgiveness after their
personal scenarios of balance activate for
7
June 2012
their education. It is a teaching process.
We must learn to forgive ourselves for the
hurts and activities that we partake of that
are worthy of guilt. These are most often
infractions of an emotional nature. In some
way our love has been abrogated and from
that injury self worth issues can arise and in
our pain sometimes we can do actions that
we regret later on in defense of our self worth.
We then have guilt as a reflection of personal
regret.
It is a worthy model of learning. It is private
for the most part and it is instructive in ways
that allow us to move forward into
forgiveness. We learn about how we wish to
comport ourselves with others largely in the
emotional and moral expressions of our
interpersonal interactions towards others
and yet not limited to our private
interactions. Sometimes we screw up in
public! And the ensuing embarrassment can
also teach in very similar ways as that of guilt.
I do advise that we don't become too attached
to the pain of guilt and instead realize the
forgiveness within and utilize that as the
personal teaching model of choice.
Forgiveness is a way of redemption
from guilt. The healing starts from within our
heart. But guilt is always there if you cannot
adopt the self forgiveness structure and the
education will continue. Blessings all!
www.KundaliniAwakeningsystems1.com
 Cinema Hall
The people vs. the state of illusion
The People vs. The State of Illusion, by Austin
Vickers, is a documentary, much in the same
style as films such as The Secret, What the Bleep
Do We Know, and Down The Rabbit Hole. These
films use heavy scientific evidence expounded by
experts in various fields to prove the existence of
spiritual experience.
When I saw the trailer to The People vs. The State
of Illusion with all the professional graphics and
stock footage, I thought, “Oh no, not another one
of these slick new age documentaries for the
masses.” But when I attended a screening at my
local art house theater, I was impressed that the
subject of the film dealt with how our beliefs and
emotional memories create our reality. The film
did seem to be a 101 course on emotional life, but
did bring up
profound ideas on
how one can take
hold of one's life by
facing one's deeper
e m o t i o n a l
storehouse.
It is said that we are
using only 1% of our
mind's capacity, but
this film suggested
that we are only
processing this 1% because we are only seeing
what we expect to see. Those expectations come
from belief systems that are charged with
emotional energy that many people would like to
escape. Dr. Joe Dispenza, a neurologist and
lecturer, explained how we use addictions to
escape these feelings. He also went on to
describe how many of us try to maintain a
persona that is much different from whom we
really are in order to “fit in” to society. It is
interesting to see nervous breakdowns seen in
light of this persona crumbling away.
Dr. Thomas Moore, who wrote the best-selling
book, Care of The Soul, in the film said: “To take
this source of life …we get when we are born,
deep within us and we can tap into it and you find
strength and you find your identity, you find the
8
June 2012
difference between you and other people…In
order to follow it [your own path] does take
courage. It's going to take you into actions that
people don't approve of, it will take you into
actions you may be afraid of…” He goes on to
explain how tapping into this source within one's
self allows the experience of one's flow in life; to
experience one's full potential and purpose in
life.
I am constantly on a search to see how I am
continually creating my reality and I see how my
expectations can limit my ability to see what is
really happening in my world and the
opportunities it presents. Debbie Ford, a life
coach, said, “It happens in a moment. It doesn't
have to take ten years on a couch to have a shift in
perception. It takes a
willingness and
desire to know that
what you're looking
at now, when you're
limited and stuck is
not true.”
Despite the new age
documentary
formula, I applaud
Austin Vickers for
bringing to light the
subject of emotional healing and looking at one's
belief systems as a way to develop self-
empowerment and enlightenment. Even though
the concepts are on a beginning level, it really
inspires one to start to look within at those dark
emotional spaces most would rather never have
to face, but are so much a part of our being.
No techniques or exact cures were given in the
film, but there are quite a lot of workshops,
books, DVD are offered on the website and at
screenings. The DVD is coming out fall of 2012
and will be distributed by Samuel Goldwyn
Films. Highly recommended.
Jean Jessup
http://www.moviereviewsfromaspiritualperspe
ctive.com
 Meditation – doing it or living it - By Jyoti Sondhi
Meditation – doing it or living it
“The Lord sends you disturbance so that you can
discriminate consciousness from thoughts, even in that
experience of disturbance. With every disturbance the
Lord is sending you a reason for meditation” Swami
Chinmayananda
Most of us are familiar with the term meditation. It is
universally recognized as a tool to relieve stress and to
relax. In some faiths and traditions, meditation is also
recognized as a spiritual practice meant to serve a
deeper purpose to facilitate spiritual growth.
There are a number of techniques that are commonly
used in the practice of meditation. One such method is
to sit quietly for up to, say, twenty minutes, and imagine
a soothing light or a flower or a natural landscape,
focusing exclusive attention on it. You could also focus
instead on a single mantra. I have read about various
other techniques, one of which involves meditation
while quietly reciting a prayer. Some meditators strive
to control the mind and not let any thoughts flow.
Others take a more relaxed approach, visualizing a vast
dome of sky, with thoughts being regarded as no more
significant than passing clouds.
When I was first introduced to meditation in a group
class, I remember trying very hard to control my mind,
opening one eye from time to time to see what others
were doing, wondering if they were able to achieve the
state that I was expected to reach, and anxiously
calculating how many minutes had already passed and
how long I would be required to go through this
punishment of maintaining my uncomfortable
position! As you can see, I had a lot on my mind! My
period of meditation seemed unending and pointless.
Today, although I better understand the concept of
meditation and what it is meant to achieve, I apply a
different technique of meditation that works very well
for me. Meditation is essentially a way to control the
flow and churning of thoughts, the dialogues and the
monologues that occupy our mind at all times. The key
word here is control. Controlling these thoughts
sometimes teases and entices them to come back again
and again, getting stronger each time. It is very natural
that, according to the old adage, “What we resist,
persists!” That is exactly what was happening to me
during my meditation classes.
In my experience, redirecting or rather replacing
random thoughts with prayers and positive
affirmations is meditation as well. We can be in prayer
at the subconscious level all the time, even while
performing our regular duties in the workplace or at
home. We will then be in a meditative mode as well. The
mind does not wander hither and yon, nor resurrect old
grudges, regrets, or resentments. It is not inclined to
9
June 2012
dwell on fears of the future. In this state, which is the
state of the present, the mind is in a meditative mode all
the time.
The basic idea of meditation is to stop or tone down
mental chatter and be in a state of silent awareness
wherein, absent the usual thoughts, one feels the inner
world. All this can be realized when we are in
meditation, not just for ten to thirty minutes of the day
on a meditation cushion, but at all times of the day and
night. When we are immersed in a feeling of faith and
gratitude, we are in clearer connection with the Divine.
The mind is relaxed and at peace. That is meditation
too!
Here is a simple technique to quiet the mind in short
spurts and thus prepare it for meditation at more
expansive levels. I have found that focusing on my
breath and repeating the words “I am calm” helps put
me in a meditative mode. I do this while waiting at the
bus stop, a traffic light, or even when a window is
opening on my computer screen. This technique serves
as a reminder to me whenever I sense my thoughts
getting scattered. It helps me to come back to myself
and get grounded.
The other day, I told my son before he was going for an
academic exam that if at any time he felt he was getting
distracted, he should just close his eyes for a second and
say to himself, “I am calm.” That simple step would
eliminate distraction and bring back his focus. On the
other hand, if he tried to struggle against the distraction
and force himself to get back to the exam paper, he
would waste more time and energy. He found this
technique very useful.
At any point of the day, when we switch off from the
outside world to be with ourselves, we are in
meditation. Rather than being an isolated activity that
has to be incorporated into our busy daily routine,
meditation can become an essential part of our life.
Instead of “doing it,” we can easily be “living it.” When
we are in gratitude at all times, and when we are in
prayer and affirmations, we are living in meditation and
we are in more conscious connection with the Universe.
In fact, we are then living “spiritually.”
An essay from 'Lighting the Lamp Within' by Jyoti
Sondhi- Reiki Master/Teacher
Following Reiki Immersion, Jyoti received spiritual
insights that transformed her life and led to 'Lighting
the Lamp Within.' She now lives in Rome, and shares
her journey to joy through workshops, and supports
people in conscious living. For more information, visit
www.lightingthelampwithin.com
Pramana-Naya and Syadavada - By Rahul Zota
PRAMANA-NAYA AND SYADAVADA
Pramana means total knowledge and Naya means
partial knowledge. Pramana cannot be expressed in
words and can be experienced only where Naya
represents the part of Pramana. The sum of infinite
nayas becomes Pramana. The omniscient who has
destroyed all his/her destructive karma perceives direct
knowledge (Pramana) without the medium of senses,
space and time. The omniscient knows the ultimate
truth but because of the limitations of language, he uses
the language of Naya and Syadavada. All the mundane
souls gains partial knowledge which is not complete. To
believe it complete is the biggest mistake and leads to
falsity. That is why the Jain seers found the principle of
Non-absolutism or Anekantavad. Whatever we observe
through the medium of senses is partially true. By the
help of Anekantavad our understanding becomes
deeper and we get free from sectarian dispute and
dogmatism.
To understand Nayavada (The Theory of Partial Stand
Points) we will take an example. Suppose I am holding
two keys, one is small and the other is big. Now if I ask
someone about the size of the keys then he will
obviously reply that one is small and the other is big.
Now this is general observation of all of us but if we
think deeper then we realize that this observation was
relative. The first key is small but in respect to the bigger
one but actually the smaller is bigger in respect to even
smaller key. Same thing can be seen in many ways. If I
say that one drop of water can kill me. Hearing this
sentence all will obviously laugh at me but making our
thinking wider we learn that such small amount of
water is unable to kill me in my present form but in the
cycle of birth-death and rebirth we undergo many life
forms and we can be born as ant too, and an ant can die
by sinking in just one drop of water! So we can see that
all our sentences are relative. The absolute sentence
cannot be expressed in any language. That is why Lord
Mahavir used the language of Syad. The translation of
the word Syad is 'May be'. Although he could perceive
the ultimate truth directly by his soul, but to express it
among the masses who listened to him, he used the
language of Syadavada.
Lord Mahavir said, “Both unity and diversity are real
but they are real in relation to each other, not
absolutely. Once this underlying relativity is
abandoned, we enter into falsity.” Once, Somila
Brahmin asked Lord Mahavir whether he was one or
many. Lord Mahavir replied that he was one as well as
many and added that from the point of view of
substance (synthetic entity), he was one. From the point
of view of transformations of substance (analytic
characteristics), he was also many. So we can see that
one sentence does not point to reality but it does express
just part of reality. There are infinite partial truths. The
10
June 2012
ancient Jain seers combined all infinite Nayas into
hundred main Nayas and then they further combined
all the hundred into a few, so our understanding
becomes easier. Here I will give a short description on
main Nayas:
Classification of Nayas:
Dravyarthika Naya (Substantial Point of
View): Dravyarthika Naya means the standpoint that
concentrates on a substance (the generic and
permanent aspect). Dravyarthika Naya (substantial
standpoint) considers all things to be permanent or
eternal. In this point of view one considers the
substance as a whole and gives its modes subsidiary
status. E.g. while talking about the soul, one will
consider the soul as immortal, was never created, nor
will it ever be destroyed.
Naigama Naya (Generic or Teleological Point
of View): This is the sub Naya of Dravyarthika. The
etymological meaning of the word Naigama is the end
product or result. For example, a person who carries
water, rice and fuel and who, when asked what he was
doing, says he is cooking. This reply is given in view of
the result, which he intends to achieve though at the
exact time when the question is put to him he is not
actually cooking. His reply is correct from the point of
view of Naigama Naya, though technically it is not
exactly correct because he is not actually cooking at the
time when he replies.
Sangraha Naya (Collective Point of View): A
sub Naya of Dravyarthika. We get this Naya (viewpoint)
when we put main emphasis on some general class
characteristics of a particular thing ignoring altogether
the specific characteristics of that class. E.g. there are
500 people in the hall. Here we are now considering
only general qualities like people and not considering
like how many were men, women, children, old, young,
etc. One considers the general attributes of a substance
like a substance has existence and eternality.
Vyavahara Naya (Practical Point of View): If
we look at a thing from this standpoint, we try to judge it
from its specific properties ignoring the generic
qualities, which are mainly responsible for giving birth
to the specific qualities. This amounts to the assertion of
empirical at the cost of universal and gives importance
to practical experience in life. This point of view sees an
object in its special form rather than the common form.
Paryayarthika Naya (Modal or Modification
Point of View): Modification point of view
Paryayarthika Naya regards all things as impermanent,
because they undergo changes (transformations).
Pramana-Naya and Syadavada - By Rahul Zota
Hence it declares that all things are non-eternal or
momentary from the standpoint of modes or changes.
In this point of view one considers modes of a substance
as a primary subject.
Rujusutra Naya (Linear Point of View): The sub
Naya of Paryayarthika. It does not emphasize all the
specific qualities but only those specific qualities, which
appear in a thing at a particular moment, ignoring their
existent specific qualities of the past and the future. The
past and future modes of a thing are not real as they
have served or will serve their purpose and do not exist
at the moment.
Shabda Naya (Literal Point of View): The verbal
approach is called as Shabda Naya. This standpoint
maintains that synonymous words convey the same
meaning or thing, provided they are not different in
tense, case ending, gender, number, etc.
* Sambhirudha Naya (Etymological point of
view): It is different from Shabda Naya because it
concentrates on the etymological distinction between
the synonyms. If carried to the fallacious extent this
standpoint may destroy the original identity pointed to
by synonyms. The etymological view asserts that,
because the roots of synonyms are different, they are
not actually 'synonyms' in the sense of words that mean
the same as each other, e.g. Hut and palace are places to
live. However, poor people live in a hut and king lives in
a palace, in an etymological (word historical or
derivation) point of view, it represents a specific quality
or grammatical property of a word.
Evambhuta Naya (Determinant point of view):
This Naya recognizes only that word which indicates the
actual action presently attributed to the individual. In
other words, among synonyms only that word should be
selected which a correlation with the action has referred
to. In this point of view, the word or sentence, which
further determines its characteristic property in its
present state, is used. E.g. the word thief is to be used
only when a person is caught stealing and not because a
person is a known thief. It represents a strict application
of a word or statement.
The analysis of Naya shows that every judgment is
relative to that particular aspect from which it is seen or
known. This is also called The Theory of Relativity that
means relativity of our particular knowledge or
judgment to a particular standpoint. Since human
judgments are always from particular standpoints, they
are all relative and hence not absolutely true or
absolutely false. Their outright acceptance as a sole
truth or rejection as totally false would not be correct.
This led the Jain seers to their famous doctrine of
'Syadavada', which means the doctrine of relativity.
Nayavada reveals a technique to arrive at such an
11
June 2012
understanding. It teaches us that truth is revealed to us
only partially if viewed from a particular aspect. Even if
one finds that a proposition is quite contrary to the
conviction he had for the whole life and hence the cause
of great irritation to him, once he applies the principles
of Nayavada his irritation begins to subside. The simple
reason being is that he begins to realize the real cause
for that contrary proposition
.
SYADAVADA: The Theory of Seven Predictions
The theory of Anekantavad is the metaphysical theory
of reality. Jainism brings out another aspect of reality
and that is its relativistic pluralism. While Anekantavad
explains reality metaphysically, Syadavada explains it
epistemologically (dealing with knowledge). Both are
two aspects of the same reality. We have already seen
how human knowledge is relative and limited which
ultimately makes all our judgments relatively or
partially true, and not absolute. Syadavada is also called
as 'sevenfold judgment'. Syadavada is known as the
theory of relativity of propositions or theory of relativity
of judgments.
Jain philosophers have evolved a formula of seven
predications which are known as Sapta-bhanga. 'Sapta'
means 'seven' and 'Bhanga' means 'mode'. These seven
modes of ascertaining the truth are able to be exact in
exploring all possibilities and aspects. All these seven
predications are explained with reference to an ethical
proposition that 'Soul does exist'. With regard to this
proposition, the seven predications noted above can be
made as under:
1. Asti: Soul does exist
2. Nasti: Soul does not exist
3. Asti-Nasti: Soul does exist as well as it does not
4. Avaktavya: It is not possible to say whether soul exist
or not
5. Asti-Avaktavya: Soul does exist but it is indescribable
6. Nasti-Avaktavya: Soul does not exist and it is
indescribable
7. Asti-Nasti-Avaktavya: Soul does exist as well as it
does not and it is indescribable
All these seven modes can be expressed with regard to
every proposition. The Jain philosophers have applied
them with reference to self, its eternality, non-
eternality, identity and character. In fact, this approach
of Anekänta permeates almost every doctrine, which is
basic to Jain philosophy. This is the general view of the
method of the Jain dialectic. Only this type of dialectical
method can represent Syadavada. The theory of
sevenfold predication is treated as synonymous with
Syadavada owing to the fact that the number of possible
or alternative truths under the conditional method of
Syadavada is seven only.
Spiritual Ego – Part I - By Myra Godfrey
Spiritual Ego – Part I
I'm sure you've heard about spiritual ego before,
but perhaps you don't know what it is. While
very subtle and easily missed, it's a death
sentence if you are looking to grow inwardly.
Let's take a look at this concept, learn how to
identify it and learn how to eliminate it from your
life.
To know what spiritual ego is, we first need to
know what ego is. In its most neutral definition,
ego is the totality of our being. It's everything
that makes us unique. It contains the energies of
all the chakras, the soul and all the good and all
the bad thoughts and experiences we have had in
life. Ego is the cumulative “you” so to speak.
People often refer to ego in a negative context in
spirituality, and that is unfortunate because ego
in itself is not bad. An ego gone wild with desires
is not good if you are looking to be conscious in
life, but that is the only place you can really make
a judgment on ego. It takes ego working together
with the heart to make change in the world, so
work with it, not against it. If you destroy your
ego, you destroy the fabric of yourself. Woo it
and love it. Make it your friend and collaborator
on your spiritual journey and you are sure to be
an effective conduit of divine expression here in
the world!
So why does ego have such a bad rap? Ego has
been demonized because it is the component of
our system that determines where we focus our
energy. When people come onto a spiritual path,
they learn to demonize the ego (wrongfully)
because it has usurped control of our most inner-
being. Instead of learning to change and grow,
we as humans have a tendency to place blame so
as to avoid responsibility for our actions and
decisions. How easy to place blame on the ego
since it is not our soul or root essence of Self? No
beginner in anything understands the subtle
underlying essence of what they are studying.
It's the same in this case. A beginner is taught to
live from the soul, not the ego, so the beginner
jumps to the conclusion that ego must therefore
be bad. This is an exemplary example of how
rationalization is the biggest enemy we have
towards consciousness.
Where we find issue with ego in spirituality is not
in ego itself, but in egoism, which is different.
Anytime egoism comes into play be assured you
have moved off of track. Here is a fact of life. If
12
June 2012
you find something that makes you feel good,
egoism can get involved and try to put this thing
on a pedestal. Egoism combined with naiveté
can make people want to proselytize and say
their way is best, not acknowledging that the
world is a diverse place where there are many
ways to find happiness and success in life.
The place where this thinking is most prominent
is when it comes to either a particular belief
system or to a particular teacher or guru. If a
person has not yet learned the lesson of spiritual
ego, this is where you are guaranteed to see it
rear its ugly head. When a person cannot see
beyond the greatness of their own religion,
spiritual path or teacher and has to constantly
praise the glory of their teacher while criticizing
other people, be assured, they have not moved
passed spiritual ego. It gets even more devious.
When a person thinks they are great because
their teacher is great, that's a sign of a powerful
spiritual ego. You are not great because your
guru is great; you are only great if you choose to
make yourself great. Of course a guru's energy
can help in the transformation process, but it is
solely up to you to decide and act and live a life of
greatness. It does not magically just come to you
because you idolize someone who is great. It
happens because you use the teachings and
transformative Shakti you have received to allow
your own complete connection with the universe
and all that is. All teachings lead to the same
place; a state of unity consciousness or beyond
where we are all one. Be great in life. Choose
greatness with every breath; ensure spiritual ego
has no place to reside within you.
Myra has founded Gita for the Masses (a non-
profit organization) and Hridaya Healing to help
people see the inherent unity in all spiritual
traditions and to help people overcome obstacles
to their growth and fulfillment in life. She
teaches workshops publically and works with
individuals directly offering healing services,
dharmic counseling, sadhana development,
homam and a variety of other services based on
the teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita and the
tantric Sri Vidya lineage.
www.gitaforthemasses.org , www.hridaya-
healing.com.
© Myra Godfrey 2012. All Rights Reserved.
Science versus and without Spirituality - By Ashwini Shenoy
Science versus and without Spirituality
Science and scientific inventions have grown by
leaps and bounds in the last 200 years. And
today we have become so dependent on
something that has grown and flourished in last
two hundred years while mankind has been here
since millions of years. Ten years ago the mobile
phone and computer were the privileges of the
rich, have now become mandatory to daily living.
Daily life would be incomplete and man would be
in a constant state of making ends meet to bring
in these technologies that once man did not need
to be happy. Television, refrigerator, radio are no
longer a luxury. Electricity has become essential
to human existence. Imagine having to live
without electricity. The very thought of living
without comfort providing electrical appliances
is terrifying. Human being has become so
dependent on all the scientific appliances and
machines that lack of it creates huge challenges
and difficulties in daily living without which
smooth functioning of daily life that we have
built around such appliances cannot be ensured.
Besides that, nobody can deny the negative
consequences of modern science on nature,
ecology, food chain and thus, on the entire
planet. Ancient science was much more
synchronous with the nature and considered all
aspects of the human life. It had no ill effects on
the planet, let alone dangerous destruction that
would last for generations. Permanent
destruction of our natural habitat at the cost of
momentary luxury is taking place, right now,
every day. Everyday a little more destruction in
the name of development is happening. What is
true development? Is it to be independent or to
be dependent? Is it to be happy or experience
pleasures? And we are letting it all happen, with
all the risks and dependence for temporary
pleasures. There is a difference between pleasure
and happiness which no amount of pleasure can
erase. No man can say that mere use of electrical
appliances makes him happy. And the cause of
this happiness is not comfortable life. We are
creating unnecessary destruction haphazardly
all around just to derive pleasures.
But what was the reason for the invention in the
first place? The answer would be, to make
human life more luxurious and easy. And i agree
13
June 2012
that it serves its purpose. But doesn't the lack of it
would cause havoc in human life? Yes it does,
because it is no longer just a luxury, but a
necessity. What if the future inventions create
further human necessities? What if resources on
this planet to fulfill these necessities end? What
if we are nearing, each day, our own extinction by
following modern science blindly? Is modern
Science efficient enough to blindly follow? Do
scientists keep the humanitarian aspects in mind
while inventing? Are the long term effects of any
commodity/appliances on human health kept in
mind before they are exposed to common man?
What is the motto behind such inventions? Is it
always wellbeing of people or to increase the
sales or crush the competition? Are they
thoughtful of the humankind? Are they
thoughtful of the living animals and living nature
before they introduce some new product in the
market? Are Science and scientists controlled
and misused by politicians?
Are we trapped in a never ending cycle? Are we
all becoming addicts? Will this craze for more
and more lead to self-destruction? Who would be
responsible for the destruction? What can we do
now? What went wrong? We all believe that
scientific discoveries and inventions help in
creating a more advanced and efficient human
race. If that is true then, why have those
inventions endangered the very existence of
human race? Why are we suffering from global
warming, disturbed food chain, polluted
environment, melting glaciers, chronic illnesses,
short life span, danger of nuclear destruction? I
agree that such scientific advance has not
happened in a span of hundred years before, but
you cannot deny the fact that this sort of threat to
all of the human existence, animals, green life
has not happened before either.
To all the questions, there is an answer scientists
would not want to hear. So let me explain this
with another question. What would happen if a
five year old is given a car to drive? The child is
bound to have an accident. If the breaks are not
applied at the right time, the car is bound to get
destroyed and the child might die. That is the
threat we face. The planet might get destroyed
and we might die. Humans are like that unskilled
Science versus and without Spirituality - By Ashwini Shenoy June 2012

child because we lack something to drive this
planet right. Science is handicapped too. Both of
them lack one thing- Spiritualty. Until we are
ready to accept and believe that we all are
connected and if one is affected, all others will
gradually be affected. Until we accept Karma,
that if we kill the nature; nature won't be able to
spare us.
and contribute to heal the ailing planet, our
planet with love, light and being.
Transformation in the entire world begins with
individual transformation from within.
Love and light to all.
Ashwini Shenoy, Thane.

Now, some people find it nonsense. Scientists Contact: +919664546279

want proof that such an energy or spirituality
exists. This is the worst case scenario: The five
year has blindfolded himself and refuses to see
the reality. For at least those who can see or are
willing to see, wake up! You have all the power Being
within you. First, be human and then experience
your 'light' that would definitely come to your
rescue when all else fails. There are many ways to
Nothing to say
the light. You will find your own in time but the No desire to think
thing you should do on your part is begin the Simply – being!
journey. When we start walking on the path, we Sitting in quietness
realize the love for the mankind. When we all Observing self – being!
realize and recognize the true way of living,
which is nothing but loving, all the destruction
will be reversed. Instead of loving machines, if
we love animals, our nature would flourish. If we Eye's closed
love and respect Mother Nature enough, all of Wondering what is in control!
the harm we have caused will be released. We Chest rising
ourselves would be healthier and happier. Don't Even breaths
worry about how you can affect the entire world Breath - being my focal point
because you already do.
Grasping, inhaling, exhaling,
Consciously changing the way you live and relaxing
primarily your thought process. Instead again Being in a state of “being”
using the logical mind, listen to your heart and Letting down
the infinite divine energy in you. The healing Unwinding
power of our Universe is unlimited, it transcends In tune with all of me
time and space. Even if you are skeptical about
the whole thing and think logically, the least
Muscles relaxed
amount of logic will require you to understand No tightness anywhere
that modern science does not have all the No worries - no cares
answers and has its own limits. But more Just me in space and air
importantly, it is creating dangerous Being!
consequences of its use every day, more and Nothing to say
more. At this rate, extinction is not far away and
this fact even science agrees to. Now there has to
be something beyond science that needs to come By Betty Alark
to the rescue of the planet. What is that
something? There are answers. Only if you are
willing to listen. Begin! Take a step at a time.
Gradually, you will find your Spiritual Essence

14
 Faith Is the Biggest Movement - By Sushmita Mukherjee
Faith Is the Biggest Movement
Where Faith Is, Doubt and Fear Is Not…
When Belief is Absolute it becomes Faith. Absolute
Belief is a Belief in Belief Itself Faith in Faith Itself
irrespective of the forms of Faith as Faith is the
Form.
Faith goes way beyond the religious context. True,
faith finds expression in the form of varied
religions. Yet faith is not restricted to religion
alone. It is Infinite as it connects to the Infinite, the
Creative Force of the Universe. Why, even a
scientist has faith and proceeds ahead with faith.
Faith is a direction and guides one on it with
absolute conviction, as absolute conviction.
Faith knows no barriers, rather faith erases all
barriers; these barriers are of the mind while faith
is that of the soul, deeply seated within. For, and
with faith, the word 'impossible' doesn't exist.
The context of faith becomes secondary to faith as
faith is more important, irrespective of the subject
of faith. Faith is everything as it is faith that makes
possible everything. Faith is that absolute state of
belief wherefrom doubt has been displaced
forever. Faith is that state of consciousness which
is the key to all materialization.
Faith connects us to the empowerment within,
whereby the seat of the creative force of the
universe, residing within too, is accessed and
activated as within so without. Since faith is
infinite it is not desirable to confine it in particular
definitions. In fact faith allows nothing to be
impossible, yet defining faith adequately, is
impossible. It is a sublime state of being. Like love,
it too is unique in its experience and thus
expression, and in a way synonymous as well as
complementary to it.
Where love is, faith is and where faith resides love
is experienced. And both liberate and heal all.
It blesses us all in different manner as experienced
and realized at different phases in our physical life
(after all physical life is for experiencing). And as
with faith we consciously evolve, revolving all the
time, with, and around, faith we 'get to faith' and
'get to' express faith in varying ways. And all the
ways, always, sing in praise of faith, without a
15
June 2012
pause, with one thing common: the essence of faith
absolute conviction and non-existence of doubt, as
the result. When we have faith, we have indeed
everything.
The ways, Faith 'has come' to me, after each
realization of faith, is thus shared here. There are
more, and would be, as well. Though in no ways the
enumerations can capture the essence that faith is,
in entirety; it is Infinite!
Faith puts you in touch with yourself, resulting in
absolute belief, in your own self and capabilities
and a realization that a bigger force is in operation,
along with. And it is belief that creates, putting the
creative force into motion in that direction. As we
believe so we create. Thus when we doubt, it is
doubt that is manifested, while matter desired
manifestation, fails to. Faith produces self-
confidence and enhances it immeasurably.
Faith is beauty and humility personified. It
respects the other faiths. Yet your faith doesn't
allow you to court and have faith in the other faith
doubt. As doubt too is a faith, a faith that doesn't
have faith in faith. So faith makes you
unidirectional without allowing any distractions.
With zero distraction, the effort gains
concentrated impact a laser like coherence, which
causes materializations.
With faith comes surrender and surrender renders
one fully receptive to graces and blessings, present
within and without. And with receptivity comes the
envelope of calm, keeping one warm in this
assuring cocoon of The Source Within.
Ultimately with faith, oneness with The Source is
realized, experienced and realized.
Faith is all these and much more…
Faith is its own logic
With mind one cannot experience or honor faith as
it defies all logic of the mind and the conventions
created by the mind. Where mind is limited and
declares impossibilities, faith dissolves all, into
possibilities with its omnipotence. It takes one to
unprecedented heights that are unimaginable. It
 Faith Is the Biggest Movement - By Sushmita Mukherjee
enables one to uncover one's own mesmerizing
capabilities and revel in it.
Goethe has been absolutely right in stating, “Real
magic lies in believing in one's own self. One, who
is able to do that, can make happen anything.”
Faith might seem illogical to the mind. But when
soul-mind connection is established the logic of
faith dawns on the mind and the mind is re-minded
as it acknowledges that the un-manifest doesn't
imply non-existence. That which is un-manifest is
so perceived, bound by the limitations of the
relative concepts of time and space. All that is made
manifest within, in our consciousness be it the
conscious, the subconscious or the super-
conscious is made manifest, without too.
Faith waters the un-manifest seed in the store
consciousness to become manifest in the mind
consciousness, so as to materialize. And again,
faith establishes a communion of the individual
consciousness with The Universal Consciousness
and without even a prior manifestation in the mind
consciousness, the un-manifest directly becomes a
matter of reality: an expression of wondrous
creativity apparently appearing out of the blue, yet
in reality the expression of the ever present infinite
spectrum of creativity within, accessed and
activated by faith.
Faith is the biggest movement
Faith is The Biggest Movement of All, as it takes
one to All That There Is. Thus causes The Biggest
Movement - A Paradigm Shift from The Relative to
The Absolute. It doesn't displace, nor replace,
anyone. But yes, it replaces one and all, on their
path of Self-Realization, guiding them through, to
it. It is only faith that transforms a being through
life to a self-realized being. Faith is The Supreme
Logic as it leads to The Supreme Being within, The
Life Force, and empowers one with access to Its
logic; Its Absolute Wisdom.
Faith keeps one on the move consciously as one is
thus re-moved from the illusions of life the
vagaries created by the mind that carries the
vestiges from the past and clings to them. By
forwarding what it does, in ignorance of what the
soul is aware of, the mind tries for the best, but un-
chaperoned it destructs more than it creates.
Faith moves everything the unmoved and the
immovable are rendered misnomers, removing all
16
June 2012
from fear and doubt with absolute assurance,
ensuring everything on this path. Mind too finally
giving in to the logic of faith as it is convinced that it
is in its best interest to surrender and then realize
its fullest potential, the wondrous creations for
which it has been created. And one emerges, as
realized self-one with the path. One becomes the
path in itself; one becomes a Faith movement
moved by Faith.
Faith is a condition which makes everything
possible, yet is not conditional. Faith keeps us
moving, even when chips are down, as we move
ahead with the absolute knowingness that, that
what is 'down', is actually 'up' as it pulls us up
towards our greatest truth and its grandest
manifestation. Faith assures and ensures that,
everything happens for the best. And we not only
state this, we actually live this truth, with our
absolute belief in this truth. Faith leads us to our
true selves and empowers us to be our truth, as
with faith one knows that.
Faith lies in Being,
And in Being,
The Being that one is,
With Absolute Faith,
In Faith,
And in Being.
This is the Soul's Sole Purpose
To be the Soul that it is,
By Being the Soul,
Even through the Being in which it is,
Being Human.
As you are Being,
You Begin to Manifest
The Being that You Are.
With faith, everything that there is, is
found within.
With Faith and as Faith, and with Love and Best
Wishes,
S u s h m i t a M u k h e r j e e :
philosopher.mukherjee@gmail.com
 Stories and saying I would like to live by - Uma Krishnan
Stories and saying I would like to live by
In our life now and then we come across a story
or a saying or a phrase or some personalities who
or which continue to inspire us, impress us or
affect us all our lives. This happens in almost
everyone's life. Without our knowledge they get
imbedded in some part of the brain forever. In
my life too there are incidences and stories which
have remained with me till date and many of
them I relate it to happenings in my life. We live
certain stories in our real life.
Wolf has come, Wolf has come: As children this
is such a popular story which I find it 100% true
in real life.
Once there was a shepherd boy who had to look
after a flock of sheep. One day, he felt bored and
decided to play a trick on the villagers. He
shouted, “Help! Wolf! Wolf!”
The villagers heard his cries and rushed out of
the village to help the shepherd boy. When they
reached him, they asked, “Where is the wolf?”
The shepherd boy laughed loudly, “Ha, Ha, Ha! I
fooled all of you. I was only playing a trick on
you.”
A few days later, the shepherd boy played this
trick again.
Again he cried, “Help! Help! Wolf! Wolf!” Again,
the villagers rushed up the hill to help him and
again they found that boy had tricked them. They
were very angry with him for being so naughty.
Then, sometime later, a wolf went into the field.
The wolf attacked one sheep, and then another
and another. The shepherd boy ran towards the
village shouting, “Help! Help! Wolf! Help!
Somebody!”
The villagers heard his cries but they laughed
because they thought it was another trick. The
wolf attacked the boy and the boy died. Later the
villagers went to look for him. It was true. They
could see the wolf running and the body of the
boy dead on the field.
Moral of the story is “We may not believe
someone who often tells lies, even when he tells
the truth.” This is true even in the corporate
world, in our relationships, in school anywhere
on Earth. Whenever one is caught telling lies
again and again people stop trusting that person
forever. To win back people's trust becomes
almost impossible however hard one may try.
Also lying is a disease which almost becomes a
17
June 2012
reflex action and a person starts lying for
anything and everything. Lying can be fatal for
our lives and for our own good we all should
develop the habit of speaking the truth as far as
possible and as long as possible if not always.
A thief who pretended to be saint:
Once a thief was caught stealing and the villagers
ran after him to catch him. The thief knew that if
the villagers caught him they would kill him. He
had nowhere to escape. That time he saw a saint
meditating under a tree. So the thief sat under
the adjoining tree and started to pretend as
though he too was meditating. When the
villagers reached the spot they found peaceful
aura on the face of the thief. They said all though
he came as a thief but in the presence of the holy
man he has become holy himself. The villagers
bowed to the thief and left.
The thief thought by just pretending to be holy I
could achieve such calmness then if I actually
become a holy person maybe I can attain
liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
That's the effect of goodness. We should lead an
inspiring life and keep the company of pious
people because we become the person whose
company we keep. Here it need not be physical
presence of a person even keeping the company
of good books can have the same effect.
The story about Abraham Lincoln
On his first day in office, as President Abraham
Lincoln entered to give his inaugural address
speech, one man stood up. He was a rich
aristocrat. He said, “Mr. Lincoln, You should not
forget that your father used to make shoes for my
family.” And the whole senate laughed. They
thought they had made a fool of Lincoln.
Lincoln looked at the man directly in the eye and
said, “Sir, I know that my father used to make
shoes for your family, and there will be many
others here, because he made shoes the way
nobody else can. He was a creator. His shoes
were not just shoes; he poured his whole soul
into them. I want to ask you, have you got any
complaint? Because I know how to make shoes
myself. If you have any complaint I can make you
another pair of shoes. But as far as I know,
nobody has ever complained about my father's
shoes. He was a genius, a great creator and I am
 Stories and saying I would like to live by - By Uma Krishnan June 2012

proud of my father”.

The whole senate was dumb struck. They could

FIRE
not understand what kind of man Abraham
Lincoln was. Don't let your
In our life we attach so much importance to what wounds define you;
we do and so little to how we do it. We should
take care that whatever job that we do how so Let them refine you.
small it may be ensure that we have given our
100% to it. That's the path to excellence. A That is how gold is
perfect shoe maker is better than a professor who
teaches crap. Not only that we should ourselves made.
adopt this trait of perfecting whatever we do and
also we should also recognise the same in others
and respect good job wherever we see it. In our
lives we should learn to respect work and not You must welcome
position and money. We should teach our
children to do the same. the fire,
There are many such stories and real life
incidences which though old continue to inspire And ne'er tire
me every day.
Some Golden rules which I like to follow in my Of its flames.
life are:
1) If the job is worth doing, its worth doing
properly, otherwise don't do it.
2) If you do not follow the rule of “A place for Oh how it burns
everything and everything in its place” then you
will land up searching for everything all the time And wounded souls
and thus loosing valuable time in the process.
3) What I am, speaks louder than what I say spurn
or what I do. So don't think people cannot see
through if you are pretending to be something Such pain.
which you actually are not.
4) Change before you have to.
5) Treat others the same way you want to be
treated by them. But in the ashes
6) Few versus from Rahim: Rahiman dhaga
prem ka; which means that Oh man don't break Are strokes and
the thread of love in one stroke because once
broken it cannot join back and even if it joins lashes
there will be a knot in it. So be careful how you
deal with your loved ones. What takes years to That calls you by
build don't break it in a second.
name.
Uma Krishnan: uma.subu@gmail.com

Nancy Cleaves

18
 Book Corner
Yoga beyond Asana
Excerpt from a book called 'Yoga beyond Asana' by Satya Kalra
Introduction
The goal of yoga is not just physical but to attain
ultimate union with Supreme, and everlasting peace
and bliss/Anandam - Self-Realization, “Sat Chit
Ananda”
Yoga has become very popular in the world in last
decade. More than 20 million people in the USA
alone practice yoga. The term yoga in the West is
primarily associated with stretches and
postures/asanas. Physical postures make up one
branch of yoga philosophy; however, yoga is much
more than asanas.
Originated in ancient India, the
word "Yoga" is derived from the
Sanskrit root verb “yuj” which
means "to unite, to connect." True
Yoga means the union of the
individual (conscious mind) with
the ultimate reality (Supreme
consciousness). It also means
oneness/alignment of the body,
mind, and soul that result in
eternal happiness and peace "Sat
Chit Ananda." The practice of
yoga is an art and science with not
only a physical objective but also
to create a balance between the
body and the mind, achieve good
health and attain calmness of
mind, Equanimity, everlasting
inner peace, bliss/Anandam and
self-enlightenment-ultimate
liberation (Moksha) from worldly suffering and cycle
of birth and death.5
Yoga is the union of the individual soul with the
Supreme Self (Self-Realization). It is the path of
rising to the state of bliss wherein the egoistic mind
(I-ness and My-ness) is dissolved and the conscious
mind is merged with the Supreme Consciousness. It
is an art of right living that helps one attain the True
Yoga, the freedom from the cycle of birth and death
and the ultimate union with self.
Yoga, the State of Bliss is freedom from miseries and
sorrows, cycle of birth and death, bondage of karma-
"cause and effect"; and experiencing eternal love,
peace and happiness, “Sat Chit Ananda.”
There are two major ancient scriptures which
originated from India, the Bhagavad Gita and the
19
June 2012
Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, that give details of Yoga. Each
describes Yoga, the power of Yoga, obstacles of doing
Yoga, how to overcome obstacles of yoga, how to
practice yoga and the benefit from the practice of
True Yoga.
More than 5000 years ago, yoga was taught to Arjuna
by Krishna in the battlefield when he was facing the
calamities in his life and became very confused and
dejected. Lord Krishna, the Lord of Yogas
(Yogeshwar) explains to Arjuna the meaning of yoga
and how every activity could be converted into yoga
including sorrow/vishad and could lead into union
with supreme if it is done with control of mind and
senses, surrender to Him with faith and devotion.
Krishna summarizes the Yogas through eighteen
chapters of the Gita. Each chapter
is called Yoga and represents a
different spiritual path that
teaches how to self-awaken, self-
transform, and unite with
Self/Supreme. Since the Gita is a
scripture of Yogas, therefore it is
known as Yoga Sastra.
Four main yogas are described in
the Gita:
1. Karma Yoga (Path of selfless
action)
2. Bhakti Yoga (Path of love and
devotion)
3. Jnana Yoga (Path of Self-
Knowledge)
4. Dhyana Yoga (Mediation) or Raja Yoga
KarmaYoga +BhaktiYoga +JnanaYoga Dhyana
Yoga/Raja
Yoga Self-Purification
Self-Transformation Self-Realization/Oneness with
Supreme.
One may have more inclination for one type of yoga,
however all four yogas are interconnected and must
be practiced together.
The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali:
 Book Corner
The yoga philosophy was written down in The Yoga
Sutra by the Indian sage Patanjali, approximately
200 AD. Yoga Sutra, also known as Raja Yoga. It is a
step-by-step instruction manual for attaining the
True Yoga and consists of four chapters. The first
chapter describes the goal and theory of Yoga, the
second chapter is about the practice of the Yoga, the
third chapter explains the power of yoga and the
fourth chapter is about Liberation from miseries and
experiencing Eternal Bliss/Anandam and Peace, the
Ultimate Union with Soul-Self –Realization,
Oneness of All! The Yoga sutra is systematically
arranged in the eight steps/limbs: Yama, Niyama,
Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana
and Samadhi. These are also mentioned though out
in the Gita. The first two steps are the foundation of
Raja Yoga, the next three (Asana, Pranayama,
Pratyahara) are for preparation of body and mind for
mediation and samadhi. The last three steps
(Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi) are for raising the
consciousness and ultimately uniting with the
Supreme consciousness where one is in the state of
bliss.
All the steps are equally important. These eight steps
of yoga indicate a logical pathway that leads to the
attainment of physical, ethical, emotional, and
spiritual health and also the purpose of life, Eternal
Love, Peace and Anandam – Ultimate Union with
Self, "Self- Realization." Yoga is not a religion nor
preaches any religion but is a way to a healthy, happy
and peaceful life.
A Note for Readers:
If you sincerely devote, contemplate and practice the
tips given in this guide, you will not only understand
the true meaning of the Yoga but will also know the
supreme goal of your life. Moreover, you will
gradually develop more self-awareness, self-
transformation. Furthermore, you will also lead a
happier, healthier, and peaceful life. This guide is
only a road map; you must drive it yourself to reach
your destination. In order to avail the maximum
benefits from this guide, do the following:
1. Each day, read one day's thought, and read every
day (preferably in the mornings). Contemplate and
practice it during the day.
2. Use the daily spiritual planner provided in the back
of the book to evaluate your progress.
3. Read daily the poem given on the last page of the
book.
20
June 2012
Day 1
What is Yoga?
Union with Self – Self-Realization
Sanskrit root verb yuj = to unite, to connect
Yoga, the State of Bliss is freedom from miseries and
sorrows, cycle of birth and death, bondage of karma
"cause and effect"; and experiencing eternal love,
peace and happiness, "Sat Chit Ananda.”
Oneness of body, mind and soul is Yoga
Yoga is a method to attain well-being of body and
calmness of mind and attaining the purpose of life -
Self-Realization. (Gita. 2.48)
When the mind comes to rest, becomes steady and
peaceful by practicing of yoga, develops the ability to
see the self by the self and content in the self, finds his
happiness within his delight within, and his light
within (State of Bliss). (Gita.6.20)
Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the
evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all
aspects of one's being, from bodily health to self-
realization. Yoga means union - the union of body
with consciousness and consciousness with the soul.
Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced
attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the
performance of one's actions. - B.K.S. Iyengar
Day 2
What is the purpose/supreme goal of life?
Attain Love, Peace and Eternal Happiness/Anandam
the Ultimate Union with Self "Self-Realization -Sat
Chit Ananda and extend to others”
Achieve the freedom from miseries of life, cycle of
birth and death, and also enjoy your life to the fullest.
Self-Realization (Liberation from desire, fear and
anger) is the supreme goal of life (Gita. 5.28)
First focus on attaining your own Supreme goal of life
and then extend to others.
satya@pathtoanandam.org
Book Corner
A Story to Live By
Excerpt from the book: A Story to Live By written by Dr. Nancy Cleaves
My name is Hokhmah, Holy Wisdom. To some I am
known as Sophia, Ancient Wisdom, the Living Logos,
and Eternal Word. From before the Before, I am; and I
am with the beloved. I am the way of peace and
compassion. I am the door to the realm of Sacred
Mystery. I am that renewable life that sustains you.
With my wisdom, I have fashioned the Universe. To find
me is a treasure beyond gold. I want to tell you a story. It
is a story of unfolding compassion, enormous sacrifice,
longing desire, yearning, and birthing; it is a story of one
who is love, harmony and beauty. This is the story of the
Universe; it is your story. If you
remember anything I tell you,
remember this: It is one story.
For all that is, comes forth from
the One, and unto the One all
return; in the Breath of the One,
all breathe; in the Life of the
one, all live.
Imagine then, we are leaving
this galaxy, passing the planets,
passing Jupiter, the big brother
planet that shields and protects
Earth. We pass through
hundreds, thousands, millions,
and then billions of galaxies.
The clock has rolled back almost
fourteen billion years. Try to
imagine - no time and no space.
Once upon a no-time, the
Universe was everywhere, and
as tiny as a …. This I will tell you
later. In this no-time, no-space, the Beloved was, and is,
and always will be. Now, I will use the past tense, but in
the Beloved, there are no tenses. Every moment is this
moment. So, the Beloved was alone and oh how she
dreamed. She longed to express all of her inner beauty
and intelligence. She wanted to know and be known.
She dreamed of relating, relationships, connections,
interconnections, community, expressing her love, and
being loved in return, and all things loving each other.
She wanted to display her vastness, her wonder, and
intricate beauty. She literally ached to experience
herself in dimensions not yet created. She longed for
millions of beings all flowing in love. Then that wasn't
enough. Her dream grew and grew. Still she was filled
with longing unexpressed. She continued to dream. She
imagined a vast expanse of harmony, of planets
orbiting, stars and creatures, tiny little legs making
webs and great cosmic webs spanning entire galaxies;
everything so intricately connected. Oh, how her heart
was bursting with desire to touch, to feel, to experience
her sacred unity expressed in all kinds of creations.
21
June 2012
One moment, what actually became the first moment,
as Beloved was in the deepest, meditative longing, a tear
rolled down. She caught this tear and there! There, in
this pool of primordial waters, she saw reflected all that
she had longed for. Her entire dream was before her
eyes. She was so overwhelmed. Very gently and
reverently, she bent to kiss this tear, but I, the heat in
her Holy Breath sent this tear off – and the Universe was
birthed with a kiss.
Taken from the last chapter: Home
Before the before, was the tear – the
great longing. From that tear, you
came forth and you are the trusted
species that holds this tear. The tear
has called you, led you out of chaos
into the light, brought forth so many
dreams into the realm of experience,
and has inspired ingenious and
artistic expressions. There is an
intimate communion that develops
with this tear. Its mystery intrigues
you. It came from the depth of the
Beloved's longing. I waited in
silence, for the kiss. I was the heat
that flared forth. All of that loving
memory lives in the tear; it holds the
memory of the Dream – the dream of
it all.
The reward of honouring the tear is
that it brings you home. Home is
where you enjoy the seventh
principle of creation – peace and
rest. Home is the true reality of who you really are. Here,
there is great contentment and comfort; here there is
the soul's peace, flowing in harmony with all that is,
seen and unseen. Living in loving embrace of your soul's
journey, brings the awakening of being home in greater
measures moment by moment. Meister Eckhart was
aware of this principle when he said to you, “God is at
home. It is we who have gone out for a walk.”
Remember the grand event that happened six hundred
thousand years ago. Light sensitive eyespots developed
into eyes and Earth saw herself for the first time. The
more you travel this soul's journey; the more you
become sensitive to the Light. Gradually, or sometimes
suddenly, often in a moment unexpected, an amazing
transformation occurs and you see yourself, as if for the
first time! You know that you are one with the Beloved;
one with all creation; one with the entire Universe. It is a
blissful peace; you are grounded in your own sense of
being, and ecstatic that this very essence is the only
Essence!
Book Corner
Remember the grand event that happened six hundred
thousand years ago. Light sensitive eyespots developed
into eyes and Earth saw herself for the first time. The
more you travel this soul's journey; the more you
become sensitive to the Light. Gradually, or sometimes
suddenly, often in a moment unexpected, an amazing
transformation occurs and you see yourself, as if for the
first time! You know that you are one with the Beloved;
one with all creation; one with the entire Universe. It is a
blissful peace; you are grounded in your own sense of
being, and ecstatic that this very essence is the only
Essence!
It is I, Hokhmah, who calls you home in the tear. I am
the One who gathers all back into unity and harmony. I
birthed you in my Essence, and walk with you through
all the dark passages. I long for you to experience being
Home in greater and greater dimensions of awareness.
Home, the hearth of love is always lit. You partake freely
from my table of abundance. Home is Truth; Home is
Love; Home is Peace. If your journey has been very
hard, you can rest now. There is always more to journey
through, but it will be softer now. If your beginnings
lacked love, you have endured broken relationships.
Now you will attract a lover who is also home. As like
attracts like, you will attract love to yourself. The
Universe lives in an endless dance of attraction. You can
spin and twirl around with us. What a delight. Enjoy the
dance!
I have poured myself out for you in this story. Every
word is a gift of wisdom, love and grace. What is more
important is the space between the words. That is more
of a gift; that is the Beloved breathing life into you,
breathing love into you. You, my precious friend, are the
loved, the loving and love itself – you. I have chosen to
speak plainly to you for two main reasons, although the
reasons are many.
I want you to come Home, and here experience that the
Beloved is good – only good. I want you to know who
you are. I want you to enjoy being alive. You deserve all
of love's best. I want you to breathe deeply and freely,
and enjoy the love of others, of a lover, and the love of all
creation. The first reason is just that – love for you
because you are worth it. The second reason is love for
the gift of Earth. If you could experience the complete
agony of Mother Earth, you could not bear it. Even one
small portion of her agonizing pain would break your
heart into a million pieces and you would go crazy; your
body could not bear the intensity of the grief and
groaning of Earth.
Mother Earth needs you; I need you to become active
participants in healing her. I say her, but it is I. We are
one, for one is all there is. Beloved, Intelligent Beauty
and I, Wisdom are one. We worked, danced and played
together cloaking our dream into this miraculous
22
June 2012
dimension. We are the 'I AM'. I am Beauty; I am beauty
in Earth. I am Life. As Earth I live. As water I live. As
mountains I live. And I ache deliriously. As Mother
Earth, I have been so generous to all but humanity
takes, kills, steals and destroys. The spirit that fuels
modern civilizations, which are barely civil at all, is not
the spirit of love.
Wherever you are on your journey, I implore you to live
with intention. Before you buy anything, know where it
comes from. Know what the making of that product has
done to Mother Earth. Think about what you will do
with that product when it becomes waste. Do you really
need it? Who will profit from that purchase? When you
see paper and wood, think of the trees. And then there is
life's precious gift of water. How is she being honoured?
Where and how is your food grown? Are you wasting our
gifts? By keeping these questions in your
consciousness, and acting accordingly, you are a loving
Mother Earth.
Hearken to my voice and you will find the wisdom and
courage to take action and stop the destruction. The
systems of this world are like the airplane I already
mentioned. Not only is it out of balance due to
patriarchy and abuse of power, it is also headed in the
wrong direction. It cares not about the destruction it has
already caused and that will bring its end, taking the
beauty of Earth and all of life with it. Far too many
humans just shrug their shoulders and continue living
in the same uncaring manner, and others look for an
end in 2012 or some apocalypse. With this thinking, I
grieve all the more. But you, my caring listener, as you
focus your soul on Home (heaven within and without),
you are already there. Your loving attention creates the
reality.
My wisdom is displayed in the heavens. The vastness of
Beloved, Wisdom and Beauty is spread across billions of
galaxies. This compassion and wisdom is available to
all, and it is enough, more than enough to bring
Malkutah – heaven here and now. Will you answer the
call? You will have to become still and listen. Life in this
present age is far too busy and noisy. You were not made
to live in that way. Notice the stillness and quiet of
nature. There is your true mode of being. Come my
beloveds, although the ways of humankind are like
scarlet, you and I will make them white as snow. For
this, from my heart of hearts I thank you. Beloved hugs
you. Intelligent beauty kisses you. And sacred Earth and
all species will show their gratitude in their living.
The book is available at Amazon's Create Space and as
an eBook at Kindle Publishing also part of Amazon.
Website: www.malkutah-heaven.com Follow Nancy on
LinkedIn.
 GUATEMALA - Compiled by Dhara Kothari
GUATEMALA
The land of the Mayan Civilization
Guatemala is officially the Republic of
Guatemala. A country in Central America
bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the
Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the
northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and
Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast.
A representative democracy, its capital is
Guatemala de la Asunción, also known as
Guatemala City. Guatemala's abundance of
biologically significant and unique ecosystems
contributes to
Mesoamerica's
designation as a
biodiversity hotspot.
The former Mayan
civilization was a
Mesoamerican
civilization, which
continued throughout
the Post-Classic period
until the arrival of the
Spanish. The Mayas
live in Guatemala,
Honduras, Belize, the
southern part of
Mexico and northern
parts of El Salvador.
Guatemala became
independent from
Spain in 1821, joining
the Mexican Empire.
After it became an
independent country in its own right, it was
ruled by a series of dictators, assisted by the
United Fruit Company. The late 20th century
saw Guatemala embroiled in a 36-year-long civil
war. Following the war, Guatemala has
witnessed both economic growth and successful
democratic elections.
The first evidence of human settlers in
Guatemala demonstrates a presence at least as
early as 12,000 BC. Some evidence suggests a
presence as early as 18,000 BC, such as obsidian
arrow heads found in various parts of the
country. There is archaeological proof that early
Guatemalan settlers were hunters and gatherers,
but pollen samples from Petén and the Pacific
23
June 2012
coast indicate that maize cultivation was
developed by 3500 BC. Sites dating back to 6500
BC have been found in Quiché in the Highlands
and Sipacate, Escuintla on the central Pacific
coast. Archaeologists divide the pre-Columbian
history of Mesoamerica into the pre-Classic
period (2000 BC to 250 AD), the Classic period
(250 to 900 AD), and the Calistic from 900 to
1500 AD. Mirador was the first politically
organized state in America, named the Kan
Kingdom in ancient texts. There were 26 cities,
all connected by Sacbeob
(highways), which were
several kilometers long, up
to 40 meters wide, and two
to four meters above the
ground, paved with stucco,
that are clearly
distinguishable from the
air in the most extensive
virgin tropical rain forest in
Mesoamerica. The Classic
period of Mesoamerican
civilization corresponds to
the height of the Maya
civilization, and is
represented by countless
sites throughout
Guatemala, although the
largest concentration is in
Petén. This period is
characterized by heavy
city-building, the
development of independent city-states, and
contact with other Mesoamerican cultures. The
Post-Classic period is represented by regional
kingdoms, such as the Itzá and Ko'woj in the
lakes area in Petén, and the Mam, Ki'ch'es,
Kack'chiquel, Tz'utuh'il, Pokom'chí, Kek'chi and
Chortí in the Highlands. These cities preserved
many aspects of Mayan culture, but would never
equal the size or power of the Classic cities.
The Maya civilization shares many features with
other Mesoamerican civilizations due to the high
degree of interaction and cultural diffusion that
characterized the region. Advances such as
writing, epigraphy, and the calendar did not
 GUATEMALA - Compiled by Dhara Kothari
originate with the Maya; however, their
civilization fully developed them. Maya
influence can be detected from Honduras,
Guatemala, and Northern El Salvador and to as
far as central Mexico, more than 1,000 km (620
miles) from the Maya area. Many outside
influences are found in Maya art and
architecture, which are thought to result from
trade and cultural exchange rather than direct
external conquest. After arriving in what was
named the New World, the Spanish started
several expeditions to Guatemala, beginning in
1519. And the rest is history as they say.
Guatemala is divided into 22 departments
(departamentos) and sub-divided into about 334
municipalities (municipios). Guatemala is
heavily centralized. Transportation,
communications, business, politics, and the
most relevant urban activity take place in
Guatemala City. The country is mountainous
with small desert and sand dune patches, hilly
valleys filled with people, except for the south
coastal area and the vast northern lowlands of
Petén department. All major cities are located in
the highlands and Pacific coast regions; by
comparison, Petén is sparsely populated. These
three regions vary in climate, elevation, and
landscape, providing dramatic contrasts
between hot, humid tropical lowlands and
colder, drier highland peaks. Volcán Tajumulco,
at 4,220 m, is the highest point in the Central
American states. The country has 14 eco-regions
ranging from mangrove forests to both ocean
littorals with 5 different ecosystems. Guatemala
has about 252 listed wetlands, including 5 lakes,
61 lagoons, 100 rivers, and 4 swamps. Tikal
24
June 2012
National Park was the first mixed UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Guatemala is a country of
distinct fauna. It has some 1246 known species.
Of these, 6.7% are endemic and 8.1% are
threatened. Guatemala is home to at least 8681
species of vascular plants, of which 13.5% are
endemic.
Although Spanish is the official language, it is
not universally spoken among the indigenous
population, nor is it often spoken as a second
language by the elderly indigenous. Twenty-one
Mayan languages are spoken, especially in rural
areas. Guatemala is rich in natural beauty and
travel opportunities; it's a country that offers so
much to those willing to step off the beaten track
for a little while.
The world famous Mayan Calendar
The Maya calendar is a system of calendars used
in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and in many
modern communities in highland Guatemala.
The essentials of the Maya calendar are based
upon a system which had been in common use
throughout the region, dating back to at least the
5th century BCE. It shares many aspects with
calendars employed by other earlier
Mesoamerican civilizations, such as the Zapotec
and Olmec, and contemporary or later ones such
as the Mixtec and Aztec calendars. Although the
Mesoamerican calendar did not originate with
the Maya, their subsequent extensions and
refinements of it were the most sophisticated.
Along with those of the Aztecs, the Maya
calendars are the best-documented and most
completely understood. By the Maya
 GUATEMALA - Compiled by Dhara Kothari
mythological tradition, as documented in
Colonial Yucatec accounts and reconstructed
from Late Classic and Post-classic inscriptions,
the deity Itzamna is frequently credited with
bringing the knowledge of the calendar system to
the ancestral Maya, along with writing in general
and other foundational aspects of Maya culture.
The Maya calendar consists of several cycles or
counts of different lengths. The 260-day count is
known to scholars as the Tzolkin, or Tzolk'in in
the revised orthography of the Academia de las
Lenguas Mayas de Guatemala. The Tzolk'in was
combined with a 365-day vague solar year
known as the Haab, or Haab year', to form a
synchronized cycle lasting for 52 Haabs, called
the Calendar Round. Smaller cycles of 13 days
(the trecena) and 20 days (the veintena) were
important components of the Tzolk'in and Haab'
cycles, respectively. The Calendar Round is still
in use by many groups in the Guatemalan
highlands.
The completion of significant calendar cycles
(period endings), such as a k'atun-cycle, were
often marked by the erection and dedication of
specific monuments, commemorating the
completion, accompanied by dedicatory
ceremonies. A cyclical interpretation is also
noted in Maya creation accounts, in which the
present world and the humans in it were
preceded by other worlds (one to five others,
depending on the tradition) which were
fashioned in various forms by the gods, but
subsequently destroyed. The present world also
had a tenuous existence, requiring the
supplication and offerings of periodic sacrifice to
maintain the balance of continuing existence.
25
June 2012
Similar themes are found in the creation
accounts of other Mesoamerican societies.
Since Calendar Round dates repeat every 18,980
days, approximately 52 solar years, the cycle
repeats roughly once each lifetime, so a more
refined method of dating was needed if history
was to be recorded accurately. To specify dates
over periods longer than 52 years,
Mesoamericans used the Long Count calendar.
Unlike the 52-year Calendar Round still used
today among the Maya, the Long Count was
linear rather than cyclical, and kept time roughly
in units of 20: 20 days made a uinal, 18 uinals
(360 days) made a tun, 20 tuns made a k'atun,
and 20 k'atuns (144,000 days or roughly 394
years) made up a b'ak'tun. Thus, the Mayan date
of 8.3.2.10.15 represents 8 b'ak'tuns, 3 k'atuns, 2
tuns, 10 uinals and 15 days
The Maya at Xultún were likely less concerned
with the end of the world than the end of their
world, according to Mayan-writing expert David
Freidel. During tough times, the Maya looked to
their leaders to divine the intents of the gods and
appease them. In turn, those rulers may have
looked to the scribes, who many archaeologists
believe used past events in combination with
mysterious, complex arithmetic to predict the
future.
Astronomical records were key to the Mayan
calendar, which has gotten some attention
recently because of doomsday warnings that it
predicts the end of the world this December.
Experts say it makes no such prediction. The new
finding tells us that the new found calculations
 GUATEMALA - Compiled by Dhara Kothari
include a time span longer than 6,000 years,
meaning it could extend well beyond 2012. The
recent find talks about the room, part of a large
complex of Mayan ruins in the rain forest at
Xultun in northeastern Guatemala. The tiny,
millimeter-thick red and black hieroglyphs are
said to be unlike any seen before at Mayan sites.
According to archaeologist William Saturno of
Boston University, they appear to represent
various astronomical cycles of the Maya. The
new calendar and another found nearby contain
17 baktuns 400 year periods and continues for an
additional 4,000-7,000 years beyond the 21st
century. The scientists say that while one
calendar cycle does end this December, another
one begins right afterwards.
Places of interests
North
Hot, jungle region in the north with the most
impressive ancient Maya ruins.
Petén
El Petén, Guatemala's largest and northernmost
section is a world into itself, with more than
2,000 archeological sites left by the enigmatic
Maya, and huge expanses of pristine tropical
forest. More than a thousand years ago, what is
now the Petén was the hub of Classic Maya
civilization, with a high population and many
large splendid cities. The Maya people did not
disappear (more than 40% of Guatemala's
population are ethnically Mayan today), but no
new temples and palaces were built, the
26
June 2012
population of the Petén region declined, and
after a time the old cities were allowed to be
reclaimed by jungle. The Maya Biosphere
Reserve, which contains the largest tropical
forest in Central America, encompasses five
national parks and three wildlife reserves, or
biotopes, in the Petén. The Biosphere's forest
and wetlands are home to 333 species of birds
and 54 mammals. You can see lots of spider and
howler nibkeysm toucans, parrots, and many
other tropical animals as they explore the
region's archaeological sites and parks. Flights to
Petén take about an hour from Guatemala City.
Roads to the area are quite good, and Flores can
be reached in about seven hours by car from the
capital.
Flores and Lake Petén-Itzá
Flores, the departmental capital of Petén, sits on
a small island once occupied by the Maya-Itza, in
Guatemala's second largest Lake of Petén Itza.
The lake covers 99 square kilometers, and many
of Petén's inhabitants live in small towns around
its shores. The largest of these towns is Santa
Elena, connected to Flores by a causeway. The
Island is named after Cirilo Flores, one of the
first Guatemaltecos to call for independence
from the Colonial powers. For many, the main
reason to visit Flores is its proximity to Tikal, the
most famous Mayan ruins in Guatemala, or as a
starting point for trips around Petén.
Tikal
 GUATEMALA - Compiled by Dhara Kothari
Tikal means place of voices. It is, the biggest
Mayan City known and studied. The ruins of
Tikal include more than 3,000 structures
extending over six square miles and including
palaces, temples, ceremonial platforms, ball
courts, terraces, plazas, avenues and steam
baths. The ancient Maya began building Tikal
around 600 B.C., and for the next 1500 years the
area was an important religious, scientific, and
political center.
Temple I, known also as Big Jaguar Temple, it
was built around the 700 year of our era. Its crest
reaches 45 meters high above the Major Plaza. It
was built, within the generalities of the Mayan
temples, in pyramidal shape. Temple II is known
also as Masks. Close the Big Plaza by the west, 38
meters high. The temple was built by the
governor Ah Cacao around 700 A.C. North
Acropolis is a religious area, within the
ceremonial complex of Tikal. It is the most
complete individual construction so far
excavated in the Mayan area. Central Acropolis
is integrated by small courtyard at different
levels, by large and low buildings called palaces.
Almost all the structures visible today are dated
from the latest classical period (550-900 of our
era). Temple III is approximately 50 meters
high. It possess original lintel carve in wood. One
of them describes the scene whereby it is known
by the name of Jaguar Priest Temple. It was built
during the latest Classical, and is 55 meters high.
Temple IV is 70 meters high. It is the highest
structure of Tikal and is named Two-headed
Snake Temple. It was built around 741 of our era,
by the governor Yaxkin Caan Chac. A visitor is
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able to go up until the crest base and see the
beautiful sight of Tikal. Temple V is located to the
south of the Central Acropolis, with a height of 57
meters, it offers at its summit, one of the most
spectacular panoramas of the National Park
Tikal. Current excavations tell us that it was built
between 550 and 650 year A.C. Temple VI is the
Inscriptions Temple by its crest (12 meters high),
which façade, sides and eaves, are covered with
sculptures. Big Pyramid Plaza or Lost World is
one of the most ancient monumental complexes
of Tikal city, which are from the Superior Pre-
classic era. It is approximately 35 meters high
and conform a complex of astronomic
commemoration.
Other sites
Yaxhá is an archaeological site 73 km from Flores
on the way to Melchor de Mencos and the
Belizean border. 62 km from Flores, just after
Holtún, turn off on to the dirt road to Yaxhá (11
km). The site is not as popular as Tikal, but is well
worth the trip. In addition, you may find that you
are the only visitor, which offers a very different
kind of experience from that of wading through
the crowds at Tikal. There is ongoing restoration
work at the site. Topoxte is the only restored,
Post-Classic site in the Petén, with columns and
other architectural features similar to those
found at Yucatan sites such as Chichen-Itza and
Mayapan. Holtún is a small archaeological site
60 km from Flores on the way to Melchor de
Mencos and the Belizean border. A broad, but
unmarked path leads to the site. Locals can give
directions. The site contains tree and vegetation
covered temples. Painted masks adorn the inside
 GUATEMALA - Compiled by Dhara Kothari June 2012

of one of the temples, but this part is off limits to

tourists. El Mirador - Flores is the base for tours
to the site of the largest Mayan temples, El Tigre
and La Danta. This archaeological site deep in
the rain forest near the Mexican border is of huge
significance and can only be reached by foot and
mule train - a five day round trip trek. An extra
day allows further travel along much of an
ancient raised causeway to the ruins at Nakbé,
which are around 3.5 hours away and 5 km closer
to Carmelita. Uaxactún is 23 km from Tikal, is a
small, forested ruin a beautiful observatory,
temples and palaces, and many other structures
organized into eight groups. The temples and
observatory of Group E are arranged to mark enormous caves, abundant wildlife, fascinating
points where the sun rises on the summer and traditions and friendly people. Las Verapaces
winter solstices. A large temple in Group A offers has something to offer every traveler. At its
fine views of the surrounding countryside. About upper elevations, a light rain, known as chipi
600 people live near the ruins, and children in frequently falls, nourishing the mosses, ferns,
the community make some beautiful dolls from orchids and bromeliads that grow in the area`s
tusa, or corn husks. Ceibal was the greatest cloud forest reserves. The Verapaces consist of
classic establishment, with major power on the Guatemala's Alta Verapaz and Baja Verapaz
West margin of La Pasión River; having a very departments.
favorable regional situation as point of control
and interaction in commercial and transport Punta de Chimino
activities, as well as political-military. The site
occupies the highest point, located above a Found on a peninsula of Lake Petexbatùn. Punta
limestone layer that lifts about 100 meters high de Chimino was a heavily-fortified Maya city
over see level. It is compose for a ceremonial with three walls and defensive trenches. The city
center that covers an approximately area of 1km. with three walls and defensive trenches. The city
square, distributed in three high hills, separated underwent a burst of construction from 830 to
each one by great depressions, which drain 850, at the end of the Classic era, when several
towards the river. building and stela were erected. Sometime
between 900 and 950 AD, the city was
Las Verapaces abandoned for unknown reasons.

A land of lush vegetation, gorgeous waterfalls, Central Highlands

The Guatemala highland is a region of

extraordinary natural beauty and invaluable
cultural richness. This region offers a number of
options to immerse itself in the Maya legacy and
become part of the mystical experience.
Guatemala City

Guatemala's capital city is the most modern and

cosmopolitan city in Central America. Fast
paced and vibrant, Guatemala City (or Guate as
its referred to locally) is a wonderful blend of old
and new and possesses a distinct Latin charm.
The city is divided into 21 zones (zonas). Zona 1 is

28
 GUATEMALA - Compiled by Dhara Kothari
the old historic center. Here are the national
palace, the presidential palace, the cathedral, the
main plaza, and the Central Market. South of
Zona 1 is Zona 4, with many of the official
buildings like the national bank, the national
theatre, and the tourist board (INGUAT).
Farther south is Zona 10 and Zona 9, divided by
Avenida La Reforma. Zona 10 hosts most of the
high class hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping
facilities. A small part of Zona 10 is called Zona
Viva (the lively zone) because of its nightlife.
Guatemala City was founded in 1776, after a
devastating earthquake destroyed the former
Spanish capital of Central America, known today
as Antigua Guatemala (or simply Antigua).
Antigua
Antigua Guatemala, the colonial jewel of the
Americas, is found just 30 minutes from
Guatemala City. Antigua is among the world's
best conserved colonial cities, it is a magic and
captivating small town that makes you feel time
might have stopped some 300 years ago. From
its colonial architecture to its beautiful
surroundings; strolling through town on the
cobblestone streets, you will experience the
splendors of ancient times! Set in a fertile valley
dedicated to coffee farming and overlooked by
three beautiful volcanoes. Antigua is one of
Guatemalan's best-loved tourist destinations.
Antigua Guatemala, originally named Santiago
de Los Cabelleros, was one the capital of the
Kingdom of Guatemala, which stretched from
Chiapas all the way to Costa Rica, The city was
founded on March 10, 1543. After the city was
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June 2012
destroyed yet again by a massive earthquake on
July 29, 1773. Guatemala's governor decided to
relocate the capital, moving is to the Ermita
Valley, where Guatemala City is found today.
Coban
The area of Coban is incredibly rich in flora and
fauna and lakes are found throughout. Large,
dense cloud forests of exceptional beauty,
sparkling waterfalls and several incredible cave
systems make it an ideal place for true Eco-
tourists. Coban is the state capital of Alta
Verapaz and a convenient base for exploring the
area. Coban was founded in 1543 by Dominican
priests and today is an important center of coffee
and cardamom production. At the vivero
Verapaz more than 650 species of orchids are
cultivated (including the Monja Blanca,
Guatemala's national flower). In the region of
Lanquin, water and minerals have created
unique geologic formations. One such formation
is Semuc Champey. Declared national
monument, it is a series of waterholes cascading
down through the cloud forest.
Other places in central highlands
1 km from the municipal seat of Lanquín, on the
road that leads to Coban, passes over the input
Lanquin Caves. It is an enormous and beautiful
complex, lounges, cupolas and capricious
limestone formations which give it an
extraordinary beauty, is not known where the
cave ends. Some formations have names of
animals and other shapes that resemble. Baja
GUATEMALA - Compiled by Dhara Kothari
Verapaz, according to history this place was
known to have the first sugar mill in Central
America. Located within the Candelaria Caves
National Park, the Community of Cemetery
Candelaria offers breathtaking visit to two dry
caves and an exciting water route, floating on
tubes in an underground section of the Rio
Candelaria. Candelaria system was a pilgrimage
site of great importance to the Mayan civilization
and is today a refuge for a wide variety of flora
and fauna. For the lover of archeology, it is
reported that there are more than 20
archaeological sites around the system and lots
of pottery, which shows its importance in ancient
times.
East/Caribbean Coast
This is one of the religious
centers of most importance
for its spiritual awareness and
mysticism.
Izabal
On Guatemala's Caribbean
coast, in the deportment of
Izabal, visitors will see the
country's largest lake, visit a
Spanish fortress built to keep
pirates out of the lake and
travel down a lovely river bounded by lush
tropical forest to a Garifuna village.
Birdwatchers will find some of Guatemala's most
exciting birding in a rainforest reserve where
jaguars and puma still roam. Izabal is
Guatemala's largest lake, more than 45 km long
and covering about 590 square km. It is
surrounded by lush tropical rainforest inhabited
by hundreds of bird species, monkeys and many
other animals. Unique to the lake is the fresh-
water sea cow (manatee), a mammal that can
weigh up to a ton.
Río Dulce
The sweet River runs about 40 km from Lake
Izabal before it empties into Amatique Bay at
Livingston. At its upper end there is the town of
Frontera. Downstream, the river widens into an
area known as Golfete, before flowing through a
narrow, spectacular gorge and then on the bay.
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Livingston
Livingston, a charming town located at the
mouth of the Rio Dulce, is unique in Guatemala
due to its Garifuna culture. Originally a mix
between a native tribe, the Kalipuna's and slaves
from Nigeria mixed in the 17th century and
conserved their own language, music and
religion. Livingston can only be accessed by
boats traveling across the bay from Puerto
Barrios or down the Rio Dulce from Frontera.
Puerto Barrios
It is a seaport and the
capital of the department
of Izabal on the Caribbean
Coast of Guatemala. It is
also the commercial heart
of the region, because it
has two ports: Puerto
Barrios and Santo Tomás
de Castilla. Santo Tomás
is the biggest port in the
country. Puerto Barrios
has an international
airport. One of the most
visited places is a local
river called Las Escobas.
It's in the Cerro San Gil,
outside the urban area of Puerto Barrios and
Santo Tomás de Castilla. The river is famous for
its crystalline water and is very cold. It's in the
middle of the jungle, but is very easy to reach it by
a road or walking. The river has several natural
pools, and they look like paradise. But check the
weather report before going there. If it has been
raining in recent days, the water will be dirty.
Quiriguá
The Quiriguà archaeological site, located just 94
km from Puerto Barrios on the road to
Guatemala City, contains the largest stelae ever
discovered in the Maya world. This Maya city
was probably founded in the Late Pre-Classic era
and flourished until the 10th century, when it
was abandoned for unknown reasons. Nice
stelaes, dating from 692 to 810 AD are arranged
around the central plaza, accompanied by altars
 GUATEMALA - Compiled by Dhara Kothari
carved into zoomorphic shapes. The ruins are
unrestored and mostly unexcavated, but
deciphered hieroglyphs from the stelae and
altars tell a fascinating story of Quiriguà's
relationship with nearby Copàn. No one is quite
sure how the huge sandstone blocks, quarried
mountains to the north and carved into stelae
and altars at Quiriguà, were transported by the
city's inhabitants.
The Western Highlands
The Western Highlands stretches from the
outskirts of Antigua to the Mexican border. It's
probably the most
beautiful part of
Guatemala. The region
defines itself with two
main features: a mountain
range of volcanoes on its
south side and the tall
mountain ranges that
form the northern side.
Chichicastenango
Is a small town in the
Western Highlands of
Guatemala. Located at an
altitude of 2030m, it is
surrounded by valleys and mountains. It is
mostly renowned for its colorful Thursday and
Sunday markets, where it is said that some of the
most beautiful traditional Maya textiles are sold.
The famous handicraft market of
Chichicastenango draws not only the K'iche'
Maya of the surrounding region, but vendors
from all over Guatemala. They represent many of
Guatemala's linguistic groups such as Mam, Ixil,
Kaqchikel and others, each hawking his or her
products in a riotous cacophony of color, dialects
and costumes, smoke, and smells. This town in
the mountains of Quiche has been, since pre-
Hispanic times, one of the largest trading centers
in the Maya area.
Lake Atitlán
Arguably the most beautiful lake in the world,
Atitlan owes its grandeur to its enormous size
and spectacular, volcanic setting. Measuring
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June 2012
more than 17 km in diameter and covering about
130 squares km. Lake Atitlan was formed when a
volcanic caldera, depleted of its magma,
collapsed following the Chocoyos eruption
85,000 years ago. There stately volcanoes -
Atitlan, Toliman and San Pedro rise gracefully
from its southern shore, their perfect cones
reflected in the azure mirror of the lake. The
tallest of these volcanoes Atitlan, towers 3,537
meters ASL. Fishermen from Maya villages ply
the lake in large boats ferrying passengers from
one town to another, all wary of the Xocomil
wind that rises some afternoons and chops the
Lake's usually placid maters into treacherous
waves.
Panajachel
Panajachel or Pana as it is
widely known is a small town
on the North shore of Lake
Atitlán. Pana is a small town
with a booming tourist
industry. With the exception
of possibly Antigua,
Panajachel is one of the major
tourism areas in Guatemala.
Boats to Santiago Atitlan
leave from another dock every
30 minutes, and take around
25 minutes to cross the lake. Santiago Atitlan is
great place for bird watching.
Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango, a Nahuatl word meaning 'place
of the quetzals', was named by Spanish
conquistadors impressed by the number of
quetzal feather worn by Maya-Quiche soldiers.
The city is also known as Xela, or Xelaju.
Quetzaltenango is a beautiful city of the
highlands; settle in an extensive valley
surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. It
conserves the antique traditions of the Mayan-
Quiche, mixed up with a colonial past and
dynamic modern life. It is currently considered,
as the second most important city of Guatemala,
due to its size, industrial, cultural and
commercial activity. Due to the volcanic
manifestations in the area, are located numerous
steam springs in which there have habilitated
GUATEMALA - Compiled by Dhara Kothari
natural warm and sulfured bathes. The most
accessible are the Almolonga, Cantel and Aguas
Amargas baths. In Quetzaltenango is elaborated
textiles, basket work, ceramic, palm and metal,
musical instruments, products in wax, leather,
pyrotechnics, as well as jicara and guacawl. Near
Quetzaltenango is the hot springs of Fuentes
Georginas. The road leading to the hot springs
passes through lush plots of agriculture and
sheer drop-offs along the passage create awe-
inspiring views of the valley below. Also in the
area are two blown glass factories, where locals
continue the artful tradition of glass blowing
creating beautiful products.
Huehuetenango
The department of Huhuetenango harbors some
of Guatemala`s most spectacular scenery. The
Cuchumatanes Mountains, part of the Sierra
Madre mountain range, soar to 3,600 m ASI and
contain beautiful lakes, pine forest and
highlands pastures where sheep graze. From the
low-lying town of Huhuetenango, a road snakes
up the rocky face of a mesa that marks the
entrance into the mountains. During the Classic
period (250 - 900 AD), Huehuetenango was part
of the Mam Kingdom, which ruled most of the
western highlands. Zaculeu, the ancient capital
of the Mam Maya group, lies on the banks of a
stream in the Cuchumatan Mountains. Zaculeu,
which means White Earth, may have referred to
the city's white structural buildings. The site
contains a ball court and several temples that
show the architectural influence of the Mexican
highlands. The buildings seen today, date back to
the Maya Post-classic Period, although the
original settlement goes back to the 5th Century
A.D.
South/Pacific Coast
Guatemala's southern coast, a fertile plain about
30 miles wide nourished by sediment from the
volcanic mountain range that towers above it, is
the country's most important agricultural area.
Monterrico
Monterrico town, in the municipality of Taxisco,
this reserve is a section of the Chiquimulilla
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Channel, conformed by shores, mangles, and
rivers represented in a magnificence way. The
beaches are full of interesting but awkward steep
angles due to the strength of the pounding surf.
The ocean floor here drops off very steeply after
only 20- 40 feet, making the undertow here very
strong; only strong swimmers should venture
out very far. This topography also provides some
nice waves for surfing.
Abaj Takalik
Located near Retalhuleu, the archaeological site
of Abaj Takalik shows an interesting
combination of Olmec and Maya sculptural
styles. The earliest inscription yet found in
Guatemala, from 235 BC, was discovered on
Stela 2 at the site. Abaj Takalik covers about 9
square km, much of which is coffee farms.
Archaeologists believe the site was first occupied
in about 800 BC and was inhabited for 1,400
years, until the city collapsed for unknown
reasons in 500 or 600 AD. Visitors will see
several stelae, monuments, small pyramids, and,
in the site's museum, ceramic figures, grinding
stones, jewelry and obsidian blades.
Pacaya
The Pacaya volcano is located between the
Guatemala and Escuintla departments. Pacaya
first erupted approximately 23,000 years ago
and has erupted at least 23 times since the
Spanish conquest of Guatemala. After being
dormant for a century, it erupted violently in
1965 and has been erupting continuously since
then, sometimes showering the nearby city of
Antigua with ash. This is an active volcano where
you can get close enough to the lava flows to poke
sticks in it. The ground is made up of loose
volcanic rock and is quite unstable in parts.
Things to remember
1. Valid passports are required of everyone
except citizens of Central American countries.
Except for a handful of countries that do not
require visas, the rest do, so please check with
the nearest consulate.
2. The local currency is the Quetzal which is
GUATEMALA - Compiled by Dhara Kothari
named after the national bird, which has ancient
and mythic connotations even today. US dollars
are widely accepted and can be exchanged in
most small towns. ATMs can be found in the
major towns but do not expect to find them in
every tourist spot. It is fairly easy to find yourself
in a town without an ATM or a place to change
money. Do not expect to be able to easily
exchange travelers' checks to Guatemala. You
might find a few places willing to accept checks
issued by American Express but all other types
are universally turned down.
Amazingly even major banks
in Guatemala City do not
accept VISA travelers'
checks. Always exchange
money at a bank or hotel,
never on the street.
3. It is common to bargain
for most purchases in the
open air market. Though you
may be able to bargain in
other places, be aware that
chain-owned shops have
fixed prices. Some
characteristically
Guatemalan things you
might consider buying here
are; Fabrics and traditional
textiles, Jade, Coffee, Cardamom, etc.
4. Guatemalan food differs from Mexican food in
that it is a lot less spicy, and chilies are generally
served in a separate dish from the main course to
be added as desired, rather than included in the
food. Guatemalans usually dress down when
they go out.
5. Guatemala has one of the highest rates of
violent crime in the world. Travelers should take
some extra precautions when in Guatemala. If
you are mugged, carjacked, or approached by
armed individuals, cooperate. Do not make any
sudden movements, and give whatever
belongings or money demanded. Tourists have
been shot and killed for resisting muggers. Do
not go to areas known to be hotbeds of drug
trafficking activity and do not go to the most
dangerous neighborhoods in Guatemala City
(zones 3, 6, 18, and 21). Be careful in Zone 1 in
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Guatemala City, especially after dark, and do not
stay in hotels there. Using the slightly more
expensive hotels in Zone 10 or Zone 13 (near the
airport) is a much better idea. Women should be
especially careful around men, even if the men
present themselves as local hotel employees. Do
not use buses at night in Guatemala City, as they
are frequently robbed by gangs. Instead, radio-
dispatched taxis (Taxi Amarillo) are a safer way
to get around the city. When travelling by
chicken bus; beware of anyone sitting next to
you. Do not offer bribes directly to an
officer because it is illegal and you
could actually end up in more
trouble. It is dangerous to travel
between cities after dark. Doing so
significantly increases your risk of
being in a car accident or being the
victim of an armed robbery.
Pickpocketing is common in
markets, so never keep anything in
your back pocket and take as little
with you as possible.
6. Never take photos of children
without permission. Some
Guatemalans are extremely wary of
this and will assume you are a
kidnapper.
7. Drink only purified water. Check for certain
tropical diseases.
8. Cab drivers must carry visible identification in
the cab, including their name and photograph.
They must use their meters for trips of 12 km or
less. For longer trips, the fare can be negotiated
beforehand.
9. Do not touch the plants or attempt to pet the
animals. At the beach, before entering the water,
find out which are the safest areas. Request
information about tides and undertows with
hotel lifeguards.
10. Internet access is widely available. Even most
of the more remote areas have some type of
internet access available. Many larger areas also
have Wi-Fi. Just ask and you will eventually find
some sort of free access.