HINDUISM RELIGIOUS PRACTICES AND VEDIC ASTROLOGY TOPIC

Sanskrit

प्रभुं प्राणनाथं विभुं विश्वनाथं जगन्नाथ नाथं सदानन्द भाजाम् ।
भवद्भव्य भूतॆश्वरं भूतनाथं, शिवं शङ्करं शम्भु मीशानमीडॆ

गलॆ रुण्डमालं तनौ सर्पजालं महाकाल कालं गणॆशादि पालम् ।
जटाजूट गङ्गॊत्तरङ्गै र्विशालं, शिवं शङ्करं शम्भु मीशानमीडॆ

मुदामाकरं मण्डनं मण्डयन्तं महा मण्डलं भस्म भूषाधरं तम् ।
अनादिं ह्यपारं महा मॊहमारं, शिवं शङ्करं शम्भु मीशानमीडॆ

वटाधॊ निवासं महाट्टाट्टहासं महापाप नाशं सदा सुप्रकाशम् ।
गिरीशं गणॆशं सुरॆशं महॆशं, शिवं शङ्करं शम्भु मीशानमीडॆ ॥ 4 ॥

गिरीन्द्रात्मजा सङ्गृहीतार्धदॆहं गिरौ संस्थितं सर्वदापन्न गॆहम् ।
परब्रह्म ब्रह्मादिभिर्-वन्द्यमानं, शिवं शङ्करं शम्भु मीशानमीडॆ

कपालं त्रिशूलं कराभ्यां दधानं पदाम्भॊज नम्राय कामं ददानम् ।
बलीवर्धमानं सुराणां प्रधानं, शिवं शङ्करं शम्भु मीशानमीडॆ

शरच्चन्द्र गात्रं गणानन्दपात्रं त्रिनॆत्रं पवित्रं धनॆशस्य मित्रम् ।
अपर्णा कलत्रं सदा सच्चरित्रं, शिवं शङ्करं शम्भु मीशानमीडॆ

हरं सर्पहारं चिता भूविहारं भवं वॆदसारं सदा निर्विकारं।
श्मशानॆ वसन्तं मनॊजं दहन्तं, शिवं शङ्करं शम्भु मीशानमीडॆ

स्वयं यः प्रभातॆ नरश्शूल पाणॆ पठॆत् स्तॊत्ररत्नं त्विहप्राप्यरत्नम् ।
सुपुत्रं सुधान्यं सुमित्रं कलत्रं विचित्रैस्समाराध्य मॊक्षं प्रयाति ॥

Meaning

I pray You, Śiva, Śańkara, Śambhu, Who is the Lord, Who is the Lord of our lives, Who is Vibhu, Who is the Lord of the world, Who is the Lord of Viṣṇu (Jagannātha), Who is always dwelling in happiness, Who imparts light or shine to everything, Who is the Lord of living beings, Who is the Lord of ghosts, and Who is the Lord of everyone.||1||

I pray You, Śiva, Śańkara, Śambhu, Who has a garland of skull around the neck, Who has a net of snakes around His body, Who is the destroyer of the immense-destroyer Kāla, Who is the lord of Gaṇeśa, Whose matted-hair are spread-out by the presence of the waves of Gańgā falling on His head, and Who is the Lord of everyone.||2||

I pray You, Śiva, Śańkara, Śambhu, Who scatters happiness [in the world], Who is ornating the universe, Who is the immense universe Himself, Who is possessing the adornment of ashes, Who is without a beginning, Who is without a measure, Who removes the greatest attachments, and Who is the Lord of everyone.||3||

I pray You, Śiva, Śańkara, Śambhu, Who resides below a Vaṭa (Banyan) tree, Who possesses an immense laughter, Who destroys the greatest sins, Who is always resplendent, Who is the Lord of Himālaya, various tormentor-groups (Gaṇa) and the demi-gods, Who is the great Lord, and Who is the Lord of everyone.||4||

I pray You, Śiva, Śańkara, Śambhu, Who shares half of His body with the daughter of Himālaya¹, Who is situated in a mountain (Kailāsa), Who is always a resort for the depressed, Who is the Ātman, Who is reverred by (or Who is worthy of reverence by) Brahma and others, and Who is the Lord of everyone.||5||

I pray You, Śiva, Śańkara, Śambhu, Who holds a skull and a trident in the hands, Who endows the desires of those who are humble to His lotus-feet, Who uses an Ox as a vehicle², Who is supreme and above various demi-gods, and Who is the Lord of everyone.||6||

I pray You, Śiva, Śańkara, Śambhu, Who has a face like the Winter-moon, Who is the subject of happiness of Gaṇa (tormentor groups), Who has three eyes, Who is pure, Who is the friend of Kubera (controller of wealth), Who is the consort of Aparṇā (Pārvatī), Who has eternal characteristics, and Who is the Lord of everyone.||7||

I pray You, Śiva, Śańkara, Śambhu, Who is known as Hara, Who has a garland of snakes, Who roams around the cremation grounds, Who is the universe, Who is the summary of the Veda (or the One discussed by Veda), Who is always dispassionate, Who is living in the cremation grounds, Who is burning desires born in the mind, and Who is the Lord of everyone.||8||

Those who study this prayer every morning with effulgence and emotions for Trident-holding Śiva, achieve Mokṣa, after having attained a dutiful son, wealth, friends, wife, and a colorful life.||9||

...

It was during an impromptu meeting with intellectuals and seekers at Punjabi poet Amrita Pritam's house in Delhi, India, that Sai Kaka casually revealed: "I have been to Gyanganj several times over the past half decade." Or, rather, he is taken there every time by a sage—for spiritual instruction and immortal teachings.

This instruction must be of a high order because the 50-plus, bearded and white-robed Sai Kaka has now been teaching whoever approaches him. The man from Sangli in the south-western Indian state of Maharashtra, who studied with Swami Muktananda and Nisargadatta Maharaj, is always on the move, having chosen not to raise an ashram or an organization.

On questioning, he replies in chaste Hindi that Gyanganj exists on a different plane, a higher dimension—a shambala. But, yes, on the gross level it has parallel locations in known places on earth.

So, is there a secret territory in our midst, which has uncannily escaped all geographical surveys? A place that provides the perfect environment and opportunities for spiritual evolution? A place from where thousands of immortals and faultlessly sage beings plan the evolution of the human race, in fact, of all sentient beings?

Down-to-earth empirical reality or just bad science fiction?

Well, the belief that such a place exists, camouflaged and secluded somewhere in the deep Himalayas, has filtered down through Indian and Tibetan traditions.

Contemporary references to it are plenty, as is the testimony of people like Sai Kaka who declare they have been there. The belief in a sequestered valley of immortals seems to be headed for immortality .

In Tibet, this legendary land of spiritual enlightenment is known as Shambala, a Sanskrit word which to the Tibetans means "the source of happiness". It is not heaven on earth but a mystical kingdom that guards the most sacred and secret spiritual teachings of the world, including the Kalachakra (Wheel of Time), the pinnacle of Buddhist wisdom.

Buddhists trace Shambala to Gautama Buddha who is said to have assumed the form of the Kalachakra deity before his death and delivered his highest teaching to a group of adepts and gods in south India. Among those present was King Suchandra, the first king of Shambala, who wrote down the sermons and took them back with him.

Various Buddhist texts give instructions for finding Shambala, though directions are obscure. It is assumed that only accomplished yogis will find it. The kingdom is hidden in the mists of the snow mountains and can be reached only by flying over them with the help of siddhis or spiritual powers. James Hilton's novel, Lost Horizon, about the lost kingdom of Shangri-La, was inspired by the legend of Shambala. Shangri-La has since come to mean a remote, beautiful, imaginary place where life approaches perfection; utopia, in short.

Shambala was not a figment of the imagination for Madame Blavatsky , founder of the Theosophical Society . She considered it the abode of the mahatmas or spiritual adepts, in the mountains of Tibet, Mongolia and India. They live on through centuries in various incarnations, perpetuating the knowledge of earlier, more spiritually advanced, civilizations like the Egyptian and the Greek, and teach it to worthy pupils.

One of these adepts, Koot Hoomi (or Kuthumi Baba, at least 500 years old) was Blavatsky's guru.

In India, this secret, sacred land is known as Gyanganj or Siddhashram. References to Gyanganj or secret ashrams can be found in Hindu scriptures such as Valmiki Ramayan and Mahabharat. Guru Nanak called it Sach Khand.

Closer to our time, Paramahansa Yogananda, in his celebrated Autobiography of a Yogi wrote about meeting his guru's guru's guru, Mahavatar Babaji, an immortal of great age who looks forever young and continues to live in the Badrinath section of the Himalayas.

Babaji has also appeared to some other advanced seekers and is believed to be connected with Gyanganj. For a comprehensive account of Gyanganj, Sai Kaka directs you to the writings of Gopinath Kaviraj who died in 1976. A former principal of the Government College of Sanskrit in Benaras, Kaviraj wrote a book titled Siddhabhoomi Gyanganj, which has been translated from Bengali into Hindi and published recently by Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan.

Kaviraj's main source of information was his own guru, Swami Vishudhananda, a Bengali who settled down in Benaras, a holy city in India. Vishudhananda is believed to have sojourned many times in Gyanganj where he mastered Surya Vigyan or solar science. Surya Vigyan gave him powers to manifest objects or transform one object into another by manipulating the sun's rays. In his autobiography, Yogananda describes his meeting with Vishudhananda in Calcutta and witnessing his feat of creating any perfume on demand out of thin air. Paul Brunton in his book A Search in Secret India wrote that he not only witnessed Vishudhananda create perfumes, but also bring a dead bird back to life.

Dr Narayan Dutt Shrimali, a Jodhpur-based astrologer-tantrik-guru who publishes Mantra-Tantra-Yantra Vigyan, a Hindi monthly, says he did his sadhana in Siddhashrarn, where his name was Nikhileshwarananda. It is there that he acquired occult powers. Later, his guru told him that they wanted him to return to his householder's life and spread the wisdom of Siddhashram. Literature published by him promises that initiation by him is a passport to Siddhashram. But he refuses to reveal more details of his Gyanganj connection.

Shrimali's and Kaviraj's accounts of Gyanganj are similar. They place it mainly on a flatland to the north of Kailash-Mansarovar in Tibet. It covers an area of many square miles and is surrounded by a lake (or moat) with crystal clear water. There is a bow-shaped drawbridge, which links Gyanganj to our world.

The Gyanganj end of this bridge has a gadget to lift the bridge when desired. This gadget is operated by Surya Vigyan. Kaviraj names many other places, scattered in India, as Gyanganj territory. The area on the banks of Alaknanda river is where the siddhas roam. Mandakini's riverbed is also very mysterious: spiritual giants down the centuries have beheld celestial sights there. Thus, the entire region from Rishikesh to Kailash and Yamunotri to Nandadevi is siddhaland. In Bihar, many Buddhist siddhas frequent the Giridhkoot mountain. The Nilgiris and Srisailam in south India, too, are known to harbor secret ashrams. Arunachala hill in Tamil Nadu, where Ramana Maharshi set up his ashram, is another siddhaland. In the west, Girnaur mountain has seen siddha activity.

Teaching in arts and sciences including medicine, rasayan shastra, music and astrology also goes on here. Indians, of course, do not have a monopoly over Gyanganj. People from other parts of the world, including many Tibetan lamas, live there too.

Sai Kaka adds that Gyanganj functions on all three levels: "On the adhyatmic or spiritual level, it runs the universe. On the adhidevik or celestial level, the earth and water elements are absent, enabling very powerful activity. At this level, Gyanganj impacts on many planes and the beings there.

"On the adhibhautic or the grossest level," he continues, "Gyanganj siddhas provide guidance to human beings to initiate changes in the spiritual and even social fields. Suppose a seeker is stuck somewhere in his path, he could be guided in the form of an intuition, or some kriya triggered in his subtle body or his guru is inspired to do the needful."

Sai Kaka argues from his experience with, and knowledge of, Gyanganj, that all's well with whatever is going on in human affairs. "Earlier the suffering in the world would make me emotional, would pain me and fill me with compassion. Now I realize that right and wrong, good and bad exist on the relative plane—of mind, intellect and ego—and are an interplay of the three gunas.

From God's viewpoint, there is nonduality. Creation and dissolution are part of the continual flow." Though there can be no evolution in a flow, Sai Kaka concedes that Gyanganj is engaged in transforming world consciousness. Maybe with the collective consciousness rising, Gyanganj will become more manifest and easily accessible to human beings.

Gandmool nakshatras

We are born and governed by 27 nakshatras as per Moon rashi in Indian Astrology, out of which six Nakshatras viz. Ashwaini, Magha, Jayestha,Ashlesha, Mool & Rewati are collectively called as Gandmool nakshtras. Gand Mool is one of the Arisht Yoga. Usually these nakshatras are considered inauspicious but with the help of appropriate puja and rituals it gives good positive result .

Effect of Gandmool nakshatra?

Persons born under gandmool nakshatra face many obstacles in their life. From childhood to oldage to achieve their goals they face time to time many problems related to health, education, career, marriage, finance, social and other important aspects. Apart from these obstacles family members and relatives of gandmoolak are also impacted by severe inconveniences.

Benefit of gandmool puja

Gandmoolak persons are advised by vamtantra to go for its shanti puja. Gandmool nakshatra shanti puja helps to mitigate the sufferings faced by them, their family & relatives. Seeing nakshatra significance in our lives Gandmool nakshatra puja should be conducted atleast once a year in your birth month on the day your janam nakshatra falls or every month on the day our nakshatra falls to get the maximum desired benefit. It is strongly suggested that Gandmool Nakshatra Shanti is necessary to overcome all ill effects of Gand Mool Nakshtra.

here are seven subtle bodies, or layers, around the physical body, which create the auric body system (aura). It is commonly said that these layers are like an onion, and that when you peel one away, you'll reach the next, but this is not true. As you extend inward, the one before is also present within the next aura layer. For example, the outer most body is the causal, or Ketheric body. The next is layer is the celestial body, which contains itself and the causal body. As you go inward, towards the first layer (the etheric) it will be the densest because it holds all seven subtle bodies. And of course, there is the physical body, which is the densest of them all.
The seven subtle bodies can be broken down as follows: There are three physical plane bodies, three spiritual plane bodies and the astral body, which is the bridge between the lower and higher bodies (some teachings claim that the astral is the fourth in the spiritual bodies). The lower three bodies process energies dealing with the physical plane, whereas the upper three process energies from the spiritual planes. Ịt is said that the energies from the higher planes must pass through the "fire of the heart" - the heart chakra-- to reach and be of full use by the lower bodies.
Each level of the aura has its own seven chakras, which are nested within the other auric chakras. As each layer extends outwards, the chakras vibrate at higher rates. So the seven chakras within the etheric body will be vibrating at a much lower frequency then the seven chakras within the causal body. So in actuality, the base chakra, for example, will have 7 major chakras, all vibrating at different frequencies. This way, energy can be transmuted between all bodies to all chakras.
First Layer (The Etheric Body)
This is the closest energy body to the physical. It is what is made evident through Kirlian photography. The etheric body extends one quarter to two inches beyond the physical body and pulsates at about 15-20 cycles per minute. The entire body, including organs, can be perceived but it is made of a bluish (emotional) or gray light (highly active).
Second Layer (The Emotional Body)
Since this is the emotional body, it is associated with feelings. It is more fluid in nature, and does not duplicate the body, as does the etheric body. This body is about one to three inches from the physical body. Unlike the etheric body, which is blue or grayish in nature, this is more like colored clouds that change color depending on what kind of emotions the person is going through. Love, joy, excitement, and even anger will result in very brilliant hues, whereas confused emotions will result in muddy tones. This body contains all the colors in the rainbow.
Third Layer (The Mental Body)
With an even more subtle composition, the mental body holds our thoughts and mental processes. It extends three to eight inches from the body, and generally has a yellow light, which radiates around the head and shoulders, and extends to the body below. This yellow will brighten if a person is deep in thought, or concentrating on mental activities. Although the color associated with this body is yellow, other colors are evident if there is an emotion associated with the thought (stemming from the emotional body).
Fourth Layer (The Astral level)
This is the true bridge to the spiritual plane! When we start to work with this plane, and above, our perception and abilities leap from the physical to the subtle. Here we will begin to perceive energies that are not of this vibrational frequency. The body of the astral is composed of gorgeous clouds of color, which extend six inches or one foot from the body. Not only does it have the same colors of the rainbow like the emotional body, but a pink, or rose hue is often present with these colors, especially if the person is a loving one. The astral plane is also called the "emotional" plane, which ties it strongly to the heart chakra and the second subtle body (the emotional body). Because it is so closely tied to the emotions, when people fall in love, great hues of pink can be seen shooting from their heart chakra. This is also why when we are in the astral, our emotions are greatly enhanced either way. When I am with my love in the astral, it is generally free of any lower body emotions, and our love is able to flow, without restriction.
The Fifth Layer (The Etheric Template Body)
This is what you would call a template for the lower template body (the first body referenced). This is the template that exists before the physical body is formed. Although this co-exists in a different dimension, it also extends one and one half to two feet from the body and can only be seen by clairvoyants and very advanced healers. This is an important layer in healing if the lower etheric body becomes disfigured as this is the true building block to the lower etheric. This template has a dark blue hue to it.
The Sixth Layer (The Celestial Body)
This is the spiritual emotional plane where a person will feel things such as bliss, and spiritual ecstasy. When we reach the place of divine love, interconnectedness (generally through deep meditation) we are touching on this plane, which is felt through our celestial body. When we raise our level of awareness, or consciousness, to the sixth level of the aura, we have allowed a connection to happen from the heart chakra and the celestial chakra. Through this, we can love not only our fellow man (the heart chakra) but do so with divine love (celestial chakra). The colors of this body are very soft in nature (pastel) and glow softly from the body.
The Seventh Layer (The Ketheric Template or Causal Body)
This is the mental level of the spiritual plane (whereas the celestial body is the emotional level of the spiritual plane). This body contains all the other bodies within it and extends up to three and a half feet from the body, often in the shape of an egg. Its structure is made of a gold, or silvery-gold, and appears as a grid type structure, which is very durable. It pulsates and vibrates at a very high speed and within this level; we "know" we are one with God. This body also contains the main Kundalini force that runs up and down the body.
Now while the Ketheric body is the last auric level in the spiritual plane, there are other planes (such as the Cosmic plane) but they do not relate to the aura for they are beyond the aura and a different article entirely.

What's the Significance of Navratri?

During Navaratri, we invoke the energy aspect of God in the form of the universal mother, commonly referred to as "Durga," which literally means the remover of miseries of life. She is also referred to as "Devi" (goddess) or "Shakti".It is this energy, which helps God to proceed with the work of creation, preservation and destruction. In other words, you can say that God is motionless, absolutely changeless, and the Divine Mother Durga, does everything. Truly speaking, our worship of Shakti re-confirms the scientific theory that energy is imperishable. It cannot be created or destroyed. It is always there.

Why Worship the Mother Goddess?

We think this energy is only a form of the Divine Mother, who is the mother of all, and all of us are her children. "Why mother; why not father?", you may ask. Let me just say that we believe that God's glory, his cosmic energy, his greatness and supremacy can best be depicted as the motherhood aspect of God. Just as a child finds all these qualities in his or her mother, similarly, all of us look upon God as mother. In fact, Hinduism is the only religion in the world, which gives so much importance to the mother aspect of God because we believe that mother is the creative aspect of the absolute.

Why Twice a Year?

Every year the beginning of summer and the beginning of winter are two very important junctures of climatic change and solar influence.

These two junctions have been chosen as the sacred opportunities for the worship of the divine power because:

(1) We believe that it is the divine power that provides energy for the earth to move around the sun, causing the changes in the outer nature and that this divine power must be thanked for maintaining the correct balance of the universe.
2) Due to the changes in the nature, the bodies and minds of people undergo a considerable change, and hence, we worship the divine power to bestow upon all of us enough potent powers to maintain our physical and mental balance.

Why Nine Nights & Days?

Navaratri is divided into sets of three days to adore different aspects of the supreme goddess. On the first three days, the Mother is invoked as powerful force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects. The next three days, the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees the inexhaustible wealth. The final set of three days is spent in worshipping the mother as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order have all-round success in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the divine mother; hence, the worship for nine nights.

Why Do You Need the Power?

Thus, I suggest you join your parents in worshipping "Ma Durga" during the Navaratri. She will bestow on you wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, knowledge, and other potent powers to cross every hurdle of life. Remember, everyone in this world worships power, i.e., Durga, because there is no one who does not love and long for power in some form or the other.

Abstract
The innumerable recorded and researched cases of past life experiences clearly point to life after death. In all the recorded cases of reincarnations, it was found that there was a variable time lag between the death of the person and his next reincarnation on Earth. So, where do we go after death till our reincarnation on Earth? Is it a single plane of existence or are there a variety of planes of existence? If so, what are the factors that decide where we go after death? In this article, we present the answers to these and other questions about this topic. These answers are obtained through spiritual research done by seekers of the Spiritual Science Research Foundation (SSRF) with highly developed sixth sense (ESP).
Note: In order to understand this article better, it is recommended that you read the article on the three subtle basic components of Sattva, Raja and Tama.

Table of Contents [show]

1. What happens after death?

Spiritual research has shown that man is comprised of the following four basic bodies:

Physical
Mental
Causal or intellectual
Supracausal or subtle ego

The picture below is a diagrammatic representation of what a human being is comprised of.

What are we comprised of in life before death

When a person dies the physical body ceases to exist. However, the rest of his existence or consciousness continues. The existence of the person minus the physical body is known as the subtle body (linga-dēha) and it comprises of the mental, causal (intellect) and supracausal (subtle ego) bodies. This subtle body then goes to one of the 13 subtle planes of existence other than the Earth plane.

2. The 14 planes of existence in the Universe

There are 14 main planes of existence in the Universe. Seven of them are positive planes of existence and seven are negative planes of existence. The seven negative planes of existence are commonly known as Hell (Pātāl). There are numerous sub-planes within these main planes of existence.

Righteousness (Dharma) is that which accomplishes the 3 tasks of:

Keeping the social system in excellent condition
Bringing about the worldly progress of every living being
Causing progress in the spiritual realm as well.

– Shri Adi Shankaracharya

Seven positive planes of existence: The planes of existence occupied mostly by living persons and subtle bodies doing righteous deeds and engaged in spiritual practice according to the positive path of spiritual practice are known as the seven positive planes of existence or saptalok. By positive path, we mean the orientation of spiritual practice is towards God-realisation, which is the ultimate in spiritual growth.
The Earth plane is the only physical plane of existence in the Universe and is also the first plane of existence in the hierarchy of the positive planes of existence in the Universe.
Seven Negative planes of existence: These are planes of existence occupied mostly by subtle bodies that have done unrighteous deeds and are engaged in spiritual practice according to the negative path. By negative path, we mean the orientation of spiritual practice is towards attaining spiritual power, e.g. supernatural powers. This spiritual power is primarily used to enhance one’s control over others or for negative purposes. Thus all subtle bodies that go to any one of the planes of existence of Hell, by virtue of their evil intentions become ghosts.
Refer to the article on, ‘What is a ghost’?
Sub planes of existence of Hell (Narak): Every plane of existence of Hell has a sub-plane known as Narak. For example, the first plane of existence of Hell will have within it a sub-plane that is known as the first Narak. Narak is reserved for the worst ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) in Hell. The ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) occupying the first Narak face more severe punishment and for a longer duration than those occupying the first plane of existence of Hell.
The diagram below shows the 14 planes of existence in the Universe.

Please note:
1. For the sake of simplicity, though we have shown the planes of existence one on top of the other in this diagram, in reality they are around us in all directions. It’s just that Earth being the physically tangible plane is seen; whereas the other planes are progressively more and more subtle and hence invisible to the gross eye. In fact different people, though living on the Earth plane experience thoughts and emotions corresponding to the different planes of existence as per their spiritual level or thoughts. For example Saints, i.e. spiritually evolved people beyond the 70% spiritual level, lead an existence corresponding to the positive planes of existence of Heaven and beyond. In contrast a person planning theft experiences thoughts corresponding to the 1st plane of Hell, one planning some act aimed at harming others at 2nd plane of Hell and so on and a person planning murder experiences thoughts corresponding to the 7th plane of Hell. However no 2 planes of existence can be experienced simultaneously, i.e. a person cannot experience thoughts corresponding to 2 different planes, e.g. Heaven and Mahārlok.
2. The Nether region (Bhuvarlok) to be precise is a region that is aligned away from God. We have however depicted it as a positive plane as subtle bodies from this region still have a chance to be born on Earth to progress spiritually.
Once subtle bodies regress to any of the regions of Hell, then there is a remote possibility of their being born on Earth and progressing towards God.
An explanation behind the colour scheme used

Earth is depicted reddish as it represents action (i.e. subtle basic Raja component), as it is the only plane where we have the physical body to do something.
Heaven has been depicted in pink, which represents an abundance of happiness.
Yellow represents spiritual knowledge and an increase in the subtle basic Sattva component. It finally becomes almost white at the highest stage, which represents the close proximity to the unmanifest God principle.
The regions of Hell are represented by darker shades to black, as there is an increase in the subtle basic Tama component.

3. Heaven and the other positive planes of existence in the Universe

Plane of existence¹	Spiritual Level %	Proportion of Sattva component	Type of person	Predominant body⁶	Predominant emotion
Satya	90	95	Nearly completely knowledgeable	Subtle ego /Supracausal	Sattvik happiness (5%) Bliss & Serenity (95%)
Tapo	80	90	Highly knowledgeable	Intellect/Causal	Sattvik happiness (25%) Bliss & Serenity (75%)
Jana	70	85	More knowledgeable	Intellect/Causal	Sattvik happiness (50%) Bliss & Serenity (50%)
Mahar	60⁵	80	Knowledgeable	Intellect/Causal	Sattvik happiness⁹(75%) Bliss & Serenity (25%)¹⁰
Superior Heaven	50	75	More Merits	Intellect/Causal	More happiness
Inferior Heaven	40⁴	60	Fewer Merits	Mental body	Less happiness⁸
Nether (Bhuvarlok)²	25	40	Average	Desires part of the mental body	Unhappiness⁷
Earth	20³	33	Average	Physical	Happiness/Unhappiness

Footnotes (based on the numbers in red in the above table):

Each positive and negative plane of existence beyond the Earth (physical) plane of existence becomes more and more subtle. By subtle, we mean, that which is beyond the comprehension of the five senses, mind and intellect. Satyalok is the subtlest positive plane, and therefore is the most difficult to perceive or comprehend unless the highest sixth sense (ESP) level is attained.
Due to lack of spiritual practice and a higher proportion of demerits (sins), most people in the current era go to either the Nether world or one of the planes of existence of Hell. We generally go to the Nether world after death when the proportion of demerits (incurred due to wrong doings on Earth) is approximately 30%. Demerits typically include malice towards others and a lot of desires. The likelihood of being attacked in the Nether world by higher-level ghosts from the lower plane of existence of Hell is almost certain.
Earth is the only plane of existence where there is an amalgamation of people with varying spiritual levels. However, after death we go to the precise plane of existence corresponding to our spiritual level.
The minimum spiritual level required to attain Heaven after death is 40%. Please refer to the article, which describes what spiritual level is and the breakdown of the world population in 2016 according to spiritual level. Basically from the Spiritual science perspective, meritorious acts to attain Heaven or the higher positive planes of existence are those acts done without expectation with the objective of God-realisation. The following three criteria can be applied:
- Acts done without doership, i.e., with the outlook that God Himself is getting it done from me and hence I cannot lay claim to any credit.
- Done without expectation of acclaim or appreciation.
- Done without expectation of results. More than the acts per se, it is the attitude or outlook behind the acts that counts more.
It is important to note that subtle bodies at the borderline of just 40% and thereabouts often get pulled back by negative energies and hence remain in the Nether world (Bhuvarlok).
To attain a higher plane of existence that is beyond Heaven, one needs to be at a spiritual level higher than 60%. This can only be achieved by consistent spiritual practice according to the six basic laws of spiritual practice along with a major reduction in ego.
By predominant body, we mean the body that is most active, i.e., mental, intellect or the subtle ego. For example, in the Nether plane of existence (Bhuvarlok), the subtle bodies still have a lot of desires and attachments. As a result, quite often they become ghosts trying to fulfil some desire of theirs through their descendants or people on Earth. This leaves them open to higher-level negative energies from the lower regions of Hell; who take advantage of their cravings so as to affect people on Earth.
In the Nether world plane of existence, subtle bodies experience only unhappiness as desires cannot be fulfilled.
In the plane of existence known as Heaven, subtle bodies experience an overabundance of happiness. This happiness is much beyond the happiness experienced on Earth in quantity, quality and duration. As we go up the positive planes of existence, there is an increase in the quality of happiness and no unhappiness.
Sāttvik happiness means happiness derived from helping others without any expectations or strings attached. When ego is involved in the act, it becomes rājasik.
Serenity is a higher spiritual experience than Bliss.

3.1 Positive planes of existence and reincarnation on Earth

From the subtle planes of existence below Maharlok, people need to be reincarnated on the Earth plane of existence in order to settle their destiny and complete their give-and-take accounts. If after one’s death one attains higher regions such as Maharlok or Janalok due to higher spiritual level, one does not need to be reincarnated as all of the individual’s remaining destiny (accumulated account) can be worked out from these planes themselves. However, these evolved subtle bodies may choose to be born of their own will. They do so because of their expansive nature primarily to act as spiritual guides for humanity and to help society grow spiritually.

In some circumstances people who pass away even below the spiritual level of 60% can attain Maharlok. Here the person’s potential for further spiritual growth is considered. Through spiritual research we have found that that there are 5 factors that influence this potential for further spiritual growth.

Having a high amount of spiritual emotion (bhāv),
Having a low ego,
Having an intense desire for spiritual growth,
Doing regular spiritual practice of increasingly higher levels,
Affected or not affected by negative energies. Being affected/possessed by negative energies can severely obstruct the ability for spiritual growth. In the afterlife such affected subtle bodies even if they are at a spiritual level of 60% can be obstructed from reaching the higher subtle regions of the Universe by negative energies.

3.2 The importance of the Earth plane of existence

The Earth plane of existence is very important. It is the only plane of existence where we can make rapid spiritual growth and settle our give-and-take account in the shortest period of time. The main reason for this is that with the help of the physical body, we can do many things to enhance our spiritual growth and spiritual level and reduce the basic subtle Tama component.
Other than Earth, spiritual growth is mostly likely to occur only in the regions beyond Heaven such as Maharlok etc. This is because in Heaven, the subtle bodies run the risk of getting caught up in the unending pleasures it offers. In the Nether and Hell planes of existence, the punishment is so severe and also the distress from the other higher-level ghosts is such that it becomes very difficult to rise above the suffering to undertake any spiritual practice of value.

4. What is Hell, who goes to Hell and what is Hell like?

As one goes to lower planes of existence of Hell, as the subtle basic Sattva component progressively reduces the environment becomes less conducive to the experience of happiness.
Within the planes of existence of Hell, there are some ghosts who do certain types of spiritual practice to gain spiritual power. The highest in the hierarchy of ghosts are sorcerers from the seventh plane of existence of Hell. They have immense spiritual power almost equivalent to a Saint at the 90% spiritual level. They control all the other types of ghosts with lesser spiritual power.
As one goes deeper into the various planes of existence of Hell, i.e. from 1st to 7th, the extent of happiness experienced by the subtle bodies therein goes on decreasing and the extent of unhappiness goes on multiplying. The minimal experience of happiness is also due to being engrossed in memories of past positive events, pleasant memories of wealth in a past life, etc. The experience of unhappiness is due to memories of physical pain and insulting events, memories of unfulfilled desires, e.g. regarding education, house, career, expectation of happiness from children in past life.
The extent of punishment/pain to be endured in the various planes of existence of Hell and their associated Narak goes on increasing with the subsequent plane of existence of Hell. Also, the period of punishment to be endured in each Narak is in excess compared to the corresponding plane of existence of Hell. If we consider the punishment in first plane of existence of Hell as 100%, then the punishment in the corresponding first Narak region is 50% more, i.e. 150%.

The following table is a description of examples along with the average intensity of happiness and unhappiness we experience in the various planes of existence of Hell.

5. Movement between subtle planes of existence in the Universe

One is assigned that plane of existence which matches one’s basic nature in terms of Sattva, Raja and Tama. This is also a function of one’s spiritual level. Hence, subtle bodies from lower positive planes of existence cannot go to higher positive planes of existence and those from first or second negative planes of existence cannot go to the deeper planes of existence Hell. This is similar to how people living in the planes find breathing difficult at higher altitudes, but people staying at higher altitudes manage fine.

6. What decides where we go after death?

At the time of death, as the physical body becomes inactive the vital energy used for the functioning of the physical body is liberated into the Universe. This vital energy at the time of death propels the subtle body away from the Earth region. Just as the weight of a projectile decides how far a rocket will propel it, similarly the weight of the subtle body decides which plane of existence it goes to in the subtle planes of existence in life after death.
The ‘weight’ of the subtle body is primarily a function of the amount of the subtle basic Tama component in our being.

The 3 subtle basic components: Each one of us is made up of three subtle basic components or guṇas. These components are spiritual in nature and cannot be seen but they define our personalities. They are:

Sattva: Purity and knowledge
Raja: Action and passion
Tama: Ignorance and inertia In an average person in the current era, the basic subtle Tama component is as high as 50%.

Please read the article on the 3 subtle basic components
The more we are filled with the Raja and Tama components the more we display the following characteristics which add to our ‘weight’ and impact which plane of existence we go to in our life after death:

More attachment to worldly things and selfishness
More unfulfilled desires
Feelings of revenge
Higher amount of demerits or wrong-doings
Higher amount of personality defects such as anger, greed, fear, etc.
A higher amount of ego: By ego we mean how much a person identifies himself with his body, mind and intellect as opposed to the soul within
Resulting in lower spiritual level

A permanent reduction in the proportion of the subtle basic Tama component and the related characteristics mentioned above come about only with sustained spiritual practice according to the six basic laws of spiritual practice. Psychological improvements with self-help books or trying to be nice are at best superficial and temporary.

6.1 Importance of the mental state at the time of death

The mental state at the point of death, apart from what has been mentioned above, is very important. Our mental state is generally relative to the proportion of the subtle basic components in our being.
If a person is actually doing his spiritual practice such as chanting the Name of God at the time of death then the influence of desires, attachments, ghosts, etc. are minimal possible for that person compared to his state when not chanting. This makes his subtle body lighter. Hence, if he passes away while chanting, he attains better plane of existence among the sub-planes than what he would have attained were he to pass away without chanting.
At the time of death, if a person is chanting the Name of God and is also in a state of surrender to God’s will, then he attains an even better plane of existence in his life after death and his sojourn is undertaken with lightening speed. This is because the person being in a state of surrender on Earth plane of existence itself, has very less chance of increasing his ego in his life after death. Also, the entire responsibility of his well-being in his life after death is undertaken by his evolved spiritual guide (Guru).

6.2 Who goes to Hell?

The following are the types of deeds in our life on Earth that typically land us in one of the planes of existence of Hell.

The extent, duration and intention behind the wrong-doings are important factors deciding the planes of existence of Hell attained after death rather than just the action itself.

7. Suicide and the after life

There are two types of death with regards to its timing.
Destined final death: This is the time of death that no one can escape.
Possible death: This is where a person can possibly die. Each person may undergo a possible death wherein one comes close to death but may be saved due to his or her merits.
For more information on the types of death please refer to our article – Time of Death
In cases where a person is going through insurmountable crisis in his life or has severe personality disorders, he may think of taking his own life in a depressed state. Ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) also fuel the depression of a suicidal person and sometimes are instrumental in pushing a person over the edge into committing suicide. However, in most cases, suicide remains a wilful act that happens when a person is going through a possible death phase as per their destiny.
Life on the Earth plane of existence is precious and is given to us primarily for spiritual growth. When we kill others, we create/settle a karmic give-and-take account with them. However by committing suicide, we squander away the opportunity for spiritual growth and hence incur demerits or sin. The gravity of sin can vary depending on the circumstances under which a person commits suicide. Invariably the subtle-body of an average suicide case will go to Bhuvarlok. However for greater sins incurred during their life and the circumstances under which they commit suicide they can go to the lower regions of Hell.

Killing a Saint incurs the maximum amount of sin and on a scale of 0-100, it is 100.
Killing an ordinary person incurs 40 on the same scale
Killing oneself incurs 30% sin as opposed to killing another person of average spiritual level. Generally people who commit suicide are at a lower spiritual level. Their spiritual level gets eroded due to continuous depression.

Cause	Sin incurred	Merits	Comments
Where only oneself is involved
Physical: If one is experiencing severe pain or terminally ill due to illness and cannot take the pain any more voluntary euthanasia.	30% of killing another person of average spiritual level	–	Refer to the article on Euthanasia – Section 4.2
Psychological: Severe depression, psychiatric patient	30% of killing another person of average spiritual level	–
Spiritual: Taking one’s life when totally under the command of negative energies	0	–	The subtle body-continues to be under the influence of negative energies after death. Intense spiritual practice helps to come out of the clutches of demonic possession.
Where others are involved
Sacrificing oneself to save others selflessly	0	Varies	Depends on who one is sacrificing for. If sacrificing oneself for an evil person then one in fact incurs demerits and not merits.
Sacrificing oneself to save a Saint’s life	0	100	Saving a Saint’s life accrues the highest amount of merits.
Suicide bomber (killing oneself and others)	Varies	Varies	As per cause. For example if a soldier were to kill Hitler in a suicide mission to save millions of lives and rid the world of a menace, then merits would be accrued. Alternatively if a suicide bomber killed innocent adults and children then only demerits would be incurred.

8. Why is there a time lag between two reincarnations?

In the course of research by using hypnotic trance to trace the past lives of the person, it has been found that the time lag between two reincarnations on Earth could be on average 50 to 400 years. The reasons for this time lag are as follows:

The subtle body remains in the Heaven or the Nether plane of existence for variable periods of time to undergo its merits and demerits (sins).
Circumstances on Earth plane of existence need to be favourable to complete the give-and-take account from previous births with various people. This is in accordance with the law of Karma. The reincarnation of the subtle body is postponed until the time various other people who they have a give-and-take account with are also preparing to take reincarnation.
Sometimes in past life regression, a person does not report a reincarnation in the trance state. The reason for this is that a certain reincarnation has been very uneventful or brief and the person may not remember any details of it.

In the case of subtle bodies that have been relegated to the deeper planes of existence of Hell, the time lag between two reincarnations may be thousands of years. They stay in their respective plane of existence of Hell until such time they have completed their punishment. In most cases, this means languishing in plane of existence of Hell in their life after death till the dissolution of the Universe.

9. Life after death – in summary

The above facts about the various planes of existence give us a fair idea of the possible consequences in our life after death of how we live our lives. Only with spiritual practice or with extreme meritorious deeds can one go to the higher planes of existence and thereby avoid unhappiness and punishment and enjoy higher levels of happiness. There are also better chances of a reincarnation on Earth plane of existence in circumstances conducive to spiritual practice. This is so that one moves further up in the subtle planes of existence in the Universe. As we go further into the current Era of Strife (Kaliyug), there is lesser likelihood of people going to the higher planes of existence.
Once we go to the lower planes of existence such as the Nether plane of existence or other planes of existence of Hell, we stay there and experience severe unhappiness for centuries until we completely pay for our demerits (sins) by suffering the intense punishments meted there and get a chance to be reincarnated on Earth.
To do consistent spiritual practice on the Earth plane of existence according to the 6 basic laws of spiritual practice is like swimming against the tide in the current era. However, it is also a guaranteed way of advancing to higher planes of existence in our life after death.

,Hundreds of health gurus have come up with thousands of ways to try to get you to lose weight, motivate you to exercise more, and fool the body into shedding the pounds. But once you separate the good from the bad, and the bad from the downright dangerous, you’re left with a few golden nuggets that you can really put into place to start seeing results.

1. Keep Portion Sizes Under Control

This is a big part of most diet plans, and goes against some of the large portions Americans have come to expect when they go out to eat. There have been various ways to describe how much food we should be eating. The palm of your hand is one way to portion out proteins and carbs, and the size of your fist works for baked potatoes and apples.
It seems like it would be easy enough to keep all-you-can-eat mentality confined to trips to Vegas, but more and more places these days are making it possible to stuff yourself. Endless shrimp offers, pizza buffets, and even unlimited refills on french fries are all readily available for most city dwellers. These are best avoided since the temptation to eat your money’s worth is often too strong.
Also keep in mind that the amount of food that the stomach can hold is roughly the size of two cupped hands. Try not to exceed that amount at any one sitting, and if you do near that size, try to do so at lunch when your digestive juices are at their strongest.

2. Break Away From Unhealthy Traditions

Cleaning your plate may have been something your mother told you to do because her mother told her to do it, but it can lead to dysfunctional eating behavior later in life if you can’t seem to leave food on your plate.
Some adages of the past like eating three square meals a day don’t work for everyone. You might be better off eating four or five meals throughout the day. There’s also new studies that debunk certain foods being good for you. Your parents may use a lot of bad fats in their cooking and baking. Changing their recipes to include these new findings is key.
If you come from a culture whose food consists of heavy, starchy foods, it might mean that you have to update them so they contain healthier ingredients. Many chefs out there have already put a new spin on traditional dishes so you can enjoy the flavor of your country without sacrificing your figure.

3. Increase the Amount of Exercise You Get

There are all sorts of fitness programs claiming that they have the way to get fit and lose weight. What they all have in common is that they’re getting it right to some degree. The important thing to take away from each of them is that you have to get the body moving more than it currently is. That means different things for different people.
If you currently lead a sedentary lifestyle, you don’t want to go zero to sixty overnight, or you’ll end up getting burned out. If you’re already pretty active you might want to consider amping things up and taking it to the next level if you’ve found that you’ve reached a plateau.
Another point to consider is that it doesn’t really matter what you do, or how much of it you do in any given day, but you’ll want to do it at least three times a week it’s strenuous, or every day if it’s walking or other light activities.

4. Stop Eating When You Feel Full

This might sound like one of the easiest things to do, but it turns out it’s not that easy for most. Due to emotional attachments to food, and bad eating habits, we often keep eating long after getting the signal from the body to stop.
In his book I Can Make You Thin, Paul McKenna outlines what he says is an effortless way to eat and lose weight, getting down to your natural and healthy weight. He also recommends eating when you’re hungry, eating what you want, and enjoying every mouthful. Sounds easy enough, right?
It’s interesting to stop for a second and realize that although these sound like simple steps that we should be doing naturally. Since many of us eat when we’re not hungry, keep eating when we’re full, and distract ourselves during mealtime with TV or work, it really makes our dysfunctions easier to see. Recognizing them is the first step to working on a fix.

5. Don’t Buy the Bad Stuff

The point of purchase is the moment of truth. Most of the time you’ll end up eating things you buy, even if you regret buying them. They say don’t shop hungry, and that may have been enough back in the day. But now they’re put so much psychology into product packaging and positioning, as well as TV ads, even if you’re not hungry you might find yourself filling your basket with things you know aren’t good for you.
Once a piece of junk food has made it into your home, it will call to you to eat it until you do. And since most of these foods contain chemicals in them to make you overindulge and crave it even more, they can really throw a wrench in your weight loss gears. Remove the temptation by removing the opportunity to cheat and eat foods that you regret by not buying them in the first place.
Another step you should take is getting tempting items out of the house. A lot of times a well-meaning health expert will say just to clear out that food and replace it with healthy food. But if you don’t like wasting food this might be hard for you. You could take a free day and eat all of the food that you shouldn’t be eating, and then start your new diet and exercise program the next day.

6. Help Your Weight Loss Efforts with Rehydration Therapy

Drinking more water can be a great help to your weight loss efforts. It helps you eat less because you won’t be mistaking thirst for hunger (the body sends the same signal for both), and it helps all of your organs function better, especially the liver and kidneys. If you’re eating more fiber you’ll want to make sure that you’re drinking more water as well.
If you’ve been lax on drinking water for a long period of time, you don’t want to be to overzealous with your newfound water intake. It’s possible to start drinking too much water and overloading your kidneys that have learned to go without. Start by adding one more glass of water per day than you normally do. When you notice that your body has adjusted, i.e. when you’re processing the water that you drink, i.e. you’re peeing out what you’re drinking in, you can add another glass until you get to the recommended daily intake levels.
If you’re going to start working out in addition to dieting you should make sure to stay hydrated before, during, and after your workouts. The water you drink during this time should not be counted toward your daily water needs.

7. Get Slimmer with Better Sleep

If you’re the kind to burn the candle at both ends, you could be contributing to weight gain and poor health in general. Any time you jump off of the natural circadian rhythm you run the risk of not functioning at your optimal best. The body’s natural process of rest and rejuvenation is vitally important. Sleep is when the body cleanses and purifies itself, and it can’t do this if you’re up studying, working, or watching TV.
When your body is functioning at its best you’ll have more energy for exercising, a clearer head to fight food cravings, and a more positive attitude which is essential to any diet plan. When you’re looking at losing weight there’s more to consider than just taking in fewer calories, and burning off more calories. It’s harder to make the connection between sleep and weight loss.
Better sleep tips: Most of us need 8 hours, but all 8 hours blocks are not created equally. Sleeping from midnight to 8am is not as beneficial as sleeping from 10pm to 6am. Going to bed and waking up earlier is a sound piece of health advice and can help you lose weight without changing anything else in your lifestyle.

8. Increase Alkaline Food Intake for a Healthy pH Level

We don’t really have room here to get into the details, but your body functions best when it’s at a good pH level. Many superfoods are also alkaline foods and can raise your pH levels when eaten as part of a comprehensive plan for better health.
Here are some benefits to a higher pH level: In addition to helping with to get rid of fat in the body, you’ll also help prevent cancer, arthritis, and other chronic diseases. The good news is that most diet plans out there will automatically have you eating foods that are less acidic and more alkaline.
Here are some foods that can help you along the way: broccoli, pumpkin, almonds, strawberries, and apples. Here are some examples of foods that have an acidic effect on the body: corn, noodles, ice cream, cheese, meat, sugar, alcohol, and pharmaceutical drugs. Remember, you don’t have to cut out acidic foods completely, but try to hit an 80/20 ratio.

9. Cleanse the Body’s Vital Organs and Systems

When you’re starting out on a new healthy eating regimen it’s good to start with a clean slate. There are several cleanses you can do depending on what you feel your body needs. These include a colon cleanse, liver cleanse. kidney cleanse, heavy metal cleanse, and parasite cleanse.
For a colon cleanse the best way to go is with colon hydrotherapy. Rather than your colon becoming dependent on a laxative or stimulant, this will help make it stronger and retrain it to do its job better. The liver is one of the most important organs in the body, and can make everything else function better. If you have excess toxins in the liver, which many people do, it can make your other weight loss efforts less effective.
While there is a lot of debate as to whether cleansing the different organs of the body works or not, you can try one for yourself and see how you feel before and after. It’s the best way to get a first-hand experience on it so you can make up your own mind and do what feels best to you.

10. Increase Good Fats and Decrease Bad Fats

This is one tip that still has a lot of people confused. You have to eat fat to lose fat? It doesn’t seem to make sense, and the explanations out there can be pretty exhausting. Turns out all fats are not created equally, so cutting all of them out of your diet is not a good idea. Learning to separate the good from the bad is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and feeling fuller longer.
You might have heard of the infamous trans fats that have been the subject of public witch hunts, but that’s just the uber-bad fat that you should never eat. There are also a whole family of fats that you should work to eliminate from your diet, and a host of good fats that you should make an effort to add to your daily food intake.
Here are some good fats to get on board with: olive oil, peanut butter, avocados, walnuts, and safflower oil. And here are some bad fats to kick to the curb: margarine, butter, cheese, fried foods, and packaged foods.

11. Take 10,000 Steps Daily

This was the subject of a book called The Step Diet, which advocated not only the extra walking, but also cutting back on how much you eat. Even if you kept everything else in your life the same, you’d still benefit by increasing your way up to the 10,000 daily step quota.
The first thing you’ll need to do is grab yourself a pedometer. Reliable pedometers can be had for less than $20 and you simply clip it to your waist and do your best to forget about it. When you’re ready to turn in for the night make a record of your daily steps. You can graph this out over time to see your progress.
What you’ll likely find is that you get more active and move about more throughout your day you’ll naturally make better food choices, have more energy – not less, and have a better outlook on your life and the world at large.

12. Have Positive Expectations of Success

If you’re skeptical about your ability to lose weight, either because you’ve tried and failed in the past, or you think you’ve got “bad genes”, or you just don’t believe that your plan is going to work out, you first need to get in the right frame of mind. Any action you take with a defeatist mindset isn’t going to get you the results you want.
Examples of positive expectation are planning a trip to the beach and showcasing your new body, booking a trip on a cruise line, or buying a pair of pants in the size that you want to become knowing that you’ll soon fit into them. Part of the fun of losing weight is buying a new wardrobe and getting a new look.
When you shift from thinking that you’ll probably flop on your new diet to thinking that you’ll probably reach your goal, you’re putting out a different sort of energy and you should be more pleased with the results you get.

13. Don’t Get Caught Up In Fads and Gimmicks

Each week it’s possible to find a new diet sensation making the airwaves, and some of them sound really good. Of course, some of them sound really weird, like only eating green foods, or centering on one food in particular, like pineapple or peanut butter. There are also ones that are very short term, like a 7 or 17 day diet plan.
But diet hopping rarely gets you the results you want, and the grass will always be greener on the other side of the diet you’re currently on. The important thing is to stick to the tried and true methods for weight loss, like eating foods that contain vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that will help you slim down, and increasing the amount of exercise you do on a weekly basis.
You’ll find that by ignoring the fads, you’ll crash less, save yourself from wasted time, and grow more confident that your time-tested methods will get you from point A to point B if you just stick to them.

14. Find a Good Reason to Make These Changes

A strong why can get you through the toughest part of dieting: the start. Overcoming inertia can be really hard, but if you come up with a clear enough reason for why you want to lose the weight or get healthier, it increases the likelihood that you’ll be able to stick with it for the long run.
If you’re losing weight to live longer so you can see your grandkids, that’s a pretty big why and will go a long way in providing the motivation you need to make changes. If you’re trying to slim down to fit into a dress by a certain date, this might provide the short term push you need to do a crash diet, but it typically doesn’t last long after the event passes, and can contribute to yo-yo dieting.
One good reason could be an upcoming trip you plan to take, and you want to make sure that you’re fit enough to do a lot of walking, hiking, and other activities while you’re on vacation. This can be a great way to stick to a diet, especially if your trip is further into the future, and the good times you have on your trip can keep you staying healthy and happy after it’s finished.

15. Start Slow to Prevent a Relapse

Small, subtle, gradual changes are the ones that are best absorbed by the body and mind. Stark overhauls might shock the body into changing for a little while, but more often than not you’ll end up regressing back to your old ways, and any progress you’ve made will be lost.
You can start with one or two things that you’ll barely miss. For example, stop drinking beverages with calories in them and replace them with water. Keep everything else the same until you barely notice that you’re not drinking sodas and juices any more. Then move on to the next thing you want to remove and replace in your life.
Over time, these positive changes will add up, and your body won’t reject them the way it does when you stop doing everything it’s used to, start doing everything it’s not used to. The best part is you’re not likely to relapse back to your old self and your progress will be legitimate.

16. Have a Strong Support System In Place

No man or woman is an island, and if you are trying to lose weight without letting your family and friends in on it, you might be cutting off a support system that could help you on your way. Many people find that a workout buddy adds accountability and makes exercise more fun.
A personal trainer can not only show you the proper form, and the right exercises to do, they can also offer you positive tidbits to keep you focused when the world around you is distracting you. If you want to cut through all the mumbo jumbo and get nutrition suggestions customized to you, a consultation with a nutritionist can work wonders.
Just be sure that your family and friends are supportive, because many times those around you don’t like it when someone they know starts making positive changes. You might get negative feedback from those closest to you, which can be disappointing and enlightening at the same time.

17. Take a Holistic Approach Health

Take the whole body into consideration when you are looking to lose weight. It’s easy to get into the mode of less calories in, more calories out, but you’re more than just a mouth and stomach. All of your organs are designed to work beautifully together, and you don’t want to sacrifice the health of an internal body part for the appearance of an outer one.
Even things that you wouldn’t connect to weight loss can have an effect on the body and the mind. Good oral hygiene, keeping up with your skin, nails, and hair, all go into the way that you view yourself, and your self esteem.
Focus on feeling good and the weight loss should be a natural byproduct. We all know which foods make us feel bad after we eat them (even though they may taste great for a moment while eating them), so by treating yourself as good as possible you’ll naturally slim to your healthy body weight and size.

18. Take Tips from Other Cultures

Americans take a lot of flak for being one of the most obese countries in the world, so sometimes it’s good to see what’s working for different cultures living abroad. Sometimes it may involve dialing back technology and doing things the way our ancestors did. Other times it’s about taking a more spiritual approach to weight loss.
For example, in the Okinawa prefecture of Japan they follow the Confucian phrase of hara hachi bu, which means eating until you are 80% full. This is a great way to prevent yourself from overeating, and has been attributed to long lifespans in that region, as well as BMI’s that are in the healthy range.

19. Lose the Scale (Or Use It Every Day)

There are two schools of thought when it comes to weighing yourself during your weight loss efforts. The first says to throw the scale out, and just focus on how you feel, and how you look in the mirror. The other says that you should weigh yourself daily so you can chart your numbers and watch your progress on a micro level.
You’ll have to decide which way you want to go, because having a scale around can actually be demotivating if you weigh yourself at intervals and find that you’re not losing as much as you wanted to. It’s a good idea to get a starting weight so you’ll know how far you’ve come later, but then put it in an inconvenient place until enough time has passed so you can see how you’re doing.

20. Drop the Guilt Associated with Food

Feeling guilty about the food you eat, or about being fat is actually helping you to stay fat. You’ve got a strong focus on what you don’t want, which yields more of the same. You don’t have to drag yourself down so low that you hit rock bottom in order to make positive changes in your life. Realize that you’re not alone if you’ve got some weight to lose, and in fact the deck is stacked against you.
It’s easy to buy and eat foods that are bad for you. It’s easier to not get exercise than to get moving. It’s simply the way our society is set up. So you shouldn’t feel guilty if you’ve let yourself go, you should feel encouraged for wanting to get yourself back on track. Your loved ones will thank you, even if they don’t verbalize it.
The feeling of encouragement is much more motivational than guilting yourself into eating better and exercising. It can even lead to feeling inspired to do those things, which is the feeling you’re really after.

In ancient times the word religion was linked to mythology, but it really has more to do with how the world was created, what exactly a human’s place in this world is, what happens after death, and how you get through this experience and the next life without having to suffer. No matter what the religion, the people who follow it have created a god that reflects their own image and likeness. But which is the oldest religion?

The Oldest Religion—Hinduism

Even though Hinduism is considered the oldest religion on record, it is actually not one single religion. Hinduism is a combination of Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism. It was based on the morality of the times and adheres to dharma, karma, and other social norms. Unlike many organized religions it is more open to philosophical and intellectual ideas.

Origin

The religion of Hinduism began more than 5,000 years ago. There is a river in northern India called River Indus. At the time it was called the Sindhu. There was an influx of Persians into India and they called the river Hindu. They referred to the land as Hindustan and the people who lived there Hindus. This created the shift from Sindhu to Hinduism.
At one time, it was thought that Hinduism was based on the beliefs of the Aryans who found their way to the Indus Valley Civilization around 2000 BC. This was later attributed to be a myth. The three phases of Hinduism are the ancient times (6500 BCE to 1000 AD), medieval times (1000 to 1800 AD) and the religion as it is followed today, considered the modern period.

Scriptures

The scriptures that make up Hinduism are called “Shastras.” They are a group of spiritual rules that were created by several different sages and saints over the history of its inception. Long before the tenets of this religion were documented, the beliefs were considered heard, of Shruti, and memorized, or Smriti. As time went on, they were written in Sanskrit. Currently the religion follows the Bhagavad Gita, the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, and the Upanishads.

Tenets

The main tenets of Hinduism have to do with reincarnation, dharma, moksha, karma, and idol worship. The ideals of which this religion is based upon is truthfulness, compassion, self-control, non-violence, generosity, fortitude, and purity.
Some of the phrases that help to depict the major truths of Hinduism are bhakti, or devotion, yoga, which means discipline, and dharma, which translates to what is right. There are four stages of human life in Hinduism with the appropriate rituals and rites that go with each stage.
There are two lifelong dharmas in traditional Hinduism: Grihastha Dharma which means domestic religion and Sannyasin Dharma, or ascetic religion. There are four goals of the Grihastha Dharma and they include sensual pleasure, the laws of life, liberation from the cycle of births, and wealth and prosperity.

Beliefs

There are nine beliefs that Hindus adhere to. They are:

They believe in one Supreme Being who is the Creator of things and one who unmanifests reality.
The Hindu religion follows the “divinity of the four Vedas” which is considered the oldest scripture in the world. They consider this the word of God and the basis of the eternal religion, Sanatana Dharma.
It is believed by followers of this religion that the universe goes through many phases of preservation, creation, and dissolution.
Karma is one of their main beliefs which has each person being responsible for his or her destiny based on their words, thoughts, and actions.
Another strong belief has to do with reincarnation. All beings go through reincarnation until they have resolved their karma and arrive at the point where they have been freed of being born again.
It is believed that there are divine beings living in other worlds unseen. Worshipping in the temple, certain rituals, personal devotionals, and sacraments help them work together with these beings.
You must become enlightened in order to be familiar with the Transcendent Absolute. The traits required to become enlightened include good conduct, personal discipline, meditation, purification, self-inquiry, pilgrimage, and surrender in God.
All Hindus respect life and feel that all life is revered and sacred. This is why they practice to not injure anyone with their words or actions. This is called ahimsa.
It is the Hindu belief that there is no religion that is superior to another. They feel that all roads lead to God and that each one is a reflection of God’s light and should be respected and tolerated.

Other Oldest Religions

Although Hinduism is touted the world’s oldest religion, there are others that have been around a long time as well. Judaism, Taoism Buddhism, and Jainism are religions that are still being practiced today. A few older style religions are Zorastrianism, Confucianism, and Pantheism.

Polytheism

This religion is based on the existence of gods and goddesses. Their deities included mother goddesses, water deities, creator deities, and love deities. The Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Celts, and Chinese followed this religion during ancient times. Each practiced a little differently, but there was a common thread that brought it all together.

Judaism

Judaism is still practiced today and has a history that spans more than 4,000 years. This religion believes that there is one God. Followers go by the first five books of the Old Testament and recognize it as the Torah. The tenets of this religion encompass family relationships, criminal justice, social responsibility, and personal values. It is referred to as Halachah.

Buddhism

As an offspring of Hinduism, Buddhism was founded in the 6th century BCE by Siddhartha Gautama, one of the oldest religions. He is referred to as the awakened one. Divided into two groups, Buddhism has a conservative branch called Theravada and a more liberal branch called Mahayana. The tenets include the Four Noble Truths – suffering, the cause of suffering being desire, the end to suffering, and the existence of ending suffering.

Jainism

Jainism is also from the 6th century BCE. Their main tenet is that every living things has a soul and everything should be done to not cause injury to any life form. There are two groups – the Svetambaras, who wear white clothing, and the Digambaras who wear no clothing at all. The monks that belong to this religion wear pieces of cloth across their mouths so they do not accidentally cause any harm by breathing in.

Taoism

The origins of Taoism date back to the 3rd or 4th century BCE which is when the main tenets of Taoism were dated. The tenets behind this religion are for followers to live in the flow of everything. Living in accordance of “the way” effortlessly and in conjunction with humility, compassion, and moderation is what is expected of those who live by the Tao.