Spiritual EMagazine 2nd Anniversary July 2012 by Dhara Kothari

2nd Anniversary Issue Issue : July 2012 Vol : XXV

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SPIRITUAL LOUNGE E-MAGAZINE

Spiritual Lounge Year of the ‘Consciousness in Motion’ 2012

July 2012

EDITORIAL

Dear Readers, It is time for our annual issue and here we present it with immense pleasure. The theme for this annual issue is 'Consciousness in Motion'. To be conscious is to be aware, of everything and yet not reacting over it. To be aware is not just being all knowing about the people, things and surroundings but the self being aware of its self in the midst of everything. Being aware of the surroundings to the deepest sense of not responding to the moment but seeing the invisible details that matter more. To be conscious is to see through the eyes of the soul. That sees, knows and understands situation and answering the call when and if necessary. Being conscious is also to know the reality that is encompassing the self, not just the immediate world but also the Universe as well. Being conscious is to awaken the self from its deep slumber. To allow it to move, to bring into a motion, to contemplate and act in its space. To bring forth and shine its light and to move enough to merge into its own destiny. The movement is thus called being conscious and in motion to achieve what it sets out to do and go where it has to go. Thus 'Consciousness in Motion' is 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

July 2012

CONTENT

CONTENT Books - Page 4 INTER-NET - By Sushmita Mukherjee Page 5 - 6 Black Magic - By Sheila Kennedy Page 7 - 8 Conciousness in Formation - Shushmita Mukherjee Page 8 Conciousness in Motion by Myra Godfrey Page 9 - 10 Conciousness in Motion Thoughts - By Jiten Soni Page 10 Cinema Hall - CHRONICLE Page 11 Empty Yourself - By Master Chrism Page 12 - 13 The Wisdom of Trees - By Howard Jones Page 14 - 17 Rising Level of Conciousness - By Dr. Amit Nagpal Page 18 - 20 WE - By Betty Alark Page 20 The Quest of Conciousness - By Mohit Soni Page 21 The Oneness Within - By Tina Sobeti Page 22 Book Corner - The 7 Joys of life by Dr. Amit Nagpal - Page 23 Consciousness in Motion - Betty Alark Page 24 Poems - Betty Alark Page 25 Conference - Page 26 NEW ZEALAND - Compiled by Dhara Kothari Page 27 - 40 Group Mandala Art in Action by Mahirwan Mamtani - Page 41 - 42 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

INTER-NET - By Sushmita Mukherjee

July 2012

INTER-NET With evolution being the very nature of life and existence, our needs and wants keep changing. Changes, thus 'what' we wish for. And the idea of 'what-is-that-thing', which facilitates the realization of our changing needs and wants, too, don't remain constant. But evolution of 'what' actually occurs, which makes us wake to the ever changing priorities? Is it not of Consciousness? As our Consciousness evolves, we become aware, with a continuous enhancement in the awareness. We become conscious of all that which we weren't, or were ignoring. Well ignorance is what awareness is not. One thing though that hasn't changed, is an essence of life; the felt urge to stay connected with people who matter to us and at the same time expanding the ambit of this group of beings. We are spiritual beings, but on this physical journey, we become social beings for whom bonding with another being is very, very important; creating what and where we live in the society. And this very unchangeable essence has been given an impetus; again courtesy, evolution as is the eventuality of evolution, unchangeable again! Thus, we are now living our life consciously connected to one another, more than even before. The 'subject of gratitude' is the Internet; 'www' has indeed proved that the World truly is a Wide Web, an infinite Net. And again this 'net' is a 'work' of creation, by the creation called humans, the spiritual beings, being social. And the beauty of the 'network' is the fact that it works without any apparent physical connectivity; working without any chords. Yet the chords that are unseen, the connectivity between the beings being human, vibrate at the same frequency as made manifest through the connectedness. And thus is translated the unseen connectivity, materialized as Internet. Connectivity effects further connectivity, with the domain expanding each moment (likes attract, by way of the natural laws of reciprocity). Information originating from a remote corner of the world spreads in the blink of an eye, to places remote from the corner where from it all began. So, that which connected a few initially subsequently connects not few more, but many more. Nothing is any longer remote. 'Remote' is now controlled by a single click and turned into a metaphor. Thus, today we marvel at how the world has become

so small to render time and space as mere coordinates for reference. That we are just a click away and nothing that is visible to one can stay hidden for long from all, is our belief and is thus our experience. As we believe so we create with belief being the creator of what we create and our experience. It is belief that we could be connected in this fashion via the phenomenon (indeed it is so) revolutionary, that Inter-net happened. It is the product of the ever evolving humans, at the core level as the spiritual beings that they are, knowingly or otherwise. And as the Creator evolves so do the Creations Created and subsequently evolved, through continuous re-creations. The entire Universe is self-sustaining and selfperpetuating on this very essence of connectivity, in totality. The Creator is always one with the Creation, at the core level of Essence. There is no scope for duality. We are constantly co-creating, consciously or unconsciously. And this co-creation is made possible only by the connectedness, which makes us all never actually part from each other, as we stay always a part of one another irrespective of the space and time that seems to keep us apart. We are connected through the One Consciousness that we are all parts of, embodiments of. That is why all that is observed is affected by the observer, as both are connected. Consciousness is not just being awake. Consciousness is about awakening to what we already know (maybe not at the conscious level) and Who We Are, primarily. Consciousness is the awareness that we are one. Consciousness is infinite. It is not only of the mind, but of the entire being, of the entire Cosmos. When we become conscious of this fact we strive to elevate our individual consciousness, breaching all confines and limitedness, which is, of the mind. Consciousness is the non-physical Network that creates all other Webs; Networks, be it the interpersonal relationships at the local level or globally. And interestingly these networks too cannot be strictly called physical, as they too are formless, cordless with an invisible chord running through them! And proofs of the connectivity come in varied and amazing ways. Have you ever come across lines and words written or spoken, which are identical to yours, with the only difference (could be) that you never made them public? They either remained in the pages of your

INTER-NET - By Sushmita Mukherjee

July 2012

diary or in the folds of your conscious mind, or are just about to be shared. Yet when 'meeting' with the same happens, coming from some where (one) else, the feelings evoked stretch from: amazement, disbelief, elation to gratefulness. Why this similarity, when the authors/creators are separated in time (even thousands of years) and space? And even if not that separated in time and space, but are not known to one another yet creating the same thing, writing the same words, thinking the same thing(s). Furthermore, we have all had experiences (those who believe in them) of telepathy, precognition, déjà vu and the like. They form the branch of study called Parapsychology, wherein these phenomena are collectively referred to as GESP (General Extra Sensory Perception). Research continues in this field. So instead of getting into the details, it suffices to state that these are happenings 'extra' to the sensory perceptions, beyond the five senses. Life is not only about what our five senses (touch, hear, smell, see, taste) can perceive. It can actually be quite deceiving if we choose to abide by them only. Life lived thus is confining. While realizing that life resides in Consciousness makes us receptive to all that which the sensory perceptions cannot perceive, receive and conceive. In fact life is awakened to, when we start believing in the events 'extra' to sensory perceptions as things perfectly natural. Consciousness does what it does because it is all that there is, it is allpervasive, it is all inclusive, it is limitless, running through all. Consciousness and its level decide what is observed and experienced. And it is the level of our Consciousness which we are here to merge consciously with the Universal Consciousness, which makes the Universe function, as if on an auto-pilot. Evolution is the purpose, as well as the nature of Life; Evolution is of the Consciousness and Evolution is Consciousness in Motion, in Constant Motion…as Life is in Constant Motion… And the only way to realize and understand all these is to have consciousness of the Self, as everything is in the Self. Consciousness of the Self enables us to realize that we are an ingredient, a component, of the fabric of Consciousness of that runs through life in entirety, is Life in entirety. And thus we are always

connected to All That Is There, as we are a part of All That There IS. Everything becomes then explicable, with this essential, natural, and thus unavoidable too connectivity! No wonder we have 'created' connectivity at the physical level, in the form of Internet as a form, as a reflection, of our connected-ness at the level of our Essence. We create what we are. The non-physical becomes physical (though yes we cannot 'see', but revel in the effect of Internet), the un-manifest becomes manifest through this trans-formation. Call it The Source, call it The Creative Force of The Universe, or call it Energy, or Consciousness, whatever you will. But the fact remains that it is Consciousness. Consciousness of The Infiniteness of Creation and our Oneness through this 'One' Consciousness, yet Infinite, which is behind the Infinite Creation, makes us conscious of the fact that It IS Consciousness all the way. That Consciousness forms the very fabric of life, keeping everything and all entwined always is realized, accepted and acknowledged with gratitude and utilized too, to honor the same and thus allow it to work wonders. That is what Internet has been; and is. Internet we explain as a technology. But the real technology, the empirical technology of Consciousness has actually come to the fore, like never before. Our Essence knows this, and experiences this further, consciously, hence through these creations which symbolize this very fact. Thus it is recognized Internet as one, of the many manifestations, of the connected Consciousness. The Internet is the reflection of The Intranet, that which we have with, and within, our own selves. The first connectedness to be experienced is with That Which Is Within, “Realizing the Relationship with the Self” (the article in SL, Dec. 2011). Once that happens, it extends to actualize the dictum, “As within so without”, with the inter-connections manifested in the external world too; because everything is within and the external is the eventual reflection of that which is within. After all the real source of 'www' is within…as the Whole World (is) Within! Sushmita Mukherjee, Email: philosopher.mukherjee@gmail.com

Black Magic - By Sheila Kennedy

July 2012

Black Magic Recently I made a comment on Black Magic in a group I belong to; I referred to it as a 'Dark Art'. To say that my comment created a furore is an understatement, so I will tread gently today and look at Magic from a number of perspectives.

Here you are dealing with the types of spells and programs which are 'cast' or projected with deliberation by someone with more than a little knowledge or guidance, and a personal awareness of what are termed the 'dark arts'. This person may refer to themselves as a Magician, a Witchdoctor, a Juju man / woman and so on. They may also work under the cover of a faĂ§ade as a Healer, or offer a 'healing service' as a lure to the client. Black Magic is often used in a malicious way, and will generally surface as a trespass upon your person or upon the person/ persons for whom it is intended. It is similarly to some spells and Voodoo practices and we are looking at a known and deliberate invasion of the space of another, and an energetic trespass. Black Magic we can say is performed 'with Intent' and the practitioner may require or use personal items belonging to you, such as hair and nail clippings, personal clothing, your hand writing, possessions and so on. While these 'physical items are not necessarily required, they are believed to make the spell or curse more powerful. Many Black Magic Practitioners are also followers of the Voodoo path and will offer a Voodoo Doll or an Effigy of the person to assist in strengthening the spell or curse. Or in some instances some other object to 'Bind' the curse or spell more deeply. Often, ceremonial rites, sacrifices, blood rites, fore swearing's, energetic invocations and energetic projections are used by the Black Magician to strengthen or assist in the creation of the spell or curse. These may include affiliation with living beings in all and any forms, including plant, insect, animal, and human life as well as known and unknown energies and thought forms which may be called on or deliberately created for such purpose.

Magic; according to the encyclopaedia is the art of producing a desired effect or result through the use of incantation or various other techniques that presumably assure human control of supernatural agencies or the forces of nature. Magic itself has long been practiced in many cultures worldwide and in some areas of the world it is seen as being a religious or spiritual practice. In different cultures, various types of 'magicians', (people who practice magic) may be differentiated based on their abilities, their sources of power, and on moral considerations, including divisions into different categories like sorcerer, witch, healer and others. Magic has often been viewed with suspicion by the wider community, and in the past it was commonly practiced in isolation and or secrecy. Modern Western magicians generally state magic's primary purpose to be personal and to do with spiritual growth. Magic can also be spelt Magick and it is this spelling that I believe is used by the 'non colour' or white magician, who may also be a follower of a 'pagan path'. Magick is an early modern English spelling for magic and was used in works such as the 1651 translation of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa's De Occult Philosphia / Three Books of Occult Philosophy, or of Magick. Aleister Crowley the British occultist chose the spelling of 'Magick' to differentiate the Occult levels from Stage Magic, and defined Magick as "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will", including both "mundane" acts of will as well as ritual magic. Crowley wrote that "it is theoretically possible to cause in any object any change of which that object is capable by natureâ&#x20AC;? In the specific instance of the' Dark Arts and Black Magic' we are looking at the opposite side of the coin to the 'white magician', this is someone who specifically works in the occult field with the intention of doing harm.

This includes such energetic invasions and projections as may have come through the thought, word, and or deed of another, both with intention or what may be termed 'malice aforethought. This is especially true of those energetic invasions which have been invoked using external sources and or physical objects, as well as the invocation of the name or names of 7

Black Magic - By Sheila Kennedy

July 2012

a known or perceived power object or source, eg goddesses, priests, and hierarchies of ancient knowledge as well as deities, both known and unknown.

Consciousness in Formation Confining the answers we seek to a Form, Misinforms self of Self, And deforms the answer of Self. Answer is in every form and in the Formless, As all emanate from the Formless, Which is our Essence! This understanding and Being It, Transforms and Reforms, Self and Life, As one truly realizes, Through this thus Transformation, To be the Information, Of the Essenceâ&#x20AC;ŚIn Formation, And thus be, Consciousness in Motion

So how can Black Magic affect you? Remember that energies both light and dark can come to you in many ways, through the telephone, the internet, television, and through personal and absent contact with other people, even through the window of the car while you are driving. In the instance of dark energies they may also be attached to gifts and tokens that are given or presented to you, or secreted about your home or workplace. Does the pretty pant in a pot that you placed in your garden have a deeper and more sinister meaning for example? Has the energy in your home become unpleasant and disruptive since you brought home the 'gift' from your partner's previous romantic alliance? In some instances of Black Magic, items may appear or disappear, transmute, become unsubstantial or in some instances they may self-combust. A word of warning: if you believe that you are or have been under the influences of Black Magic, please do not ignore the situation, and should you choose to have some one assist you in removing the effects of it, please find a reputable and trained person to do so.

Sushmita Mukherjee Note: A tribute to The Source Within and Neale Donald Walsch. The use of Information and In Formation too has been inspired by Neale's use of the same, in Conversations with God Series, Friendship with God and in his other books.

Sheila Kennedy B.Msc http://www.soundsfromsource.com http://www.soundsfromsourceacademy.com http://www.energeticbalanceandharmony.com

Consciousness in Motion - By Myra Godfrey

July 2012

Consciousness in Motion: The Evolution of our Growth In honor of this month's theme of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Consciousness in Motionâ&#x20AC;? here is an article dedicated to growth, evolvement and the ongoing spiritual journeys we all must walk. There are a few words that immediately come to mind when I think about consciousness; perception, expansion, growth, perspective and beauty. Let's take a look at these and how they are connected to consciousness. Consciousness is always shaped by perception and perspective. In a place of static awareness, there is no consciousness. It takes a slight measure of duality for consciousness to even exist! In the void, even God, Self whatever you call it does not 'exist'. To become aware that there is even something to be aware of (i.e. yourself, the world etc.) there is a level of witnessing occurring. Who is the witness and who is the observer that is the question! The bindu point of the Sri Yantra is representative of pure absolute being, but anything outside of that, consciousness starts to exist. We next find a downward pointed triangle, which teaches that the first measure of consciousness is breaking down into the three-fold gunas of Prakriti. This balance of sattwa, rajas and tamas provide the framework for the witness, or is it the experiencer, to start perceiving oneself. These three modes of Prakriti provide the framework for the entire creation and for everything further out in the Sri Yantra. So what does this have to do with perspective? Depending on which lens you are viewing the world through, sattwa, rajas or tamas, will determine how you perceive the world and how you interact with it. Even for an individual who has done tremendous work to purify the subtle body, the gunas represent a filter of perception. Also, the gunas are never in equal balance. One of the three will always be more in the spotlight than the others, although which one is most in focus changes constantly. Life is a constant cycle of flow and change, which allows our perspectives and perceptions to change to understand the world and life experience in a variety of different ways. When you recognize that consciousness is always in motion because of the constant flow of the gunas, you can start to see and understand how life also flows. Let's now add in the concept of the Soul, which makes the gunas relevant to begin with. As

the Soul gains its myriad of experiences throughout life, it learns. It experiences what it is to be here on Earth. Each set of experiences helps to define and give shape to a person's existence. Each experience further shapes a person's perspective on life, which will act to shape a person's entire decision making process. The experiences of life give a platform for our consciousness to grow through, although it is never the event itself that shapes consciousness, but how one perceives and responds to the events of life. There is one of the beautiful things about consciousness. Three people can have the same experience and all three people will have a different reaction to it, depending on where their consciousness is in any given moment and based on how each individual has been taught to metabolize life. Without the experience of life, there would be no way to grow in consciousness and to evolve as a spiritual or human being. This is why I view the world from a very all-of-life embracing perspective. Evolution cannot occur in a vacuum. It cannot occur if one is doing nothing but sitting in static meditation for hours and hours a day. Growth occurs by living, by experience and by balancing the depth of awareness we are capable of with the rest of life. The more a person isolates themselves from life, the less growth and expansion can occur. To be conscious automatically means that one will grow and expand. The interesting thing about consciousness, even divine consciousness and enlightenment, is that it is a continually evolving process. Enlightenment is in no way static. If you strive for either Self-realization or enlightenment as a way to escape from the world, you have not learned the rules of the game and don't really know what it is you are striving for. The more you grow, the more you evolve, the more life itself becomes a blessing and a platform for further and further waves of bliss to enter into the consciousness. To stop striving and evolving means to no longer be conscious towards life; to not be conscious in every moment is the opposite of enlightenment, so how can even an enlightened being think they are through with the experience of life? These are deep things to contemplate on, and well worth the time if you deeply desire and aspire to know yourself.

Consciousness in Motion - By Myra Godfrey Here is one of the most awesome things about consciousness: it's contagious. Our perspectives help to shape the perspectives of others. Every thought, action, desire, every movement in consciousness we experience creates ripples in the lives of others. Nothing is static. Everything is dynamic and flowing, always changing. You can't live a single moment without your consciousness being affected. Your response to life may not be affected if you are deeply immersed in yourself, but your consciousness always is because we are all one. We feel the joy, blessing and the pain of the world through being connected to the heartbeat which holds it all together. To be alive is to be in motion, so embrace your life fully! Let it teach you and guide you through your transitions. Life is the greatest teacher, because the supreme mystery, the all-that-IS, works through this flow of grace and movement. Let it flow through you and elevate you to great places and use this flow to improve the lives of everyone you come into contact with. Live you. Love you. BE you!

July 2012 Consciousness in Motion Thoughts by Jiten Soni

Composition of darkness and brightness is lived with the little shine in our life from thinking negative to thinking positive. A room that has small amount of light in the dark room also makes you happy, then why live with conscious mind that gets you to nothing. If our thinking starts from being good from the bad that's when there is consideration of consciousness in motion. Why do we keep walking in shades of our shadows is the reason why we keep aiming to walk in broad day sun light. If for little small things if we keep being conscious it will never help you being wise in your life. Time that never stops also keeps us moving that helps us live to our best. Time will often bring delay in your success, but success will definitely be seen if we start living with patience. There are often times that we keep living with sorrows, the question here is, is sorrow our primary or secondary role, is it not possible to keep happiness as our priority and primary influence to live our life to the best, is happiness a weakness or our strength, remember till the time you take to think about all these questions, is it not possible to start thinking and acting wise in life. Always remember step to darkness is inviting bright positivity back in our life, same goes with failure and success as well. Stories that keeps you motivated and makes you think positive, are the best of stories that are often read by many.

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.hridayahealing.com.

But something that is missing in us is our self- respect, selfesteem, self- confidence, self- motivation and the true belief in us. Believe me once you start thinking about all this and keeping as the priority of your life, you will begin to have faith, trust, courage, and lastly truth that make you live to the best of life. First Example: - If you are stuck in the lift, you will definitely call the engineer to get you out of that lift. Second Example: - If you are stuck of time you start looking at the watch to move with the time. Third Example: - When the child often cries you begin to start telling them stories to keep the child happy. Once you start seeing everything in the placement of your time and yourself, everything that you start, ends well with Consciousness in Motion.

Your consciousness plays a significant role in moulding you into a nice human being. It cleanses your soul and keeps alive and polishes your humanity which results in the satisfaction of your soul. Spiritual guidance is the best of relief with the solidarity of life which will stop you to go the darkness and always let's you with the wings of brightness within your life. Jiten Soni

Cinema Hall

July 2012

CHRONICLE “With great power there must come great responsibility.” – Spiderman Credo

manifestation of thought, this is consciousness in motion. The body is an extension of consciousness and when we perfect the connection between mind and body, we can manifest anything we desire.

My entry in this special annual issue of Spiritual Lounge Magazine, which is dedicated to the subject of consciousness on the move, is a review of the film, Chronicle. It is the story of three high school boys, Andrew, Steve and Matt, who come upon a crater or cave that holds a strange creature that unleashes the power of psycho-kinesis in all three of them. Psychokinesis is a form of extreme mind-body coordination where a person's thoughts can manifest into pure kinetic energy. A person with this ability can move objects around with his mind and project energy such as fire and pure force.

Desire is another factor in manifestation. Consciousness can guide the body, but the emotions and desire steer consciousness. Andrew, who chronicles all his super-human acts as well as his own, has a very abusive and stressful home life and suffers being bullied at school. As a result, his selfesteem is very low and suffers from repressed anger and frustration. Instead of considering the effects of his actions, he is driven by revenge against all those he perceives as having disrespected him. He has a hard time receiving the love and support from his friends, Steve and Matt, and acts out his rage in an awesomely, ungodly way, using his psycho-kinetic powers.

These three high school buddies soon discover and develop these abilities. They find that it takes practice to improve their mental power to move objects. The more they practice, the more powerful they become. Their new found abilities allow them to move larger and larger objects. One day they actually discover how to levitate themselves and start flying.

I won't give anything away, but Chronicle is a morality tale about power. Unresolved emotional issues can cloud one's mind and actually keep one from manifesting what one truly wants in life. Everyone's consciousness is always on the move, creating one's own reality in the arena of life. The trick is to become aware of one's unresolved emotional issues and become centered enough to take control of where one's life is headed. The power to move consciousness in our 3-D world is available to everyone; just be careful how you use it.

The ability to fly reminded me of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras which are mental techniques for creating integration of consciousness or 'Enlightenment'. Some of these techniques include invisibility, levitation, super strength, clairvoyance (remote viewing) and many others. I myself have studied some of these techniques and strongly believe that everyone has the ability to develop 'super-normal' powers. These techniques or Sutras teach the mechanics of manifesting a desire or a thought into existence. I studied under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who always told us that mastery of the Yoga Sutras was actually creating perfect mind-body coordination.

Jean Jessup

In the film, Chronicle, Andrew describes to his friends how to protect one's self from bodily harm. He said, “You pretend that there's a barrier and you won't get hurt.” As a perfect example of the

http://www.moviereviewsfromaspiritualperspective.com/

July 2012

Empty Yourself - By Master Chrism

Empty Yourself Yes it would be an easy response to merely state to you "Look within and thou shalt know". Yet even with that there are many questions so let us begin at the basic paradigm.

for the search of the Kundalini. This is an outer to inner approach that I feel is best reversed. That is what is given here.

We grow and we change in order to grow for further change. We continue along those paths until something of a different nature causes us to grow in a different way. Kundalini is of a class of experiences that cause a radical shift from our normal pathways of learning.

I would have you drive that car in an Awakened Kundalini format. Yes I have one foot on the earth and the other hand in heaven. This merely describes the breadth of interaction not a limiting of interaction. We are in the body (earth) and are of the spirit (heaven). So let us live fully from it and as Kundalini is natural to the body and the body was indeed designed to carry it and be transformed by it let us rejoice in that transformation. Rejoice in the unlimited qualities of the expanded expression. We do this by shedding the clothing of our lifelong programming of expectation and of our intellectual presumptions of what is real.

"Naked into the Kundalini"- this article is about some of the guiding principles and pre requisites of emergence into this radical shift and transformation of our natures. The Christ said "Come as a child". And that does have a similar meaning to what I am expressing. Come as a person of curiosity and innocence and a zeal for learning is another way to put it and even then this may not be as linear as we may require in our busy western lifestyles.

How can one run the business without these preconceptions you ask? By allowing a higher truth to replace it. By 'trusting' the inner guidance to help with the tasking and the inner organization of what is and isn't in appreciation of the decisions one makes within a company. To allow the qualities of the safeties to begin to influence the act of business. Being honest for instance. Having integrity. Being tolerant. Being forgiving. Having patience etc.

I understand the question very clearly. For I as well struggled with these concepts though my Kundalini inner teacher knew that my hold on the western lifestyle was and is tenuous at best. So in that way my surrender was easier.

Here is another pseudo biblical analogy:

The body is a necessary vessel. Even as an egg it is for the development of an expression of life. Because we are tied to the flesh for our initial expressive modalities does not reflect an unchanging or unevolving method or methods of expressing inside of this reality.

You are being asked to 'empty the vessel' this means to reclaim your innocence. To empty out the burdens and responsibilities of life as you have lived it. To cleanse yourself of the denials of life and the anguish of decision. To release from yourself the soil and preconceptive arguments that make up a world devoid of authentic experience and without a greed motivated understanding of a true physical and spiritual threshold. And still drive a car. This is where I break from 99% of the Yogi's and Holy Kundalini awakened individuals of the present time and the past ten thousand years or so. They would go off into the forest and forsake the life they had lived as successful business or professional people. They would try to leave as much money as was required for the family to live and off they go into the forest living

The body is a vessel of water. The water is our consciousness and our western lifestyle expression. The water is thick with fear and doubts and impurities The water is dirty The vessel is therefore dirty We must cleanse the water before we can bring the Kundalini into it. We cleanse the vessel and we cleanse the water We are then ready for the transformation into the wine by the Kundalini. Sometimes when we cleanse the vessel it must be emptied. Sometimes the grime is so thick and so stuck to the sides that we must empty the vessel and do a radical cleansing. This is what I am suggesting. All of our facts and beliefs need to be dumped. All of our knowledge and experience and understandings need to be put into the washer. Not all at once! Give yourself some time. But do it. Clean it up! While the

July 2012

Empty Yourself - By Master Chrism washer is going we need to attend to the outer aspect of the vessel. If the shape needs a new balance then that must be taken. Programs must be received in order for that vessel to be changed. Same with the strength and the ability to hold water i.e. are there cracks in the glass? Patch them up. We need to realign our vessel into a vessel that is open to a strong transformation. So we do this while the washer is washing and extricating the soils of our western existence BUT leaving those qualities that are needed to survive albeit with some changes to those as well. Survival is needed. But there are many ways to survive even in the western societies. It's in the 'how' that we survive that can allow us to learn about what is inside of our morality and what isn't. This gives us a measuring device. Because we empty the vessel doesn't mean that everything in it was wrong or impure. Purity and impurity exist side by side in our reality. A crystal can be found in the dirt. So the pure aspects come back into the vessel as the wash cycle is completed. Remember don't use any 'fabric softener'. What happens when we practice and I mean really practice, in real time, the safeties is that we are washing the inner expressions. When we do the Tibetans and the inner conditioning's we are also cleansing and re shaping the inner and outer expressions. We are re-balancing and coming into a purity that is needed for the Kundalini to infuse. When we release ourselves of the burdens of only being able to accept the scientific reality we are able to open to the stronger spiritually energetic reality that provides the basis for scientific measurements and existence. When we let go of constrictive belief systems that put us into a competition for truth with other people we begin to understand the multiplicity of creation.

see where they are different. As you practice the safeties you can begin to develop the discerning principles of connecting the dots between the two realities and seeing a third one begins to form. Look at: How do you use your knowledge? As a weapon of advancement? As a tool of competition? As a vector of happiness? How do you use what you know? How do you show care and friendship? What qualities of love do you hold dear and why? What can you change right now that will allow you to stay in the western environment and yet satisfy the qualities of the safeties? What do you consider 'impossible' and why do you have limits on creation? Ask yourself some of these questions and honestly answer them. Use this as a way of recapitulation. You will begin to see that it is how we treat each other that allows the vessel to be cleared. You may see that it is the respect and love we show for our fellow mortals and environment and all of creation that allows us to come into balance. You may understand that in order to change we must be willing to change and that when change comes nothing is the same and yet the world is still understandable. Consciousness shifts with change and is changed as everything else changes. Hopefully this has been helpful to you and anyone who reads it. Let me know of any questions you may have as it pertains to your individual Kundalini journeys and I will do my best to assist you.

One can do these things and still drive the car. Or run the business or ride the bus or eat in a restaurant. An organic free range restaurant of course! One can do this and dress and feed the children and drive them to school. One can do these activities inside of the western environment. The linear 'how too' is what holds many people up with this question. How do I do this? Start with the safeties and incorporate them gradually into every aspect of your life. In the environment that you find yourself in do your best to see an overlay of another layer of reality that isn't the same as the first one. The 'safeties' reality. See where the similarities are and

ÂŠ Chrism 2012 www.KundaliniAwakeningsystems1.com

The wisdom of the trees - By Howard Jones

July 2012

The wisdom of the trees by Howard Jones Trees have been on Earth for more than 300 million years. Throughout human civilization they have been associated with magic and ritual because it was believed that they were imbued with spirituality, and spirituality was associated with wisdom. Because trees were usually much longer-living than humans it was believed that they retained knowledge from one generation to the next and, as a result, that they were home to the spirits of past generations with the wisdom they possessed. As Karen Armstrong says in her book A Short History of Myth: 'Trees, stones and heavenly bodies were never objects of worship in themselves but were revered because they were epiphanies of a hidden force that could be seen powerfully at work in all natural phenomena, giving people intimations of another, more potent reality'. Even in our highly rational existence today, most of us feel a sense of enhanced spirituality when walking through woodland. Trees, shrubs and plants of all kinds have always been admired as a source of spiritual uplift. The Egyptian pharaohs all had extensive gardens attached to their palaces and the wealthiest in Egyptian society had pleasure gardens on a smaller scale. There were few inhabitants in Roman society who did not have a garden attached to their home, both for the growing of herbs and for aesthetic pleasure. The ancient Greeks had their green spaces too, but mostly outside of the metropolis because running water was not generally available to Greek urban areas

until after the Roman conquest. Beautiful gardens and courtyards embellished with fountains and running water were a feature of the homes of the caliphs and even public areas in Cordoba and Toledo during the 8th to 15th centuries when these cities were at their zenith during the Moorish reign in al-Andalus. In the 21st century, gardening remains one of the most popular of hobbies in the west and city dwellers often prize their window-boxes. The setting up of National Parks and Country Parks in Britain and America is a symbol of our increasing awareness of our need for green spaces that preserve our natural landscape. Psychologists believe that many of the behavioural problems of children today would decrease if they spent more time playing in green spaces and less time indoors fixated on television and computer games. Trees and shrubs and grasses have thus played a vital role in the social lives of all early cultures as they do for people today. The Celts of Western Europe are just one group who venerated trees as repositories of knowledge and memory and the domicile of spirits. Only their spiritual leaders, the Druids, were allowed to harvest the mistletoe that grew symbiotically on the oak, willow, rowan, maple or hazel; the mistletoe and the oak itself had special spiritual significance. Mistletoe must have seemed a particularly magical plant to early pagans as it grew high up on a tree but had no roots in earth. To kiss a maiden wearing a crown of mistletoe in her hair would bring good fortune, and for a couple to kiss under a bunch of mistletoe would bless their union, a custom we

The wisdom of the trees - By Howard Jones

July 2012

(which gives us our English words 'reading' and 'riddle') had to be interpreted by the tribal seer. The etymology of trees, wood, knowledge and wisdom is frequently linked from our pagan heritage. In German, the beech tree is die Buche and the word for book, of the same origin, is der Buch, while a letter of the alphabet is der Buchstabe, literally 'beech sticks', indicating their ogham background. In modern Swedish the word Bok can mean either beech tree or book.

reserve now for Christmas. The old Scandinavian word 'vid' means wood or forest but it has given us a number of words associated with knowledge or wisdom: witan (Old English: to know), wissen (German: to know), 'wits', 'wise' and 'wisdom', and there are other examples of the association of trees and knowledge. The beech tree has a special claim to be associated with knowledge and wisdom. The beech together with the yew were the woods favoured for the creation of ogham sticks and runes, though the latter more commonly found are made of more durable metal or stone. The ancient ogham and runic alphabets were line symbols carved on wood or stone that were used by the bards for passing secret messages to one another. They were also used for divination by Celts, and by Germanic tribes in central Europe and Scandinavia from at least 1200 BCE. In divination, the Druids would gather together a selection of ogham sticks in their hands, ask a question of the spirits, and then cast the sticks or runes on the ground. The Druid would then make a prognostication depending on what combination of symbols were uppermost. The ogham sticks and runes are the European counterpart of the book of I Ching ('The Changes') used from earliest times in the East and still in use today in China, Japan and India. In Scandinavia and Germany, the different runes, of which up to three were selected in each throw, were associated with one of 24 Norse deities. Again, each rune combination or raedan

Specific trees that are native to certain geographical areas often become associated with local myth, folklore and spirituality. The baobab tree is venerated in Africa as the Tree of Life because its massive trunk can hold many liters of water, enough to sustain a small village for some days so providing a very practical spiritual image. North American Indians refer to trees as 'our standing brothers and sisters'. The monkeypuzzle tree, Araucaria, is so venerated by a native tribe in Chile that they take their name, Pehuenche, from the tree (pehuen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; monkeypuzzle; che â&#x20AC;&#x201C; people). The tree is used as a food source for the tribe with bread made from ground seeds, while the resin is used medicinally, another Tree of Life! Other trees have significance in other contemporary religions. The champak (Magnolia champaca) is holy because images of the Buddha are carved from the wood of its branches. The flowers are u s e d i n Southeast Asia for worship at temples and are worn in the hair by girls and women as ornament and for their n a t u r a l p e r f u m e . Flowers are also floated in

The wisdom of the trees - By Howard Jones

bowls of water to scent the room, as a fragrant decoration for bridal beds, and for garlands. The banyan tree, one of the Ficus (fig) genera, is linked with Brahma, creator of the universe in the sacred Hindu scriptures, the Vedas and Upanishads. The banyan is therefore the Tree of Knowledge. Before effigies of the Buddha started to appear in the 2nd century CE, the Buddha was represented by a wheel (indicating the unity of all that is) or a pipal tree. The pipal and banyan are revered throughout Asia, as is the ginkgo tree. After the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, every living thing within several miles of the epi-center was destroyed; except for four ginkgo trees, the closest less than a mile away from the epicentre, that survived and began to blossom again in the following spring. All four trees still flourish today a n d , n o t surprisingly, the g i n k g o i s t h e r e f o r e regarded by the Japanese people as a symbol of hope. 16

July 2012

There are three kinds of trees; the mango, jamun, and amalaka, which are commonly found in an Indian garden. The leaves of the trees are used in various sacred ceremonies to celebrate weddings and births and for religious worship. However, every flowering tree is sacred in India. For example, the stunning red blossoms of the cotton tree or Red Kapok Tree (Bombax malabaricum) are sacred to Shiva. The keshu (Punjabi) or kesudo (Gujarati), also called the Flame of the Forest (Butea frondosa), is another of the trees associated with the Buddha. The orchid tree (Bauhinia purpurea), with its fragrant pink or white flowers, is sacred to Lakshmi, consort of the god Vishnu. Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity (both material and spiritual), good fortune, and the e m b o d i m e n t o f b e a u t y . Since the time of the ancient Greeks at least the longevity, the girth and dark density of the yew has been associated with death and transfiguration into immortal soul. The yew tree, Taxus, was associated with the pagan season of Samhain, when the gates between the worlds of the living and the dead were open. This is why so many graveyards to the present day have yew trees growing within them. It also probably has something to do with the fact that most parts of the tree are very poisonous. Because of t h e i r longevity t h r o u g h successive h u m a n generations, yew trees are a l s o associated with the continuity of t h e l i f e process. Samhain occurs at the

The wisdom of the trees - By Howard Jones

July 2012 The juniper tree was regarded by Germanic pagan tribes as a watchful sentinel, no doubt because of its erect habit. It was an intermediary between the mortal and spirit world. The modern German word for a juniper, der Wacholder, reflects this (German: wachen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to be awake, alert). The tree may be viewed as an allegory of the human individual. The trunk represents the individuated self, the roots are the ancestors and their traditions from which the self develops, the branches are the connections we make with the physical and spiritual world, and the leaves that are shed each autumn to nourish the ground beneath are the thoughts and ideas that we disperse to nourish humankind as a whole. All trees are truly Trees of Life and purveyors of wisdom.

end of October and beginning of November, to mark the beginning of winter: it therefore includes Halloween which we still celebrate with ghostly images.

Dr Howard Jones is the author of The Thoughtful Guide to God (2006) and The Tao of Holism (2008), both published by O Books of Winchester; and The World as Spirit, Fairhill Publishing, 2011. Fairhill will also publish Evolution of Consciousness before the end of 2012. http://spiritofoneness.co.uk Email :- jones.ha@btopenworld.com

Raising Levels of Consciousness - By Dr. Amit Nagpal

July 2012

Raising Levels of Consciousness-A Never Ending Game decide what is good and bad for us, our families and our society.

Levels of consciousness David R. Hawkins in his book Power vs. Force talks of a hierarchy of levels of human consciousness. You can also find out your level of consciousness, based on your current life situation. From low to high, the levels of consciousness are: shame, guilt, apathy, grief, fear, desire, anger, pride, courage, neutrality, willingness, acceptance, reason, love, joy, peace, enlightenment. While we keep shifting from one state to other, usually there's a predominant state, in which we stay most of the time. 'Courage' is the first positive level and if you are reading this post, you must be at least at this level since you are aspiring for personal growth. You become disciplined and start looking for productivity increase when you reach the level of 'Willingness'. You accept the responsibility of your role in the world when you reach the level of 'Acceptance' and awaken to your purpose of life when you reach the level of 'Love'. Eckhart Tolle describes the state of 'Joy' consciousness in The Power of Now. Just being around people at this level makes you feel ecstatic. The person at this level is guided by synchronicity and intuition. There's no need for goals/targets and plans, since one is operating at a much higher level. Then there are levels of 'Peace' and 'Enlightenment' which are reached only by certain people. For a more detailed description, I suggest you to visit 'Steve Pavlinas Blog. Lower consciousness is the root cause of all social problems and higher consciousness is the solution. Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism (based in Japan and organized under SGI) talks of nine types of consciousness. The first five types of consciousness correspond to the five senses, which are, sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. The sixth consciousness integrates the information received from the five senses to make sense of the world. The seventh consciousness enables us to make moral and value judgments and though Shakespeare may have said nothing is good or bad, we still like to 18

The eighth consciousness lies below the level of conscious thought. All the experiences of past and current lifetimes are stored there and this consciousness only provides the framework of our individual existence. It is similar to what we call the sub-conscious mind. Our habits, likes, dislikes, talents, strengths and weaknesses-all arise from the eighth consciousness. It is the ninth consciousness which lies still deeper and is the essence of life itself. This consciousness is pure life force and hence it helps us to purify all the other consciousness types. This is similar to soul consciousness. By meditation and chanting (or other spiritual practices), we can tap this life-force. Once we are able to tap it, we become more aware as our senses become more perceptive. We develop clearer thinking which improves our decision making. Then begins the sweet journey of creativity, joy, wisdom, intuition, awareness and in fact a point of ecstasy and oneness, where none of these matter. How to Raise Consciousness levels Once you have understood the levels of consciousness, there is an immediate question or desire, â&#x20AC;&#x153;How do I raise my consciousness level or continue with higher levels of consciousness for longer period of times?â&#x20AC;? The chart given below guides us to different steps we can take to raise our levels of consciousness. Though some of the tools like contemplative practice (meditation) can be used at any level but a person at very lower levels of consciousness may have too much noise in the mind and may find it very difficult to meditate.

Raising Levels of Consciousness - By Dr. Amit Nagpal

July 2012

Raising Levels of Consciousness - By Dr. Amit Nagpal Why it is almost a never ending game? Whenever you reach a new level of consciousness or awareness, you continue to retain the benefits of the previous levels, but you tend to release their weaknesses. Raising the level of consciousness is a never ending game since reaching enlightenment or the highest level of consciousness takes several lifetimes. I had once posted on Facebook, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The soul sees the visions of enlightenment. The mind brings us back to en-darkment.â&#x20AC;? There are no hard and fast rules though. The lesser the noise in the mind and the more the positivity in attitude, easier it is to raise the level even to the level of enlightenment. Enlightenment may be an easy ballgame for some either due to the good karmas of the past or due to the relaxed and grateful mind. But then again momentary enlightenment may be easier and to stay in enlightened state is the tough part of the job. But no doubt it is worth the trouble, at least that's what I feel.

July 2012

WE Without me there is no you Without you there is no me You and I equal we We defines us collectively We, equals a continuum of possibilities yet to come We breaks the barrier of, I and ushers us pass divide We capitalizes on collective ingenuity and minuses out single-mindedness Like the vast array of stars that light up the sky - they all shine regardless of their size They all have a part to play in the beautiful exposition of the collective array! WE! Is there anything, we can't accomplish if we all work together? BY Betty Alark

Dr. Amit Nagpal

July 2012

The Quest of Consciousnessâ&#x20AC;Ś - Mohit Soni

The Quest of Consciousnessâ&#x20AC;Ś Consciousness is the state of being awake and aware of what is going on around us and why. In other words, we can put consciousness as, 'Acknowledging the fact that we exist and the reason of our existence'. It's an individual's perception of self and its constantly changing dimensions. Simple it may seem, but once we start introspecting, we may well find ourselves quite ignorant of both the two aspects. Let us try to go deeper. We were born in this world. We live here. But both the things don't ensure that we exist. Suppose we were never born? Now answer this question. Would that make a big change around? If we were not the part of this scene, would this scene look the same way or would it lack something? If the answer is yes, we exist. Otherwise not! I remember the story of one notorious dacoit. Once, when he was about to kill a saint, the saint stopped him and asked him to first answer his question and then kill him. He asked the dacoit why he killed people so ruthlessly. Dacoit replied that he did so to earn for his family, by looting their valuables. The saint then kept silent for some moments and afterwards said, 'But everybody has to pay for his vices in heaven. It's all right you do it for your family. Will your family share your punishments? After all you have been doing all this for them only?' The dacoit replied, 'Of course. Why not!' The saint then asked him to first confirm this with his family and then come to loot him. Saint promised not to leave the place until he returns.

his existence. He was not aware that his existence not only meant for his family but for himself also. Was he only a mean to earn for family? Was he nothing but just another person for his dear ones when it came to sharing his punishments? Let us examine what went wrong. Actually the dacoit was living in a very restricted world. He didn't understand the reason of his own existence. His existence was linked only to his family. What would happen when he dies and why even he lived, he hardly had any clue. The story is a very famous one and the dacoit, later on with the help of the saint, became a well known poet who went to write many spiritual texts that guided others in centuries to come. All this was possible by integrating the knowledge of self and conscious being. His quest for his existence pushed him into the infinite world of true wisdom and the real being. He was no more a dacoit. He was a person with self awareness and a goal to know the truth of life and death, living and non living, life and after-life. In the beginning, the dacoit never cared to look into his inside and try to ever guess that his existence not merely included fulfilling his family's wishes but also fulfilling the purpose of leading lives to the completeness. In our case, if even after spending this large part of a life, we still feel alone, unsatisfied, incomplete and directionless, it means that there is more to life that supposedly we have overlooked!

Dacoit went to his home. He asked his parents if they were ready to share his punishments when he dies. They instantly denied. They said whatever he has been doing is part of his duty only. They are not liable for his fallacies and punishments. The dacoit was shocked! But sure of his love for his wife, he went to her and asked the same question. Shock struck again, she also refused. She said he was the husband and she married him to share pleasurable moments with him, not to share his punishments. He should only bear the fruits of his action. The man was stunned. He now tried the same question with his children. They also bluntly refused and reminded him of his duties towards his children.

We cannot live like zombies. We have to answer our inner self. We have to understand that when we were born many more millions were also born. And when we will die, many more millions will also do. If after being born we had nothing special to mention what we did and keep on repeating all those useless tasks, what sense does it make! If our life can make no significant change in our own being, it would be better not have been born in the first place!

The dacoit stood speechless. He then went to the saint and told him everything. He wondered why his family refused to bear punishment on his part though he has been doing all wrongs to fulfill their desires only!

mohit.soni97@rediffmail.com

The saint had very softly questioned the existence of the dacoit. The dacoit was only living in a human body, ignorant of

Mohit Soni. Mob. No. : +91 8130824151

July 2012

The Oneness Within - Tina Sobti

The Oneness Within We play myriad roles in our lives that represent or reflect different sides of us, such as a mother reflects the nurturing and loving side, a father represents being authoritative and taking care of the entire family, a sister or a brother represents the possessive side of ours towards our siblings, not only this each one of us operate from endless number of sides in a particular day. Struggling through our lives, working hard to earn our bread and butter, has given us satisfaction of others, but what about the satisfaction of self? Are you happy within? I want you take a moment, close your eyes and look within, ask, am I happy the way I am steering this journey of my life? Check, what is the first thought that you get? That is the answer of your inner or higher self. We have such a huge world around us that we care about, what about the world that lies deep within. We have been guides to many, how many times have we been an usher to our own self? We care about our families getting dysfunctional day by day, relationships going for a toss, tough time in job or career in short, we are worried about our external world getting uneasy, every second of our lives. What is the reason behind it? Is it the ignorant attitude of your partner that is bringing despair in your relationship, is it the bossy attitude of your boss or colleagues your are working with that is giving you a hard time at work? No, the fact is, nobody else but you, yourself are responsible for losing on your precious relationships, or career or for that matter any part of your life, because you, are the one who is attracting it. Many of you are disturbed because of the gloom that exists in your external world, what about the gloom that is there in the internal one? Being sad within will always attract experiences in your life that will give you despair or gloom. Your relationship with your self will attract the congruent relationships in your external world. Being anxious and going helter-skelter, running to different astrologers to know what is going to happen next, is not the solution to your problems. It is not going to change anything, well; it might give you satisfaction for few days 22

but not forever. You want to see oneness and smoothness in your life. Are you one within yourself? By being one, I don't mean that you are happy with the compromises that you have made or are making for others. By oneness of the self I mean, are you happy by being yourself? It's good to be aware and conscious of everything that's going around, but, at the same time, it's better to be aware of your inner consciousness. Remember, in order to be happy or pleased externally you should feel or be alike within. Before tormenting about the oneness of your friends or family, worry about the oneness with your own self. Enjoy your presence on this planet, before giving your hand to help others, give a hand to your own self and see how beautifully that one hand of yours will attract many more to support you in your journey of this beautiful divine consciousness. The best way to attain the divine oneness is, to accept your existence and appreciate every bit of it. You are not bad, if you have made a mistake that does not mean you are a worst person. Making mistakes is learning a new lesson, so every time you make a mistake, check what is it that you need to learn from it rather than cribbing over it and being distressed, learn your lesson, appreciate yourself for attracting this experience which has given you this opportunity to learn something better and move on. Acceptance is the key to reach oneness, accept your own self as well as everyone's presence around you. Accepting your own self will help you be one within, which in turn will bring oneness in everything and make your life blissful. Tina Sobti Director The Divine Care- Your Own Spiritual Guide Cell: +91-9953396063

Book Corner

The 7 Joys of Life by Dr. Amit Nagpal The Publisher, New Delhi Price: ` 495 The book begins with a chapter on self-knowledge, which is so lacking in the modern society. We are so busy learning about objects and other people; we forget to make an attempt to know ourselves. We do not know our innermost desires, our deepest passions and what gives us intense joy or grief. We are not aware of the working of our mind and emotions. Often we don't like the way we are headed, yet we refuse to do what is required-going within. We rather search for answers here and there, not even aware of the treasure called human soul. We are then guided to the second step in the journey of connecting and falling in love with ourselves. It is such an irony that we are busy running after relationships yet feeling insecure all the time of losing them. We think that relating with ourselves is the last priority though it should be the first. The author rightly points out that meditation has wrongly been associated with stress. Meditation is a source of joy and meditation is simply the art of living in the moment. Once you fall in love with yourself, you are bound to develop a certain charisma. The third step is crucial too as it's about discovering our deepest passion. There are two interesting personal stories of how Dr Amit and Nihar discovered their deepest passion. There are two interesting contributions here; one on career filled with passion and purpose by Rory Kelly Connor and one on our fears of change by John Murphy. The fourth chapter focuses on developing wisdom and intuition, badly needed in our confused times. Here the two topics are particularly interesting viz. handling office politics with wisdom and why leaders must be good actors. People in developing

July 2012

countries are more likely to stereotype and be judgmental of others which have been discussed in the end. The fifth chapter discusses the relationships aspect. Important factors affecting relationships which have been discussed include; respect affection principle, attitude, ego and love. Jennifer Sertl's contribution on corporate consciousness becomes very relevant as organisation support is critical for employees to discover their passion and contribute more meaningfully to the organisation. In the sixth chapter Andrea Sobotka's contribution on connecting with plants and animals is quite interesting keeping in mind the nature deficit in our city lives. The last chapter on pampering ourselves has unusual topics like breakthrough coaching, laughter yoga, peak potential and greatness. Meredith Kimbell's contribution on how leaders can spread joy and Dr Nagpal's poem, â&#x20AC;&#x153;No Fear, No doubtâ&#x20AC;? in the epilogue really touch the soul. The best thing about the book is that it simplifies the complex concepts of spirituality and makes personal growth and meditation appear joyful to the reader. The 18 contributions from 6 countries across 4 continents add to the spice and flavor. The drawback in my view is that most of the contributions are from western part of the world and more contributions from eastern part could have provided a more balance and richness to the book. Jeevan Nair Author and Formerly Principal Correspondent-Hindustan Times

CONSCIOUSNESS IN MOTION - Betty Alark

July 2012

CONSCIOUSNESS IN MOTION What do you think about when you hear the words, 'consciousness in motion?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; When I think of consciousness in motion, I envision a constant moving forward! I see the blogosphere as an arena for releasing, consciousness in motion! There're thousands of bloggers out in the blogosphere showcasing their talents and abilities; promoting their creative projects in hopes of advancing in life. None of those hopes can be achieved without the muse of the consciousness bringing the material forth; that's individual consciousness in motion, but what about universal consciousness in motion, how does that take place?

human beings act and react unto one another; it simply depends on what you have stored in your consciousness that is going to be cast outward into the blogosphere of humans. If there is balance within you; peace, love and contentment; there's going to be an outward flow of that manifestation; if you're growing spiritually, then you are bringing together all your inner aspects of soul, spirit, unconsciousness, consciousness, heart and mind; they all work together in accordance with how you discipline them to. Are you teaching your inner aspects to work together? Are you talking to each of your inner aspects and teaching them to work together to unite for the good of others?

First let me ask you this question: Do you think your muse provides what it gives you just for you? That would make a muse pretty selfish wouldn't it? Universal consciousness in motion can be conceived of as a massive connection of humans flooding the blogosphere with their talents, skills and abilities; not just to promote self, but one another. A muse gives to the world. The individual might be the vessel that the message comes through; however, the message is meant for everyone; wouldn't you agree? Carrying someone on your back or up the ladder as you climb it is a continuum of wealth for everyone; doing so has a trickle up effect! It's like the snowball effect, only you're going upward, and as you climb higher, everyone else steps up; positive cause and effect is promoted on a universal scale! You see, individually, you can't hope or expect to be lifted up or heightened without someone lifting you up; that's prosperity in motion - you reap prosperity helping others along the way. The concept of me and I, equals leaving your brothers and sisters behind. The law of reciprocity is alive and well! It can become very active, but we have to activate it; otherwise it sits idle until someone wakes it up. It works when we work it! Reciprocity is an analogy for money in the bank. The incredible thing about reciprocity is you don't have to wonder nor worry about where money is going to come from when the law is in effect. If you put the law into action, when you need something, you will be provided! Reciprocity is a law with natural, automatic benefits! The only thing you had to barter to reap the reward was love! Can't you just envision the effect the law of reciprocity would have on the earth if all human beings were putting it into action? Consciousness in motion is in effect, regardless of how

That's what inner balance is all about - the aspects of the inner you, all working together; pulling together in unison; and think not, that that unity doesn't have purpose aside from yourself. You have control over the inner you; the aspects of the inner you are compliant and very willing to be obedient to your commands, after all they are you. You can teach your inner aspects whatever you desire to teach them. When your inner aspects are not in alignment, when they don't work together to bring about inner balance on all levels, there is conflict; and whatever lies within the inner you gets projected outward; thus, cause and effect is the result of what you bring forth. You get back what you put out, and putting out effects everyone that you touch. We are all universally promoting cause and effect unto one another be it positive or not. The question is, how are you affecting other humans via your actions, attitude, words, and projects; what is your outward flow into the blogosphere? You are affecting the blogosphere of people even if you don't think you are. Your consciousness is in motion all the time, it simple depends on what you carry and are releasing outward. Are you mindful of what the inner you are projecting outward?

By Betty Alark

July 2012

Poems - Betty Alark

What if - is in motion!

How I Wish to Grow!

What if all we did was to care If it mattered how everyone fared What if, all we did was to share, all that we could spare, so that no one despaired What If, we all came together, and saw each other as sister and brother What If, there was no darkness, only light What if, all our actions were morally right? What if, our only view was to bring everyone together, never to outdo one another? What if consciousness in motion wasn't just a mystical notion? What if, all if's become a possibility and consume the universal scene? What if?

I wish to grow by the seeds that I sow By being a fountain that overflows I wish to grow by breaking barriers, established by the status quo I wish to grow by being myself For being myself is inner wealth I wish to grow by connecting with others Knowing that we are sisters and brothers I desire to actualize To be in the spotlight so sublime The spotlight being the great divine Where our collective energy allows everyone to shine That's how I wish to grow! By Betty Alark

By Betty Alark 25

THE 2012 CONFERENCE FOR CONSCIOUSNESS AND HUMAN EVOLUTION COMING TO LONDON AUGUST 25, 26, 27 BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND

Kundalini Awakening â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Awakening the Inner Divine

The Kundalini is in everyone. It is an untapped resource of love and divinity within us all that is waiting to be awakened and experienced. We have only to learn and apply this tremendous force we have within us to bring about a change in the mind, spirit, and bodies of all who will awaken it and learn of its secrets. Never has the time been so right and crucial for a change of this magnitude to be explored and initiated. And so, let me introduce you to the power within you, right now at this very moment, Your Kundalini. Registration entitles access to all of the lectures over the three days of the conference. A full event schedule will be released closer to the event. To see a full event schedule check the site.

http://www.tcche.org/index.html A series of inspirational lectures from world teachers who are pushing the frontiers of science and spirituality to bring a new world view into light

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New Zealand Aotearoa- The land of the long white clouds New Zealand (NZ) is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses that of the North and South Islands, as well as numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometers east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometers south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. Polynesians settled in New Zealand in 1250–1300 CE and developed a distinctive Māori culture, and Europeans first made contact in 1642 CE. In 1840 the British and Māori signed a treaty making New Zealand a colony of the British Empire. Immigrant numbers increased sharply and conflicts escalated into the New Zealand Wars, which resulted in much Māori land being confiscated in the mid North Island. Economic depressions were followed by periods of political reform, with women gaining the vote during the 1890s, and a welfare state being established from the 1930s. The country underwent major economic changes during the 1980s, which transformed it from a protectionist to a liberalized free-trade economy. The majority of New Zealand's population is of European descent; the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and nonMāori Polynesians. English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language are the official languages, with English predominant. NZ is organized into 11 regional councils and 67 territorial authorities for local government 27

purposes. Nationally, executive political power is exercised by the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister. Queen Elizabeth II is the country's head of state and is represented by a GovernorGeneral. Aotearoa often translated as land of the long white cloud is the current Māori name for New Zealand, and is also used in NZ English. In 1645 Dutch cartographers renamed the land Nova Zeelandia after the Dutch province of Zeeland. British explorer James Cook subsequently Anglicized the name to New Zealand. New Zealand was one of the last major landmasses settled by humans. Radiocarbon dating, evidence of deforestation and mitochondrial DNA variability within Māori populations suggest NZ was first settled by Eastern Polynesians between 1250 and 1300 concluding a long series of voyages through the southern Pacific islands. Over the centuries that followed these settlers developed a distinct culture now known as Māori. The population was divided into iwi (tribes) and hapū (sub tribes) which would cooperate, compete and sometimes fight with each other. At some point a group of Māori migrated to the Chatham Islands (which they named Rēkohu) where they developed their distinct Moriori culture. The Moriori population was decimated between 1835 and 1862, largely because of Māori invasion and enslavement, although European diseases also contributed. In 1862 only 101 survived and the last known full-blooded Moriori died in 1933. The first Europeans known to have reached NZ were Dutch explorer Abel Tasman and his crew in 1642. Europeans did not revisit NZ until 1769 when British explorer

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Aotearora/New Zealand is considered the land of harmony and heaven on Earth. New Zealanders are pretty open to spirituality and are very much aware of the subject in depth. NZ by default offers the perfect place for spiritual growth and to be with nature.

James Cook mapped almost the entire coastline. During its long isolation, NZ developed a distinctive biodiversity of both animal and plant life. Most notable are the large number of unique bird species, many of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and introduced mammals. With a mild maritime climate, the land was mostly covered in forest. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions caused by the Pacific and IndoAustralian Plates clashing beneath the earth's surface. New Zealand is part of Zealandia, a micro-continent nearly half the size of Australia that gradually submerged after breaking away from the Gondwanan supercontinent. About 25 million years ago, a shift in plate tectonic movements began to contort and crumple the region. This is now most evident in the Southern Alps, formed by compression of the crust beside the Alpine Fault. New Zealand has a mild and temperate maritime climate with mean annual temperatures ranging from 10 °C in the south to 16 °C in the north. Conditions vary sharply across regions from extremely wet on the West Coast of the South Island to almost semi-arid in Central Otago and the Mackenzie Basin of inland Canterbury and subtropical in Northland. Amongst the seven largest cities, Christchurch is the driest, receiving on average only 25 inch of rain per year and Auckland the wettest, receiving almost twice that amount. Spirituality of NZ

Certain geographical features of NZ are important anchors for Māori identity. For example, the Wanganui River has a particular cultural and spiritual significance for the Māori. Mount Ngaruahoe and Mount Ruapehu, both situated in the North Island, are sacred to the Māori. Most things contain mana or spiritual essence. Mana is within man himself, land, nature, and also man-made objects. Contact with mana contained objects or beings by nonauthorized persons or objects could cause the mana to be drained away. New Zealand inherits a unique array of plants and natural habitats from its location on the edge of the inhabited world. Its landscape retains a purity of presence, which is refreshing and inspiring to the traveller. The Māori tell tales of Man meets Woman, Life meets Death, and Earth meets Sky through five sacred places in NZ. These are: 1. Cape Reinga is more than a lighthouse in the north of NZ. Māori believed that souls came through Cape Reinga after death on their way back to their ancestral homelands. The Cape has an additional spiritual significance to the Māori. The whirling waters just by the Cape are where the masculine waters of the Tasman Sea, the sea

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of warriors, meet the feminine waters of the Pacific. Therefore, the magic created when man meets woman can be sensed in a pure form at this site. 2. Waipoua forests is one of the only areas of native forest remaining on the North Island and contains two of the most sacred Kauri trees to the Māori people, Tane Mahuta and Te Matua Ngahere. According to Māori Legend, the spirit of the tree parted Papatuanuku, the Earth mother, and Ranginui, the Sky father, and allowed light to enter the world. This tree represents the World Tree, the tree that separates heaven, earth and the underworlds.

sound work or chanting.

3. Mount Cook is the highest mountain in NZ. It is known as Aoraki to the Māori. They consider the mountain to be a bridge between physical and supernatural realities.

Places to visit

4. Goose Bay is a tiny settlement to the south of Kaikoura. Whales are revered by the Māori and appear in many legends as water gods, who guide the Māori long boats safely through the seas.

Auckland is the main gateway to New Zealand, NZ's largest urban area, and the center of commerce and industry. Auckland is the only city in the world that is built on an active volcano field. Auckland is one of the few cities in the world to have harbors on two separate bodies of water. The central part of the urban area of Auckland covers a narrow isthmus between the Manukau Harbor on the Tasman Sea, and the Waitemata Harbor on the Pacific Ocean. Auckland is known as the City of Sails, has more boats per head of population than any other city in the world. With its many islands, harbors and beaches Auckland is a water paradise. Auckland is one of the few places outside the tropics where rainforests exist. The Waitakere ranges, with more than 16,000 hectares of native temperate rainforest, have 250km of walking and tramping tracks. In the Māori language Auckland is known as Tamaki-Makau-Rau, 'the maiden with a hundred suitors', because it was a region coveted by many tribes.

5. Castle Hills, known as Kura Tawhiti to the Māori, are a range of mysterious limestone boulders and caves located about 100km from Christchurch. The Māori used many of the caves as sacred burial sites. The area was named by the Dalai Lama as one of the Spiritual Centers of the Earth in 2002. The echoes of the limestone caves and the positions of the limestone boulders are reputed to give the area power similar to a tuning fork, from where the Earth's energy can be felt and interacted with. A great place for meditative

North Island Auckland

Auckland's amazing geography and warm, humid climate has inspired a lifestyle that's regularly ranked in the world's top ten. In just half an hour you can be almost anywhere: sailing to an island, trekking through the rainforest, picnicking on a volcano, sampling wines at a vineyard or wandering a wild, black sand surf 29

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July 2012 Hamilton and Waikato region

beach. There are many places surrounding Auckland, some are; Great Barrier Island; Pukekohe - major attractions include motor racing, horse racing and garden fresh vegetables; Rangitoto - volcanic island erupted here from the seabed around 600 years ago; Waiheke Island, a pleasure-loving island famous for its many vineyards; Bombay is a settlement to the south of Auckland, close to the town of Pukekohe. Bombay was named after the ship Bombay, which landed in Auckland and brought settlers to the area in 1863. North Shore- has the longest unbroken urban coastline in NZ. Wellington Wellington is New Zealand's capital city and one of the most picturesque, called Te Whanganui a Tara in Māori. Wellington is the world's southernmost capital. Wellington is known as NZ's arts and cultural capital as well. Surrounded by hills and a rugged coastline, the city boasts a stunning harbor. With around 400 cafes and restaurants, Wellington's inner city has the highest concentration of eating establishments in NZ, earning it the tag café capital of NZ. Wellington's distinctive Beehive building, in the Parliamentary precinct was reputedly designed during dinner on the back of a napkin. Some of the surrounding places; Porirua - a major retail center and home to Pataka, museum of Pacific art and culture; Hutt City which is across the harbor from Wellington city; Upper Hutt - at the base of the Rimutaka hills; Lower Hutt rests on the banks of the Hutt River; Kapiti Coast - with its warm, relaxed climate; Ohariu Valley and so on. 30

A land of lush verdant pasture where the fertile soils and reliable rainfall have made this the center of the dairy industry. NZ's fourth largest city of Hamilton or Kirikiriroa in Māori, boasts stunning parks, gardens and river walks. The Waikato River, NZ's longest river, winds its way through the city. Hamilton is NZ's largest inland city, also called the University City. Hobbits once roamed the hills at Hobbiton, near Matamata, where the Lord of the Rings film trilogy was filmed. Hamilton and Waikato is also a place of fierce and proud history where the Māori Land Wars were fought and the Kingitanga (Māori King) movement was formed. In the Waitomo area, south of Hamilton, there's a natural labyrinth to discover. Massive subterranean caverns are adorned with stalactites and stalagmites, formations that have been millions of years in the making. Hamilton Gardens is one of the most popular attractions in the region. The gardens are arranged in themes and collections presenting a wide variety of flora and garden styles from around the world. Other surrounding areas include; Cambridge, an attractive leafy rural town and center of bloodstock industry; Te Awamutu - known for its rose gardens and arts and crafts; Waitomo Caves Village, home of thrilling caving and adventure activities; Te Aroha - relaxing hot mineral pools. Rotorua Rotorua, where Māori culture thrives in a unique

New Zealand - Compiled by Dhara Kothari geothermal landscape. This colorful North Island town and surrounding region have many stories to tell. Rotorua was discovered about 600 years ago by a Māori leader called Ihenga. According to legend, Ihenga was out hunting food for his pregnant wife when one of his dogs ran away after a kiwi. When the dog returned with a wet coat and threw up a half-digested fish, Ihenga realized that there must be water nearby so he explored the area, discovering Lake Rotoiti and Lake Rotorua. Rotorua offers a rich Māori experience based on many local legends and long cultural history. Rotorua is a Māori word that translates as second lake. Lake Rotorua was formed 140,000 years ago. Waimangu volcanic valley is the world's only hydro-thermal system created within written history. Rotorua's volcanic landscape provides a dynamic backdrop to some of NZ's best adventure and outdoor activities. Skyrocketing geysers, hot springs and boiling mud pools all tell you that this place sits squarely on the Pacific Rim of Fire. Rotorua is built over a geothermal hot spot. There are numerous natural vents, hot pools and other geothermal features in and around the city. Many of these are in parks and reserves. However, respect safety signs and barriers around active geothermal locations they are there for good reasons. Rotorua is also home to world-first adventure activities, such as the Zorb and Shweeb. Zorbing involves rolling down a hill in a large inflatable ball, while the Shweeb is the world's first human-powered monorail racetrack. Adrenalin junkies can also luge, raft, sledge, off-road, sky dive, bodyfly and bungy.

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Coromandel Coromandel's name has an Indian origin. HMS Coromandel, the first European ship to bring settlers to the region was named after India's Coromandel Coast. The Coromandel is the home of many artists and craftspeople. Take time to discover the many galleries and studios you'll gain lasting pleasure when you purchase a piece of art directly from its creator. An impressive, heavily forested mountain range runs right up the middle of the Coromandel peninsula. It is bordered on each side by spectacular coastline. On the west coast, there's a never-ending parade of beaches, coves and harbors lined with pohutukawa trees (a red flowering native of NZ). The eastern side of the Coromandel is furnished with an amazing collection of white sand and surf beaches. The Coromandel's fascinating history is evident in gold mining relics, logging dams and ancient Māori pa (fortified village) sites. Gold was discovered in the Coromandel area in the late 1800s. This was NZ's first recorded gold discovery and gold rush. The past can also be found in the charming colonial architecture and historical buildings preserved in several towns around the region. Northland Northland, in New Zealand's sub-tropical far north, is the birthplace of the nation and a region rich in history and culture. Here, the modern NZ nation was founded when Māori and Europeans came together to sign the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. NZ's sub-tropical north has three main

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areas; east coast, west coast and top of the north. The historically significant east coast, which includes the popular Bay of Islands, is famed for white sand beaches and abundant marine life. Off the Tutukaka coast, 'Poor Knights Islands' marine reserve has some of the world's best sea dives. Waipoua forest, on the west coast, is NZ's largest kauri forest. A short walk into Waipoua forest takes visitors to some of the oldest and largest living kauri trees, including the famed Tane Mahuta 'Lord of the forest', and Te Matua Ngahere 'Father of the forest'. These ancient kauri trees (around 2000 years old) are an impressive sight, and guides accompany the walks with traditional stories and songs. The historic lighthouse standing on the country's northernmost tip, at Cape Reinga, is one of NZ's iconic sights. Northland's sub-tropical climate and proximity to the sea produces abundant citrus fruits. Cape Reinga, also known as Te Rerenga Wairua or Te Rēinga, is one of Māoridom's most sacred places. According to Māori custom, the spirits of the dead travel two pathways to Cape Rēinga before leaping into the water and proceeding to their spiritual home in Hawaiki. Eastland Eastland, on the eastern tip of the North Island, is first in NZ and the world to feel the sun's rays each day. Surrounded by hills and the Pacific Ocean, Eastland's warm dry climate and relaxed coastal lifestyle offer rich local Māori culture, a vast outdoors, good food and wine. Eastland is a special place. Kaiti beach was the first landing spot where the first Polynesian canoes landed,

July 2012 where Captain Cook made his first landfall and where Māori and European first encountered each other. At 1,754 meters high, Mount Hikurangi is the first point on mainland NZ to see the sunrise each day. It's a very spiritual mountain for the Ngati Porou, the local Māori people. Gisborne, the main city in Eastland, is surrounded by fertile river valleys of vineyards, orchards, market gardens and farms. Away from the city, Eastland's landscape is wild and rural, with forests, national parks, beaches, rivers and lakes. Remote Lake Waikaremoana, in the Urewera Mountains, has a four-day walking track that is one of NZ's nine Great Walks. Māori living in Eastland can trace their ancestry back 24 generations. Oral history tells of the arrival of the Horouta waka, the first migratory canoe to bring Māori to Aotearoa /New Zealand at Kaiti beach near Gisborne. Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty's coastal holiday atmosphere attracts Kiwis and others. Tauranga, the Bay of Plenty's main city, is located at the entrance to one of NZ's largest natural harbors, and beside Mauao/Mount Maunganui, a mountain that's sacred to Māori and a popular walking spot. Nearby coastal towns Mount Maunganui and Papamoa are popular summer beach holiday destinations. Mount Maunganui has NZ's first artificial surf reef. The Bay of Plenty region's fertile soils and warm climate make it an ideal location for cultivating produce. The small town of Te Puke is the kiwifruit capital of NZ. Most of NZ's kiwifruit crop is grown in the Bay of Plenty, along with avocados, grapes, citrus and many

New Zealand - Compiled by Dhara Kothari subtropical fruits. Māori first settled the Bay of Plenty in the late 13th/early 14th century. According to legend, they arrived from their spiritual homeland Hawaiki on three waka or canoes. Māori called the area Te Moana a Toi or sea of Toi. Mauao, the sacred mountain at Tauranga's harbor entrance, translates as 'caught in the light of the day'. According to Māori legend, the once nameless mountain was spurned in love by another mountain, the beautiful Pūwhenua. One night Mauao begged the fairy-like creatures of the forest to drag him to the ocean and end his misery, but the creatures fled as the morning sun-rays struck leaving Mauao transfixed to his spot. Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay is loved for its sunny climate, fabulous beaches, sheltered coastal plains and long-established vineyards. Hawke's Bay is one of NZ's warmest, driest regions. Heretaunga, the original Māori name for Hawke's Bay is home to several Māori iwi or tribes. According to legend, Te Mata Peak and the hills south to Kahurānaki are formed by the body of Māori chief. Te Mata o Rongokako was a giant of a man who fell in love with another chief's beautiful daughter. In an attempt to dissuade his daughter's suitor from the romance, the father set a series of difficult tasks that Te Mata o Rongokako accomplished one-by-one. On the final task, eating his way through a hill he choked on a rock and fell dead on the spot. Napier - Art Deco capital of the southern hemisphere has the most Art Deco architecture outside of Miami. Hawke's Bay has a community of internationally and nationally

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recognized artists who display their work in home studios and galleries. Dinosaur remains discovered in Hawke's Bay in 1975 proved that land dinosaurs had lived in NZ. Hawke's Bay has the world's second longest place name: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturi pukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakita natau. Wairarapa Wairarapa means 'land of the glistening waters'. Martinborough and Greytown - both renowned for their artisan food producers are popular destinations for foodies. Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre is an important sanctuary for rare and endangered native birds; including kiwi, kokako and kaka. Aorangi, Rimutaka and Tararua forest parks, and the Lake Wairarapa Moana wetlands have many walking tracks. Sunrise at Castlepoint with its lighthouse and Castle Rock is a dramatic coastal experience. A southern hemisphere version of Stonehenge opened near Carterton in 2005. Stonehenge Aotearoa, a full-scale replica of the original stone circle incorporates ancient Egyptian, Babylonian and Indus Valley astronomy, Polynesian navigation, and Celtic and Māori star lore. Putangirua Pinnacles, seen in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is 1000-plus years old. The formation, sculpted by heavy rain erosion on soft rocks, loses 1cm per year.

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July 2012 environment. Whanganui River is NZ's longest navigable river. The region's extensive rainforests provide a safe haven for some of NZ's most endangered native birds including the kiwi. The Wanganui region is known for Māori culture, heritage, and Whanganui National Park and river adventures. Taranaki

Manawatu Explore the green beauty of heartland NZ and find the peaceful pleasures created by gardeners and conservationists. Although there are extensive coastal plains, the countryside becomes increasing hilly towards the north. Sheep farming and cattle raising are important activities, along with cropping on the lowlands. The largest of the villages and towns along the road to Mt Ruapehu and the central plateau is Taihape. It is renowned as the gumboot capital, where every year a festival is held to celebrate this essential item of rural Kiwi footwear. To the south is the Manawatu region lies the university city of Palmerston North, one of the country's larger provincial cities. Visit Manawatu's glorious lavender and herb gardens, enjoy delicious garden fresh meals, purchase herbal and honey products and indulge in a wonderful relaxing massage or beauty treatment. At Cross Hills Gardens, Kimbolton you can enjoy a parklike garden that includes one of the world's finest collections of rhododendrons and azaleas; there are over 2,000 varieties on display. The Fragrant Garden in Feilding is a commercial production nursery specializing in herbs and lavender. Wanganui Wanganui - Whanganui's largest city lies at the mouth of the Whanganui River and is known as the River City. The river still plays an important part in the lives of locals. A traditional Māori proverb, Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au or 'I am the river, the river is me' sums up the spiritual connection Wanganui Māori have with their 34

A place to find the soulful beauty of NZ's heartland. Mt Taranaki is a spiritually important landmark for Māori, and historic Māori pa (fortified villages) dotted throughout Taranaki tell stories of the region's culture and history. Taranaki means Gliding Peak. Māori legend recounts how Taranaki who once lived with the other great volcanoes (Tongariro, Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe) was banished after falling in love with Tongariro's wife, a smaller volcano called Pihanga. As Taranaki travelled west towards the setting sun, his path of tears carved out the Whanganui River. According to legend, Taranaki is hiding his tears when cloud covers the mountain. Mt Taranaki's almost perfect volcanic cone has a commanding presence over the region. The Goblin Forest, on Mt Taranaki's southern slopes, showcases the mountain's unique natural environment. Taupo and Ruapehu Lake Taupo - the North Island's heart according to Māori legend is the largest fresh water lake in Australasia. The lake was created in an ancient volcanic eruption, and the region is full of natural thermal springs and bubbling mud

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pools. One of the few outlets from Lake Taupo is the mighty Waikato River, NZ's longest river, which gushes through a narrow chasm at the Huka Falls. Lake Taupo was created by a massive volcanic eruption around 186AD. It is said that the huge eruption turned the skies of Europe and China into a fiery red and ash has been found in ice cores drilled in Greenland. Māori spiritual connection with the land is especially apparent in the Ruapehu region. Mt Ruapehu, NZ's most famous volcano, has expansive ski areas including the world's only ski field within 500m of an active volcanic crater. Ruapehu has several significant nature reserves where native plant and wildlife flourish. Tongariro National Park is centered on three active volcanoes: Mt Tongariro (1,967m), Mt Ruapehu (2,797m), and Mt Ngauruhoe (2,291m). Ruapehu translates as 'pit to explode'. Mt Ruapehu is still very much an active volcano that every year or so puts on a magnificent pyrotechnic display of a mini eruption. South Island Christchurch Christchurch, the South Island's largest city, is a garden city of over 700 parks. Christchurch is a convenient base from which to explore the surrounding rural countryside and the natural attractions and activities of the region. The city is full of delights, from the beautiful neo-gothic Arts Centre, to the historic tram which loops the city Centre, to the Christchurch Gondola and unique attractions like the International

Antarctic Centre. Christchurch is also a place for events and festivals. With events like the Festival of Romance, the International Buskers Festival, winter carnival, and Showtime Canterbury in November. Canterbury The Canterbury Region includes a large central portion of the east coast of the South Island, centered around the city of Christchurch. Canterbury's landscape is dominated by NZ's highest mountain Aoraki Mt Cook and the Southern Alps. In the air, on water or in the mountains, Canterbury is an adventure and nature haven of unique outdoor experiences; huge sperm whales cruising the Kaikoura coast, dolphins playing in Akaroa harbor and cheeky alpine parrots entertaining tourists at Arthur's pass. According to oral tradition, Māori first arrived in the Canterbury region about a thousand years ago. Māori rock art sites throughout southern Canterbury provide a key to early Māori history. Kaikoura in spectacular coastal alpine scenery between Christchurch and Picton is an eco-tourism jewel. Canterbury's vast plains, alpine and coastal landscape, and favorable atmospheric conditions make it one of NZ's finest ballooning locations. At famed Hanmer springs thermal pools and spa, visitors can relax in thermal sulphur and hot rock pools. Dunedin Dunedin is known as the Edinburgh of NZ, it wears its Scottish heritage with pride. Surrounded by dramatic hills and at the foot of a

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long harbor, Dunedin is one of the bestpreserved Victorian and Edwardian cities in the Southern Hemisphere. On Dunedin's doorstep you will find incredible wildlife including the world's rarest penguins and, at Taiaroa Head, the world's only mainland breeding colony of Royal Albatross. Dunedin, a center of learning, art and culture since early European days, has been home to many of NZ's great poets, writers, artists and musicians. Dunedin is a city of NZ 'firsts', like first university, first newspaper, first medical and dental schools, first female lawyer, first public art gallery. Dunedin has the world's steepest street called Baldwin St. Each year 30,000 Jaffas (round chocolate candies) are rolled down Baldwin St to support a local charity.

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The major resort town of Queenstown nestles beside the deep blue waters of Lake Wakatipu, at the foot of the Remarkables Range in west Otago. Queenstown is NZ's year-round alpine destination, where you can be as active as you like or just leisurely soak up the magnificent scenery. Māori searching for pounamu (NZ greenstone or nephrite jade) were the first people to visit the area. Having discovered the valuable stone, they returned on regular hunting and pounamu expeditions. According to Māori legend, Lake Wakatipu was formed by an evil giant who kidnapped a beautiful Māori maiden. Knocked down by the maiden's rescuer, the giant slumber in the depths of the lake and his beating heart makes the lake rise and fall. When gold was discovered in the Arrow and Shotover rivers in 1862, Canvas Town. Canvas Town was renamed Queenstown because it was said to be 'fit for a queen'. The phrase, so the story goes, was found stamped on an anvil in a local blacksmith's shop. The world's first commercial bungy site opened at Kawarau Bridge, near Queenstown, in 1988. Inspired by the vine jumpers of Vanuatu, New Zealanders Henry van Asch and A J Hackett created this distinctly NZ tourism phenomenon that's known the world over. Part of the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy was filmed in the Queenstown region. Nelson

Otago Located in the center of the South Island, inland from Dunedin, this semi-arid region comprises a series of river basins and deep river gorges. Otago is often called the golden country due to its gold mining associations, vivid autumn colors and apricot orchards. The Central Otago region is the only one to experience a continental climate, having the hottest summers and coldest winters in NZ. At Portobello, the University of Otago Marine Studies Centre has tanks and displays that focus on the region's underwater habitat. Oamaru has a world renowned blue penguin colony. The towns of Alexandra, Clyde and Cromwell are ideal bases from which to explore the surrounding historic countryside. Queenstown 36

Nelson is a lifestyle; that's the best way to describe it. Sitting at the top north-west corner of the South Island, it's the sunniest region in NZ with a geography which captures everything

New Zealand - Compiled by Dhara Kothari from the long golden beaches to untouched forests and rugged mountains. Māori knew the Nelson area as Te Tau Ihu o Te Waka a Maui or 'the tip of the nose of the canoe of Maui'. According to legend, the demi-god Maui used his fish hook to catch and land the North Island Te Ika a Maui or 'the fish of Maui' from his waka or canoe. Nelson's three national parks, two marine reserves and extensive coastline are havens for some of NZ's beautiful and protected nature and wildlife. The Nelson Lakes National Park is set amidst the mountains and glaciated valleys of south Nelson, and features beech forests and the beautiful jewel-like lakes, Rotoiti and Rotoroa. Nelson's artists include carvers, glassblowers, painters, potters and weavers, whose work can be seen by following any of the 13 craft trails that also, take in Nelson's most attractive rural settlements. Marlborough Marlborough is NZ's largest grape growing and wine making region and the home of worldrenowned sauvignon Blanc. Before the wine industry came along, Marlborough's fame lay with its sounds, sunken valleys that are home to all kinds of wonderful bird and sea life, including terns, shags, blue penguins, dolphins and seals. Queen Charlotte Sound's blue waters, green forests, white sand beaches and little coves are a holiday haven for hiking, mountain biking, sea kayaking and boating adventures. Blenheim is Marlborough's largest town. Picton, a little port at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound. The king shag one of the world's rarest birds is only seen in the Marlborough Sounds.

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Mount Cook In this alpine paradise you can hike the high trails or simply meditate on the beauty of the Southern Alps. A larger than life experience in Aoraki/Mt Cook. The first glimpse of Aoraki Mount Cook across the turquoise waters of Lake Pukaki is one that will last you a lifetime. There are 19 peaks in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park over 3,000 meters but at 3,754 meters, Aoraki Mount Cook dwarfs them. Nearby, the small farming town of Fairlie marks the beginning of the Mackenzie Country, an area named after a legendary Scottish sheep rustler who once roamed the hills. Wanaka Nestled below towering mountains, Wanaka is the most tranquilly set of the South Island lakes. Lake Wanaka is the picture and the mountains are the frame. Wanaka is an altered form of Oanaka - meaning 'place of Anaka' in Māori. Anaka was an early Māori chief. The top point of Mou Waho has 360 degree views of Lake Wanaka, the mountains and river valleys, and Arethusa pool, a little crystal clear lake just below the island's summit. NZ's rock climbing capital, Wanaka has hundreds of rock routes. Lake Wanaka is the source of the Clutha, NZ's largest river by volume. West Coast The wildest side of NZ, the West Coast has the power to touch your soul with its landscape of

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July 2012

brooding mountains, icy glaciers, primal forest and surreal coastal formations. West Coast is the only NZ source of pounamu/nephrite jade or greenstone. Māori valued pounamu for its strength, durability and beauty, and used it to make tools and adornments. The prized stone is considered tapu (sacred) and credited with mana (status). Punakaiki's Pancake Rocks in the heart of Paparoa national park are unique limestone formations dating back 30 million years. Lime-rich fragments of dead marine creatures on the seabed were overlaid by layers of mud and clay then raised by earthquakes from the seabed to form coastal cliffs. Sea, wind and rain have etched the cliffs into today's unusual rock formations where, at high tide, blow holes explode sea water high into the air. Try rafting a subterranean stream through a weird world of stalactites, stalagmites and glow-worms. West Coast has five national parks and one world heritage site. The Coast's reputation for hospitality is legendary. Coasters display a sincere friendliness and strength of character as unique as their surroundings.

Milford Sound's high annual rainfall with more than 8m of rain annually, is one of the wettest places on earth and distinctive narrow shape creates a fresh water layer on top of the seawater, allowing deep-water dwelling species to exist at a much shallower depth. Milford Sound Underwater Observatory and guided dive tours give visitors a glimpse of rare species such as the red and black corals. Doubtful Sound is three times longer and 10 times larger than Milford Sound is Fiordland's second largest fiord. Accessible by boat and plane, this remote wilderness area is renowned for its wildlife. Three of NZ's nine 'Great Walks' are in Fiordland. The Kepler, Routeburn and Milford tracks are regarded as some of the world's best walks. Visitors to this vast, remote area, practically untouched by humans, are often overwhelmed by the incredible solitude and serenity of Fiordland.

Fiordland

Southland

Fiordland is one of the most dramatic and beautiful parts of NZ. Carved by glaciers over 100,000 years the landscape is one where waterfalls cascade hundreds of meters into deep black fiords; where ancient rainforest untouched by man clings to mountains and where shimmering lakes and granite peaks look as they did a thousand years ago. Māori, the first people to discover the beauty of Fiordland, have many stories about the formation and naming of this remote wilderness. According to one Māori legend, demi-god Tu-te-raki-whanoa used Te Hamo (his adze) to carve the fiords from rock. Starting in the far south, Tu-te-raki-whanoa created a rough coastline and many islands, gradually perfecting his technique along the way. Piopiotahi or Milford Sound was his greatest achievement. When underworld goddess Hinenui-te-po saw the fiord's beauty, she was worried that visitors would never want to leave so released the sandflies to encourage humans to leave the area. Fiordland is one of the southern hemisphere's great wilderness regions. In 1986 Fiordland was awarded World Heritage status

Southland is NZ's most southern region is a sparsely populated region famed for native bird sanctuaries and an untouched natural environment. Māori knew the Southland region as Murihiku or 'tail end of the land'. Southland is famous for its untouched natural environment. Its protected national parks and marine reserves are home to a wide range of native birds, plants and marine life. Southland has the longest summer daylight hours in NZ. Invercargill, the largest city in Southland, is a laid-back country town with a Scottish heritage. A stop-off point on the Southern Scenic route, Invercargill offers legendary southern hospitality and a base to explore beautiful wild destinations like the Catlin's coast and Curio Bay. Catlins Forest Park is a place of hidden waterfalls and river valleys, where native forest meets the water's edge. Rocky bays, inlets and estuaries make up some of the region's most magnificent coastal scenery.

for its stunning natural features, exceptional beauty and role in demonstrating the earth's evolutionary history.

Other Islands Stewart Islands

New Zealand - Compiled by Dhara Kothari

Stewart Island is the third island of New Zealand. In the Maori language, it's known as Rakiura which means 'the land of glowing skies'. You'll get inkling why when you see the aurora australis which often appears in these southern skies. Stewart Island is a small place but, nonetheless, special for it. Over 85% of the island is National Park. Stewart Islanders are a proud and very independent bunch. For them, New Zealanders are people who live on the other side of Fouveaux Strait. But they're friendly. There's only one settlement of any size on the island, Halfmoon Bay, sometimes called Oban. For anyone seeking peace and tranquility, Stewart Island is the ultimate spot. Chatham Islands The Chatham Islands, 800 kilometers east of the South Island, are a place that most New Zealanders have never been. The Chatham Islands are one of those rare places on this planet, a place that reminds you of the way the world used to be. The locals are relaxed and friendly, the scenery is stunning, and the hospitality is warm. On Te Whanga lagoon you can go swimming, kayaking, sailing. Fossick along its shores and the chances are that you will find fossilized shark teeth, around 30 million years old. Take a boat journey to neighboring Pitt Island and you are visiting the first inhabited place on the planet to see the sun rise. Other treasures of the island are the delightful Chatham Island forget-me-not and the tiny Chatham Islands Black Robin, a bird brought back from the edge of extinction. Helpful Information 1. New Zealand is one of the first places in the world to see the new day. It is 12 hours ahead of GMT. 2. All visitors to New Zealand must carry a passport that is valid for at least three months beyond the date you intend to leave the country. You do not need a visa or permit to visit New Zealand if you are: A New Zealand/Australia citizen or Resident Permit holder; An Australian citizen travelling on an Australian passport; a 39

July 2012 citizen of a country which has a visa waiver agreement with New Zealand. 3. New Zealand's unit of currency is the New Zealand Dollar (NZ$). There is no restriction on the amount of foreign currency that can be brought in or taken out of NZ. However, every person who carries more than NZ$10,000 in cash in or out of NZ is required to complete a Border Cash Report. Foreign currency can easily be exchanged at banks, some hotels and Bureau de Change kiosks, which are found at international airports and most city centers. All major credit cards can be used in NZ. Travellers' Cheques are accepted at hotels, banks and some stores. 4. Banks are open from 9.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday. International credit cards and ATM cards will work as long as they have a fourdigit PIN encoded. Check with your bank before leaving home. 5. New Zealanders do not expect tips for normal service even in restaurants and bars. However, tipping for extra special service or kindness is at the discretion of the visitor. Hotels and restaurants in NZ do not add service charges to their bills. 6. New Zealand is one of the safest holiday destinations in the world. However, you are advised to observe the same precautions with your personal safety and possessions as you would in any other country or at home. 7. New Zealand is a country without snakes or dangerous wild animals, making it safe for visitors to enjoy outdoor activities. NZ's public and private medical / hospital facilities provide a high standard of treatment and service but it is important to note these services are not free, except as a result of an accident. We strongly advise you to arrange own health insurance. Visitors bringing in a quantity of medication are advised to have a doctor's certificate to avoid possible problems with Customs. Doctor's prescriptions are needed to obtain certain drugs in NZ. No vaccinations are needed to enter NZ. Visitors to NZ are covered under the local Accident Compensation Scheme for personal

New Zealand - Compiled by Dhara Kothari injury by accident. Benefits include some medical and hospital expenses, but do not include loss of earnings outside New Zealand. We therefore recommend your travel insurance policy also covers accidents. 8. Weather conditions in NZ alpine areas can change rapidly. Be prepared for cold wet weather if you plan to walk in our National Parks, whatever the time of year. In wetter areas, particularly in Fiordland, sandflies can be pests, but are effectively controlled by use of an insect repellent. Giardia is a water-borne parasite that causes diarrhea. To avoid contracting it, it is best not to drink water from lakes, ponds or rivers without first boiling, chemically treating or filtering it. NZ's clear, unpolluted atmosphere and relatively low latitudes produce sunlight stronger than much of Europe or North America, so be prepared to wear hats and sun block if you plan to be out in the sun for more than 15 - 20 minutes. 9. You can legally drive in NZ for up to 12 months if you have either a current driver's license from your home country, or an International Driving Permit. The common legal age to rent a car in NZ is 25 years. In NZ, all motorists drive on the lefthand side of the road. All road distances are measured in kilometers. 10. There are over 100 official Visitor Information Network locations throughout NZ, just look for the green Visitor Information Network logo. The easiest way to stay in touch while travelling is to use an internet cafe. These are located throughout NZ. 11. The law requires that every new building and every major reconstruction in NZ provide reasonable and adequate access for people with disabilities. Most facilities have wheelchair access. Parking concessions are available for people with disabilities. Temporary display cards can be issued for the length of a visitor's stay. For proof of disability visitors should bring their home mobility card or medical certificate in order to obtain a NZ card. 12. Electricity is supplied throughout NZ at 230 / 240 volts, 50 hertz. Most hotels and motels 40

July 2012 provide 110 volt ac sockets (rated at 20 watts) for electric razors only. For all other equipment, an adapter/converter is necessary, unless the item has a multi-voltage option. Please note that power outlets only accept flat three or two-pin plugs, depending on whether an earth connection is fitted. You will need a RJ45 type plug to be able to connect your laptop into a computer socket in NZ. 13. Most shops and businesses are open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, as a minimum. Many stores are also open on Saturdays and some are open on Sundays. In resorts you will find most stores open in the evenings. Most retailers will not negotiate on price, though some have a formal policy of matching the competition and will match or even discount their prices for you if you can find a better price for the exact same product elsewhere. All goods and services are subject to a 15% Goods and Services Tax (GST), included in the displayed price. Visitors cannot claim this tax back. However when a supplier ships a major purchase to a visitor's home address the GST will not be charged. 14. English, Maori and NZ Sign Language are the official languages of NZ. New Zealand English is one of the major varieties of English and is different from others. 15. As a tourist, in general New Zealanders will hold you at a very safe distance and thus are not easily offended. However if you get the chance to get to know some of them better, a whole new set of complicated social rules comes into play. In general they are a very warm, sociable and forgiving people. However many New Zealanders, especially those who have not lived in foreign countries for an extended period of time, are unaware of the peculiarities of their culture; sometimes the outsiders are blamed for the inevitable misunderstandings. New Zealanders, even wealthy New Zealanders, tend to behave in a somewhat frugal manner. Don't talk about or show off money, property, rent or income.

Group MANDALA Art in Action - By Mahirwan Mamtani

July 2012

GROUP MANDALA ART IN ACTION by Mahirwan Mamtani

Mahirwan Mamtani

I have conducted several group Mandala art workshops in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, where people have participated to paint on canvas collectively. The number of participants vary from place to place. Each time 8 to 30 persons work together simultaneously on one large size work. The participants are not necessarily artists and I encourage everyone to participate irrespective of age, gender or profession. The idea of Mandala is to achieve outer selflessness, clarity and compassion and joy, knowing that we are but a part of the wholeness. The purpose of the group Mandala is to achieve this through a network of several individuals working together, functioning as an organic whole. The group works with little interactions during the work. It is a continual process of sharing, giving and taking. I play tapes of music as a background. Such workshops are for 2 to 3 days. The large size works are hanging in public places.

Spiritual group, Vienna, Austria

Group MANDALA Art in Action - By Mahirwan Mamtani

July 2012

TAUFKIRCHEN TOWN HALL, Munich, Germany

ART ACADEMY ST. JOHANN, Regensburg, Germany

KUBUS GALLERY, Hannover, Germany

TRAUENKIRCHEN LAKE, Austria