The Basis and Truth of the Jainism Religion

Spirituality

Jainism teaches that you are the master of your own fate. You are the fountainhead of boundless energy. It is you and only you who is responsible for each of your actions and its results. Use the energy of your own soul to get yourself free from bad habits and bondages.

Soul is a reality. Soul is different from body. Every soul exists in the world form beginningless time, passing through the cycles of birth and death.
Existence in the world is full of sufferings. One who transcends birth and death becomes free from all sufferings forever.

Indulging in reactions such as anger, pride, deceit, lust, etc, (often called 'passions') is the cause of bondage of soul with karma (sort of tiny particles), which results in sufferings.

Freedom from such reactions leads one to Liberation and Bliss.

Non-Violence

Feel oneness with all living beings.
All living beings have equal right to live; all enjoy living and dislike dying. Killing any living being amounts to killing oneself. Do not kill, injure, enslave, torture, or exploit any living being. Befriend all living beings.

Ahimsa means

1. Not to kill any creature
2. Not to hire or pay anyone else to kill them
3. Not to praise or support anyone else who kills them

Rationale of vegetarianism

Equality

All human beings are equal. No race is superior to others. No caste is superior to others. No color is superior to others. No sex is superior to others.
All distinctions on the basis of race, caste, color, and sex are arbitrary.
Do not consider anyone inferior to you.

Relativity and Co-Existence

Truth is multifaceted. One statement is true from one point of view, while the opposite statement is also true from another point of view. Therefore reconciliation is always possible betweeen two opposite views.
Discard absolutistic attitudes and remain in peaceful co-existence with all.

The Path

Right Knowledge

is knowledge of the Self
Right Faith
is faith in the philosophy of Soul
Right Conduct is practice of self-discipline by:
Renunciation of all actions which come from 'passions' (e.g. violence, falsehood, dishonesty, incontinence, and attachment to possessions
Constant awareness of the self
Equanimity in all situations, whether pleasant or painful
Right Spiritual Practice
Efforts of self-purification such as meditation, fasting, spiritual studies, etc

Modern Relevance

It was on the basis of the above principles that Bhagwan Mahavira 2600 years ago spoke out against sacrificing animals, slavery, the caste system, descrimination against women in religious activities, and many other inhumane and illogical social and religious practices.

Bhagwan Mahavira's teachings have even a greater relevance and deeper significance in the modern age in the context of establishment of:

Universal friendliness and peace through non-violence and disarmament
Social patterns without exploitation and violence
Economic policies based on forswearing of acquisitiveness
Reconciliation between diverse religious faiths, political parties, community and racial factions, etc, based on the doctrine of relativism or non-absolutism
Mental peace through spiritual development based on freedom from various 'passions'

Founders and Legends of the Jain religion (jainism)

Founders and Legends of the Jain religion (jainism)

Five Famous Tirthankaras

Bhagwan Adinath (the first Tirthankar)
Tirthankar Shri Chandra Prabhu
Bhagwan Shantinath
Bhagwan Parsvanath
Mahavira

Legends

Bhagwan Bahubali
Ghantakarna Mahavir
Manibhadraji
Manidhari Dadaguru Jinchandra
Parsva Yaksha
Nakoda Bhairav

Devi

Chakreshwari Mata
Padmavati Devi
Ambika Mata
Sarasvati Devi
Lakshmi Devi

Bhagwan Adinath is considered as the Adipurush, the first Tirthankara and first ruling King. According to Jain tradition, Adinath lived hundreds of thousands of years ago. Although historians have been sceptical of this claim, evidence found at the archeological sites at Mohanjodaro and Harrappa of the Indus Valley Civilization proves that he predated this 5000-year-old civilization.

Bhagwan Adinath was born into the royal family of Ayodhya as the son of King Nabhiraja and Queen Maru Devi. He was married to two wives: Sumangla and Sunanda. Sumangla gave birth to Bharat, who later became a Chakravarti king . Sunanda gave birth to a child who came to be known as Bahubali.

It is believed that Adinath had one hundred sons and two daughters, who were named Brahmi and Sundari.

Jain tradition holds that all civilization developed from the teachings of Adinath. He was the first king to establish the institutions of marriage, agriculture, the arts, and weaponry (swordsmanship, archery, etc). After organizing and instructing the society in various disciplines, he ruled for thousands of years. (The system of measuring time during that period is still unknown.)

After this, he divided his kingdom among his sons and departed to take up an ascetic way of life. When Adinath renounced his kingdom, thousands of people followed him into the ascetic life.

Whenever they went for alms, people offered them gold, jewels, ornaments, etc. But no one offered them food. Thus, many of his followers could not tolerate the starvation. They began asking for food, and then they left to form their own groups. This was the beginning of many sects. (According to the Jain faith, Tirthankaras remained silent until they achieved perfection.)

Adinath also went without food for an enitre year. Then he went to his grandson Shreyan's kingdom (Hastinapur). His grandson offered him sugarcane juice, which he accepted. Hastinapur is still considered a holy place, and even today Jains make pilgrimages to this site to break ritual fasts (with sugarcane juice).

After becoming enlightend (Perfect), He broke his silence and preached for many years, tellilng how to escape the cycle of brith and death and achieve eternal bliss.

Bhagwan Adinath achieved Nirvana on the mountain of Kailash in the Himalayas when he was in complete Samadhi.

The symbol of Adinath is A Bull (Rishabh). He became popular by this symbol and is now known as Rishabh Deva.

Tirthankar Shri Chandra Prabhu

The eighth Tirthankar of Jainism is Chandra Prabhu. He was born to King Mahasen and Queen Sulakshana. When the Queen was bearing the child, she desired to swallow the nectar of the moon. Her wish was fulfilled and a son with a moon-like complexion was born to her. This is how he was named Chandra Prabhu.

He got married to more than one princess. After ruling his kingdom for a long time, he got initiation (Diksha). Chandra Prabhu attained Kaivalya after meditating for many months. For many years he served humanity. Then he went to 'Sammed' Mountain in Bihar, accompanied by one thousand monks. After meditating for one month, all of them got Nirvana.

Today, the temple of Chandra Prabhu at Tijara in Rajasthan is a famous center of pilgrimage for Jains.

Symbol of Chandra Prabhu is half moon. He brings smoothness and happiness to every living being. Large numbers of believers visit the tirth of Tijara every week.

Bhagwan Shantinath

The sixteenth Tirthankar of the Jain religion, Shantinath, was born to the King Vishavsen and Queen Achiradevi of Hastinapur. It is said that as soon as he entered the womb of his mother, incurable diseases were cured, and peace and happiness prevailed throughout the land. Because of this, he came to be called Santinath ('peacemanker').

When Shantinath was very young, he became expert in the use of many weapons. These skills enabled him to become a king at a very young age. Eventually, he became known as Chakarvarti ('King of Kings').

He enjoyed his kingdom and its riches for thousands of years. One day, however, he saw his own aging reflection in a mirror and realized that this body was not as young and beautiful as it used to be. Thus he came to realize that all the riches and even man's body itself are not eternal. At that moment he was inspired to become an ascetic.

He became enlightened on the eleventh moonlight night of Paush (Feb-March). For many years he travelled from city to city, spreading the message of peace, non-violence, and harmony. Finally, he achieved Nirvana on the mountian of Sammed Shikhar (Bihar). His symbol is a deer (Mriga). He is considered a god with powers to bestow peace and happiness.

Bhagvan Parsvanath

According to Jain belief, Bhagwan Parshvanath is the twenty-third Thirthankar. He was born 250 years prior to Lord Mahavir. He was the son of King Ashvasen and Queen Vamadevi of Varanasi.

It is said that he was named Parshvanath after an incident his mother experienced when the child was still in her womb. The mother found that a snake was lying next to her. Parshva means 'by the side of' -- hence the name Parshvanath.

Young Prince Parshva grew up as a great scholar and warrior. He married the daughter of Raja Prasenjit, Kumari Prabhavati. When their kingdom was attacked by another king (Yavanraj), Parshva asked his father for permission to fight. He then defeated Yavanraj not by armed fight but by intellectual discussion.

Impressed by the scholarly discussion of Parshvanath, Yavanraj became his follower. Parshva forgave him and inspired him to adopt non-violence.

Once Parshva went to a ceremony, 'Panchagni Tapa,' performed by Kamath. Parshva discovered a cobra couple in the firewood and saved their life. With the help of 'Namokar Mantra,' Parshvanath sent the cobras to heaven.

His action angered Kamath, who thought Parshva had disturbed his holy life. Kamath, who later became Meghmali, created many obstacles to Parshvanath's meditation. He flooded the place where Parshvanath was deeply engrossed in austerity. Then the Cobra Couple (who were now Dharmendra and Padmavati) raised a Lotus Seat below the meditating Parshva and thus saved him from drowning.

For the noble work done by Dharmendra and Padmavati at Sammed Shikhar (Bihar), Jain followers worship them as a God and Goddess.

According to history, Bhagwan Parshvanath got Nirvana in 720 B.C., after attaining Kaivalya. Twenty-three monks accompanied him.

His symbol is snake; and he lived one hundred years. He is worshipped by all the sects of Jainism with equal faith and respect.

Mahavira

The last (twenty-fourth) Tirthankar, Mahavira, was an historical personality. He was born in 599 BC at Kshatriya Kund in the democratic republic of Vaishali (Bihar), the son of King Siddharth and Queen Trishla Devi. His original name was Vardhman.

From his childhood, he was soft, kind-hearted. He was very upset by the ritual sacrifice of animals, and vowed to fight for the rights of animals. He also wished to fight for the advancement of women and untouchables.

He left his kingdom at the age of thirty to begin an ascetic life. He entered the forest to commune with all living beings, including animals, trees, and other plants. He practiced meditation, austerity, and samadhi for twelve and a half years, getting enlightement. By self-purification and severe spiritual pactices, finally, at the age of forty-two, Mahavira attained Kaivalya (perfection).

For the next thirty years, Mahavira spread the message of non-violence (Ahimsa), truth, non-stealing, right conduct, and non-posession. He campaigned against the barriers of caste, creed, and faith. He also advocated protecting all living creatures.

Lord Mahavira gave us several analytical theories of Karma, multiplicity of truth, Syadvad, etc. All these theories helped people to reach higher levels of consciousness and to create happinesss and peace in society. His doctrines of Right Knowing, Right Vision, and Right Conduct are considered the three Jewels of Jain philosopy, by which to achieve the ultimate goal in life.

The symbol of Lord Mahavira is the Lion, indicating what a fearless life he led. He is the most important of all the Tirthankaras, as most of the Jain scriptures were taken from his teachings.

Lord Mahavira advocated Ahimsa, which was carried further by later great men of history including Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

Mahavira attained Nirvana at the age of seventy-two at Pavapuri in Bihar.

Legends

Bhagvan Bahubali

Bahubali was the younger son of the first Tirthankar, Rishabhdev. He later became king of Podanpur. His elder brother Bharat was bent upon attacking Bahubali's kingdom. Their ministers negotiated and agreed that instead of war, there would be three contests between the brothers. In all three contests (Drisht Yudha, Jal Yudha, and Wrestling) Bahubali defeated his elder brother.

Still, Bahubali had been very much hurt by the behavior of his elder brother. He decided to surrender his kingdom to Bharat and left for the path of meditation. He did not want to bow before his other brothers who had already accepted ascetic.life.

This ego of Bahubali deterred him from visiting his father's court. Hence he went on meditating but could not attain the Keval Jnana, the supreme knowledge.

Bahubali was so much involved in his Samadhi, that his body got covered by vines, ants, and dust. Finally he was woken up from his ego when his sisters called him to release the false pride he was suffering from. Bahubali got enlightened and decided to see his father. Thanks to his sisters Brhami and Sundari, Bahubali was now a changed person with more knowledge and better understanding. He was welcomed in his father's court. The world got the benefit of his wisdom.

Bahubali is a symbol of learning. One stone statue of him in Karnataka stands fifty-seven feet high. For thousands of years it has shown to the world the way of knowledge and austerity.

Ghantakarna Mahavir

Ghantakarna Mahavir is highly respected by Swetambar Jains. He is placed at the thirtieth position among fifty-two heroes. He is a miracle god of Riddhi Siddhi and a troubleshooter. His idols have bell-like ears, so he is called Ghantakarna. The Temple of Ghantakarna at Mahuri (Gujarat) is very well known for producing miracles. Wishes of worshippers are fulfilled here.

Manibhadraji

Manibhadra was a great king who was devoted to the Jain religion and doctrines. He had enormous wealth and was also very fond of thirty-six muscial instruments. Later, Acharya Hem Vimal Suri named him as Kshetrapal because of his tremendous devotion.

The carrier of Manibhadra Dev is Airavat, the white elephant. His face on statues is sometimes depicted as an elephant, and sometimes as Varah. His idols are shown with four arms, and sometimes we also see him with six arms.

In Magarvada (Gujerat), there is an idol of Manibhadra where large numbers of devotees go to get their desires fulfilled. He is known to create miracles. It is believed that one gets wealth and protection from evil spirits by worshipping him.

Manibhadraji is highly respected among the Tapagachha sect of Sawetambar Jains. He is specially worshipped on Ashtami, Chaudas, and Diwali by those who want name and fame in the society. He likes the sound of temple bells.

Manidhari Dadaguru Jinchandra

About 800 years ago, there was a very influential Jain Acharya in the Shwetambar Sect. His name was Acharya Manidhari Jinchandra Suri. He was born in Lodhrapur (Rajasthan), and his Guru was Dada Jindutt Suri.

Jinchandra is known for having used his mantra to change a moonless night into a full-moon night by sending a dish into the sky. He preached to millions of people about non-violence and vegetariansim. He did many miracles and inspired people to adopt Jain principles.

He had directed that after his death, his dead body should not touch the ground during the funeral journey. But the devotees forgot, and set it down for a moment halfway along. Then no one, not even the elephants, could lift it to continue the procession. Hence there was no option other than to build his Samadhi at that place.

He had declared that a jewel, Maini, would come out of his head after death. He advised his followers to keep the jewel in a cup of milk. This forecast came true. Thus he is called Manidhari Dada Guru, meaning 'the jewel holder.'

His Samadhi is at Mahrauli near Delhi. The place is now a pilgrimage center, visited by thousands of people. Nowadays, it is as famous as Dadawadi.

Parsva Yaksha

Lord Parshva Yaksha is the divine guardian associated with the Twenty-Third Tirhankara, Parshvanath. His complexion is dark, he has an elephant-like face, and his head is sheltered by the hood of a cobra. He has four arms. His carrier is a tortoise. On is right side he holds a snake and a special fruit known as Bujjpurak. In his left hands he holds a snake and a mongoose. He is considered very influential; he can be compared with Ganesh, who is a Hindu God.

Nakoda Bhairav

Lord Nakoda Bhairav is the divine guardian associated with the ancient Jain pilgrimage center of Sammed Shikhhar. He is worshipped before the beginning of journeys to avoid obstacles. Nakoda Bhairav protects us from evil powers, ghosts, spirits, etc. He blesses the issueless with sons and daughters and relieves us from the worldly. ties.

Devi

Chakreshwari Mata

Chakreshwari Mata is the divine guardian associated with the first Tirhtankar, Rishabhdev. Her carrier is Garud. We find a number of different types of her idols and statues. Some of them have four hands, some have eight, and some have twelve.. She holds chakra, garland, Vajra, sword, bow and Varrd Mudra (sign of fearlessness.). She is also Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu according to Hindu tradition. She is the goddesss of spiritual upliftment.

Padmavati Devi

Goddess Padmavati is the divine guardian associated with Parshvanath. She is the most repsected Yakshini among all the gods and goddesses. It is said that she protected Lord Parshvanath from the curses of Kamath and produced a Lotus for him to sit on above the water. She holds a lotus and tiding rope in her right hands and a fruit and Ankush in her left hands. Her carrier is Snake of the Kurut variety. She is also worshipped by Hindus, especially at the temple of Tirupati.

Ambika Mata

Ambika is the divine guardian associated with the Twenty-Second Tirthtankar, Lord Nemimath. Her other names are Amba, Ambini, Kushmandi, and Kodandi. Her carrier is a lion. She is of golden complexion and has four arms. By worshipping her one gets all desires fulfilled; all obstacles are removed and Riddhi-Siddhi is achieved.

She holds special fruits (Beejj Purak) and mercury in her right hands and Ankush and her son in her left hands. She is considered miraculous and always decorated with gems and jewelry.

Folklore says that she was thrown out of her house by her husband and mother-in-law because she had given alms to a great monk. So she started living in the bushes outside Ambikanagar. After a few days some monks visited her house. Because of the effect of the visit of great monks, Ambika's utensils turned into gold. This incident amazed the villagers, so they became her devotees.

Ambika later on was born as a Riddhi Siddhi Devi. Ambika even today commands tremendous respect.

Sarasvati Devi

She is the goddess of learning. Her carrier is a Swan. She is full of affection. According to Jain pilosophy, Saraswati is worshipped to gain education and knowledge. Always dressed in white,holding in her four hands a lotus, a book, a Veena and a garland, this goddess is believed to bless the worshipper with good thinking, good behavior, and knowledge.

Lakshmi Devi

Lakshmi is the goddess of beauty, power, and prosperity. Acharya Nemichandra has also described her as Padma, Rama, Shri, Kamala, and Indira. She is worshipped to gain happiness and wealth, especially on Diwali. She is depicted with four hands, holding lotus in the upper two hands. One lower hand holds Kalash (pitcher) and the other one is raised for blessings . She has been described as the fourth dream of Mahavira's mother.

Names of all 24 Tirthankaras (Prophets)

1. Sh. Rishabha Deva (Aadinath)

2. Sh. Ajit Naath

3. Sh. Sambhav Naath

4. Sh. Abhinandan Sawaami

5. Sh. Sumati Naath

6. Sh. Padam Prabh

7. Sh. Supaarsava Naath

8. Sh. Chandra Prabh

9. Sh. Suvidhi Naath

10. Sh. Shital Naath

11. Sh. Shreyaans Naath

12. Sh. Vaasupujya

13. Sh. Vimal Naath

14. Sh. Anant Naath

15. Sh. Dharam Naath

16. Sh. Shanti Naath

17. Sh. Kunthu Naath

18. Sh. Arah Naath

19. Sh. Malli Naath

20. Muni Suvrat

21. Sh. Nami Naath

22. Sh. Arisht Nemi

23. Sh. Paarshva Naath

24. Sh. Mahaavira Sawami

Jain Mantras Hymn Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah

Hymn



Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niraamayah.
Sarve Bhadraani Pashyantu, Maa, Kashchit Dukhbhaag Bhavet.

Meaning:
May everybody be happy. May everybody be free from disease. May everybody have good luck. May none fall on evil days.

Jain Mantras - Guru

Guru



Gurur Brahmaa, Gurur Vishnuh,
Gurur Devo Maheshawrah.
Guruh saakshssat Para-Brahma,
Tasmai Shri Gurave namah.

Meaning:
I prostrate to that Sri Guru, who is himself Brahmaa, Vishnu and God Maheshwara, and who is verily the Supreme Absolute itself.

Jainism, Jain Mantras Universal Mantra: Maha Mantra Namokar

Jainism is one of the oldest religions in India. It emphasizes rationalism, self-reliance, ecology, non-violence (Ahimsa), and animal rights, etc.

Universal Mantra: Maha Mantra Namokar



Namo Arihantaanam
Namo Siddhaanam
Namo Aayariyaanam
Namo Uvajjaayaanam
Namo Loe Savva Saahunam

Eso Pancha Namokaaro
Savva Pavappanaasano
Mangalaanancha Savvesim
Padhamam Havai Mangalam

Meaning:

I bow to the Arihantaas ( Perfect Souls, God Men )
I bow to the Siddhaas ( Liberated bodiless Souls, God
I bow to the Acharyaas ( Heads of Congregations )
I bow to the Uvajjaayaas ( Spiritual Teachers )
I bow to the Saadhus ( All ascetic aspirants or spiritual practitioners )


This five-fold obeisance (salutation) mantra
Destroys all demerit, Negativities and Karmas
And of all auspicious recitations
This mantra is the first and foremost.

Aldous Huxley New American Library Bhagavad Gita Hinduism

Aldous Huxley in the introduction to the New American Library edition of the Bhagavad Gita interprets the Gita as not only the distillation of Hinduism but also the distillation of religion in general. Huxley claims that the theology of the Gita is relevant to all religious people not just to the Hindu because he says it presents the four basic elements of a spiritual world view.
He presents these four fundamental doctrines as what he calls the Perennial Philosophy:

"First: the phenomenal world of matter and of individualized consciousness - the world of things and animals and men and even gods - is the manifestation of a Divine Ground within which all partial realities have their being, and apart from which they would be nonexistent.

Second: human beings are capable not merely of knowing about the Divine Ground by inference; they can also realize its existence by a direct intuition, superior to discursive reasoning. This immediate knowledge unites the knower with that which is known.

Third: man possesses a double nature, a phenomenal ego and an eternal Self, which is the inner man, the spirit, the spark of divinity within the soul. It is possible for a man, if he so desires, to identify himself with the spirit and therefore with the divine Ground, which is of the same or like nature with the spirit.

Fourth: man's life on earth has only one end and purpose: to identify himself with his eternal Self and so to come to unitive knowledge of the Divine Ground."

Of course, Huxley's Divine Ground is called Brahman in the Gita. But after Huxley discusses these four aspects of religion giving examples from a variety of religious traditions, he comes to the modern world-view and conjectures about why modern people have turned away from religion - he blames industrialization and technology.

Because of technological progress, Huxley claims that a utopian vision of life on earth has driven people away from the thurst for spiritual knowledge. He writes about the doctrine of progress through technology: "These false and, historically, aberrant and heretical doctrines are now systematically taught in our schools and repeated, day in, day out, by those anonymous writers of advertising copy who, more than any other teachers, provide European and American adults with their current philosophy of life."

I think we should put Huxley's pessimistic remarks about modern technology into historical perspective. He wrote these words in 1944 at the height of World War II. The technological innovations that he was witnessing were the most destructive forces of terror that man had ever unleashed on the planet. It is no wonder, then, that he sees technology as the antithesis of the religious life.

what is the witchcraft religion

The Craft, or alternatively, Wicca, Witchcraft, or Paganism, has been traced successfully through a 25,000 year history, by Dr. Margaret Murry. The Craft originated in the ancient past, and has maintained a more or less unbroken line to the present. The Craft was born out of the ancient Animistic cults of prehistory, where a God controlled the wind, rain, hunt, waters, etc... It was in this time that Magic first mixed with the beginnings of religion. This early Magic was likely of the sympathetic variety.

Together with the God, the Goddess evolved, and Fertility was her domain. The Fertility of the animals and the peoples that hunted them was important to the continuance of the race. The God has changed little over the intervening millennia, while the Goddess changed dramatically with the advent of the agricultural society, and the Goddess expanded to cover the Fertility of the crops. The year then fell into two halves, the Summer, when the Goddess and the crops predominated, and the Winter, when the people had to revert to hunting and the God predominated. With the Goddess and the God of hunting growing in power in the society, as the chiefs among the deities, the other Gods fell into secondary roles, and were then, finally, forgotten. As the race spread across Europe, the Goddess and God were carried with them, and as the nations rose, and languages changed, the Names of the deities changed, but the essential force of the deities remained the same. The Celts, Heathens, Nordic, Greek, Latin's, and all the other races have the same Goddess and God at the center of their religions.

With the development of civilization and the the learning of the ability to store food, hunting became less important, and the God took the role of God of Nature and the Wild Places in general. The Goddess grew into both the Goddess of Fertility and the Goddess of Rebirth, as life after death and reincarnation had evolved in the religion. As time progressed, and the Rituals became more involved, a Priest class developed to insure the Rituals were carried out properly and the knowledge was carried on. These people became known as the Wicca, the "Wise Ones." The power of the Wicca was such that it infused the entire religious and political structure of the nations. The Kings of Anglo-Saxon England would never make any important decision without consulting the Witan, the Council of Wise Ones.

With the coming of christianity, there never was the mass conversions that the christians claim. While whole nations were classified as christian due to the fact that the leaders had converted, the populace, in general, kept the old ways. The most important attempt at mass conversion was imposed on the Wicca by pope Gregory the Great. He ordered the construction of new churches on the sites of the old temples and the creation of new holy days on the Wicca Sabbats. In reality, the attempt was only partially successful, for the only available craftsmen to build these temples were the Wiccan, and these craftsmen very cleverly hid their own Goddess and their God in the decorations of these churches. That way, when the Wicca were forced to worship here, their Goddess and God images were also present. It was at this time that Lucifer, became the Horned Satan, the new christianized image of the Horned God, and the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, was Sainted, a new christianized Image of the Goddess. The charge of Devil Worship is therefore a contrivance of the christian church in an attempt to eradicate it's rival for the attentions of the populace. The contrived god of the new religions is the god of a complex civilization, developed to control a rebellious people, rather than the loving embrace of the people, as they are, that the more Human Old Gods offer. As the influence of the new religion grew, through force of arms, the Old Ways only survived in the outlying districts and counties. These people became known as Pagans, from the Latin Pagani meaning people who live in the country and the Heathens, which means one who dwells on the heath. The derogatory connotations are again undeserved and a contrivance of the new religion.

The persecution of the Old Way continued and grew with the advent of the Papal Bull against Witches of pope Innocent the VIII, in 1484. Two years later, two infamous German Monks, Hienric Isnstitoris Krammer and Jacob Sprenger, produced the most baleful contrivance of of anti-Witchery ever produced, the Malleus Maleficarum (the Witch Hammer). In this book they provided definite instruction for the persecution of Witches. Although this book was never accepted by the appointed church censor, the approval was forged by the authors, and then the hysteria spread like wildfire throughout all of Europe. The forgery was not discovered until 1898.

Throughout all of Europe, the new religion used Witchcraft as an excuse to murder any people they felt were an enemy of the church. The old, invalid, mentally ill, women, healers, and of course, the true Witches. Since the Witches held fertility as an object of great importance, the christian Judges gave these sexual rites unnecessary prominence and seemed to delight in the prying, often through torture, the details concerning them from those accused of participating in them. The religion of Wicca is an extremely happy and joyous religion that was totally incomprehensible to the dour and repressed inquisitors and reformers. The total estimated number of people burned, hung, or tortured to death on the charge of Witchcraft is nine million.

It was during these times, the burning times, that the Craft began to go underground, for safety. Also the members of the Craft realized that the Craft was in danger of losing it's knowledge, as the Craft was being so mercilessly hunted and killed. The High Priestesses and High Priests began to keep records of the Rites, Rituals, and esoteric knowledge. These books of the Craft were kept hidden from the enemies of the Craft, they were kept "in the shadows" and it was thus that gave rise to the term for the Witch's Book as the Book of Shadows. It the Burning Times there was but one such book in a Coven, and all were contributors, but with the resurgence of above ground Witchcraft in these modern times, it has become accepted for each individual member of the Craft to have their own personal Book of Shadows, which is, in the view of the Coven of the Fiery Skies, a very good thing, as this will help ensure the dissemination of reclaimed knowledge, and thereby help insure that it is not lost again. Modern Witches still use this as the title for their book to Honor our lost Sisters and Brothers.

By the late seventeenth century, the Craft was well underground, as it was also illegal to be a Witch, as well as against the Cannons of the church. In 1951, the last of these laws was repealed, and the first Witch to speak up in defense of his religion was Gardner, and through him, all of Witchcraft was able to resurface, in its many forms. Now there are many Covens out in the open, and many many more still in hiding, fearing a resurgence of the persecutions. In America the first Witch to come forward was Raymond Buckland. Sybil Leek and Gavin and Yvonne Frost followed in his footsteps, then a rush as more and more Covens came out into the open. Now, even the US Army, with the publication of Army pamphlet 165-13, A Handbook for Chaplin's, recognizes Witchcraft as a Religion

new age angels? some angelic quotes for a good 2011

new age angels? some angelic quotes for a good 2011, here are some excellent quotes by angels to bring in a happy 2011 in a new agey kind of way.

though of course angels being from old world religions as well so a bit of continuity from the old into the new with these angelic quotes that are well worth reading.

angelic quotes

All they ask is that you believe in them, and they will believe in you.
Guiding you, guarding you, if you only
*Believe*

Come sit by my fire and warm your soul. I wish to share peace with you, and love and gentleness, the world needs more of these things. I hope that this little spot of mine will bring you joy, it is my heart. I will try to mind that there is no knowledge of an angel that is absolute. Angel's are many things to many people, and I am but an innocent. I have no great knowledge, but I wish to share with you the beauty that abounds.

Eclectic Angels
I heard an Angel singing,
When the day was springing,
"Mercy, Pity, Peace<
Is the world's release"
~~ William Blake

Oh sovereign angel,
Wide winged stranger above a forgetful earth,
Care for me, care for me. Keep me unaware of danger
And not regretful And not forgetful of my innocent birth.
~~ Edna St. Vincent Millay

I am the Angel of the Sun
Whose flaming wheels began to run
When God's almighty breath
Said to the darkness and the Night
Let there be light! And there was light
I bring the gift of Faith.
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

And the angel said,
"I have learned that every man lives, not through care of himself,
but by love."
~~Leo Tolstoy

We are the stars which sing.
we sing with our light.
we are the birds of fire.
We fly over the sky.
Our light is a voice
We make a road
For the spirit to pass over.
~~Passamaquoddy Chant

Courage is the price that life extracts for peace.
The soul that knows it not, knows no release
From little things;
Knows not the livid lonliness of fear,
Nor mountain heights where bitter joy can hear,
The sound of wings.
~~Amelia Earhart



Angels



For You...
Angels, answer me,
are you near if rain should fall?
Am I to believe
you will rise to calm the storm?
For so great a treasure words will never do.
Surely, if this is, promises are mine to give you.
mine to give...
Here, all too soon the day!
Wish the moon to fall and alter tomorrow.
I should know
heaven has her way
- each one given memories to own.
Angeles, all could be
should you move both earth and sea
Angeles, I could feel
all those dark clouds disappearing...
Even, as I breathe
comes an angel to their keep.
Surely, if this is
promises are mine to give you.
mine to give...

new age religion in the white house 2011?

new age religion in the white house 2011?, there are rumours that the white house is hub of new age religion and all mystical goings on, this is probably true to some aspect, but also understandable with the way this world is and all the way governments of old worlds had magical leaders.

both the democrats and republics parties have new agers in them.

richard dawkins new anti god religion

what is the point really to richard dawkins rampage against religion, if it is wrong why would he need to make a big show about it.

but then what if bits of religion are wrong, but not all the parts of religion, richard dawkins tries to fully eradicate religion, why, why is richard dawkins not just looking to take out the bad bits in religion or look for faults and keep the truths?.

but instead the atheist richard dawkins tried to go against every aspect of religion, this would be a mistake against his very own reasoning!.

you cannot just totally eradicate something that is a wonder of truths to be found, that is the idea of religious books like the bible, to make the searcher look for the truth, not have it all in direct answers.

this is why religions are written like they are to make people search for the truths in the religion, not just lay out all the answers in one go.

richard dawkins fails to realise that there are massive truths of the universe revealed through religion and to be found in religion, but instead richard dawkins just says religion is wrong lets do away with religion.

richard dawkins is doing a run of programs on tv at the moment on channel 4, richard dawkins is also famous for the god delusion.

richard dawkins

new age religion and western culture

new age religion and western culture is probably a easy blend to find when you look back at the past of western culture being pagan, and that old world religion to the more traditional religions of the last 2,000 years like christian religion, to come to a combination religion and a kind of blend between the new age religion and western culture.

new age religion

new age religion good points is to at least self teach yourself, do not just follow the first thing you learn about new age religion, and also a good aspect of the new age religion is that it takes in other religions and tries to improve them, and give the person following the religion more chance to look deeper into there religion, and not saying the big traditional religions are wrong, but need more study, just as a christian monk would spend years meditating on christianity and vice verser with the other religions, and that the new age religion is not versus other religions as such.

so some positives to look at in the world of new age religion's.

new age religion or old age religion tarot is playing cards

new age religion is heavily based on the old age occult religion though new age religion being a somewhat watered down version in some ways, so for example things from the past brought forward and becoming common place in everyday life playing cards, and are playing cards based on the tarot.

some similarities between tarot cards and playing cards, kings, queens, jesters, diamonds, clubs, spades, hearts, colours red black and white.

these similarities might seem obvious but are nonetheless there, and does the tarot pre date playing cards, also playing cards can be divined just like tarot cards are divined or read to get occult information from the playing cards, so new age religion which is heavy into tarot cards is not so new age and more old age considering cards have been around a long time.

the playing cards are in death colours black, red and white.

tarot cards



playing cards



tarot cards

new age religion and fantasy online computer games like evony 4 story jade dynasty very new agey

new age religion and the rise of fantasy based computer games since the early 1990's, if you look at a lot of the free to play mmorpg style computer games they are very fantasy based, more so then based in reality with characters having super powers and super magic and magical powers in the these online computer games and very new agey does this tie into the rise of the new age religion slightly.

new age religion meditation on god like christian meditation or monks and 3rd eye activation and visions from the pineal gland

is the new age religion all that new really, essentially the new age religion should be based around meditation, like the kind carried out by christians when they sit in silence and listen to god, or similar like how monks meditate in silence and listen for god and also to activate there 3rd eyes for visions in meditation.

called the new age but still really the same as old age religion if you meditate on god or meditate to get visions and activate there 3rd eye or pineal gland.

i like the picture at the top of the page as it shows what can be achieved through meditation on god or just meditation in general, listening to the still voice, getting visions, opening up the soul to the universe.

sounds new agey but is really the techniques that have been used for 1000's of years, so the new age does not have to be new as such, but more a sign to start learning what you don't know, like learning how to talk to god or meditate.

new age religion: "Environ-Mentalism: A New Religion for a New Age" a new age religion conspiracy climate gate

new age religion a topic of debate around the idea of a new age is that is the formation of a new age religion or a upgrading of older religions being used to control people?, instead of improving religion like it should be?.

some videos on youtube show links between the new age spirituality being used to bring in a new age of world politics or control of the world though new political systems, the environment and green agendas said to be part of this control, and green really being used as a means of control and not really to help the environment like it is said to be, for example all the debate on whether man made global warming is actually real due to leaked emails by climate scientists, which has been called "climate gate".

"This video highlights the connection between the environmental movement and those who are striving to bring about a new system of control to the world.

Also be sure to check out part II of this video, titled 'Environ-Mentalism II: Means to an End'."

new age religion and western culture occult beliefs versus traditional religion religious jesus christ gnostic new ager, the gnostic jesus

new age religion and western culture is there a conflict or can there be some middle ground found between the new age and old age religious beliefs.

for example did jesus christ have some new age style beliefs teachings, so by understanding jesus christ more can there be found some new age values in jesus christs so called old age values or beliefs?.

the new age could be a good thing or a bad thing, the new age religion needs to be more understood to see what value it has to add to already standing beliefs like christianity, for example gnosticism is said to be a new age belief religion but is also linked to christianity!.

new age religions like Gnostic traditions teachings Astrology, Channeling, Hinduism, Spiritualism, Taoism yin yang, Theosophy, Wicca and Neo-pagan

in the title "new age religions like Gnostic traditions teachings Astrology, Channeling, Hinduism, Spiritualism, Taoism, Theosophy, Wicca and Neo-pagan" is some good example of new age religions and also religions that have links to the new age, also not forgetting the bible and christianity mentions there being a new age also.

one of these new age religions listed above taoism has also been said to have a christian element to it and be like a part of christianity in some ways.

taoism also known as Daoism is said to have been started by Lao Tse 604-531 BCE (before christ emerged).

the classic sign of taoism is the yin yang symbol which is also a big new age symbol as well.

picture of the basic yin yang symbol below.



this yin yang symbol also comes in altered states with slightly different designs as well, here are few good example of the yin yang symbol used slightly differently or changed to make it give different meanings.

this yin yang design below is one of my favourites and looks a bit like the words from the film crouching tiger hidden dragon, the crouching tiger hidden dragon saying also used to symbolise the kundalini force or kundalini energy also kundalini awakening etc.



the yin yang being one of the basics of taoism or daoism, this picture below is more specific for a taoist or daoist yin yang symbol.



next blog posts i will write about the other religions i listed at the top and also mix and match with religions already mentioned.

new age religion - new online witch forum - Alyson Hannigan witch picture

new witchcraft forum here is the link to witch NEW WITCH FORUM also famous buffy witch Alyson Hannigan picture, new age religion witch in buffy the vampire slayer.

new age religion

new age religion what is it? new age religion seems to be a way of more direct contact with god, of a person or individual having more personal spiritual control, we are now said to be in the new age, and so this is why it is said to be the time of the new age religion.

so now we are seeing a shift to these more new age religion beliefs, doesnt mean the old age religions go away, it just means there is more choice it would seem in religion for people.

new age religion takes in things like meditation, spirituality and things like that.