The Asatoma is an ancient prayer from India. In Sanskrit, it prays for guidance to grow from darkness to light, to distinguish the real from the unreal, and to be guided from death of the physical to the immortality of the Spirit. This ancient, non-sectarian prayer from the Upanishads is not a prayer for things…

Everyone says, “I want peace,” as if it will fall out of the sky and suddenly all will be peaceful. I’ve found that peace requires a lot of effort – at least as much as working in a corporation and probably more. When I worked sixty to eighty hour weeks in international business in Europe,…

Both Buddhist and Hindu teachings address controlling the monkey mind, but this didn’t make much sense until I travelled to India. In Andhra Pradesh monkeys scampered along the roadsides and populated villages. They sat at temples and ate the offerings to Ganesha or Gayatri. When curious visitors offered them cucumbers or bananas, they would grab…

Anchoring in one’s Self during the storms and trials is a way to stay centered during the rush of the day. In Native American traditions, the circle is a powerful symbol of wholeness. The Plains Indians used medicine wheels made of stones laid out on the earth as ways to connect with the sacred in…

More from Beliefnet and our partners