Sacred Earth Articles

Mount Shasta, California

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Mount Shasta located in Northern California is renowned for its spiritual and mystical qualities. It is a destination for mystics, gurus, sages and curious people from all over the world. Unexplained stories of miracles and spiritual occurrences are endless. This enormous mountain is endeared by all who come to visit or live near her. This dormant volcano is not part of any mountain range. She’s uniquely her own mountain in many ways. With a summit of 14,125 feet above sea level, Shasta is the second highest peak in the Cascade Mountain range. Her slopes rise abruptly nearly 10,000 feet above the surrounding landscape.

Those who live in Mount Shasta the small town located on the base of the mountain, will tell you stories of encounters with beings from other times, galaxies and planets. The most common encounters involve beings who do not currently have a human body, including Saint Germain, The White Brotherhood, Lemurians, the hidden city of Telos,and alien landings. But, by far they sense a certain special feeling that comes with being in the presence of Mt Shasta’s spiritual vortex energy. Our ancient ancestors knew a vortex or a gathering place of the earth’s energy was sacred. This special mountain has such a vortex. Ancient cultures considered these vortexes, portals to a higher dimension of consciousness.

If someone was near a vortex it activated and energized their etheric or energetic bodies making it possible for some to become aware of what mystics have discovered…our existence is multi-dimensional. Mount Shasta as well as Sedona, Arizona contain vortexes the average person is able to feel and sense.

Poet Joaquin Miller describes Shasta like this, “Lonely as God, and white as a winter moon, Mount Shasta starts up sudden and solitary from the heart of the great black forests of Northern California.” Native American Indians in the area profess that the mountain is the home of the spirit chief Skell who descended from heaven to the mountain’s summit.

There are many places to explore, places to stay, and services offering spiritual insights into Mt Shasta. The town of Mt Shasta is the base for most explorations. Enjoy this wonderful mystical mountain so close to Los Angeles.

Explore Divine Kerala, India

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Kerala, regionally referred to as Keralam, is a state in the south-west region of India on the Malabar coast. It was formed on 1 November 1956 as per the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam-speaking regions. Spread over 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi) it is bordered by Karnataka to the north and north east, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33,387,677 inhabitants as per the 2011 census, Kerala is the twelfth largest state by population and is divided into 14 districts. Malayalam is the most widely spoken and official language of the state. The state capital is Thiruvananthapuram, other major cities include Kochi, Kozhikode, Kollam, and Thrissur.

The region was a prominent spice exporter from 3000 BCE to 3rd century. The Chera Dynasty was the first powerful kingdom based in Kerala, though it frequently struggled against attacks from the neighbouring Cholas and Pandyas. During the Chera period Kerala remained an international spice trading center. Later, in the 15th century, the lucrative spice trade attracted Portuguese traders to Kerala, and eventually paved the way for the European colonisation of the whole of India. After independence, Travancore and Cochin joined the Republic of India and Travancore-Cochin was given the status of a state. Later, the state was formed in 1956 by merging the Malabar district, Travancore-Cochin (excluding four southern taluks), and the taluk of Kasargod, South Kanara.

An Introduction to Sacred and Wonderful Places

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It is said that travel is perhaps one of the most important elements of a strong education, for it is through travel that we learn that a world exists beyond our own. An open-minded traveler learns to see “the other” no longer as a stranger but rather as a resource from whom to learn and to grow. At The Life Site we encourage readers to broaden their minds by experiencing new places. There are legendary “power spots” such as Machu Pichu, Mt. Shasta, Sedona and the Pyramids, which according to some have special energies to heal and inspire one’s soul. There are also ancient cities, hills and valleys, where epic adventures and historical events took place. The world has an endless array of journeys available for those willing to travel and find new ways of looking at life itself.

For some, travel is considered more important than a formal education, and we at The Life Site we encourage you to take to the road in any way that you can so that you may experience a lifestyle different from your own. Enjoy, experience, learn and grow and bring back with you a new understanding.

Explore Beautiful Varanasi, India

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Varanasi 3The beautiful Varanasi, India is the holiest of Hindu’s sacred cities. The oldest inhabited city in the world lies beside the sacred River Ganges, nestled between the River Asi, to the south and the River Varuna, to the north. The flourishing city of Varanasi is rich in history and ceremonious traditions. The riverfront plays host to Ghats, which are stone stairways leading to the river; eighty-four of them, in fact. Each of the Ghats is significant in its own way and many travelers take part in freeing themselves from sin by bathing in the sacred river.

Varanasi, which is said to have been founded by the God Shiva, is a city abundant with intricately designed temples, an array shrines, spiritual depth, and exquisite art. The city, often referred to as “the religious capital of India,” is populated with designers creating garments using muslin and silk fabrics, as well as perfumes, sculptures, and ivory keepsakes.

Varanasi 1The history and sacred traditions of Varanasi are said to date back as far as 5,000 years. The area is lavished with a variety of religious beliefs; each encompassing their rituals and structures. Buddhism is marked by the Dhamek Stupa shrine, where it is said that the first sermon of Gautama Buddha was given. The followers of the Jain faith claim this area for worship and pilgrimage. Islamic sites are present in the area and date back as far as 1033 CE when the area was invaded and ruled by Muslims. In vast significance, the Hindu temples are effervescent in the area; after several periods of destruction by the Muslims, Varanasi rebuilt the temples, boasting its independence since the 18th century.

The Ghats of Varanasi are overlooked by temples, palaces, and shrines. Religious festivals and routine rituals are performed around and in these structures as well as along the riverfront. The Dashashwamedh Ghat is host to an evening worship called “Agni Pooja,” meaning Worship to Fire, which is performed by priests each night. This is a spiritual dedication to Shiva, sun, fire, and the universe. The cremation process, which takes place at various Ghats throughout Varanasi 5Varanasi is a symbol of spiritual release of the dead to the divinities; bringing them to a state of liberation. Many seek Varanasi when they are near death as it is said if you die in this sacred city you are released from reincarnation and are delivered from the aura surrounding you.

A traveler will not want to miss the opportunities to ride by boat along the River Ganges, especially at sun rise, to witness the splendor of spirituality taking place; walking along the Ghats and learning the meaning and life of each; wandering the side streets; and enjoying the view of the vibrant city from atop one of the many roof terraces in Varanasi.

Written by Shelly DeMarre

Where to Stay in Varanasi, India: The Nadesar Palace  or Hotel Rivatas by Ideal http://www.rivatas.com

Sacred Mount Kailash in Tibet

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The sacred Mount Kailash in Tibet is regarded by hundreds of millions of people as the ultimate spiritual mountain pilgrimage.

5 different religions view Mount Kailash as the spiritual center of the universe, the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhist, Jains and the Bon people all hold it in the highest reverence. To go there is regarded an opportunity to purify and expand consciousness to the highest level.

This imposing 21,000 feet mountain rises from the high alpine grasslands of Western Tibet. Many people visit the mountain to be in its presence and be blessed by it. It is also possible to undertake the pilgrimage route around the base of the mountain, a 3 day trek. This pilgrimage path crosses wild and remote passes and traverses through inspiring high alpine valleys. Directly associated with Mt Kailash in mythology is the sacred Manosorava lake, this beautiful holy place is the largest high altitude body of water in the world, and renowned for its healing properties.

In Buddhism are numerous sites in the region associated with Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), whose practices in holy sites around Tibet are credited with finally establishing Buddhism as the main religion of the country in the 7th–8th century.

In Hinduism the mountain is credited with being the home of Lord Shiva, the great god who is described as the destroyer of ignorance and illusion.

To get to Mount Kailash involves 1-3 days of travelling across the wild and scenic spaces of the Tibetan plateau, from either Lhasa, the former capital of Tibet, now in China, or Kathmandu in Nepal. This whole experience is an extraordinary event in one’s life and not to be missed.

There are a number of guide services offering tours to Kailash, and the journey typically takes 10-20 days depending on the route, whether the pilgrimage route is undertaken or not.

The New Facts of Life, Part 1

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A discussion of the interrelations between food, health, and the environment is extremely topical today. In part one of this three part essay we’ll discuss Ecological Literacy.

Rising food prices together with the price of oil and a series of so-called “natural” catastrophes dominate the news every day. At the same time, there is a lot of confusion. Why are world food prices increasing so quickly and dramatically? Why is world hunger rising again after a long steady decline? What do
food prices have to do with the price of oil? Why is it so important to grow food locally and organically? In this brief talk, I shall try to show that a full understanding of these issues requires a new ecological understanding of life (a new “ecological literacy”) as well as a new kind of “systemic” thinking – thinking in terms of relationships, patterns, and context.

Indeed, over the last 25 years, such a new understanding of life has emerged at the forefront of science. I want to illustrate this new understanding by asking the age-old question, what is life? What’s the difference between a rock and a plant, animal, or microorganism? To understand the nature of life, it is not enough to understand DNA, proteins, and the other molecular structures that are the building blocks of living organisms, because these structures also exist in dead organisms, for example, in a dead piece of wood or bone.

The difference between a living organism and a dead organism lies in the basic process of life – in what sages and poets throughout the ages have called the “breath of life.” In modern scientific language, this process of life is called “metabolism.” It is the ceaseless flow of energy and matter through a network of chemical reactions, which enables a living organism to continually generate, repair, and perpetuate itself. In other words, metabolism involves the intake, digestion, and transformation of food.

Metabolism is the central characteristic of biological life. But understanding metabolism is not enough to understand life. When we study the structures, metabolic processes, and evolution of the myriads of species on the planet, we notice that the outstanding characteristic of our biosphere is that it has sustained life for billions of years. How does the Earth do that? How does nature sustain life?

Ecological literacy
To understand how nature sustains life, we need to move from biology to ecology, because sustained life is a property of an ecosystem rather than a single organism or species. Over billions of years of evolution, the Earth’s ecosystems have evolved certain principles of organization to sustain the web of life. Knowledge of these principles of organization, or principles of ecology, is what we mean by “ecological literacy.”

In the coming decades, the survival of humanity will depend on our ecological literacy – our ability to understand the basic principles of ecology and to live accordingly. This means that ecoliteracy must become a critical skill for politicians, business leaders, and professionals in all spheres, and should be the most important part of education at all levels – from primary and secondary schools to colleges, universities, and the continuing education and training of professionals.

We need to teach our children, our students, and our corporate and political leaders, the fundamental facts of life – that one species’ waste is another species’ food; that matter cycles continually through the web of life; that the energy driving the ecological cycles flows from the sun; that diversity assures resilience; that life, from its beginning more than three billion years ago, did not take over the planet by combat but by networking.

All these principles of ecology are closely interrelated. They are just different aspects of a single fundamental pattern of organization that has enabled nature to sustain life for billions of years. In a nutshell: nature sustains life by creating and nurturing communities. No individual organism can exist in isolation. Animals depend on the photosynthesis of plants for their energy needs; plants depend on the carbon dioxide produced by animals, as well as on the nitrogen fixed by bacteria at their roots; and together plants, animals, and microorganisms regulate the entire biosphere and maintain the conditions conducive to life.

Sustainability, then, is not an individual property but a property of an entire web of relationships. It always involves a whole community. This is the profound lesson we need to learn from nature. The way to sustain life is to build and nurture community. A sustainable human community interacts with other communities – human and nonhuman – in ways that enable them to live and develop according to their nature. Sustainability does not mean that things do not change. It is a dynamic process of co-evolution rather than a static state.

http://www.ecoliteracy.org/essays/new-facts-life

The New Facts of Life, Part 2

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A discussion of the interrelations between food, health, and the environment is extremely topical today. In part two of this three part essay we’ll discuss Systems Thinking.

to read part one click here

Systems thinking
The fact that ecological sustainability is a property of a web of relationships means that in order to understand it properly, in order to become ecologically literate, we need to learn how to think in terms of relationships, in terms of interconnections, patterns, context. In science, this type of thinking is known as systemic thinking or “systems thinking.” It is crucial for understanding ecology, because ecology – derived from the Greek word oikos (“household”) – is the science of relationships among the various members of the Earth Household.

Systems thinking emerged from a series of interdisciplinary dialogues among biologists, psychologists, and ecologists, in the 1920s and ’30s. In all these fields, scientists realized that a living system – organism, ecosystem, or social system – is an integrated whole whose properties cannot be reduced to those of smaller parts. The “systemic” properties are properties of the whole, which none of its parts have. So, systems thinking involves a shift of perspective from the parts to the whole. The early systems thinkers coined the phrase, “The whole is more than the sum of its parts.”

What exactly does this mean? In what sense is the whole more than the sum of its parts? The answer is: relationships. All the essential properties of a living system depend on the relationships among the system’s components. Systems thinking means thinking in terms of relationships. Understanding life requires a shift of focus from objects to relationships.

For example, each species in an ecosystem helps to sustain the entire food web. If one species is decimated by some natural catastrophe, the ecosystem will still be resilient if there are other species that can fulfill similar functions. In other words, the stability of an ecosystem depends on its biodiversity, on the complexity of its network of relationships. This is how we can understand stability and resilience by understanding the relationships within the ecosystem.

Understanding relationships is not easy for us, because it is something that goes counter to the traditional scientific enterprise in Western culture. In science, we have been told, things need to be measured and weighed. But relationships cannot be measured and weighed; relationships need to be mapped. So there is another shift: from measuring to mapping.

In biology, a recent dramatic example of this shift happened in the Human Genome Project. Scientists became acutely aware that, in order to understand the functioning of genes it is not enough to know their sequence on the DNA; we need to be able to also map their mutual relationships and interactions.

Now, when you map relationships, you will find certain configurations that occur repeatedly. This is what we call a pattern. Networks, cycles, feedback loops, are examples of patterns of organization that are characteristic of life. Systems thinking involves a shift of perspective from contents to patterns.

I also want to emphasize that mapping relationships and studying patterns is not a quantitative but a qualitative approach. Systems thinking implies a shift from quantity to quality. A pattern is not a list of numbers but a visual image.

The study of relationships concerns not only the relationships among the system’s components, but also those between the system as a whole and surrounding larger systems. Those relationships between the system and its environment are what we mean by context.

For example, the shape of a plant, or the colors of a bird, depend on their environment – on the vegetation, climate, etc. – and also on the evolutionary history of the species, on the historical context. Systems thinking is always contextual thinking. It implies a shift from objective knowledge to contextual knowledge.

Finally, we need to understand that living form is more than a shape, more than a static configuration of components in a whole. There is a continual flow of matter through a living system, while its form is maintained; there is development, and there is evolution. The understanding of living structure is inextricably linked to the understanding of metabolic and developmental processes. So, systems thinking includes a shift of emphasis from structure to process.

All these shifts of emphasis are really just different ways of saying the same thing. Systems thinking means a shift of perception from material objects and structures to the nonmaterial processes and patterns of organization that represent the very essence of life.

This essay is adapted from a speech Fritjof Capra delivered at a professional development institute, “Linking Food, Health, and the Environment,” hosted by the Center for Ecoliteracy and Teachers College Columbia University in the summer of 2008.

http://www.ecoliteracy.org/essays/new-facts-life