CHARLESTON, S.C. (PRWEB) September 30, 2014

Author Alan H. Johnson, Ph.D., explores the philosophical relationship humans have with the world in which they find themselves in his book, Philosophy: A Path with Heart (published by AuthorHouse).

Johnsons book asks the question What are you thinking? Throughout the book, Johnson walks his readers through a philosophical and spiritual journey. Colored with personal stories of his own philosophical journey, Johnsons book strives to get readers questioning the relevant facts of their very personal lives.

The thrust of this book is to bring more people to consciously reflect on themselves, their immediate environment and the larger world of which they are a part, Johnson says. I would like to rescue philosophy from a kind of specialized, esoteric academic captivity. A spiritual life is not under the province of religion, nor is philosophical reflection under the province of formal education.

Johnson hopes to bring philosophy to the masses, educating them on how they too can travel on a journey of philosophical and spiritual enlightenment. Through taking this journey, readers will be able to appreciate a more balanced life which Johnson contends requires religiously attending to spiritual, physical and thoughtful practices.

Philosophy: A Path with Heart By Alan H. Johnson, Ph.D. Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 308 pages | ISBN 9781491898024 Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 308 pages | ISBN 9781491898031 E-Book | 308 pages | ISBN 9781491898017 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author Alan H. Johnson, Ph.D., holds a bachelors degree in electrical engineering, a masters degree in philosophy, a sixth degree black belt in tae kwon do and a doctorate in counseling psychology. He spent two years of studying at Union Theological Seminary and a year and half at the C.G. Jung institute in Zrich. He taught family medicine residents and worked in clinical practice for 33 years.

AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, LLC self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industrys only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. For more information or to publish a book, visit authorhouse.com or call 1-888-519-5121. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.

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Alan H. Johnson takes readers on journey of heart in new book

Most retreats are about healing your body, while the meditation revolution is addressing our over-taxed minds. As the intensity on the notion of inner beauty continues among elite beauty-chasers, next on many a frazzled New Yorkers to-fix list is the third dimension, the spiritual aspect of the self.

At10 a.m.on a hazy AugustSunday, my friend Sophie and I joined the good people of Litchfield, Conn., for a yoga class at a new venue known simply as The Schoolhouse.

Not that this was like any yoga Ive practiced before.

With a soundtrack encompassing everything from Van MorrisonsInto The Mysticto the Black Eyed Peas, it was more of a vinyasa-Sufi-dance hybrid, designed, as our instructor Maureen Dodd breathed above the music, to clear the Chakras and really move the energy around the body.

And it was powerful stufffor Sophie and I it represented the culmination of a weekend-long immersion in Destination Spiritual, a bespoke retreat package created by Ms. Dodd and co-founder Rachel Paletsky Ash. Ms. Ash is married to Dr. Richard Ash of alternative Upper East Side health clinic The Ash Center, where Goldie Hawn is among clients who visit for allergy treatments and intravenous vitamin infusions.

Beyond a physical retreat to Litchfields sweeping fields of light, the literal translation, Destination Spiritual, can be defined as the desire to truly understand ourselves and our internal landscape, explained the founders at our candlelit initiation, setting the tone for a weekend of sustained and soulful self-examination.

Traditionally, retreats are about doing or striving for something. But we wanted to create a space to simply re-establish the relationship with our higher selves, explained Ms. Dodd. Mastery of our internal landscape is at the root of our success, as well as the mastery of our external, material world. Their mission is to assist clients to redefine the concept of spirituality itself. Rather than being confined to the arena of organized religion, the Destination Spiritual teams aim is to promote a basic ethos: just as we maintain our physical body, we lift ourselves by nurturing our spiritual and emotional body, Ms. Dodd said at the start.

The pampering element was thrown in too, thankfully. Enlightenment does not require any wearing of hair shirts and self-flagellation at Destination Spiritual. Our lodging for the weekend was the award-winning Relais & Chateaux property Winvian, an up-market hideaway where the elegant farm-to-table fare is byDaniel Boulud and Alain Ducasse-trained chef Chris Eddy. The Pitt-Jolies have been known to sneak up there for a getaway. It also happens to be five minutes up the road from The Schoolhouse, the old Victorian school building that Ms. Dodd and Ms. Paletsky Ash have spent the past year renovating for their spiritual retreat, in this quiet corner of Connecticut.

Litchfield County is New Yorks other weekend destination, the one where uber A-listers Daniel Day Lewis, Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman go in order not to mingle with each other or anyone else. Hillary Clinton is a regular at neighborhood hot spot, the West Street Grill, in Litchfield, where the Mumfords and Carey Mulligan have also been spotted. Heading south from Litchfield itself, George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis of Manolo Blahnik own the Arethusa Farm and Dairy, selling the most delicious products almost directly from the udders of prize-winning Jersey cows. Diane von Furstenbergs Cloudwalk Farm floats above the lakes and mountains nearby. Fortunately for all, the paparazzi have deemined the area to be too spread-out geographically to bother with. The area provides the ideal backdrop for a sophisticated break, beckoning urbanites to come and ease their troubled minds at a number of different holistic retreats and spas.

Ms. Dodd and Ms. Paletsky Ash have infused their chic-yet-nurturing environment with good vibesthere are crystals from Brazilian faith healer John of God embedded in the broad, oak floorboards where the majority of the weekends spiritual teachings take place. The sessions mainly manifested as a series of guided meditations, during which we were festooned with crystals, and anointed with medicinal oils.

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Follow Incognito A-listers Out to Litchfield County For a Trip to the Third Dimension

Leaders in the Indian community of Philadelphia were among those in attendance at India prime minister Narendra Modi's events in New York on his first visit to the U.S. last night."My wife and I attended the dinner last night at the Pierre Hotel," Kris Singh PhD., founder and chief executive at Holtec, the Marlton power plant parts maker, told me. "The Prime Minister gave a short speech -- more like a homily -- and then graciously stood for hours greeting every guest with an Indian 'namaste'' or a Western handshake.

"I found him to be a gifted and charismatic speaker. His line on making India better understood by the rest of the world through increased tourism -- 'Terrorism divides peoples, tourism unites them' -- drew rapturous applause. He spoke in Hindi. I was impressed with his command of Hindi which is not his native language. I, like many others present, believe that Mr. Modi will be transformative force for making India into a more perfect liberal democracy and the countrys economy will be re-energized by his no-nonsense approach to governance.

"It was really quite an event -- a frenzied, chaotic, but happy occasion. 20,000 people were screaming in the stands for a rock star, you would have thought," adds Dr. Aseem Shukla, associate professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and cofounder of the the Hindu American Foundation (www.hafsite.org) (corrected). (More about Dr. Shukla and his history with Modi before he was elected Prime Minister earlier this year, here.)

Before the visit, Shukla wrote this piece at FirstPost on the significance of the New York event. Highlights:

"If the Modi moment is prone to hyperbole and tired metaphors, it is because the moment is ripe with emotions not ascribed to a political leader in over sixty years...

"More than forty-thousand Indian Americans went through a ponderous online process clamoring for twenty-thousand tickets to hear the prime minister speak... What explains the rock star welcome?... No one expects the dapper Modi to don a Karzai-esque cape when he swoops into Gotham City, but if Modi actually delivers on many of the promises of his campaign, be prepared for more mythmaking...

"Modinomics: Indian Americans wrestle with the guilt that they left India in search of a prosperity that eluded them at home. The India they left was clear in its socialist messaging: individual prosperity necessarily deprives another of limited resources. Resources were to be allocated, not created; economic structures militated against wealth creation. To that narrative, another already existed--renunciation. Capitalism was the converse not of socialism, but of the real aim in life of shedding the bonds of materialism and maya.

"The diaspora finds many ways to deal with the duality--continue earning while giving more to building temples, seeking spiritual solace and learning at sundry ashrams, churches and mosques. But the Modi archetype resolves the conflict. Modi is the renunciate who does not repudiate prosperity. Modi may be a sadhu in his personal life--no kanchan or kamini, though accepting some kirti--but he is a sadhu who preaches that wealth creation is good, as long as one is not enslaved by it and is able to lift all boats with it.

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"Modi is the man for this moment"

WOODRIDGE, Ill. (PRWEB) September 29, 2014

Author J.M. Wright says she often found herself wandering alone in the past, as if she was lost in a desert. While she says these moments were mentally exhausting, they also turned out to be something more a learning experience.

Wright invites readers to experience her journey and have one of their own in her new book Crossing the Deserts of Life: My Spiritual Journeys (published by AuthorHouse), which will be featured at the 2014 Illinois Library Association conference.

Wright says that there was a time when she trusted no one, not even God. She attributes this to being self-absorbed and selfish. She goes on to say that this selfishness is responsible for her being in such a lonely and desolate state for so long.

There is a spiritual connection to our lives, Wright says. We can be a conqueror of the facets of life, if we look within.

Throughout Crossing the Deserts of Life, Wright emphasizes the idea that her life was once a desert, with her book being a personal reflection of a dead and arid part of her life. Readers will watch as she finds peace through her realization that God has unconditional love for her.

Nothing is so seriously bad that there cannot be victory over your life, Wright says.

Crossing the Deserts of Life By J. M. Wright Softcover | 5 x 8 in | 460 pages | ISBN 9781420875409 E-Book | ISBN 9781456748050 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author J.M. Wright is a 65-year-old mother and grandmother. Crossing the Deserts of Life is her first published book and follows a transformative period of her life.

AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, LLC self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industrys only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. For more information or to publish a book, visit authorhouse.com or call 1-888-519-5121. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.

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J.M. Wrights Book to be Featured at 2014 Illinois Library Association Conference

In the US, capitalists seem to be looting Buddhism, making off with its meditation mindfulness techniques and ignoring spiritual teachings such loving kindness. But how is mindfulness unfolding in South Africa?

Upmarket lifestyle shops sell statues of Buddha by the thousand while some of Wall Streets most successful traders claim that meditation helps them to focus thus enabling them to make more money.

The Buddhist concept of mindfulness is also growing in popularity in Western medicine, as more studies show the benefits of meditation and yoga on reducing anxiety and depression.

Earlier this year, Time magazine devoted a cover story to the mindful revolution, while Bloomberg featured a story headlined To make a killing on Wall Street, start meditating.

Mindfulness, simply put, encourages people to be aware of what is happening in the present moment without judgment, often through meditation based on breathing.

Scientific studies now prove what Buddhist monks have long felt: that the effects of meditation can be measured in the brain, particularly in the prefrontal cortex that regulates emotions.

But it is hard not to be cynical about what looks like capitalist looting of an ancient Eastern spirituality, taking meditation and applying it for material benefit while ignoring the Buddhist values of compassion, tolerance and the pursuit of wisdom.

Neuroscientist Dr Cliff Saron, from the University of California at Davis, has been studying mindfulness since the 1970s.

Disturbed by the recent popularity of mindfulness with hedge-fund traders, Saron says sardonically that the way it has gained traction might be a retraction.

But his painstaking efforts have added to growing scientific proof of the positive effects of meditation.

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Not simply adapting Buddha for suburbia

The fourth International Buddhist Conclave attracted tourists from across the world who were eager to visit the place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment and to learn more about the religion he propagated.

The Conclave began on Friday in Bodh Gaya in Bihar and concluded on Monday on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi.

Most of the visitors were enthralled to witness the rituals performed by priests on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi.

The chanting of hymns, the flickering lights of earthen lamps and the essence of incense sticks presented a rare spiritual experience for the participants.

Secretary of Indian Tourism Amrit Abhijat said that the conclave was initiated with the view to attract more Buddhist tourists from various countries.

"They have come here directly from Bodh Gaya. Our government has made elaborate arrangements to welcome them. This is a combined effort and initiative of the central government, government of Bihar and government of Uttar Pradesh (UP). And through this religious tour we are making this effort so that countries across the globe come to know about the Buddhist circuit and it becomes easier for us to make tie-ups with them," said Abhijat.

The conclave included presentations, panel discussion and business to business meetings between the international and domestic tour operators.

Sangel Haden, who is a tourist from Bhutan said that her visit to Varanasi assumes importance as Lord Buddha had preached on this soil.

"Lord Buddha has lived most of his life here and he did a teaching on four noble truths here. So that is why it is very important for all the Bhutanese here, not only Bhutanese but all Buddhists in the world," said Haden.

Bodh Gaya witnessed a huge gathering of business leaders and tour operators. The event gave the participants an opportunity to interact, promote, package and sell pilgrimage itineraries of the Buddhist sites in the country.

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Tourists from across the globe throng fourth International Buddhist Conclave

CHEEZYPOOFS! Day2:Juice Detox Fast for Nutrition,Weightloss,Creative Blocks,Spiritual Enlightenment
Today is day two of my juice detox fast and I am craving Cartman Southpark CHEEZYPOOFS! I also talk about picking your poop: colonic, enema, saltwater flush ...

By: Lynnette Astaire

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CHEEZYPOOFS! Day2:Juice Detox Fast for Nutrition,Weightloss,Creative Blocks,Spiritual Enlightenment - Video

Water fasting for (Astral Projection) spiritual enlightenment, day (five of seven). Part 1
water fasting. spiritual enlightenment. spiritual grow.

By: eladnacnud

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Water fasting for (Astral Projection) spiritual enlightenment, day (five of seven). Part 1 - Video

As Vulture's Streaming Week comes to a close, here are five web series currently in progress that are worth five minutes of your time.

Idiotsitter A struggling young woman (Charlotte Newhouse) becomes the court-appointed guardian to a rich, hard-partying teenager (Workaholics Jillian Bell).

Hello Cupid Longtime friends Whitney (Ashley Blaine Featherson) and Robyn (Hayley Marie Norman) dont share the same taste in menexcept for the times when they share it too much.

Be Here Nowish What happens when two New Yorkers in turmoil move to Los Angeles in search of spiritual enlightenment? A lot of weird energy ceremonies.

Reggie Watts: Teach In each episode, Watts channels a different teacher character, imparting bizarre, factually inaccurate, yet still enthralling wisdom to his students.

Whatever This Is.A pair of production assistants struggle to make it in New York with crappy, soul-wrecking gigs on bad reality-TV shows. Often funny but also bleak as hell.

*This article appears in the September 22, 2014 issue of New York Magazine.

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5 Great Web Series You Should Be Watching Now

What Is Spiritual Enlightenment or Spiritual Awakening,
What Is Spiritual Enlightenment or Spiritual Awakening,

By: US Freedom Club

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What Is Spiritual Enlightenment or Spiritual Awakening, - Video

WILMINGTON, N.C. (PRWEB) September 25, 2014

In 2008, author L.S.L. Noble was looking forward to taking a spiritual pilgrimage to India, but days before her trip she became gravely ill and was left unable to travel. While Noble was bedridden stateside, terrorists attacked the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai, where her fellow pilgrims were staying two of whom ultimately died while many more were wounded.

Noble has experienced such fateful occurrences frequently throughout her life. She chronicles her unique journey in her new book, Grateful Witness: Stories from an Enlightening Journey (published by Balboa Press). This autobiography follows Noble on her path to spiritual enlightenment, encountering many mystical and magical events along the way.

The otherworldly and metaphysical experiences contained in Grateful Witness can expand the readers evolutionary awareness. Nobles tale takes a unique approach in helping individuals find spiritual balance. She also explores how meditation affects health and healing of the mind, body and spirit.

Grateful Witness is different from other books in the market because rather than a how to teaching approach, Grateful Witness reveals, through stories of first-hand experience, the mystical process of an enlightening journey, she says.

Noble encourages readers to liberate themselves from the unconscious and experience the bliss and beauty of life.

Grateful Witness By L.S.L. Noble Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 246 pages | ISBN 9781452572840 Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 246 pages | ISBN 9781452572833 E-Book | 246 pages | ISBN 9781452572826 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author L.S.L. Noble began dancing at the age of 3 and later became an accomplished artist. Her experiences in the fine arts inspired her to write a spiritual autobiography, encouraging others to discover their natural creative expression. She currently resides in North Carolina with her son, Lee, where she enjoys spending time in the sun, sand and water.

Balboa Press, a division of Hay House, Inc. a leading provider in publishing products that specialize in self-help and the mind, body, and spirit genres. Through an alliance with indie book publishing leader Author Solutions, LLC, authors benefit from the leadership of Hay House Publishing and the speed-to-market advantages of the self-publishing model. For more information, visit balboapress.com. To start publishing your book with Balboa Press, call 877-407-4847 today. For the latest, follow @balboapress on Twitter.

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L.S.L. Noble shares her spiritual, serendipitous life in new book

CTFU For Spiritual Enlightenment
Be aware of your POSTURE! The purpose of life is to be happy. Carb, Sleep,Hyd...

By: POWSIMIAN

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CTFU For Spiritual Enlightenment - Video

What Can Judaism Teach Us about

Reforming Organized Religion?

Faith-based Traditions Must Adapt to Stay Relevant,

Says Former Temple President

As we approach Yom Kippur on Oct. 4, also known as the Day of Atonement the holiest day of the year in Judaism Martin Vesole, former president of Temple Menorah in Chicago, and author of a well-regarded novel about the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, says his religious tradition must adapt or risk fading into irrelevance.

Twenty percent of Americans describe themselves as spiritual but not religious theyre part of the 46 million religiously unaffiliated adults in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center, says Vesole, a former attorney and author of the Jewish-themed novel Sleeping Truth,www.martinvesole.com.

Of religiously unaffiliated adults, more than two thirds say they believe in God, and one in five say they pray daily. Only 13 million are self-described agnostics or atheists. To me, this says that faith is alive and well in 2014, Vesole says.

However, particularly for younger people, the compulsory traditions of organized religion are viewed as archaic, though the need for purpose and meaning in life remain strong. Organized religion can be doing more to remain relevant to the millions who are hungry for spiritual significance.

Organized religions have adapted and evolved throughout history, Vesole notes, citing examples in the history of the Jews:

Fundamental aspects of Judaism changed to meet changing needs.

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Reforming Religion

Continued from yesterday

Dharmapala decided to join Colonel Olcott and C.W.Leadbeater in their campaign to raise funds for the activities of the campaign and acted as a junior clerk. From this juncture, he renounced wealth, the comforts of a secular life and became known as Anagarika Dharmapala homeless one, celibate, fulltime worker for Buddhism.

His frequent trips abroad to India, Siam, Japan, UK and the USA started soon after he became involved in the activities of the Theosophical Society. His trip to Buddha Gaya in January 1891- the place the Buddha attained Enlightenment gave him a shock when he realised that the sacred place was in the hands of a Shiva priest, the Buddha image transformed into a Hindu God and the Buddhist pilgrims barred from offering pooja and paying respects. When Dharmapala arrived at the sacred place, he experienced a sense of mission that would occupy the rest of his life: As soon as I touched with my forehead the Vajirasana (the diamond throne of the Buddha), a sudden impulse came to my mind to stop here and take care of this sacred spot.

The most of the remainder of Dharmapalas devoted life was spent on reclaiming this most sacred Buddhist site from Hindu occupation.

In 1884, when Dharmapala accompanied Colonel Olcott on a trip to Japan, he read Sir Edwin Arnolds epic work Light of Asia. This book which was a poetic account of the life of the Buddha and in which the sacred Bodhi tree was described as the tree of wisdom was published in 1879. It appears that Dharmapala was aware of the Light of Asia soon after it was published. He wrote: I thought it was light from heaven. The idea of restoring Buddha Gaya into Buddhist hands was first expressed and disseminated by Sir Edwin Arnold after having visited the sacred place in 1886.

Anagarika Dharmapala acknowledged this: It was he who gave me the impulse to visit the shrine

Anagarika Dharmapala travelled extensively in Europe, America and the Far East and addressed hundreds of meetings, wrote thousands of letters and published hundreds of articles in various parts of the world with his avowed aim of disseminating the sublime teachings of the Buddha and to create a unified, righteous and peaceful society.

One of the major developments of Dharmapalas campaign was meeting with Mary Foster Robinson in 1893, a rich Hawaiian woman who became his main benefactress throughout his later life without whose extremely generous donations, most of his ambitious work such as London Buddhist Vihara, and the Buddhist activities in India including the Maha Bodhi Society would not have been possible.

In 1906, his father passed away. In 1915, riots between the Muslims and the Sinhalese erupted and internment was imposed on Anagarika by the British Government so that he could not leave India. After he returned from India (1922), he continued his Dhamma duta campaign in Europe and the USA even though he was suffering from a severe illness. Dharmapala blamed the British government for imposing a five year internment on him without any evidence of an offence committed by him. The restrictions imposed on his movements in India and travelling abroad interrupted his campaign in reclaiming Buddha Gaya and his Buddhist activities. Further, it greatly affected his health. As Dharmapala has mentioned in his diaries: The British government took every effort to get rid of me by keeping me as prisoner in India for five years.

To fulfil his long awaited sacred ambition, he became a monk on June 13, 1931 by the name of Sri Devamitta Dhammapala. Ven. Sri Devamitta Dhammapala received upasampada (higher ordination) in 1933 at Saranath. For this ceremony, three senior monks from Ceylon Madugalle Siddhartha, Kahawe Sumangala and Lunupokune Dharmakirthi were invited. Ven. Sri Devamitta Dhammapala passed away in April of the same year at the age of 68.

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Selfless spiritual seeker, greatest revivalist and propagandist of Buddhism in modern times

Anagarika Dharmapala (born on September 17, 1864, in Ceylon) was one of the most dynamic and cultured national heroes of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

He had a deep sense of patriotism, a highly disciplined mind and was prepared to sacrifice his own comforts, aspirations and his entire life for the sake of moral development and the peaceful enjoyment of life for all nations.

He was a devout practitioner and a fearless defender of the teachings of the Buddha which he strongly believed to be the panacea for the troubled world in which he grew up.

His aim was to reclaim the Buddhist sites in India, particularly the place of the Buddhas Enlightenment Buddha Gaya, from Hindu occupation for the benefit of all nations irrespective of differences and to revive and girdle the world with the message of the Buddha.

He is also widely regarded as a national hero who saved the Sri Lankan nation from cultural collapse and one of the few pioneers of the campaign in seeking complete independence and self governance for the Sri Lankan nation.

The deeper and deeper we unearth the personal sacrifices he made and the vast number of articles he wrote, the lectures he delivered and the hundreds of journeys he made from East to the West, the more we begin to appreciate his hitherto unsurpassed service to spread the teachings of the Buddha, The Light of Asia, throughout the civilised world.

I have quoted a section of a Pali stanza (gatha) from Dhammapada below as a fitting preamble to my article. This stanza was often used by Anagarika Dharmapala himself in his lectures and writings to emphasise that honest endeavour or rather sacrifice in dissemination of the Tathagatas teachings is far superior to any other gifts. This is what Anagarika believed to be the highest dana or selfless service he could offer to the world.

Sabba danam dhamma danam jinati The gift of Dhamma excels all other gifts

(Dhammapada tanha vagga, verse 354)

As we all know, Buddhism was propagated first by the Buddha himself and his Arahant disciples. During the first 200 years of its history, Buddhism was mainly confined to the Northern part of India.

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Selfless spiritual seeker and greatest revivalist and propagandist of Buddhism in modern times

Get married or try fasting, Fasting & not furious: These are not posters adorning a college campus but they are witty messages that adorn T-shirts, which have become a trend among Muslim youth around the world. Fashion in the age of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is constantly being reinvented. Clothes today can be used as a path for spiritual enlightenment too; wearing your mind on your tee is fun. Design Molvi is one such online store that makes creatively designed clothing carrying catchy and fun Islamic messages. Ibrahim Khan from Design Molvi is an Oxford graduate from the UK and runs the business along with his cousins, who are his co-partners. It all started with Umair, my partner and a graphic designer, attending a lecture on using our talents for Dawah, and he thought why not use the concept of giving dawah through T- shirts, said Khan. Trendy T-shirts with slogans such as Smile it is Sunnah, Fasting & not furious, Live like a traveler in Duniya are some of their best sellers. Khan said that there is also a Baby Molvi products range for infants, toddlers and children with slogan such as Mummys Fajr reminder. Currently operating only through online stores, they have plans to expand into retail too. Brotherhood Arts is another online retailer that is spreading the spiritual word through clothes and has made a lucrative business out of it. The business is run by a husband and wife duo from Malaysia and sells T-shirts printed with catchy messages, ayahs from the Holy Quran and Hadith. They envision to inspire good values through arts and creativity. Established in 2004, Brotherhood Arts is slowly growing and spreading the message of truth through their sports gear and hoodies. With these T-shirts and other apparel, we can peacefully spread our message of Islam across the world, and they can best serve as a constant reminder for us even if they hang around in our wardrobes. They sure can replace the Armanis and Versaces for at least a day. Good things always have an impact. This is creativity used in the right direction says Mujahid Ali, a sales manager in a telephone company. Ali, who likes to flaunt his spiritual tees, adds Every person is a promotion outlet and what better way to wear and promote the best attributes we believe in of Islam. Email: [emailprotected]

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Funky tees with a spiritual twist

VISTA, Calif. (PRWEB) September 17, 2014

A young man named Andre Roberson seeks answers to the mysteries of life and awaits the spiritual teachings of an old medicine man in the 2010 fiction by author William D. Hoy, titled Undying (published by Trafford Publishing). Hoys book is receiving a renewed marketing plan this year, complete with a promotional book trailer and advertising in the form of a new email marketing campaign.

In this thrilling murder-mystery adventure, Andre seeks guidance from a medicine man named Jing Xian. Jing becomes a pivotal character throughout the novel, supporting Andre in his search for lifes greater meaning. As Andre moves throughout his world he joins Jings monastery, where he faces mental and physical obstacles to his ultimate goal of enlightenment. The Grand Master of the monastery provides Andre with a commendation to further pursue the path of illumination.

Along their travels across the Moroccan desert on camelback, Andre and Jing encounter assassins, a mysterious Pakistani caravan member and the murder of fellow caravan members at a Kasbah located deep in the desert dunes.

Readers will be left to question and decipher the paths the two men take from the monastery to Marrakesh to the desert and back again as the supernatural mystery of their journey unfolds.

Is the possibility of living forever possible? Hoy asks his readers. Maybe. I love to travel and want the reader to feel the experience that I feel. Many things I have written about while visiting different countries are true. I write in short chapters, which makes it easier for the reader to get back into the book after they have put it down.

Undying By William D. Hoy Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 336 pages | ISBN 9781425180331 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author William D. Hoy was born in San Diego in 1941. He retired from his position of U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 after 26 years of service. Hoy graduated from Columbia College with a bachelors degree. He currently works as a part-time actor and enjoys traveling the world with his wife.

Trafford Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC, author services imprint, was the first publisher in the world to offer an on-demand publishing service, and has led the independent publishing revolution since its establishment in 1995. Trafford was also one of the earliest publishers to utilize the Internet for selling books. More than 10,000 authors from over 120 countries have utilized Traffords experience for self publishing their books. For more information about Trafford Publishing, or to publish your book today, call 1-888-232-4444 or visit trafford.com. ###

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2010 Novel Undying Sees Renewed Marketing Effort for 2014

There must have been some bad karma between Yu Shuimei, a lay female disciple of Buddhism in Jiangxi Province, and her Abbot, who went unnamed in media reportshe slashed her to death in his temple after she went asking about a debt.

The killing took place at the Guangfu Temple in a village at Wuning County of Jiujiang City, according to Jiangxi Television.

On the evening of Sept. 13, Ms. Yu, 59, accosted the abbot and only monk at the temple about a debt he owed her. She was next seen lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood, the abbot standing over her with a knife, according to her son-in-law, Li Daorong, who heard the screams. Blood marks and handprints were found on the ground around her body, indicating a struggle.

The abbot, who was not named, had reportedly owed Ms. Yu 7,000 yuan ($1,138)an old debt, according to Li.

Li Daorong, the son-in-law, said he was waiting for Yu outside the monastery when he heard her cries. They had previously entered the temple together where she had broached the debt issue; Li then left. When he went back in, he saw the body.

The suspect was arrested by local police, who say they are investigating the matter.

The case has shocked many in China, highlighting growing concerns about social breakdown and moral collapsein this case that a Buddhist monk, whose life is supposed to be dedicated to cultivating compassion and spiritual enlightenment, seems to be guilty of murder in cold blood. Buddhism strictly forbids the taking of any life.

Being a monk nowadays in China is just a career. During work they seem to be good. After work they gamble, hire prostitutes, and even swindle and steal, said Liyuanquanquan, an Internet user, on Sina Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter.

Rumors of sex scandals involving Chinese who identify themselves as Buddhist monks have surfaced many times in recent years.

In 2011, Shi Yongxin, the abbot of Shaolin Temple in Henan province, was attacked in an online post, which claimed that he held at least $3 billion in deposits in overseas bank accounts, and owned villas in the United States and Germany. The allegations, which were said to have come from disciples at the temple but were not confirmed, said he maintained an affair with a celebrity and relations with a student at Peking University with whom he had a child. The temple denied the claims, but Shi canceled his appearances at several significant Buddhist activities in China during the following year.

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NEW DELHI: Around 25 engineers at Maruti Suzuki's production planning and control division in Gurgaon recently came up against a pleasant surprise: their erstwhile boss, Atul Jain, had taken on a new avatar. He had morphed from a fiery boss to a colleague who seemed more malleable.

Earlier, Jain could not tolerate a single glitch in processes handled by his team and this led to frequent unpleasant situations. As a result, many of his subordinates hesitated to acknowledge their gaffes. Now, the picture has changed and Jain's team finds itself more in harmony than ever before. The transformation was the result of Maruti Suzuki introducing pilot sessions on spirituality and 'mind enlightenment' by the Brahmakumaris.

"After attending these in-house sessions, my efficiency as well as that of my department, has risen. The ownership in my team members has also improved. They no longer hesitate in disclosing their mistakes," says Jain.

Encouraged by the response, the company, which has been struggling to handle workplace conflicts, has introduced sessions on spirituality by the Brahmakumaris for all its 18,000 employees. Celebrity Brahmakumari Shivani will conduct the sessions on spiritual well-being. Her first session, webcast this week, reached out to all the employees.

"The sessions will help our employees keep stress levels in control and avoid conflicts at work. We will also customise training for the overall spiritual well being of our employees," says a Maruti Suzuki spokesperson. The sessions will help the Maruti employees keep emotions in place, says Brahma Kumari Shivani.

"We should not blame others for our anger; it is totally in our hands to control it," she says. Shivani has held similar sessions at companies like Larsen & Toubro, Indian Oil Corporation, Singapore Airlines, Godrej Industries, Sony Entertainment Television, GE Energy and Apollo Hospital.

Maruti is also working on other initiatives targeting employee engagement. For one, it boasts of a common canteen and uniform across hierarchies. "At Maruti Suzuki, we believe that having food together encourages bonding. Our Gurgaon plant has two vegetarian canteens that can seat about 2,400 persons. We also have a separate Japanese food counter for expats," says SY Siddiqui, chief mentor, Maruti Suzuki.

The company also organises a programme where families of the shop floor visit the factory on every second and fourth Saturday to interact with the Maruti team. "They bond over lunch, games etc. It's a full fun-day activity," he says.

About 45 per cent of Maruti employees are in the age bracket of 25 to 30 years but the broad HR policies and strategy are the same for them. "We believe that a younger workforce requires higher levels of engagement. With that in mind, our focus is to strengthen the on-boarding process-comprehensive induction training, challenging assignments, creating job excitement and mentoring," he says.

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Maruti Suzuki introduces pilot sessions on spirituality and mind enlightenment by Brahmakumaris