SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE CEREMONIES
“We don’t have too much ritual in our life anymore. And these life symbols which people rely on to keep their feeling of well being, that life is not too bad after all are required more and more.”
John Hench
To Honor the Sacred; To Prepare for a New Life; To Connect with the Sacred & To Transform Consciousness
Simply stated a ritual is an act performed for a benefit. Brushing your teeth every morning for example is a ritual so is blessing your food before you eat. Brushing your teeth cleans your teeth and refreshes your mouth while blessing your food before eating gives you the psychological satisfaction that your food is safe. Apart from individual rituals there are also group rituals in a family or in our community. Birth celebrations, birthday celebrations, sharing a holiday meal together, having dinner together daily and praying together before bed are some family rituals.
Communities are different in purpose but all communities engage in some kind of ritual that enhances their purposes. A religious community for example might meet once every week for prayer and worship or for meditation and attunement. What they do during those meetings to establish unity, friendship and order are rituals. For instance they might begin their church by reading from a sacred text and close their meeting with a prayer for peace and well being for everyone in the group. An arm of the government like the United States Senate begins the day’s business with a prayer. The purpose of all these rituals is to establish order, continuity, worship, adoration, unity, connectedness and understanding.
We appreciate the significance of all rituals but Life Cycle Ceremonies is more concerned with the sacred dimension of individual rituals as they enable us to reconnect with the sacred or to experience a transformation of consciousness. Our ancestors encountered the sacred in almost everything they did in singing, dancing, eating and in coming of age ceremonies. Our generation on the other hand, only talks about the sacred as it benefits us with hardly any time for meditation let alone participating in a ritual. Materialism has taken over our lives and we have all lost the transforming connection with our Spirit. Carl Jung reminds us that, “We should not pretend to understand the world only by the intellect. The judgment of the intellect is only part of the truth”. And John Hench tells us that we need more and more rituals to enhance our feelings of well being: “We don’t have too much ritual in our life anymore. And these life symbols which people rely on to keep their feeling of well being, that life is not too bad after all are required more and more”.
Unlike Shakespeare who regarded the world as a stage Confucius saw the world as a temple in which each of us is not just a player but a participant in a grand sacred ceremony. In our age very few of us see the world like Confucius mostly because of the challenges we face in order to survive. Unemployment, sickness, disappointments, homelessness, and similar hardships take away the very meaning of life. But it is precisely because of the hardships we face that we ought to find out what went wrong. If we have looked all through our environment with no satisfactory answer it is time to look within. There is a place of unity within us and our challenge is to reconnect with this center so that we are no longer individual players but participants in a grand sacred ceremony.
Functions of Rituals
There are three main functions of rituals and they include preparation for a new life, honoring the sacred, connecting with the sacred and transformation of consciousness.
Preparing for a New Life
New Life rituals are mostly associated with our life cycle from childhood to adolescence and from adolescence to adulthood. This transition in our life cycle results in developmental changes involving the physical body, the emotions and the mental. In effect the ritual highlights these changes and teaches the participant to be responsible in dealing with the demands of the body. New Life rituals also give the participant a “New Life”. This ritual is mostly for those who made some retrogressive choices but want a second chance. The ceremony serves as a balm to heal the participant and literally presents him or her with a “New Life. New Life ceremonies could also be used for positive reasons like preparing to get married or reclaiming your responsibility as a custodial of wealth.
Honoring the Sacred
We can honor the sacred by partaking in a ritual. Pilgrimage rituals for example enable us to honor our teachers, saviors, prophets and the Divine. In Islam it is a requirement for every Moslem to make the Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime with some exceptions. The purpose is mostly to honor Allah. Christians visit the birthplace of Jesus to honor the savior. Buddhists visit the places associated with the life and teachings of the Buddha for the same purpose. The practice of Puja in Hinduism also honors the Gods.
Connecting with the Sacred
Participating in rituals can bring us into the presence of the sacred. Baptism in Christianity connects us to the Divine. Puja in Hinduism also puts us right in the presence of the Divine. When you participate in a ritual with faith it takes you from the mundane world to a spiritual world where everything is possible. Merely taking the first step to enter the CIRCLE of UNITY in UNISM lifts you up to be with the HIGHEST! The ancient Greeks celebrated the Eleusinian mysteries yearly for participants to have a glimpse of the Highest. Socrates is said to have benefited from the ceremonies.
Transformation of Consciousness
Rituals also have the effect of transforming our consciousness. Rituals evoke certain states of mind that engender humility, gratitude and shape the moral character of the participant. Further rituals engender new thoughts that enable us to look at life differently. The experience of Malcolm X in Mecca is a case in point. During his Pilgrimage to Mecca he saw Moslems of all colors and races interacting as equals and that experience totally changed his world-view; it transformed him to become a new person. It transformed his level of consciousness to see hope in human racial relationships to the extent that he changed his approach on dealing with race issues in the United States.
Types of Rituals
We offer many types of rituals including Birth Ritual, Birthday Ritual, Adolescent Ritual, Life Transition Ritual, New Life Ritual, Regeneration Ritual, Engagement Ritual, Healing Ritual, Freedom from Addiction Ritual, Marriage Ready Ritual, Parenting Ready Ritual, Custodian of Wealth Ritual, Wedding Ritual and Marital Bliss Ritual
Each ritual serves a particular function. They are tailored to all your needs during the life cycle. Some rituals like Birth Ritual, Birthday Ritual, the Adolescent Life Cycle Ritual, the Life Transition Ritual and the Regeneration Ritual are time-specific. You need to partake in them at the required time in order to realize the full benefit of the ritual. The adolescent life cycle ritual for example is very important for pre-teens before they begin to experience the developmental changes that would take place during the life cycle. Apart from praying for the participant the ritual aims to inform, to motivate and to inspire and the participant stands to gain more from the ritual psychologically and spiritually.
The other rituals like New Life Ritual, Custodian of Wealth, Engagement, Parenting Ready, Healing, Freedom from Addiction, Marriage Ready, Marital Bliss and the Wedding Rituals depend on the individual. But do not delay your progress in life because it might be too late. Your life on earth is limited and you must do the things you need to do for your well being and the well being of those around you.
Rituals are not like going to a fast food restaurant. You need time to prepare. The moment you are aware of a life cycle ceremony give it some thought and consult with the minister first. In fact you can consult with your minister at least 90 days before the actual event. In this way you can prepare and be ready before the event. There are things to buy for the ritual like clothes and shoes to wear and food and drinks for the guests for the celebration after the ritual in the temple. All these require proper planning and attention before the event.
Part of each ritual is the offering. There is no charge for the rituals but there is an offering during the ritual. There is a spiritual significance for the offering. We can say that it brings balance or brings closure to the ritual but it is more than that. It is what you give for the blessings you receive during the ritual. The amount you give is up to you. Make it simple and put your offering in an envelope. At the end of the ritual you will be presented with an offering bag where you can make your offering. The minister will pray for the offering and conclude the ritual.
It is important that you support the minister outside the ritual ceremony. The offerings mostly go for the upkeep of the temple to continue to make them available for all people. You may choose a particular project of the temple and sponsor it like supplying candles for the rituals or manuals for prospective participants. You choose what you can do to foster the rituals and it will be blessed. Thank you for your generosity.
Birth Ceremony
The Birth Ritual serves to welcome the newborn into the world, give thanks and to bless the childfor the journey on earth. The ritual will take place on the 28th day of the child’s birth and the ceremony will take place in a temple.
Requirements
The child will wear white clothes, a white headwear and a pair of white shoes. The ritual will be performed in the presence of the parents and the spiritual parents. However you may also invite other family members and friends if you choose to do so. Another requirement is food and entertainment. The food is strictly vegetarian and all drinks are non-alcoholic. Food and entertainment is held within the temple in the room dedicated for entertainment.
Birthday Ceremony
The purpose of the Birthday Ritual is to give thanks for the life of the celebrant and to bless and prepare him or her for the life ahead. It is also a day for the celebrant to reflect, to remember, to plan, to share, to give, to forgive, and to celebrate. The ritual takes place on the anniversary of the birth date in the celebrant’s home. A minister may conduct the ritual in the home.
Requirements
The celebrant will wear white birthday clothes with a pair of white socks and white shoes. Provide a birthday cake and a birthday candle or candles. Also provide food and drink for the guests. Spiritual parents and biological parents must be present for child, adolescent and teenage birthday rituals. Dad will stick the candle into the cake and light it later.
Adolescent Life Cycle Ceremony
Adolescence is a period for developmental changes. Your body changes for future functions and responsibilities. The most noticeable changes are physical. Girls begin to grow breasts and have a regular menstrual cycle. Boys begin to develop facial hairs, have a deep voice and begin to produce semen. The significance of these changes is that a girl could bear a child and a boy could make a girl bear a child. The girl could become a mother and the boy could become a father. But you are not psychologically, socially and economically ready to bring a child into the world. It takes maturity, education, stability, leadership and financial responsibility to properly raise a child.
The purpose of the adolescent ritual is to prepare you for the developmental changes you will experience at this time of your life. It is also a time to bless and to prepare you for the life ahead. Further it is a time for you to reflect, to remember, to plan, to share, to give, to forgive, and to celebrate. It is a time to decide what you want to do, what you want to create and where you want to serve.
You are not losing anything when you postpone marital activities. Instead you are preventing hardship and disappointment in your life. You are postponing parental responsibilities to an appropriate time. When you wait and get married at the proper time you will still have the fulfilled life that many married people enjoy. What is more is that you will be at peace because you won’t be thinking about what the baby will eat or wear. You are not losing anything by postponing marital activities. Instead you will gain experience, understanding, maturity, wealth and prosperity. And all these will add to your joy and happiness.
Requirements
The Adolescent Ceremony takes place in a Temple. It is required for girls between the ages of 10 and 12 years old and for boys between the ages of 11 and 13 years old. The celebrant will wear white clothes with a pair of white socks and white shoes. Provide food and drink for the guests. Food is strictly vegetarian and drink is non-alcoholic if reception takes place in the Temple. Spiritual parents and biological parents are required to attend.
Life Transition Ceremony
The life of the adult is a life of many choices. It is also a life of freedom and responsibilities. It is a time to have a means of livelihood and a time to get married. It is a time to raise children and a time for leadership. You are the captain of the ship of your life and you are responsible for all your actions. This is the time to change your name if you are not comfortable with your birth name.
The main purpose of the Life Transition Ritual is to prepare you for the adult life. It is also a time to bless and to prepare you for the life ahead. Further it is a time for you to reflect, to remember, to plan, to share, to give, to forgive, and to celebrate.
Requirements
The Life Transition Ritual is for those who made harmonious choices during the last life cycle and it is open to young adults between the ages of 20 and 21. Those over 21 may also participate in the life transition ritual. The celebrant will wear white clothes with a pair of white socks and white shoes. Provide food and drink for the guests. Food is strictly vegetarian and drink is non-alcoholic if reception takes place in the Temple. Spiritual parents and biological parents are required to attend.
New Life Ceremony
Sometimes our life choices make it seem as if there is not going to be a new day. We feel guilty, we feel abandoned, we feel helpless and above all we feel stuck in life. But life always moves forward and you are part of life so you cannot really be stuck. If you have committed a crime against the state for example the wise thing to do is to do the time and get your life back. No doubt some may still have it difficult to move on and that is where the New Life Ritual comes in to help you to move forward. The New Life Ceremony serves two purposes for the young adult. It gives you a New Life and also prepares you for the Adult Life.
Requirements
The New Life ritual is for those who made some retrogressive choices and is open to young adults between the ages of 20 and 21. First the ceremony serves as a balm to heal the young adult and second, the ritual gives a New Life to the young adult. This New Life is clean and it is as good as any life on Earth. The celebrant will wear white clothes with a pair of white socks and white shoes. Provide food and drink for the guests. Food is strictly vegetarian and drink is non-alcoholic id reception takes place in the Temple. Spiritual parents and biological parents are required to attend.
Freedom from Addiction Ceremony
Addiction is doing the same thing over and over again in spite of negative results. Addiction could result from things we consume as well as things we do. Addiction from the things we consume is called substance dependence and the substances may include drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, food or coffee. Addiction from the things we do is called behavioral addiction including gambling, shopping, computing or spending. People with an addiction have lost control and they cannot help themselves.
Some of the manifestations of addition are loss of will power, harmful side effects, unmanageable lifestyle, increased use of the substance in case of substance addiction and withdrawal symptoms when trying to quit. Treatment may include counseling, therapy, medical treatment or social treatment.
The most popular form of social treatment is the 12-Step program but in most cases the 12-step program is also combined with other legitimate forms of treatment. You can almost find a 12-step group for any kind of addiction.
Freedom from Addiction Ritual is one of the legitimate programs for your healing. It is not intended to take the place of other forms of treatment but to complement them. The basic premise of a ritual is to connect with your spirit and from this connection it is hoped other forms of treatment will produce beneficial results.
Requirements
The Freedom from Addiction Ritual is for those who are addicted to a substance or a behavior. It is for those who are planning to use other forms of legitimate treatment or are already using other forms of legitimate treatment. The addicted person will wear white clothes with a pair of white socks and white shoes. Provide food and drink for the guests. Food is strictly vegetarian and drink is non-alcoholic if reception takes place in the Temple. Spiritual parents and biological parents are required to attend.
Custodian of Wealth Ceremony
Some believe that we lack money or wealth because we have not accepted our responsibility as custodians of wealth. There seems to be some merit in this thought if you see yourself as a co-creator in the cosmic scheme of things. When you become a co-creator you decide before you create. It is your decision to do something that supplies the necessary ingredients toward manifesting your desired object. In the same way when you decide to accept your responsibility as a custodian of wealth you change the mental processes that inhibit your responsibility as a custodian of wealth. We often think of wealth as something to acquire or something to grab or hoard. But wealth is meant to be flowing, or circulating. That is the only way it does good things. The moment you change your mentality from hoarding wealth to giving away wealth you certainly become a custodian of wealth.
As a Custodian of Wealth you are mostly concerned in the circulation of wealth. If there are homeless people in your city you are not performing your function as a Custodian of Wealth and it does not matter whether you are homeless or not. We are all Custodians of Wealth.
Requirements
The child will wear white clothes, a white headwear and a pair of white shoes. The ritual will be performed in the presence of the parents and the spiritual parents. However you may also invite other family members and friends if you choose to do so. Another requirement is food and entertainment. The food is strictly vegetarian and all drinks are non-alcoholic. Food and entertainment is held within the temple in the room dedicated for entertainment.
According to the Cosmic Book of Creation every living creature has a share of the wealth of the Earth. It is human greed that is responsible for the commercialization of the natural resources. The Cosmic truth is that it does not matter even if you developed the land or mined the natural resources underneath the earth; every creature still has a share of it! Many traditional cultures know this Truth and that is why if you went to Abalama in Nigeria today you will find that no native buys land in order to build a house; land is given freely to any native that wants to build a house.
If there are low income people on a waiting list in your city in order to get into subsidized housing you are not performing your function as a Custodian of Wealth. Housing should be provided immediately to all those who need them because it is their birthright and it does not matter whether they have the money to pay for it or not! Every creature has a share of whatever you produce with the resources of the earth! This is the COSMIC LAW!
Requirements
The Custodian of Wealth Ritual is mostly for those who want to change the way they think about wealth. The Custodian of Wealth participant will wear white clothes with a pair of white socks and white shoes. Provide food and drink for the guests. Food is strictly vegetarian and drink is non-alcoholic if reception takes place in the Temple. Spiritual parents and biological parents are required to attend.
Healing Ceremony
It is a fact that the body heals itself. We are all born with the power to heal because healing is built into our system. If it were not so cuts to the body will not heal and infections will not go away. This is what Dr Weil wrote about the healing capacity of the body:
“You are born with the power to heal because healing is an innate capacity of every person, as it is of every animal and plant, and, I suspect of every created thing…..Medicines and medicine men can sometimes catalyze a healing response or remove obstructions to it, but they never give you what you do not already have. The power to heal is your property and birthright, ready to go to work whenever changing conditions create a demand for it”.
Apart from diseases the body also needs healing after the death of a loved one, after surviving a natural disaster, after surviving an accident, after surviving a terrorist attack or after surviving a mass shooting. The body also needs healing from fear, despair, hopelessness and helplessness. Healing rituals help us to reconnect with ourselves and with our spirit, which in turn help the body to heal.
Requirements
Healing rituals are for those who are sick in every sense of the word. It is for those who are planning to undergo a medical procedure. It is also for those who have survived natural disasters, terrorist attacks or accidents. It is also for those who are afraid, helpless powerless and hopeless.
The sick person will wear white clothes with a pair of white socks and white shoes. Provide food and drink for the guests. Food is strictly vegetarian and drink is non-alcoholic if reception takes place in the Temple. Spiritual parents and biological parents are required to attend.
Regeneration Ritual
If you have retired from active work and in the last stage of your life cycle this is your opportunity to partake in the regeneration ceremony. The main purpose of the ceremony is to inspire or to motivate the celebrant. That you are retired does not mean that life is over and that you are in your last cycle of your life does not mean that you should sit and wait for the end of all. It is a fact that most people at this period of life make their greatest contributions to humanity. Do you want to leave legacy? May be this is your chance. By all means do not sit and wait for death; instead get inspired by partaking in the Regeneration Ceremony.
Requirements
The Regeneration Ritual is for those who have retired from active work or are in the last cycle of their life. The celebrant will wear white clothes with a pair of white socks and white shoes. Provide food and drink for the guests. Food is strictly vegetarian and drink is non-alcoholic if reception takes place in the Temple. You may have your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren for support.
Engagement Ritual
Marriage is a spiritual and physical union between a man and a woman. It is your notice to the world that you share one life with your partner. The moment you get married your individual life is over. Your personal life is replaced by the one life that you share and your primary concern in marriage is how you could improve the one life. It is not what you could get from it and it is no longer about you and your needs but about the needs of the union.
Marriage has many benefits. It gives you an opportunity to be a responsible person and it enables you to step out of yourself and your needs and desires to care for another person. This act of setting aside your needs and desires to love another person builds character. And character puts the control of your life and your environment into your hands. Marriage also gives you an opportunity to share your life including your physical, material, mental, and spiritual resources. Sharing opens doors for interdependence and interdependence gives rise to growth and understanding.
Further marriage is the proper environment to raise children. It provides stability for the family and a stable environment is necessary for the growth and development of children. Marriage also has the effect of prolonging your life because of the peace you experience and the happiness you share. For all these to come to pass your marriage must be healthy and a healthy marriage needs a shared vision, unconditional love, understanding, full disclosure, openness, trust, truthfulness, responsibility, forgiveness, reciprocity, motivation, inspiration, happiness, generosity and kindness.
Marriage is so important that we encourage our clients to take the Lasting Marriage Questionnaire before even considering engagement. You could truly love someone with all his or her faults and live happily together forever but you can’t remain in an unhappy and abusive marriage. Stop an unhappy and abusive marriage before it even begins. Stop a marriage headed for divorce before it begins. The engagement ceremony serves to alert the public that you are no longer available for marriage considerations. It also serves to place both of you in the public light for scrutiny
Requirements
Before an engagement ceremony takes place there will be a marriage proposal from the man to the woman; the potential life partners will pass a medical examination; both of you will participate in a lifestyle Disclosure Forum and both of you will participate in three premarital counseling sessions. The woman will wear white engagement clothes. The woman will wear a pair of white engagement shoes. The man will wear black and white engagement clothes. The man will wear a pair of black engagement shoes. The man will bring two engagement rings for both of you. Both of your parents and friends must be present for the ceremony. Family members could serve as substitutes in the absence of parents.
⦁ Marriage Proposal: The man must communicate his intention to share one life with the woman. The man will make the proposal to the woman. It is the man’s choice to propose to his potential life partner. It is a choice he must make voluntarily and without any pressure. The man gives the woman time to consider his proposal. She is free to accept or to reject his proposal. It is a choice she must make voluntarily and without any pressure. She will invite the man to meet her parents within 21 days if she accepts his proposal. Now the man can obtain the Marriage Decision Form from his Minister. The Marriage Decision Form highlights the things each must do for a Temple Marriage Ceremony. Each must have a medical checkup. Both must have a legal license. Both must have a Life Disclosure Session. Both must undergo three Temple Premarital Counseling Sessions. Both must take a Premarital Training Class or seminar. Let your agreement stand the test of time for at least 63 days.
⦁ Medical Examination: You will each undergo a medical examination during this period. The medical examination will highlight your medical history. You will each be tested for all communicable diseases. You will each obtain a medical certificate signed by a local licensed physician. Both families will meet and examine the results in the Medical Examination Result Disclosure Forum. The two families will accept the result if all is well. Seek immediate treatment if there are problems in your medical examination. Disclose any problems and the treatment in the Medical Examination Result Disclosure Forum.
⦁ Lifestyle Disclosures: It is very important to know your potential life partner. That knowledge begins with the Lifestyle Disclosure Forum. The Lifestyle Disclosure Forum will follow after a favorable medical examination. The potential Life Partners and their families will meet in a private setting and share individual lifestyles. You will each have a set of questions to ask each other. Lifestyle Disclosure questions will be based on the Jewels of Life, the Foundation of Marriage, the Responsible Family, and the Lasting Marriage Questionnaire. You may present certificates of achievement, good behavior and chastity at this time.
⦁ Temple Premarital Counseling: Temple premarital counseling will be given after both parties have satisfied the premarital requirements. Submit the Marriage Decision Form to the Minister. The minister will make sure you have both complied with all the requirements for a Temple Wedding ceremony. You will both participate in at least 3 premarital counseling sessions together. The counseling sessions will be given within a 30-day period.
Spiritual Connection Ceremony
Many religions teach that our life is empty because we are disconnected from our Spirit. The Upanishads, a Hindu Sacred Text, teaches that blessed is the person who realizes the spirit in this world and the person who knows the spirit within transcends all grief. The pursuit of material wealth without time for inner reflection, prayer and meditation has left us disconnected from our spirit. We get used to living without an inner direction and we think that is the truth about life. But in that life we are alone, helpless and hopeless. There is a spiritual side to all of us and you can begin to manifest IT by simply saying, “YES”!
Requirements
The Spiritual Connection Ritual is for those who want to manifest the spiritual side of their life; those who want spiritual direction and those who want to have a relationship with the spirit within them.
The initiate will wear white clothes with a pair of white socks and white shoes. Provide food and drink for the guests. Food is strictly vegetarian and drink is non-alcoholic if reception takes place in the Temple. Spiritual parents and biological parents are required to attend.
Marriage Ready Ceremony
It is good for you to get married. It is also good for you to raise a family with a compatible spouse. But meeting the right person has always been a concern for many young people. In the past, parents have been responsible for choosing their children’s partners. Sometimes friends have also brought potential life partners together and there are the so-called marriage brokers who arrange for would-be partners to get together. Some people have also looked up to the stars for answers to their marital concerns. If done in the name of Love any of the above options could meet with success. If none of these has worked for you and you are still searching take time out and first consider your motives.
Requirements
The Marriage Ready Ritual is for those who are ready to get married but have not found the right partner. The marriage ready initiate will wear white clothes with a pair of white socks and white shoes. Provide food and drink for the guests. Food is strictly vegetarian and drink is non-alcoholic if reception takes place in the Temple. Spiritual parents and biological parents are required to attend.
Wedding Ceremony
Marriage is a spiritual and physical union between a man and a woman. It is your notice to the world that you share one life with your partner. The moment you get married your individual life is over. Your personal life is replaced by the one life that you share and your primary concern in marriage is how you could improve the one life. It is not what you could get from it and it is no longer about you and your needs but about the needs of the union. Marriage has many benefits. It gives you an opportunity to be a responsible person and it enables you to step out of yourself and your needs and desires to care for another person. This act of setting aside your needs and desires to love another person builds character. And character puts the control of your life and your environment into your hands.
Marriage also gives you an opportunity to share your life including your physical, material, mental, and spiritual resources. Sharing opens doors for interdependence and interdependence gives rise to growth and understanding. Further marriage is the proper environment to raise children. It provides stability for the family and a stable environment is necessary for the growth and development of children. Marriage also has the effect of prolonging your life because of the peace you experience and the happiness you share. For all these to come to pass your marriage must be healthy and a healthy marriage needs a shared vision, unconditional love, understanding, full disclosure, openness, trust, truthfulness, responsibility, forgiveness, reciprocity, motivation, inspiration, happiness, generosity and kindness.
Marriage is so important that we encourage our clients to take the Lasting Marriage Questionnaire before even considering engagement. You could truly love someone with all his or her faults and live happily together forever but you can’t remain in an unhappy and abusive marriage. Stop an unhappy and abusive marriage before it even begins. Stop a marriage headed for divorce before it begins.
The Jewels of Life
Think of Universal Love always. Love all creatures unconditionally. Get a good education. Do not kill any creature. Use thought to create and to heal. Do not take what does not belong to you. Have marital activities ONLY in marriage. Exercise regularly and drink enough water. Keep the Earth clean and avoid polluting it. Mostly eat nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. Refrain from uttering cursing and hateful words. Act with Truth, and Love, in all your transactions. Use languages to convey love, truth, and kindness. Respect all beliefs and avoid forcing your beliefs on others. Have a Mission on Earth statement to guide you on your journey. Avoid all degrading materials including pornography and violence. Be responsive to the civic duties of your town, state, country and planet. Do not drink, smoke or eat anything that could alter the peace within your body. Avoid owning or using guns, firearms, chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Pray and meditate when you wake up in the morning and when you retire at night. Give what you can to whoever asks and support the physically or mentally challenged. Have a career, a vocation, a trade or an occupation that contributes to the general good. Respect all creatures and demonstrate understanding for all differences in the Universe. Share the message of Universal Love with all creatures to inspire, educate, motivate and to heal. Make each moment you live a moment of love, peace and happiness for yourself and for everyone you meet.
The Foundation of Marriage
Decide to be married to your partner for the rest of your life. Move in with Universal Love. Leave your individual friends at the temple gate. Let Equality guide your home. Live with your spouse not a dream. Esteem your marriage above all. Enjoy a daily spiritual communion. Have a shared vision. Have a mission statement. Love each other unconditionally. Hold unto Truth in all your interactions. Share all your resources equally. Disclose all individual financial activities. Take family classes and seminars yearly. Look at understanding before you react. Make up immediately after a disagreement. Resolve your problems without external help. Renew your vows after every 7 years. Do not highlight your individual contributions. Accept each other as you are and grow together. Know your spouse well. Appreciate each other. Enjoy an open communication. Do not criticize each other. Do not complain unnecessarily. Forgive each other. Apologize when you hurt your spouse. Trust each other completely. Be faithful to each other completely. Contribute proportionally in all you do. Enjoy a vacation once every year. Be sensitive to your partner’s need for intimacy. Change yourself, not your partner. Rest your strength on LOVE, not your partner. Consult your minister when needed.
Requirements
The marriage ceremony will take place in the Temple. There will be no material or monetary reward from one family to the other. Both families must share in the expenses of the ceremony equally.
You need the following resources for the ceremony: two marriage rings for both of you, white marriage clothes for the woman, black and white marriage clothes for the man, a pair of white marriage shoes for the woman and a pair of black marriage shoes for the man. Both of your parents and friends must be present for the ceremony. Family members could serve as substitutes in the absence of parents. You may invite friends and relatives to attend. Celebrate your union with food, drinks and entertainment. Food must be strictly vegetarian and drink must be non-alcoholic if held in the temple.
Marital Bliss Ceremony
Most if not all marriages begin with love, joy and happiness but somewhere because of environmental circumstances and individual interpretation of these circumstances something goes wrong. The one you considered at the beginning as the only love of your life and committed to share the rest of your life with becomes a burden if not an adversary. You are drawing further apart with less communication, sharing, touching, caring, loving, intimacy and doing things together. Instead there is more arguing, blaming, controlling and complaining. What went wrong? Only you can answer this question but according to Dr. Colclough Hinson, executive director of The Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment, “It (Marriage) requires skill and constant attention. If tended to, it will thrive, but if neglected it will wither and die.” One of the ways of tending to your marriage is through your sacred commitments to remain faithful to each other, love each other unconditionally, be there for each other, do the best for each other and above all esteem your marriage above everything.
Requirements
The Marital Bliss Ritual is for all marriages to strengthen your relationship by reaffirming your commitment to each other. The Marital Bliss Couples will appear in the following clothing: the woman will wear white dress with a pair of white shoes and the man will wear white shirt with black suite, a bow tie, black shoes and a pair of white socks. Provide food and drink for the guests. Food is strictly vegetarian and drink is non-alcoholic if reception takes place in the Temple. Spiritual parents and biological parents are required to attend.
Parenting Ready Ritual
Having children is a natural consequence of marriage and many people who get married raise happy children. In a way the children fulfill their marriage because they are able to share their love with the child and the child serves to extend their lineage into the future. But for some people this natural process is only a dream because they are unable to bear children.
Obviously our lifestyle could prevent us from having children but that does not mean that the case is closed. There are still many plans and options. The first recommended plan of action is for the couple to take an inventory of their lifestyle. Reduce stress where there is stress like working in an unhealthy environment or living a stressful family life.
Next watch what you eat and limit your food to mostly vegetables, fiber, white meat, fish, nuts, seeds and fruits. Further watch your thoughts and only hold happy and loving thoughts. Lastly consider your motives for wanting children if it is not to love and to share life by taking care of each other.
An option that is advisable while you are changing your lifestyle is to consider adoption. Many childless couples have been blessed with children after adoption.
Requirements
The Spiritual Connection Ritual is for those who want to manifest the spiritual side of their life; those who want spiritual direction and those who want to have a relationship with the spirit within them.
The initiate will wear white clothes with a pair of white socks and white shoes. Provide food and drink for the guests. Food is strictly vegetarian and drink is non-alcoholic if reception takes place in the Temple. Spiritual parents and biological parents are required to attend.
Marriage Ready Ceremony
It is good for you to get married. It is also good for you to raise a family with a compatible spouse. But meeting the right person has always been a concern for many young people. In the past, parents have been responsible for choosing their children’s partners. Sometimes friends have also brought potential life partners together and there are the so-called marriage brokers who arrange for would-be partners to get together. Some people have also looked up to the stars for answers to their marital concerns. If done in the name of Love any of the above options could meet with success. If none of these has worked for you and you are still searching take time out and first consider your motives.
Requirements
The Marriage Ready Ritual is for those who are reaThe Parenting Ready Ritual is for those who are childless after marriage and are ready to have children. The Parenting Ready Initiate will wear white clothes with a pair of white socks and white shoes. Provide food and drink for the guests. Food is strictly vegetarian and drink is non-alcoholic if reception takes place in the Temple. Spiritual parents and biological parents are required to attend.
dy to get married but have not found the right partner. The marriage ready initiate will wear white clothes with a pair of white socks and white shoes. Provide food and drink for the guests. Food is strictly vegetarian and drink is non-alcoholic if reception takes place in the Temple. Spiritual parents and biological parents are required to attend.
Death Ceremony
Death is natural for every living creature. Death is your reward for living. Death is a time to say goodbye. Death is a time to experience peace. Death is a time to let go. Death is a transformation. Death on Earth is birth in Heaven. Nothing is lost in the Universe. Death renews Life. Death gives life another chance. Death departs for LIFE to attain the next level of consciousness. For the beliefs of past generations are the liabilities of present generations.
Death clears the way for the living to move on! Death is not a payment for transgressions. Death is not a payment for omissions. Death is a reward for living. It is a reward when LIFE is lived to its natural end. Let life reach its natural end. Let all lives reach their natural end! Death is the end of life in the physical body. Death occurs when the Soul leaves the body.
The person stops breathing when the Soul leaves the body. The person’s heart stops beating when the Soul leaves the body. The person’s brain stops working when the Soul leaves the body. The body disintegrates at death. The Soul lives on. All creatures will die of old age. You cannot avoid death. Some creatures die from diseases. Try to live a clean life. Some creatures die from lack of food. Provide adequately for yourself at an early age. Some creatures die from poison. You are responsible for what you put into your mouth. Some creatures die from physical abuse. There is a limit to the stress on your body.
Care for the Dying
Listen to the dying. Communicate with the dying with patience. Support the dying with understanding. Love the dying unconditionally. Honor his requests for food. Honor her request for clothing. Honor her request for burial or cremation. Share her favorite stories. Affirm his beliefs. Demonstrate your love. Affirm the love of her family members. Make sure she is at peace.
Grieving for the Dead
Do not suppress your feelings. Cry if you feel like doing so. It is natural to grieve. It is natural to feel the loss. Be involved in the final ceremonies and by all means be there to share your last wishes. Share your feelings with loved ones. Give yourself time to recover. Move on with your life when you feel better.
Preparing to Die
Have you hurt any creatures in the past? Reconcile with him. Confess to a relation if you cannot reach the victim. Confess to a friend if you cannot reach the victim. Confess to your Minister if you cannot reach the victim. Have you been hurt in the past? Forgive them in your heart with a prayer. Do you owe anything to any creature? Settle your debt. Does any creature owe you anything? Forgive their debts. Do you have any regrets? Settle it. Do you have any material thing in your name? Give it away in a Will. You must leave this Earth as you came. Above all make sure to build or create your own heaven!
The Last Dance
Celebrate with your family, friends and relatives. Eat your favorite food. Sing your favorite Hymns. Recite your favorite Poems. Read your favorite Psalms. Play your favorite Music. And have the last dance.
The Last Moment
Do not be afraid to die. Death is a reward for LIFE lived to a ripe age. Have your family members around you. Let them sing your favorite hymn. Say your final goodbye. Keep your whole being in peace. Repeat the Last Prayer. Sing the Last Song. Sing until your last breath.
The Last Prayer
O LOVE who pervades the Universe
Thank you for your Love.
Thank you for your blessings.
Thank you for your assurances.
Thank you for your guidance.
Thank you for your support.
Thank you for the miraculous moments of my life.
My work is done.
And I come with joy and happiness.
Into your hands I entrust my Spirit, Amen.
The Last Song
Praise LOVE from whom all freedom flows
Praise LOVE all creatures everywhere.
Praise LOVE for our guidance and support
Praise LOVE for blessed eternal life. Amen.
Preparing the Dead
Notify all concerned. Prepare the dead according to the laws of your land. Prepare the dead according to the traditions of your land. Bathe the dead within 24 hours of death.
Clothe the dead with proper clothing. Clothe the dead with new clothing.
The Funeral Service
Your funeral service is in a Temple. You will be clothed with white clothes. You will be placed in a biodegradable Coffin. A funeral service will be held for you in the name of Love, the Earth and the Universe.
Participate in a Life Cycle Ceremony Today
Your funeral service is in a Temple. You will be clothed with whIt is fair to say that life cycle ceremonies are becoming a thing of the past but you can still participate in a life cycle ceremony at UNISM. We understand the importance of life cycle ceremonies and we have made them an enduring part of our organization. Please contact UNISM for more information. ite clothes. You will be placed in a biodegradable Coffin. A funeral service will be held for you in the name of Love, the Earth and the Universe.
