Each religion approaches the divine in a unique way. Here are ten universal paths practiced by devotees to find God and connect with the higher self.

Every path to God is a personal experience, a private journey. No one path is inherently superior, as all paths to God are valid and useful.
Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.” (John 10:30) Humans and God are one. As devotees draw nearer and nearer to God, the ultimate goal is to merge with the Divine in an intimately spiritual union. Sri Ramana Maharishi, the famous Indian guru who achieved enlightenment at the age of 16, asserts, “God, Guru, and the Self are the same.” (p. 10, Erase the Ego)
Meditation as a Means to Draw Near to God
When a devotee quiets the mind, the inner voice can be more easily heard and heeded. Meditation allows for the cultivation of the state of mind needed to achieve enlightenment.
Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and other religions use meditation as a means to quiet the inner chatter and hear the voice of God, or the wisdom of the Higher Self.
Prayer as a Communication and Primary Path to God
Prayer can take many forms, including recitation of a mantra or repetitions with a rosary. Prayer can be a silent plea to the universe or a specific, intimate dialog with a personal, living God.
Prayer can involve specific requests of God or the Universe; expressions of appreciation for blessings; and communications of thanks, or cries for help.
Temporary Vow of Silence to Find the Higher Self and God
Silence does not just involve resting the vocal cords. Many religions advocate silent retreats, such as Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists.
Ritual silence can be used as a religious tool to quiet the mind to a deeper level than a meditative session. Silence is a disciplined, unique way to connect with the Higher Self and with God.
Yoga as a Discipline to Reconnect the Mind, Body, and Spirit With God
This ancient discipline is a subtle yet powerful path to God. The root word “yuj” means “to join, to yoke, to concentrate one’s attention.”
According to the Sanskrit Glossary of Yogic Terms, yoga is “a method of practice leading to conscious union of the human being (atman) with the universal existence of Brahman.” Brahman is the Hindu Trinity Godhead, similar to Christianity’s concept of the Holy Trinity. (Yoga Publications Trust, 2007)
Tithing and Offerings to God
Flowers, money, and personal sacrifice (as Catholics practice during Lent) are all examples of devotees’ external expressions of offering a part of themselves. Devotion is expressed through offerings, gift giving, giving of oneself. Tithing and offerings are expressions of love.
Acts of Kindness and Compassion as an Expression of the Divine
Jesus preached the importance of loving others, including it as one of the Ten Commandments given to Moses. The Dalai Lama teaches that compassion can be learned, and calls all who wish to achieve enlightenment to practice compassion.
Forgiveness is a supreme act of compassion, and also shows emotional and spiritual maturity. To forgive is divine, and is one way to draw closer to God.
Study of the Holy Texts Illuminate the Path to God
The Jewish religion emphasizes study as a means to understand and draw nearer to God. Christians study the Bible, revering the sacred text as a manifestation of God Himself: “And the Word became flesh…” (John 1:14)
Healthy Love of Self and Emotional Maturity as a Path to God
If God and the Self are the same, then a healthy love of self is absolutely necessary in spiritual growth, devotion to and love of God. Healthy love of oneself is a step in reconnecting to the Higher Self and emotional maturity allows for synthesis of mind, body and spirit.
Ethical Decisions Draw the Righteousness Near to God
Ethics does not involve right vs. wrong or good vs. evil, but rather entails a consistency of moral code. While some religions may differ on ideas and philosophies of morality, ethics and righteousness prove a powerful path to God, as a disciplined approach to what one believes is right.
Rituals as an Outward Expression of Devotion and Commitment to God
Pagans, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and others all practice religious rituals. Culturally, humans crave ritual to give order and increase meaning to outward acts of devotion. Rituals can provide structure and discipline to devotion. Some use rituals as a tangible lifeline that leads directly to God.
Devotees can use one, several, or all of these paths to God and to the Higher Self. For example, japa mala combines ritual with prayer and meditation.
Just as seekers approach the study of the Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, from different angles, so the seeker can approach and ultimately unite with the Divine, the One God, the Higher Self, or the Universe using any of these valid and powerful paths.

Is Easter a day that began with Christianity? How long has it been celebrated and where did it come from?
Ostara: The Norse Goddess of Fertility. To ancient Anglo-Saxon Pagans, Ostara (also called “Eostre”) was the Great Mother Goddess, responsible for the earth’s fertility. In other words, Ostara decided whether to bless the land with new growth and healthy crops. Any deity possessing such power would have been quite special to early agricultural societies, representing the difference between feast or famine.
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Deities that represented fertility were revered and celebrated year round, but most of their honor was centered around Spring, in hopes that they would bless the land. Ostara lent her name to the modern celebration of Easter, but she wasn’t the only deity celebrated in ancient times for fertility. A few of the others were:
· Aphrodite in ancient Cyprus
· Ashtoreth in ancient Israel
· Hathor in ancient Egypt
· Kali in India
Some of the Norse mythological symbols connected with Ostara are the rabbit and the egg; the rabbit for its prolific reproduction and the egg as an over-all symbol of reproduction and fertility.
Cybele and Attis : A Phrygian Fertility Goddess and her Lover
In Phrygia (modern day Turkey), the goddess Cybele was worshiped as a fertility goddess. To shorten a very long myth that varies in the telling by region, Cybele fell in love with Attis, who was said to be born of a virgin on December 25.
Attis, already smitten over another woman rejected Cybele. In a jealous rage, Cybele made Attis turn mad; he then killed himself.
Cybele is grief stricken and carries the body of Attis to her cave, where he lies dead as he visits the underworld. On the third day, Cybele brings Attis back to life.
From the myth of Cybele and Attis, came yearly rituals to purify the body of Attis, taking place in the period between March 22 and March 25.
Modern Easter Celebrations
Most historians believe that the story of Attis was the inspiration for the story of Jesus. As times change, myths, stories, rituals and celebrations change with it to represent the needs of the people. It is probable that when humans began to have an understanding of science and weather, that the need for fertility deities diminished, leaving Attis to evolve in Jesus without Cybele.
The story of Attis and Cybele, combined with the Anglo-Saxon view of the pantheon meshed together in early Christianity to form the modern Christian story of Easter.
A Historical View of the Origins of Easter
This brief summaries here of the stories of Ostara, Cybele and Attis are just a small part of what we know about the Origins of Easter. The rest of the stories are quite interesting. View the sources on this page to learn more about this fascinating subject.
Sources:
ReligiousTolerance.org