Daily Positive Thoughts: June 20, 2017: Simplicity

Pagudpud Ilocos Norte, Philippines

Simplicity

Peace is simplicity. Simplicity is beauty. Choose a day as your day of simplicity. Speak little, and listen with attention. Do something incognito and nice for a person you are close to. Eat simple and natural food. Create time periods for not doing anything - just walk, look around, live the moment. Have your mind open to a more profound and silent sensitivity. Appreciate each scene and each person as they are.

Overcoming The Subtle Desire For Revenge

Ask yourself very honestly how many times in your life did you feel joy, even a slight trace of it, when something negative happened with someone who had harmed you or hurt you or insulted you in any way in the past – either in the immediate or distant (far-away) past. When this kind of joy, which is an impure form of joy, is seen inside you, even if it is at your extremely subtle thought level (if not in your words or actions), you need to remember that this is nothing but a feeling of subtle revenge, even if physically you haven’t got back at any point of time at the person who has harmed you, when he did so. It may not sound very nice, but this kind of joy is enjoying the pain of others and is obviously an extremely low grade form of joy. Sometimes, as a way of justifying our joyful revenge, we call it justice.

The driving energy or fuel behind this kind of revenge is hatred or anger. It is a feeling of:  I really enjoyed it when what they had done to me came to them - I was so happy to see them suffer for what they had done, this is their punishment … tit for tat. It is a type of joy that only increases our accounts of negative karmas with the other person, which as a result, increases our sorrow, instead of decreasing it, although it may give us an impression for a while that it is decreasing our sorrow. This kind of joy will only cause the radiation of a negative form of energy to the other person, which will not only give pain to the other person, but will also cause the radiation of the negative energy of hatred from the other person to us that will never bring us long term joy. Imagine someone meeting with an accident on the road and in a lot of pain and instead of helping that person immediately we smile at that person happy with what has happened to him or her. What energy will such a person send us in return? This example is on a physical level, but the same principle applies on a subtle level. So the next time something like this happens in our life, we need to remind ourselves only if we don’t have the slightest trace of joy inside us that we can safely say that we are free from any desire for revenge, even though it may be very subtle.

Hand Shake

In the moment of shaking the hand of another, not only are we participating in a universal greeting, but we are acknowledging we are all connected in the game of life together. For what is life but a series of meetings, a gentle sequence of connectings!

The touch of hands is a reminder of our unity, the squeeze of a hand says we care, and the shaking of hands says we are celebrating being together. 

What are we saying when our touch is too cold, our squeeze too firm or too soft, or our shake too limp?

Sometimes words are inadequate, or just too difficult. Which is why we can always say with our hand what is in our heart. If you are not ready to look directly into your heart, but you'd like an idea of what's there, be aware of your hand when you next put it forward for a shake!

Message for the day

To be ready before time is to be able to give the best in situations. 

Expression: Each situation has something new to teach and there is something to learn from it. For the one who learns from every situation, there is progress. Such a person is able to be ready before time. So when the challenging situation does come up, he is well equipped with whatever is necessary and he is able to give his best. 

Experience: When I am able to understand the fact that all life's situations are just training for me, I am able to learn from everything that happens. I am able to build up and use my inner powers more and more and I find myself moving towards perfection with each passing moment. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris