Contemplation:
Desires
The symbolic hand gestures are called mudras. The Buddhist mudras are
didactic; they are hand gestures designed to convey a certain teaching or a message.
Desires
Reduce your desires and your problems will also
reduce.
Specialties
The one who recognizes one's own
specialties and appreciates them is
able to use them for the benefit of oneself and others. There is
neither arrogance visible nor is there any negligence of the specialty.
Having used these specialties constantly, the beauty of this spreads
across and enriches the lives of others too. When I am able to
appreciate what I have, I am able to make use of it fully. As I
continue to use it for my own benefit and that of others, I find that
it increases too. I have the satisfaction of making the required
contribution at the right time. This earns me the good wishes of
others too.
able to use them for the benefit of oneself and others. There is
neither arrogance visible nor is there any negligence of the specialty.
Having used these specialties constantly, the beauty of this spreads
across and enriches the lives of others too. When I am able to
appreciate what I have, I am able to make use of it fully. As I
continue to use it for my own benefit and that of others, I find that
it increases too. I have the satisfaction of making the required
contribution at the right time. This earns me the good wishes of
others too.
Different Thought Types
(cont.)
We have explained three different types of thoughts i.e. Necessary, Waste and Negative Thoughts over the last three days. Today we explain the last type:
Positive Thoughts
Positive thoughts are those thoughts which give us and others the experience of our original virtues like peace, love, joy, purity and power. They enable us to collect inner strength and equip us to wear a constructive attitude. Positive thinking means looking at what is beneficial in all circumstances, without being trapped in what is visible externally in those particular situations. Thinking positively involves looking at problems and recognizing realities, but at the same time being able to find solutions without being confused and experiencing feelings of powerlessness. This often requires tolerance, patience, peace and spiritual wisdom.
Positive thoughts make one internally strong and as a result our expectations of others decrease. This does not mean that they do not matter to us, but that we no longer demand love, respect, recognition, etc. from them, which is the best way to create long-lasting and harmonious relationships.
A person who thinks positively is aware of the weaknesses of others, but even then will direct his/her attention towards their positive sanskaras or personality traits. When we have inner happiness and are filled with positive energy, we have the strength to accept other people as they are without wanting them to be different. This acceptance produces more stable relationships.
Soul Sustenance
Reaching
the Destination of Peace on Time (Part 2)
In yesterday’s message, we had mentioned the main type of distractions that you might face in your journey to the destination of peace. The secret of not getting affected by each of these distractions is very simple – do not interact with any of them on a subtle level by giving them your mental energy of attention, but avoid them, detach yourself from them, just observe them and let them go, remaining completely focused on reaching your destination.
Imagine you are driving to your office on the highway and you are very late. There are a large number of different vehicles which you pass, either travelling in the same direction as you are or coming at you from the opposite side. You are even familiar with a lot of these people sitting inside these vehicles, because you see them every day, but you don’t even spare a second to glance at them because if you did you would lose your focus and be delayed, you would fail to reach your destination, your office in this case, on time. Meditation is exactly like this. Just as you cannot empty the highway full of vehicles, because you are in a hurry to reach office, you cannot empty the highway of your consciousness of all thoughts, emotions, beliefs, worries, opinions, desires, memories etc. some of which are even very familiar to you, just because you want to get to the destination of your inner peace. Let all of these, like the vehicles, come and go, but all you have to do is avoid them and focus on reaching your destination on time. It's as if, by the way you are driving, your body language, in this case the subtle energy of your determined thought, word has spread through the highway of your consciousness that you will not be sparing a second to even glance at any one of these on your way. If with a momentary loss of self-awareness, you do start giving attention to them, and you get lost in one of them, remind yourself subconsciously, "I am on my way back to the destination of peace, peace that I am." This will help you regain your focus and before you know it, you will realize you have arrived; you will experience your destination i.e. the peace within, and will completely believe that you are that. And it will be the most blissful experience that you have felt in a very long time.
Message for the day
Faith
in others enables them to be powerful.
Expression: Faith in others is usually mistaken for blind faith - observing helplessly only hoping for the best in our heart. We then consciously don't do anything but just hope for the best. In such a situation we subtly experience fear or tension. But this is not true faith nor is the outcome usually right.
Experience: Faith in others means to remain alert to what is going on and then to fill the other person with the strength of our faith to such an extent that they feel able to do whatever needs to be done. Our faith will fill them with confidence and they will be able to give their best to the task.
In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris