Contemplation: May 23, 2020: Inside Out

Contemplation: May 23, 2020: Inside Out 

Budai or Pu-Tai-Laughing Buddha

Budai appears throughout Chinese culture as a representation of being poor but content. He is traditionally depicted as a fat, bald man with few possessions.

Inside Out 

There is essentially only one way in which you can bring about self-transformation - that's if you want to - but you will not think you need to if you are still taking your happiness from outside yourself, and still managing to tolerate the periods of unhappiness which result. As soon as your happiness is dependent on anything outside, you make yourself a slave to a condition, substance or perhaps a person. A slave is not free. And happiness is impossible if you are not free. Perhaps this goes some way to explaining why our happiness fluctuates. Real happiness does not go up and down. Real freedom means that your happiness comes from inside out. That will require detachment and renunciation, not least from the illusions and conditioning of society which would have you believe happiness can be acquired from outside in. Can you see it? Inside out, not outside in!

The Spiritual Sculptor And The Piece Of Art

A sculpture is a three-dimensional artwork created by an artisan, a sculptor, by shaping materials which may be hard like wood or stone or soft like clay. God or the Supreme Being also has been remembered as the spiritual sculptor. With that consciousness, I being like a rough living block of wood or stone or a plain piece of clay, place myself in his safe hands.

There are three types of faith in this consciousness:-
1. the faith in the Sculptor,
2. the faith in myself and
3. the faith in time.

It's my first faith, my faith in the Sculptor, in his vision of his finished work i.e. a perfect and complete me, which he foresees, waiting to emerge from my present imperfect self, that allows me place myself in his hands. His vision of perfection is so clear that knowing it, I feel I must regain my original condition. Also when I come in front of God, who is a perfect spiritual being, his love and the knowledge he gives me makes me aware of myself as a spiritual being similar to him. This awareness then reminds me of my original qualities and the spiritual beauty and perfection hidden inside me, which helps me in having the second faith, the faith in myself. I am able to trust the Sculptor, knowing that the knocks I receive will chip away at my weaknesses, and restore my truth and beauty. Initially, I may not know myself completely or have full faith in myself, the second faith, but God, the Sculptor, knows me and has full faith in me, all the Sculptor wants me to do is to be still and patient. Being still means having complete faith in myself and him and being patient means having the third faith - the faith in time. His knowledge and power gives me the strength and courage to be still and patient i.e. strong in all three faiths while he continues his work on me. I should not move or be impatient i.e. not let any of my faiths waiver, otherwise I will not become perfect. There is a vast difference between how God sees me, and how I am at the present moment. Holding the vision that God has of me, I have to just surrender my mind to the Spiritual Sculptor and keep myself in his hands.When I do that, the thoughts inside my mind get focused spiritually on him and as a result I receive his spiritual energy, which reshapes and transforms me. That which is highest and most beautiful in me begins to emerge gradually.

I need... more of... a new... 

How much time, energy and money are you spending trying to satisfy the "need"?

Do you need everything you think you really "need"?
If the need isn't adding to your purpose in life, put it on hold.

Be satisfied with what you have and accept that you have enough!

Message for the day

To speak about others' negativity is to increase the burden of negativity.

Expression: Every negative experience leaves a negative mark on my mind. When I talk about that to someone, they too would be influenced. In the same way, when someone talks about others, it creates negativity in our minds too. Although we did not have that negative experience, we tend to carry the unnecessary burden of negativity. 

Experience: Today I will neither gossip nor listen to anyone gossip. I will pay attention to myself that if I have to talk about anyone, it will only be about any positive aspect of them, if not I will not say anything. For today, I will pay attention to this. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

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