Contemplation: Move On: Merry Christmas

Contemplation: Move On: Merry Christmas

Move On

See beyond immediate circumstances. Clear the decks of any old grievances. Learn from the past and move on by tapping into your inner resources of self-worth and humility. With honesty and commitment, softly let go and let others change. There are new horizons, new growth and a new lease of life.

Spiritual love

Humility comes from confidence and helps us to be open. This openness
will help us make creative decisions. Forcefulness in thought, word and
action cuts off communication. Our expectations of others, insisting on
our way(s) also affect the way we make decisions and the way they are
received. Our heart has to be BIG to make the right decisions that
benefit others. We need the strength to travel within ourselves and see
our own values and the spiritual love we have for others to embrace the
situation, and then make decisions. Spiritual love is as natural as
sunlight.

Important Understandings On Reincarnation

(cont. from yesterday)

6. The world's population is increasing at such a rapid rate, indicating that the souls already here are taking rebirth and also that there are new ones coming down continuously from the soul world.

7. If one believed that one will receive the fruit of one's actions, if not in this birth, but in another one, a person would surely feel less inclined to perform negative actions.

8. Without reincarnation, it is impossible to explain how every soul has reached its present peace less state. Thousands of sins have been performed by each soul in its past births under the influence of the five vices - lust, anger, greed, ego and attachment. Due to this, sanskars of those vices have accumulated over the soul. The burden of these sanskars weighs heavily on the soul and causes it unhappiness in the present. The present cycle of birth and rebirth is fast approaching its end. It is precisely at this time that the Supreme Soul can relieve us from this burden.

Soul Sustenance

Self Empowerment 

Meditation, in practice, means to enter, and re-enter, the reservoir of peace inside us whenever we need to during the course of the day. This exercise increases self-control and prevents the explosions and reactions of anger that drain our strength. The easy method is not to expect but to accept: then tolerance and respect make our life far more comfortable.

There may be many shadows and pollutants inside us, but usually our pain is centered around these: I own, I need, I want, mine and I expect. If we learn to recognize the characteristics of such a consciousness, we are in a position to overcome difficult situations and thoughts before they overwhelm us. We simply have to remain awake, and that state of alertness stops these shadows from overpowering us and making us unconscious.

Our needs and wants are truly fulfilled in a healthy way by tuning in to the original resources of the soul, because their fulfillment is not dependent on anyone, or anything from outside. When we sustain ourselves from the inside, then our well-being is secure and progressive. As a result, when we express and show our original qualities of the self to others, whether it is peace, happiness or love, they naturally increase inside. The more we give unconditionally, the more we have. This miracle of 'quality being' is the result of natural purity, the original state of selflessness, which God always has and good meditators aspire to return to.

Message for the day

As is the consciousness, so are the thoughts, words and actions. 

Expression: To have the right consciousness means to identify oneself

with one's own

Experience: As I have a powerful consciousness and I am set firmly on this seat, no outside situation or person can disturb me or my internal state of mind. I am free from negative and waste and also from being ordinary. I am free from labouring and of having to fight with my thoughts in order to maintain the right thoughts. And I find that there is only speciality within. Others too are able to take benefit from this speciality. 

Contemplation: A Mother

Contemplation: A Mother

A Mother

A mother teaches her child with love and patience until the child learns. Be a mother and teach your mind to have positive thoughts and to let go of worries. Then when your mind needs peace, it will obey you.

Confidence

We need confidence in self to make accurate decisions. Confidence comes
from accepting the self as one is. Confident people know a mistake is
an opportunity to try in another way. Openness and flexibility is also
needed. This comes from confidence and self respect. It means I should
listen to others and not impose my views. The more you know, the less
you tend to speak.

Important Understandings On Reincarnation

(Cont. from yesterday)

5. Each time a soul leaves an old body and takes a new birth, it carries its sanskars from the old birth into the new one. Other sanskars that can be present in the new body (apart from the ones from the previous birth) are:
* sanskars from parents
* sanskars accumulated during the new birth e.g. from siblings (brothers or sisters) or from friends, also those picked up during education and more
* sanskars of will power (the ability to bring about changes in the self using will power)
* original sanskars of peace, love, purity, bliss, joy and power (the ones that were present in the soul when it first came down from the soul world into the physical world to play its part)

Out of these five types of sanskars, in each soul, the sanskarsthat are visible at different stages of life are varied e.g. in some soul, sanskarsmay be completely different from the ones the parents possess, because the sanskarsfrom the previous birth are more visible; in another soul, sanskars of will power may be intense, the soul may have brought about a lot of transformation in its personality since the time it was born; in a third soul sanskarsfrom parents and friends may be most visible; in another soul, practicing meditation, original sanskars may be more visible, etc.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

Are You Dependent On The Look Of The Other?

We have to trust that, being ourselves, we will be well-received and loved by the world. If we are here, why have we been incarnated on Earth? To satisfy the look of the other or to bring what is unique and exceptional in us? We all have two eyes, a nose and a mouth but no face is the same. We are all a being of conscious energy, a soul, but each one has a colour, an art, a creativity and something different to contribute. Let us trust in

ourselves and use our talents to bring our difference.

You can be your best friend. Imagine that someone accompanies you in your life, values everything that you do and finds it to be great: what you do, what you say; you are the best; extraordinary; a shining being; a star. Now imagine that you have that person next to you day and night. How do you feel? On top form and you are fine. This happens in relationships. When someone loves you very much, they practically only think about you; they ring you, they send you text messages, maybe they write you letters or emails. You feel unique, special and loved. But this does not last forever and, nowadays, it lasts less and less.

The difficulty is that if you depend on the look of the other to feel fine, sometimes you will be fine if the person looking at you does it well, but if not, you won't be fine. How do you look at yourself? This unconditional friend that loves you so much and that supports you is what you have inside. You can be your best friend. This gives you security and trust. If someone else likes you or doesn't like you and criticizes you, you won't collapse within because to be fine you do not depend on the look of the other.

Message for the day

The way to be rid of waste thoughts is to maintain a powerful thought.

Expression: When the intellect is accomplished with powerful thoughts, waste thoughts cannot enter. Only when the intellect remains empty that there is place for waste thoughts to enter. To be busy with elevated thoughts is to keep the mind free from waste. All it needs is to turn on the switch of one powerful thought, then wastage finishes. This is just like a switch which brings light and finishes darkness. Then there is no wastage in words and actions too.

Experience: When I make the practice of keeping a single elevated thought in my intellect, I am able to be free from the bondage of wastage. I find that a lot of time and energy of mine is saved. Even when there is an external situation of conflict, chaos and confusion, there is no internal chaos and there is only power in my thoughts. So I make decisions easily

Contemplation: Anger

Contemplation: Anger

    

The Eruption of Reventador Volcano, Ecuador

Anger

To be controlled by anger is to repress the soul's original qualities of tolerance and love.

Thoughts

Thoughts are the seeds that create our destiny. If there is the same

thought as before, there is no newness and there cannot be anything new

attained. If things have to change, effort needs to be put in at the

level of the thought first. Such thoughts will naturally inspire and

motivate to make the best use of the available resources. When I begin

to create new elevated thoughts in challenging times, I am able to be

happy and peaceful. I don't have questions related to the situations

but I am able to find the solutions in my mind. This inner peace

naturally creates a peaceful environment around me.

Important Understandings On Reincarnation

1. The soul has a separate identity from any of the bodies it adopts.

2. The various lives or births of a soul are like different episodes of a television serial, all different, yet connected with each other.

3. The human soul does not take a birth/body of any animal species, just as a lemon seed does not grow into a mango tree. The human soul always takes a human body e.g. if the soul of a cow was to take the birth of a human, wouldn't it carry sanskars of performing all actions like a cow into its human birth - how would it then function through the human body.

4. The cycle of action and reaction is never-ending. The soul must continue to play its entire role until all it has received the fruits for all its actions. This may require more than one body.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

The Energy Of Faith

What we believe becomes reality. It has been said that faith can move mountains. The highest mountains are our negative thoughts, feelings and ideas, which block our capacity to rise beyond our limits.

Faith is the energy of understanding that enables us to realize anything is possible even if it is not visible in front of our eyes.

The success that comes from faith is closely linked with 'letting go'. It is only when we let go of what we are used to, or what we have learnt to depend on, that new perceptions and new possibilities will present themselves to us. All that is needed are a few basic facts and then we can take action. When we drive a car, do we insist on knowing how the engine works in detail before driving it? Do we know the mechanical details of a lift before we use it? Most people are only aware of the basic functions and this is all they need to carry out the action. However, they

do have the faith that the car has been correctly constructed to do its job safely and that by pressing a few buttons the lift will raise them to wherever it is they want to go. In the modern life-style, there is a tendency to over-think, to want to control and direct every outcome, but such a life lacks spontaneity and simplicity.

Although we do need a framework, it must be flexible enough to allow space for the unexpected, the unpredictable and the great surprise. Such a space is the window through which the light of innovation can enter. When life is over-planned, we become cemented in, unable to grow, or flow, into new horizons. Faith allows us to realize that optimum results can happen without always having to structure or plan. Such faith is the basis for new vision and allows us to reach beyond our limits; because we believe we are more than what meets the eye. Such faith is the inspirational energy of every pioneer in whatever field.

Message for the day

To recognise one's own fortune is to be constantly happy.

Expression: When there is an awareness of one's own fortune, there are no expectations from people and situations. Due to this I am able to recognise and use my own resources for my own benefit and also for the benefit of others. One's happiness also spreads out to the others and they too become happy.

Experience: When I recognise constantly my own fortune, I am able to make the best use of it. I constantly remain content and am able to move forward with happiness. I never become upset with the various unexpected situations that come my way, but am able to see them as test papers that will help me move on to the next step. So I never get tired of continuing to put in effort.

Contemplation: Humility

Contemplation:  Humility

Chiang Rai Temple, Thailand.

Humility

Humility accepts what's there. Sometimes there is a lot available and sometimes only a little. It doesn't matter. In humility there is the trust that everything will come anyway, at the right time.

Other recipients:

Negative Reactions To Negative Actions We very commonly react negatively with anger to another person's anger filled words or actions, which we perceive to be unjustified or unreasonable. But this kind of action on our part, which we feel is our rig

Negative Reactions To Negative Actions

We very commonly react negatively with anger to another person's anger filled words or actions, which we perceive to be unjustified or unreasonable. But this kind of action on our part, which we feel is our right and is a justified reaction or response, only adds to the negative energy already existing inside a particular situation, increasing the energy and making the situation even more complicated and difficult to resolve.

Two negatives never make a positive, they make a higher negative, to which a very high positive has to be added (as compared to before) to bring the situation back to neutral or normal. Also, when you react, you are doing exactly what you believe the other person, the attacker, is doing - injuring someone on an emotional level, which is a form of subtle violence.

Lastly and very importantly, the other person's negative and impulsive behavior, directed at you, portrays that at that particular moment he/she is experiencing an emptiness or void of wisdom, joy, peace, love and power, a void which he/she believes you have created and can only be re-filled by you.

The anger filled action is a desire directed towards you, for this filling up. Hidden behind his/her anger is the feeling, "Because of this person, I have lost my happiness at this particular moment and he/she should give it back to me immediately", which means that the other person is lacking the realization that no other person is ever responsible for your happiness. You are, always.

Instead of switching on the awareness of this spiritual fact and emerging the value of forgiveness inside yourself, forgiveness because the other person is lacking this wisdom at that moment of time, you react, which makes you similar to him possessing a similar belief, something which you will definitely not appreciate too much.

But, what happens is that the emotional storm inside you at that moment hides your ability to see how you are yourself injuring your spiritual heart. While you are in that emotional state, there is no way you can heal the wounds of the other's heart i.e. correct the other person.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness means developing the habit of stepping back and observing
your thoughts, consciously directing your mind inward. Just pay
attention and take note. Isolate any destructive words and phrases.
It's especially beneficial when your mind and body are relaxed, then
you can simply watch the thoughts floating in and out of your head and
quietly replace any that are not contributing to your welfare.

Soul Sustenance

Living Life On The Surface 

In an ideal situation, the thoughts that run in my mind, should be exactly those that I would like and I want. We do exert this control, that we possess, over our thoughts, but it is not complete and it is only sometimes. The more we become completely engrossed in our daily routine, the more our thoughts tend to become ‘reactions’ to what goes on outside us. That’s when they go out of control and our lives move in an unfocused way. As a result things don't work out as we might have desired. Then we develop a habit of blaming other people and circumstances, or we justify our pain by telling ourselves we are not very worthy or powerful enough. Often, these two inner strategies go together. The trouble is, both are cover ups, preventing us from going for a long-term solution. 

In this way, we tend to live our lives on a very superficial level, without taking the time to find the solution to what is going on wrong inside. Deeper difficulties remain hidden inside. I move from one scene of life to another - eating, watching television, studying in college, getting married, changing jobs, buying a new car or house, etc. without ever stopping. All these are part of living, but if I make them my whole and sole, my foundation, it’s as if I skate across the surface of life without being in touch with the core. As time progresses, an inner shallowness develops. Then the feeling keeps growing inside that 'there must be more to life than this'. I then, find that my relationships are not working out as I would have hoped and they are lacking in depth. 

Message for the day

Every reaction to situations is a reflection of one's own self-respect. 

Expression: To the extent that there is a high degree of self-respect, to that extent there is a positive response to even the most negative situations. If there is low self-respect, even the smallest situation brings forth a strong negative reaction. This reaction only makes matters worse. 

Experience: When I am able to maintain my own self-respect even in the worst situation, I am able to have a hold, control over these situations. But if I have a low self-respect I continue to blame situations and use them as excuses to feel helpless. So I am not able to do anything about these situations and just continue to have negative feelings. 

Contemplation: Appreciate

Contemplation:  Appreciate

If I cannot appreciate what I have at the moment, how can I value what the future has in store?

Our Treasures

Within us are a lot of treasures - the treasures of thoughts, time and
virtues that we have not been using fully. The power within enables us
to recognize and use these treasures in a worthwhile way. The more we
are able to work with them we find them increasing. We need to remind
ourselves of the treasures within us and try and discover which
treasure we have that we can work on. Even if we think of a simple
specialty of ours which we could make use of, we would find it
increasing and we would find others benefiting too.

The Mental Periscope

This is the ability of the intellect to come out, observe, understand and initiate appropriate action and, when necessary, go back inside and be calm and still. This act of taking the thoughts inside is called introspection and in this introspective state the self can re-energize, examine, reflect and refine, or just be completely still - whatever it may wish to do in that state of silence. When the intellect uses its capacity as a periscope, it is able to find a balance between the inside and outside worlds.

Effective meditation means to gather the positive resources of the inner self and then use them in the outer world.

It is important to remain neither too much inside, nor too much outside, but constantly to create a balance between the inner and outer realities. Meditation resembles the cyclic path of energy: going from the inside out and then from the outside in, gathering information, or experiences that we need to reflect on, or understand better. On other occasions, it may be a question of recharging our minds with positivity and peace: we go inside and, with the practice of silence, the battery becomes re-energized.

Soul Sustenance

The Power To Face

Situations arise where it may not be enough to tolerate or accommodate, but where I need power to face very unpleasant and perhaps threatening realities. What we are talking about here, in effect, is courage. Meditation helps enormously.

First, the practice of the awareness of myself and others as eternal souls greatly reduces fear of death, an ever-present reality that we spend much time, money and mental and emotional energy trying to avoid. If soul-consciousness is firm enough, I'll have the absolute conviction that when someone dies, it's not that they are no more, just that they have moved further on their eternal journey. This faith makes it much easier to face the departure of someone close to me. It also removes much or all of the fear I might otherwise suffer about leaving my own body. I'll still value my life greatly - probably even more than before, because of having the burden of fear removed. But I won't let concern for the body stop me from facing what I must.

Secondly, meditation makes it easier for me to oppose evil. It does this by allowing me to differentiate clearly between the actor and the action. Spirituality helps me understand that the original qualities of every soul are peace, love, happiness and so I have no hatred in my heart for anyone. This helps me become fearless and stand firm against wrongdoing. With a clean heart, a clear understanding of good and evil, and connection with the divine, I am much more likely to have the faith and courage with which to stand up for what is right.

Thirdly, if the negative behaviour I am opposing activates negative tendencies within my own personality, the fight will soon wear me out and I'm unlikely to be victorious. Power absorbed from the Supreme in meditation helps me remain positive and above negative tendencies and hence face someone’s negative behavior and emerge victorious.

Message for the day

To find reasons to be happy is to increase happiness.

Expression: When the mind searches for reasons to be sad and sorrowful, even situations with no great significance are seen with a vision of negativity. So there is constantly an expression of words and actions that reflect the need for sympathy and reassurance. On the other hand, when there is the search for happiness, then everything is positive giving happiness..

Experience: When I am happy, I start perceiving everything with that vision. It is like wearing coloured glasses. Whatever colour my glasses are, the whole world is coloured with it. Then, I am no longer able to perceive and recognize negativity and I am able to remain happy with everything.