Contemplation:Tolerance

Contemplation:Tolerance

Tolerance

Tolerance means to bounce back even when thrown against a very hard wall. The ability to do this comes from sensing that life is a game and that all things move in cycles. What is uncomfortable now will soon change. Tolerance is like saying yes to the game and enjoying it.

Be a Master

When the energy of our consciousness is out of our control - the mind
is agitated. We are being emotional. The solution is to detach from the
inner storms, stand back and observe the hurricane pass. Detached
observation withdraws the energy which your emotions require to sustain
themselves. When you watch your own anger, it dies. If you don't detach
from it, and observe it ...it will be your master. Today is the day to
practice positive, detached observation, and each emotion-filled moment
is the opportunity. This is 'real' work. The work of one who is a
master of their own consciousness. Are you a master or a slave?

Shedding Off The Attachment To A Positive Past (cont.)

Excessive attachment to a glorious past is a subtle shade of the negative emotion of ego which colors my present perception of external events and which affects my present actions and responses, as a result of which not only present but my future is also affected. As I hold on to it, my creativity is reduced and I do everything with a limited perspective, not letting myself grow and shape up a glorious present and future. There are some people whose goal is to achieve something so great in their lives so as to ensure they will gain recognition and respect by others in time to come. This is again a subtle shade of attachment and ego.

But shedding off this type of attachment is not easy and first requires the realization that this attachment is incorrect and damaging. The next step is sitting in silence and becoming aware of how you lose your identity in a story of past thoughts, feelings, emotions, attitudes and actions and then disassociating or detaching yourself from that story. You do not need to suppress or deny or fight with this story; otherwise its memory gets stronger and more overpowering. You just need to simply see and realize deeply that your past is just a record of a particular set of actions, which you committed at a particular point of time, it is a series of images of previous events that you witnessed and that you were a part of, all of which have left a record in your memory, and in the memories of others, but they are not what you are. This type of practice of disassociation with spiritual understanding fades the excessive memory of the story in your consciousness over a short period of time and these actions then cease to influence you in any way in the present. Here we are talking about an influence, which we have for long deceived ourselves into believing to be a positive one, but which in reality is not.

Soul Sustenance

Where Does The Supreme Soul (God) Reside? 

Where does the Supreme Soul (God) live? Is there somewhere I can go to see him, to be with him? Since he is a tiny star-like soul (energy) it is obvious that he does not pervade the physical universe. In fact he is beyond it. He is in one location and when I discover that location, I can connect with him with my mind wherever I am and whatever I am doing. 

The home of the soul (from where the soul has come on the world stage) and the Supreme Soul is the region of subtle, golden-red light, the incorporeal world or Shantidham, which is a world beyond the five elements which can be visualized during meditation. It doesn't mean that the Supreme Being is millions of light years away. I can reach him in one thought, just as a correctly dialed telephone number connects me. He is only one thought away from me. In this region of absolute stillness, silence and purity, God, the Supreme Soul is able to remain perfectly stable, constant and unchanging, while the rest of the universe and the souls are changing around him, coming in the cycle of happiness and sorrow. The Father's home is also that of the children. Some people think that he dwells (resides) in the heart of human beings. In a figurative way he does, his love and other virtues are there in our hearts, but his real home is the soul world. 

Message for the day

To let go of worry of the problem is to find the right solution. 

Expression: When the mind is caught up with any problem there is a great difficulty in finding solutions. Instead when the mind is free from worry, it finds the answers that lie within. So whatever the kind of situations or problems, the one who is free from worry is the one who is able to respond to the situation in the right way. Nor does such a person take time in making decisions during challenging times. 

Experience: When I only continue to worry about my problems it is like cursing the darkness. It will not bring light. All I need to do is light a little lamp and I will find the light coming in slowly spreading all around. I find that it is very easy to find the solutions that are already within me. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: Be Awe – full

Contemplation: Be Awe – full

A walk at the Port of Symi Island, Greece

Be Awe – full

Look out on life with amazement, not shock. The variety, the diversity, the manner of every person, the beauty amidst the drudgery, the contrasts, the opportunities, the heroism in the lives of ordinary people, your gifts, your talents, your friends - even just one friend - is all awesome. Live in awe, and entertain wonder, and you will be knocking on the door of true love. Don't kill it with cynicism or criticism; don't sabotage your life with moaning and complaining. Open the eyes in your head and the eye in your intellect and choose to see the stunning, awesome, diverse beauty of life happening around you right now. Meet it with your heart and you will enrich and be enriched in one single moment. 

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Going with the flow

Everything that comes to us, comes to us to pass on. Not just the money
in our pocket, but wisdom, objects, ideas, even opportunities, all come
to us, so that, at the right moment, we can pass them on. This is
called flow. Being in the flow means being aware that the river of life
is flowing to us at every moment. It means accepting whatever comes and
putting it to good use, before passing it on. Going with the flow means
allowing whatever comes to move on freely, without holding on in any
way. If we do not pass on, we are trying to block the flow, and that's
when we feel pressure in our life. Pressure is always self-inflicted.
Every time you feel 'under pressure' look at what you need to release
and to pass on to someone else. Once you do you can ...relax...again.

Shedding Off The Attachment To A Positive Past

A very powerful mis-identification (incorrect identification) that each one of us indulges in, to different extents, is identifying with our positive or glorious actions of the past. This identification is so strong that almost every day it comes to the surface of our consciousness when we switch on the movie of this story of these actions on the screen of our minds. By rehearsing this story repeatedly we love experiencing the same emotions and feelings that we felt at that time, emotions that we had enjoyed very much. We not only re-experience that pleasure but we also love to share the pleasure by persuading others to see that movie by broadcasting that movie in front of whoever we come across. This is normally done in the form of words by speaking about our professional or personal achievements, our educational qualifications, our experiences, actions for which we gained recognition, our history, etc., all a thing of the past. But this is not talking about the real self, this is just a story, thus it is a false identification with something we are not. Every time we indulge in this type of identification, we strengthen the incorrect belief that we are talking about our self. We believe the past is us. This is the incorrect identification.

If someone were to ask us to describe ourselves in a few words, instead of talking with humility about our spiritual self, our virtues, powers, strengths, etc., which is the real self, we quickly mention all of the above features of our past, thinking this will give the other an impression of our credibility. Even when we communicate with people over email or some other mediums, we are quick to mention all these things in our signature, etc. believing this is our story and portraying that we are in love with it and other people should identify us with this story as we do and love us for the same. To remember and identify with any memory of action that we created yesterday is to identify with what we do. And we are not what we do.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

Understanding Anger

What is anger and why does it happen? It’s simple. Anger is a response to someone who does not do what you want them to do, or who does do what you do not want them to do. That someone could be one individual or a group of individuals. It could also be something, where a certain situation has not happened the way you wanted, needed or expected it to. As we watch the world events we become angry at the actions of one nation towards another, one group towards another, a few towards many, and many towards one etc. This is because a) we are attached to the way things are b) we identify with the pain experienced by one side and feel that pain ourselves (in fact we create it in sympathy) and our response is to become upset. Anger is the emotion. What we do not see and realize is that we only hurt ourselves, and we cannot help others who are suffering from their own anger, when we ourselves create anger in response.

Message for the day

The one who is loving is the one who experiences freedom.

Expression: The root of suffering is attachment, because attachment makes one bound.   To be truly free means to learn to love and appreciate while remaining independent.  Others' state of mind or task does not negatively influence one's own responses to the outside environment.  There is the ability to be free and express one's own specialities without being coloured.

Experience: If I cannot keep myself free from attachment I am constantly experiencing suffering.  Because I am attached, I am dependent on someone or something I have created a space for in my mind.   When that person or object is criticized, neglected or not with me, I feel pain in my mind and I experience a sense of loss.  Then I am not able to be loving.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: Go Deep

Contemplation: Go Deep

Go Deep

Most of us think too much, especially about events and people, local and global, famous and not so famous. When we are always thinking about what is happening on the surface of life, the visible, then it is as if we are living a superficial life. And when two people who both live on the surface meet, the exchange, the conversation, is superficial, sometimes totally bereft of meaning. Often it leaves us totally unsatisfied. And as we share news of our surface observations, we come to know our own superficiality, but we are not strong enough to resist it. Deep down inside there is a voice, a longing, a calling to depth. It's our heart, reminding us to visit, explore and express the depths of  ourselves. Everyone has depth but we confuse the heart with emotion, and forget that emotion is the result of getting too close to events on the surface. So one of our deepest needs, which is to go in deep, is seldom satisfied. Going deep and being deep requires time spent in solitude, some periods of introversion and a conversation with ourselves. We only know what is at the bottom of the ocean by going there, diving deep and switching on a light and looking through the lens of a camera. The results are images of depth. How on earth will we ever see what is in our heart unless we dive deep inside, switch on the light and look. Those who do will tell you it changes everything. What do they see? Simple, only beauty and truth. They are always there, waiting for us to return. Waiting to welcome us and to introduce ourselves to ourself.

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Godly Light

Knowing the self and knowing God brings light into the darkness, and
brings love back into our lives whereby we can reach out to others. The
world will change when we are able to share this Godly light and this
endless love. When I know myself I can really meet others. My vision
will not be disturbed by our differences but I will recognize the same
essence in others.

Taming (Conquering) The Mind

In ancient times, the mind was understood to be extremely difficult to control. It was said to be like the wind: you could never catch it, or hold it - it went where it wished and no human being could become its master. In other instances, it was said that the mind was like an elephant: extremely powerful but equally gentle and patient, able to do a lot of work for its master. However, when an elephant turns wild, its gentleness and patience completely disappear and it destroys and damages everything in its path. When the mind is under stress, it resembles a wild elephant; it has no control and cannot be controlled.

Taming the mind is regarded as a great art requiring time, attention, practice and, above all, a sincerity of heart where individuals truly want to change their way of thinking. To relax, to be positive, to be peaceful and kind all require a change in our thought patterns and this can only happen when we look deeply within. However hard they try, other people cannot change us; we must have personal realization and the desire to make changes through our own effort. Permanent and positive change cannot be imposed from outside; it is something that we choose.

Soul Sustenance

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.

Message for the day

To consider oneself an instrument of God is to be light. 

Expression: To be an instrument of God means to allow God's qualities to flow through one's life. It means to be available for God's task to happen. The ones who considers himself to be an instrument neither has ego of the work that is done through him nor has he any difficulty in dealing with situations. He is able to do everything well and with ease.

Experience: When I am an instrument of God, I am able to remain light even while being responsible. Being an instrument I would naturally consider myself responsible for God's task to be done through me. Also since I am God's instrument, I feel the responsibility of making myself more and more beautiful.

In Spiritual Service,

Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: Transform

Contemplation: Transform

A creative Tree Chair with natural shade

Transform

Transform regrets into realizations and thus ensure that waste is changed to something worthwhile.

See Magic

Children know nothing about being 'funny' and everything about having fun. They're fascinated by everything and see magic in simple things.
This week: see the world in childlike wonder. Let loose and make mundane chore fun, or read a book you loved when you were young.

The Rules of Attraction

If we are alert to opportunities that will satisfy our most serious vision (ambition) in life, it is surprising how often these opportunities will tend to come themselves in front of us. These are the rules of attraction - the most mysterious ways by which on one side your need and on the other, its fulfillment are drawn together.

Create your vision (ambition). Identify your goals, objectives and tasks.

Make yourself a magnet. This means having faith that you will get the suitable opportunities to fulfill your vision and recognize the signs they are giving you - which may not be direct. Look out for such signs with patience, and act on them when they come.

In order to fulfill our vision, we must not become too attached to our targets. This is not a sign of weak-mindedness or a lack of commitment: rather it is a sign of wisdom. By letting go (becoming detached) of our goals or objectives, we become more relaxed in our attitude toward them. The journey is no longer tiring and stressful, because we don't have to struggle, life's circumstances will present us with the right opportunities.

 Soul Sustenance

Meditation – Why Is It Required?

To become silent, to be still in the ocean of hectic, noisy action, is a choice many people are now making. When this is achieved, this stillness acts on the mind like oxygen, giving the breath to both understand and enrich life. Of course, action is a necessity, an expression of ourselves through time, relationships and the roles we play. However, if we do not sometimes stop and take a breath of silence, then the mind begins to suffocate, thoughts speed like bullet trains and the brain feels as if it is in a pressure cooker. Emotions erupt and react like volcanoes, the eyes become dizzy with mountains of information and the head feels like a rollercoaster. This is stress. The mind needs to come up for air, to leave the jungle of pressure, deadlines and speed and slow down and find the point of silence within.

Meditation is the method to find that point within which recharges the mind with peace, clarity and balance. It is like a compass needle that guides us in the right direction at the right time.

Message for the day


Success doesn't mean not to face any problems but to rectify the problems at hand.

Projection: When we are faced with problems we tend to get upset and begin to feel that we are failing. We expect everything to happen smoothly when we take up something new. But it doesn't always happen so and we sometimes get so disheartened that we give up the task altogether.

Solution: We need to recognize the fact that each problem that comes our way is a chance for me to use and sharpen our own skills. Real success is to use these skills to win over the problems. When we look at the problems in this way we will be able to experience progress.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: The Hardest Shell

Contemplation: The Hardest Shell

Overwater Bungalows of Bora Bora

The Hardest Shell
Under the hardest shell, is a person who wants to be loved and appreciated.

Self-respect

You get respect from others when you have respect for yourself. 

Every human being has innate worth which is pure and virtuous. Faith in the self brings out the potential within and this brings respect for the self. Self-respect makes you self-reliant and makes others respect you. In order to get respect from others, increase your own self-respect. For this find something unique in yourself and each morning remind yourself of this speciality. Also make sure you work at least once with this speciality throughout the day.

Meditation For Personality Transformation (cont.)

Decide on a habit that you want to change e.g. impatience. We will focus this meditation on changing impatience. You can apply it to other habits also:

I relax and prepare to look inwards...
I am aware of the unwanted habit of becoming impatient...
As I sit in meditation, I relax my body.
I become the observer of my own thoughts and feelings...
Realizing my true identity as soul - a subtle point of light situated at the center of my forehead, just above my eyebrows, I remember my real nature is one of calmness, peace and power...
I focus on the power of peace, inviting it in and welcoming it into my thoughts and feelings from deep within.... enjoying the calm contentment which it brings...
On the screen of my mind, I begin to visualize patience...
I see myself in a situation where I normally become impatient...
I now see myself as being completely full with the virtue of patience...
I shape my feelings around the idea and image of patience.... unhurried and relaxed... calm and watchful...
If necessary, I can wait... forever.... with patience
I am free of the desire for certain outcomes...
I see how I respond with patience...
I see the effect of my patience in others within the situation...
I now know how I will speak with patience, walk with patience and act patiently in the real life situations...
I maintain this peace, which generates serenity and patience in me...

Soul Sustenance

Spirituality In Practice (Self Introspection)

On the screen of your mind, make an appraisal (note) of what has happened throughout the past week…

Think about the awareness that you have had of yourself… think about the actions you have taken…Have they been based on a positive consciousness of yourself? Can you see the intentions behind your actions? Are they pure and positive?

Now, slowly and gently, I focus on my inner self… I observe myself… Does my life carry meaning and a purpose… Is there learning and growth at each step?

Do I possess inner strength… Am I able to use powers like the power to tolerate, power to co-operate, power to face in my everyday actions and experience success at every step… If so, do I feel strong and secure…

Do I remain in self-respect and as a result respect others… Do I love myself and have good wishes for each one that I interact with…

Do I feel calm and at peace… free to experience my inner qualities… Are my qualities visible through my actions…

And now, for a few moments, I am going to create feelings of peace and serenity for others… I am going to share thoughts and feelings of peace with others… this is practical spirituality… 


Message for the day 

With the balance of love and discipline, energy can be saved while speaking.

Projection: Throughout the day we find ourselves having to give explanations or corrections to so many people. When we do this we find that we have to spend a lot of words. In the process we tend to lose a lot of our energy and find ourselves tired.

Solution: In order to save our energy and to use fewer words we need to have the balance of love and discipline. Discipline will enable us to give the right directions while love will make our directions effective. So we find that just a few words would be enough to get our message across.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Contemplation: Serenity

Contemplation: Serenity

Anderson Falls, Indiana

Serenity

Your serenity is based on taking responsibility without taking blame, and letting go without giving up

Self-Progress

The one who is committed towards his own self-progress, is free from
criticizing others even when he sees them make mistakes. There are no
negative words used, but words are filled with good wishes and actions
become inspirational too. So such a person helps the other person to
move forward.

I enjoy the process of my inner growth, because I am committed to learning from every situation. My own growth provides a space for the growth of others too. I am free from negative feelings because I am able to give without expecting. I find others are able to bring out their best too.

Meditation For Personality Transformation

At the heart of every human being or soul there is a spiritual energy, pure, of peace, love, truth and happiness without dependence. Being aware and experiencing this energy provides you with the inner strength necessary for change. Meditation is the method of access in order to allow that energy to come to the surface of your consciousness and in your mind in order to color your thoughts and feelings. In a way very similar to that of a volcano whose melted lava, hot, flows from the centre of the Earth to the surface, we, on meditating, can create volcanoes of power (which emerge in our conscious minds) required for personality transformation.

You can do an exercise, a meditation whereby you choose a habit or sanskar that you don't want, and you will replace it with a characteristic that you would like to incorporate, like a thread, into the cloth of your personality. For example, replace impatience with patience.

Tomorrow we shall explain a meditation with this theme: changing a habit or sanskar.

Soul Sustenance

The Alphabet of Change

Awareness - First, become aware of what you need to change in yourself. What is preventing you from attaining contentment? What habits are blocking the way to realizing your full potential?

Belief - Many people think that a change in their personalities is extremely difficult. But in fact it is a reality that lies within your power. It might be useful to ask yourself questions such as * What has held me back from change in the past? and * What are the stages by which I can bring change about?

Commitment - Motivation is the key to commitment. We need to want to change, rather than feel it is a duty to ourselves. Try writing down a list of commitments in the form of statements beginning with ‘I will’. They should come directly out of, and be connected with, your overall vision.

Discipline - We cannot change unless we are able to maintain a steady course over time. Think of each sign as a major landmark passed. Even if we find ourselves slipping into old habits, that achievement of even a little bit of change cannot be taken away.

Message for the day

To serve with the heart, with love is to guarantee success.

Projection: When we have to be of help to others, we sometimes find ourselves doing it with force. We don't seem to be really interested in doing it but situations or people seem to be forcing us to do it. We, then, don't enjoy what we do and also don't find the benefit of it either to others or to ourselves.

Solution: We need to consciously make an effort to see what people are benefiting when we are helping them. With this conscious effort we are able to help others with love without feeling the heaviness of what we have to do. Thus, we find our actions to be much more fruitful.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Contemplation: Honesty & Clarity

Contemplation: Honesty & Clarity

Clearest water in the world, Cayo Coco beach

 Honesty & Clarity

Honesty does not mean simply speaking your mind. Honesty means to be very clear about everything going on inside you. Where there is honesty, feelings become pure and clean. Honesty is where there are no other thoughts or feelings inside, other than those that God himself would have. Such clarity is reflected in your words; they will be filled with the power of truth, and spoken with ease and without hesitation. The genuine honesty cultivated within you is what will reach out and touch others.

Taming the mind

In ancient times, the mind was understood to be extremely difficult to control. It was said to be like the wind: you could never catch it, or hold it - it went where it wished and no human being could become its master. In other instances, it was said that the mind was like an elephant: extremely powerful but equally gentle and patient, able to do a lot of work for its master. However, when an elephant turns wild, its gentleness and patience completely disappear and it destroys and damages everything in its path. When the mind is under stress, it resembles a wild elephant; it has no control and cannot be controlled.

Taming the mind is regarded as a great art requiring time, attention, practice and, above all, a sincerity of heart where individuals truly want to change their way of thinking. To relax, to be positive, to be peaceful and kind all require a change in our thought patterns and this can only happen when we look deeply within. However hard they try, other people cannot change us; we must have personal realization and the desire to make changes through our own effort. Permanent and positive change cannot be imposed from outside; it is something that we choose.

Thoughts As Energy

Just as the physical atmosphere is the result of climatic conditions and air quality, there is a subtle (non-physical) atmosphere which cannot be seen, heard or measured but can be experienced and influenced by the mind and analyzed by the intellect. It is variously described as the prevailing mood, the vibration and so on. What is the cause of this non-physical atmosphere, these vibrations?

Thought has been proven to be a powerful yet non-physical energy, which can influence other souls and matter. Thoughts, emotions, desires and moods generate a field around the soul, just like an electric field, can be called positive, negative or neutral, depending on the quality of its effect on other souls and on matter. When a large number of souls are all experiencing positive thoughts, feelings and emotions, then the atmosphere becomes charged with positivity. When they are experiencing negative emotions, the opposite happens.

Soul Sustenance

Comparing Atom And Atma (cont.)

The human body is also a complex pattern of physical energies. Atomic particles build together to form the organic structures and inorganic minerals which perform the body's chemical interactions, thus forming the basis of the hormonal and nervous control of the body. What we see as old or young, ugly or beautiful, male or female, is also the effect of these differing levels of physical energies between neighboring atoms. However marvelous a machine the body may be, it is the presence of the soul which makes it function.

One of the basic differences between souls and atoms is that while souls can exercise choice of their movements, where and when to go somewhere, atoms cannot obviously exercise such choice. In a way you could say that a soul is a point-source of spiritual energy that has awareness of its own existence. Atoms do not. 


Message for the day


Problems can be solved when there is the faith that every problem has a solution.

Projection: When faced with a problem, there's a lot of thinking that goes into it. We sometimes end up only worrying about the problem thinking that we are trying to find a solution. But worrying never brings any solution. We only end up getting disheartened and give up trying. What then remains is just the problem and a lot of waste thoughts.

Solution: Instead of worrying about the problem and wasting time, it's important to work for the solution to the best of our ability with the faith that the solution will be found. Even if we are not able to find a solution at that time, it is important to have the faith that it will be found. Only then will we be able to relieve ourselves from worrying.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris