Contemplation:  Patience

Patience

Patience is a virtue and a power too. Patience tells us that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and that we get over there one step at a time. Patience teaches us not to rush. Knowing that there is a reason and a season for everything it enables us to smile at the challenges, realizing that there is an answer to every problem. And, even though we cannot see it, yet there is awareness that within every crisis lies an opportunity.

A deep understanding and an attitude of pure feelings results in
positive thinking.

When we talk about positive thinking, it is usually just 'think
positive' and 'be positive'. But just saying this, either to others or
to myself, doesn't help to change my thoughts permanently, in fact
usually, not even temporarily. Real positive thinking is much deeper
than just to think positive. For this I need to understand and see
things as they are, without colouring them with my own attitudes. Then
I can deal with things in the most appropriate way, having understood
everything accurately.

Soul Sustenance

Understanding The Mechanism Of The Virtue Of Peace (Part 2)

Yesterday we have explained how the virtue of peace works in human souls through the cycle of life. In today's message we explain (with reference to yesterday’s message) how we can experience our original state of peace experienced during the initial phases of the birth-rebirth cycle. Tomorrow we shall explain how we can experience the eternal peace of the soul world. To have both these experiences, the basic principle that I need to remember is that to experience peace, I need to concentrate on it – concentration means creating thoughts about it and visualizing it at the same time. Secondly to access peace, I need to separate myself from my body and surroundings. So how do I bring these two principles in practice?

The first chapter of the Rajyoga meditation course as taught by the Brahma Kumaris in each of its centers states a simple fact and makes me realize it that I am not this body but I am an eternal soul, a non-physical star like spiritual energy, situated at the centre of the forehead, just above the eyebrows, the original nature of which is peace. The body is my vehicle. Now, to experience the peace experienced during the initial phases of the birth-rebirth cycle, my mind picks the above fact or wisdom from my intellect, which is a reservoir of spiritual knowledge and where the above fact is stored. Then, my intellect, which possesses the decision making ability judges the thought as to whether it is a right or wrong one. If my intellect is convinced about the fact, it judges the thought as right. Next, I take this process further. Along with creating this thought I visualize this thought on the screen of my mind i.e. see my star-like white/golden light form just above the eyebrows radiating white/golden rays of peace in all directions. I do this exercise for a few minutes. This exercise then leads me to an experience of peace, as a result of which a sanskara of peace is created. This is the peace experienced whilst visualizing the spiritual self inside the body – it is the peace experienced in the initial phases of the birth-rebirth cycle.

Message for the day

To understand that each one is unique is to have respect.

Projection: We usually expect others to change according to our expectations. We actually want everyone to get moulded according to our own value system. But it doesn't happen so because each one is different.

Solution: We need to understand that each one is unique with their own specialities. When we look at others in this way we will no longer expect others to change according to our wish but will have full respect for them.

Contemplation: Past is Past

Contemplation: Past is Past

Past is Past

Let the past be the past and learn a lesson from the past and be cautious in the future.

Meditation

Meditation gives me a discerning eye - an ability to discriminate between truth and falsehood. It does this by helping me maintain a consciousness that helps me rise above competing claims to truth – the different ideologies and opinions, reasons and analyses, justifications and stories related to a situation - which can be so confusing.

Meditation opens my third eye, the eye of pure consciousness. When I look at the world through this eye, truth is not just an intellectual idea, but an experience of the heart. When I think and act in ways that maintain and deepen this experience of truth, I know I am moving in the right direction.

Conversely, I discover that thoughts and behaviours that cloud or hide the experience of truth are coming from falsehood, no matter how much I or others may try to justify them. So, meditation gives me a reliable basis for discerning the value in different courses of action: will this help me recover my truth, or take me further into falsehood? Will it maintain the flow of love, peace and happiness in my heart, or will it cause a blockage? Previously, I may have been easily swayed by other people's demands and opinions, or by illusory ways of thinking arising from my own negativity. Like a good lawyer, the intellect is very clever at arguing its case, regardless of where the truth may lie. But, when truth is experienced in and from the heart, there is no arguing with it. Deeply experienced truth clears my mind of irrelevancies created due to possessiveness, greed, desires and ego. As I learn to create pure, positive thoughts, and connect with the divine, it is as though a flow of clear, fragrant water gradually displaces the mud and rubbish in my intellect, enabling me to see reality or truth again.

To be constantly enthusiastic is to experience freedom.

When everything is going on well I find myself enthusiastic and have
the interest to move forward. But when even a little thing goes
wrong, I lose all enthusiasm to do anything else. This creates a
bondage for me and I find it difficult to move forward. I need to
remind myself that to be enthusiastic in all situations is to be like
a free bird reaching great heights. To lose enthusiasm according to
difficult situations is to be like a caged bird.

Soul Sustenance 

Understanding The Mechanism Of The Virtue Of Peace (Part 1)

Each and every human soul's original trait or characteristic is peace. Before each soul comes down on the earth to take its first physical body, the soul is in a state of complete peace, residing in the soul world. In the soul world, the two faculties of the soul – the mind and intellect are complete inactive or dormant and the third faculty, the sanskara or spiritual personality is only that of eternal peace and purity and no other virtue like happiness, love or knowledge. The mind is completely silent, not creating a single thought or emotion or feeling nor possessing an attitude. The intellect which possesses the power to discriminate right thoughts, words or actions from the wrong ones does not exercise its power because there are no thoughts, words or actions in the soul world, so there is nothing there to discriminate. The sanskaras (as mentioned above) are also inactive to a certain extent – there are no thoughts, feelings, emotions, attitudes, words or actions to be created or processed, which would be based on the sanskaras or personality.

When the soul first takes a physical body on the world stage, it creates thoughts and feelings which are few in number and they are only positive and its words and actions are also limited and completely positive. Its discrimination power is active and completely accurate and its sanskaras or personality come into an active mode (sanskaras other than peace also become active) but only for a positive purpose to create positive thoughts, words or actions. As a result of this, the soul experiences immense peace, but the extent of the peace is lesser than that of in the soul world, where it is completely still and experiences dead silence or peace. It is never peaceless though at this stage. As the soul starts coming into the process of birth and rebirth, its starts losing its energy slowly; its mind, intellect and sanskaras start functioning negatively or incorrectly, it begins to succumb to the vices, leading to the creation of thoughts, words and actions, which are not only large in number but they are mostly waste or negative in nature. As a result, the soul gradually begins to lose its peace, which it experienced in the soul world (eternal peace) and at the start of its journey on the physical world and starts becoming peaceless.

Tomorrow we shall explain how we can return to our original state of peace.


Message for the day 

The way to get blessings is to be open to learning.

Projection: We do get both negative and positive situations in our life. When we are faced with negative situations we usually expect blessings from God or someone great by which the negativity in our life will fully finish. But it doesn't usually happen so.

Solution: The method to receive blessings is to go on learning from the experiences of life. To learn means never to repeat mistakes by learning from whatever has happened. This learning acts as a lift for us, which takes us forward.

Contemplation: Gentleness

Contemplation: Gentleness

Gentleness

To help, without taking root in someone else's mind, requires great gentleness.

When the mind is on auto-pilot, habits take over.

Accidents occur when we say things we don't intend
and crash into others' feelings.
To switch off the auto-pilot,
become fully aware, gain control over your mind
and redirect your attention towards positive habits.

Soul Sustenance 

Practical Positive Response Training To The Mind (Part 3)

In last two days’ messages, we have explained the process of restoring positivity in the mind when faced with a negative situation, where the most common response is a negative one but the mind can be trained to respond in a different way, in a positive way. Today we explain this process with an example.

e.g. You have just had a major argument with your spouse and have lost your temper. At that time, not only your mind but your physical body also feels uncomfortable - it is in a state of complete stress. You feel your blood pressure has suddenly shot up, your heart is beating fast, you feel uncomfortable in the stomach, your hands are shaking, your face and eyes are red. On top of that, you also feel sad. You have behaved like this many times before and you know the results of responding in this way. The relationship has been scarred and you have worsened a situation. This could have been avoided. There is sorrow, guilt, low self esteem and hopelessness over your loss of control. Also, there is a fear regarding your future, not necessarily a long term one, because things will get sorted out sooner or later, but a short term uncertainty does exist, especially regarding what your spouse's response will be in the next few hours or days. In this state of mental and physical helplessness or desperation, anger may come again either projected towards yourself or towards your partner, which will be followed by the same effects, worsening your state further. In this moment of lack of spiritual wisdom, you remind yourself of the simple wisdom that you are in fact a soul. Even while you are still caught up in the turmoil of the negative situation, using your intellect, you consciously emerge inside yourself, your true awareness of being a sparkling point of peaceful light situated just above the eyes, at the center of the forehead. You not only become aware but you also use the intellect to visualize your true, peaceful, spiritual and star-like form clearly. In that moment, you are able to tap into the reservoir of peace that is present deep inside your being. You calm your mind by holding on to this awareness for a few minutes. You feel - you know - that you are peace. As this experience grows, it has a soothing effect on your whole physical system. Gradually, stability and peace are restored to your body as well as your mind.

Message for the day 

When we have the switch of awareness on, our mood will never go off.

Projection: When something goes wrong we find that our mood goes off immediately. We then lose all enthusiasm and all our thoughts become negative. To change negative thoughts to positive then becomes difficult.

Solution: Like one single switch brings light into a dark room, our own switch of awareness will bring positivity in our mind. We can take a thought like 'I am the master of my own life' or 'nothing can go wrong today' right in the morning. When we have this awareness on, we will never have our mood off.

Contemplation: Determination

Contemplation: Determination

Determination

It is because you are determined, not flawless, that you attain perfection.

Honour the small achievements of those around you.

Usually the big achievements are given all the attention and it's the small achievements which often go unnoticed.

Today, credit or praise someone in private,
acknowledge them in a meeting or
put a congratulations note on the fridge door.

The Supreme Source(Supreme Soul) 

has the power to remind us of what
we were because His original state of being is permanent; He never
forgets Himself, is never polluted and remains forever true to Himself
in the state of spiritual or soul consciousness. As a result, He is
the copy of what we were, of what we are to become. Very simply, the
qualities of peace, love, purity, happiness and truth
are there in Him, visible and available to those who wish to tune in
and receive.

What we remember, we become, and so it is important to remember the
right things. Number one on the list is thoughts of the original self
and the Supreme Source.

Imagine two points of energy (light): one here on the earth, in time
and matter, and the other beyond the earth, in another world of
silence and peace. When these two points connect through the power of
thought and feeling there is a union, which allows for a flow of
energy and the experience of our true being. 'I, the soul, the
point, am here and the Supreme Soul, also a point of energy (light),
is up there'. However, love and remembrance bring such closeness that
there is no feeling of distance or separation.

To achieve remembrance that empowers (strengthens), we need to plug in
every day to the Supreme Source in silence, in a way that is beyond
ritual or sound. It is a personal connection, which requires no
audience and no rules, only an honest heart. When a person has a
positive intention (purpose), the plug of love fits into the socket
and the self receives whatever it needs, whatever is useful for it to
create and sustain a life of quality.

Soul Sustenance 

Practical Positive Response Training To The Mind (Part 2)

If I believe that I am just the physical body and that my thoughts are simply results of chemical and electrical processes in the brain, and not something I can consciously control, I let go of the key of taking charge of what is going on inside my mind. In meditation, my intellect recognizes and realizes that my thoughts are my own creation, of me the soul and not the body and that I, the soul, using the intellect, which is also a part of the soul, can make choices about them.

When I realize that my natural state is to be the master of my mind and not to be dictated by it or dictated by the brain, I start taking charge of what is going on inside. When I practice being a master of my mind repeatedly by practicing meditation regularly, the new habit of creating only positive thoughts settles inside me and my habit of responding negatively with a negative state of mind to negative situations, begins to change over a period of time. I start responding positively even to negative situations. So, meditation is a major transformation process of the habit of thinking negatively, which then has positive results on my personality and behavior.

Tomorrow we shall further clarify the process which has been explained in today’s and yesterday’s message, with an example.



Message for the day 

When we change our world changes.

Projection: We usually wait for the world to change, sometimes the world at large and sometimes our own little world. Since it is not in our hands we don't find it changing according to what we want and we give up trying. We rarely think of changing ourselves which is possible.

Solution: When we change, our thoughts and attitude change too. We are then able to look at the people and our world around us with a different vision. Thus we find that our world changes, not so much in the situation as much as in our own perception.

Contemplation: Unshakable

Contemplation: Unshakable

Unshakeable

If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self pity, these adverse situations that look like they could bury us have within them the very real potential to make us unshakeable.

To be free from the burden of responsibility is to fulfill the
responsibility well.

When I am responsible for something or people expect me to be
answerable for something, I tend to feel heavy because of these
responsibilities. With e such a feeling of having a burden, I'm not
able to fulfill my responsibilities to the best of my ability.
Whatever responsibilities are given to me are according to my
capabilities. When I remind myself of this I'll be able to be light
and give my best to fulfill all my responsibilities.

Soul Sustenance 

Practical Positive Response Training To The Mind (Part 1)

Meditation is a process in which I train the mind to consciously create those right type of thoughts that I wish to have, inside my mind, regularly in my daily routine. On the field of action, I am faced with various different types of negative and uncomfortable situations, which have the first and most immediate effect on my thoughts, before showing on my face in my expressions or in my words or actions. I do realize inside, that the thoughts (and as a result my physical response) created at these times are not the right ones. I want to inculcate a habit, whereby my thought patterns are only which I like or are the right, positive and powerful ones no matter what happens.

So where do I start? Meditation is the start. Meditation is the time, when I consciously create positive thoughts. What benefit do I achieve from that? In these few moments, I am changing the deep and very old habit (not limited only to this birth) of creating the wrong type of thoughts, whenever I am faced with a situation which I do not like. How do I do this? I do this through the intellect. The intellect takes hold of the reins of the mind and chooses the direction in which it will travel. Why is it able to do this? Because, during meditation, I bring myself back to the knowledge or belief that I am a soul and my intellect accepts and absorbs this awareness. This belief then becomes the key to taking charge of what is going on in my mind.

(To be continued tomorrow …) 



Message for the day 

The one who sacrifices name and fame is the one who gets recognition.

Projection: When we make a positive contribution we usually want to get recognition for it. We might not always say it in words but there is always an expectation that others should recognise our contribution.

Solution: We need to make sure that we enjoy whatever we do. Since the task itself becomes enjoyable for us, we don't anymore expect recognition. The more we become free from expectations we get the love from others and recognition too.

Contemplation: Ego

Contemplation: Ego

Ego

Ego limits the flow of love by placing conditions on the love you give and receive. Ego does not allow you to experience true love or share it.

To have learnt means to bring about a practical change.

From all that happens, I usually understand a lot of things and take
important lessons. But sometimes I find myself making the same
mistakes again and again. So I am not able to bring about real change.
Once I realise and learn from a mistake that has happened, I need to
spend some time in understanding it even further. I need to ensure I
don't ever repeat the same mistake. This will enable me to bring about
real change.

 Vision, Goals, Strategies And Action Plans 

A vision is what you can see but not yet reach. The most powerful dimension of vision is not the long term dimension but actually the way you choose to see yourself in your work, circumstances, relationships, etc. Important changes start occurring by simply choosing to see things and people differently. That will have a huge influence on the decisions you make and the results. This is the power of vision.

Goals are aimed at achieving the vision. They should be achievable in a short span of time and represent what you can see and reach. Goals should be specific, measurable, actionable, relevant and time bound (SMART).

Clarification of goals then sets the agenda for the strategies (how) that are necessary to achieve those goals, to drive those goals forward. The strategies then need to be broken down into very specific action plans.

Soul Sustenance

Healing Of Wounds Inside The Soul Through Meditation

Our connection with the Supreme Soul, through meditation, is the best way of healing the inner wounds and negative traces, inside the soul, which have been left by the negative karmas of the past. Given below is a meditation commentary that will help you to absorb the positive healing energy of the Supreme in order to do the same:

I become aware of myself as a tiny sparkling star of light, situated just above the eyebrows – a soul... In soul consciousness, I experience the beauty of the many qualities like peace, love and bliss; of the spiritual being that I am... Now I turn my mind to the soul world… Over there, I visualize, in front of me –a sparkling Sun of golden light - God, the Father and Mother of me, the soul... He radiates immense spiritual energy... I turn my mind and intellect to his light... I feel the warmth of His presence and the light of His love for me gently healing the wounds of the past that are buried deep inside me, the soul... wounds left by ego, fear, sorrow, jealousy, hatred, anger…

While I sit and absorb this healing energy from the Source, I also transmit that light and positive energy out into the world... This light touches everyone I know and have ever known... It is a light which also heals my negative vision of them... I now recognize everyone around me as bother souls, playing their own unique roles... With this new soul-conscious vision, I experience unconditional love for each soul and all negative memories and past hurts associated with each of my relationships is consciously released... The past is forgotten, resulting in a deep feeling of freedom inside me...

The beauty of the Law of Karma is realizing that when our consciousness is filled with happiness, peace and love for others today; and we transmit that positivity to others through our words and actions, the energy received back from each of our relationships, as a result of doing that; ensures that our own future will be bright.

Message for the day 

The ones with pure thoughts experience safety in all situations.

Projection: When there are negative situations, we usually get negative thoughts very easily. Such negative thoughts take us further into negativity. We get caught in this circle of negativity and we then can't make our thoughts positive.

Solution: We need to take care that we don't blame anyone when we are going through any negative situation. We need to maintain whatever positivity we can in the situation, and we will find our mind changing towards positive too. It is this positivity that acts as a means of safety for us.

Contemplation: Introversion

Contemplation: Introversion

Introversion

The ability to enjoy one's own company is one of the greatest gifts life has to offer. Learning to turn my thoughts away from all my responsibilities at the day's end and take my mind into a state of peace and benevolence enables me to carry greater and greater loads without feeling the burden. When my inner landscape is full of beautiful thoughts, everything I do is a pleasure. Gently, I calm down chaotic situations and offer solace to troubled minds.

Trust comes when there is mutual respect.

It is normally experienced that it is difficult to trust people around me. I do want to but the negative experiences do not let me do so. I add up to this negative experience with each incident that happens, which further breaks my trust for people. The only way to trust and gain people's trust is by
having respect for them. Respect makes me look at the specialities in
everyone and I am able to relate to these specialities. The more I
look at the positive aspect in others, the more I am able to encourage
others to use these specialities and relate to my own specialities
too. This is the only way that trust comes.

Meditation To Experience Being An Impartial Observer

Experience the following thoughts one after the other:

I sit in a relaxed position, letting all tensions dissolve...
I relax my shoulders and neck and breathe deeply several times...
Now I focus all my attention inside and observe what is happening in mind...
I observe, and look carefully...
I see myself in different situations; I can identify the things that affect me most, the dependencies on things and people, the various circumstances in which I see myself involved...
I observe how these external factors influence me and change my state of mind. I lack trust in some people, but with others I can express myself freely. There are many influences in my life...
There are the influences of these external factors...
I separate myself from them and observe my inner qualities; I begin to feel that peace, strength and love are part of my original self...
They are so strong that they cannot be influenced by the changing external factors...
I create positive thoughts about myself...
I am a being independent of external influences, and in my inner self there are many qualities

Soul Sustenance 

Stress Management

Often when faced with stress at work or at home, we can feel quite drained (mentally tired). Indeed, we may have noticed how certain individuals or particular situations are draining. We feel as if all our energy has been drawn out of us and it leaves us tired and exhausted. Although this sort of energy cannot be measured in the scientific sense, we can use the power of imagery to stop us feeling drained.

E.g. we can visualize that we are surrounded by a sphere of golden light, so any negative feelings or energies cannot affect us. In a detached way, we can view what is happening and can act suitably, but we are not touched by the stress. This method of using your power of visualization to create protective shields around us can be used in stressful situations e.g. before or during an important exam or an important meeting, interview or any other specific situation.

Message for the day 

The one who serves with the balance of the head and the heart is the one who is successful.

Projection: We usually give directions to people when they go wrong. We also use a lot of logic when we give such directions, but it doesn't always have the desired effect. We then begin to consider the other person to be wrong.

Solution: What we need to do is to have a balance of both the head and the heart while giving our suggestions to others. That means we need to have a lot of love while giving our suggestions to them. Then whatever we say will have its effect on them.

Contemplation: Think Eternity

Contemplation: Think Eternity
Think Eternity Life experiences are like sentences – we are always looking for the full stop, the conclusion. It’s OK to end a train of thought, but not thought itself. Thoughts are like the magic carpet, on which the soul rides across eternity - in reality, there are no endings, no conclusions. Rest for the spirit (which is what we are) is when we allow only the current of the purest thoughts to flow through our mind - thoughts which carry good wishes and blessings for ourselves and others. This is not so much going with the flow, as being in the flow, and refreshed by the flow. For when we have powerful, positive thoughts for and about others, who experiences them first?

Silence is a quiet and peaceful mind
with only a few necessary positive thoughts.
And when we are silent, there's a certain magic that happens:
the penny drops; realizations come easily; decisions can be made
smoothly....

In fact, silence speaks volumes if we just take a moment to listen!

Soul Sustenance

The Energy of Thought and Feeling

Like so many other energies like sound energy, light energy, electrical energy, etc. which are primarily invisible forms of energy and come under the realm of matter or the 5 elements, the energy of thought and feeling is also a form of invisible energy. The only difference is that it is an energy which transcends the limits of matter or the 5 elements and is metaphysical or non-physical and extremely subtle in nature. It is a living or conscient energy which originates from the conscient soul, as compared to the other energies which are non-living or non-conscient in nature. But at the same time, it is important not to forget that it is closely connected with the physical body and can only express itself through a physical body. The other energies cannot express themselves since they are non-living. Also, we perceive this energy only when we are inside the physical body.

It is an energy which has kept going and going for as long as we have lived, life after life, in many wrong directions a lot of times. It is this energy which we need to learn to channelize, control, manage, discipline etc. because by doing that we experience our original virtues of peace, love, joy and power, which is our only and only desire, for which we use various different methods, but many times is not fulfilled, because we forget this basic and most important method. This is something which we have not been able to do since a long time, and something which a lot of people have desired to achieve since thousands of years. The technique of meditation is one technique which helps us in doing that. The channelization of this energy will also improve the state of our physical body as it has a positive effect on the various body systems, the quality of all roles that we play and the success we achieve while playing them and very importantly our relationships– not only with others but with our self and the Supreme Being or God also.

Message for the day

The one who is truly fortunate is constantly enthusiastic.

Projection: When we find things going wrong with us, we immediately find ourselves losing all enthusiasm. We then do nothing to change our situation but just begin to curse our fate. With such an attitude we can do nothing to change our fortune.

Solution: When things go wrong, we have to recognise the fact that it is the present that is in our hands. We don't need to think of what happened in the past and curse our fate. Instead we need to fill ourselves with enthusiasm to make the best use of the present to make our future the best.