Daily Positive Thoughts: August 27, 2015: Love

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 27, 2015: Love

Love

Love is a powerful force. It can take us to great heights and leave us feeling light and airy. Yet it has been the most abused and misused force. Many degraded things pass for love. True love is based on understanding, mutual trust and respect and not simply on transient emotions. Love is being in balance, that is, in harmony with the self, God and each other. Love dwells in the soul. We must allow this love to flow out and around us. Without love, all of life's treasures are locked away from our vision and experiences, for indeed 'love is the key.'

To have a positive consciousness is to make action elevated too. 

To think that I am ordinary is to make actions ordinary too. To think that I am special is to bring that specialty into every action that I do. As is my consciousness, so are my actions. So it is important to have a positive approach which acts as a powerful base for creating elevated actions. Today I will take one good thought like "I am happy and will give happiness to all I meet" or "Every task that I do is important and I have a contribution to make through this task". When I start my day with such a foundation, I find that my actions are elevated too.

The Presence Of The Supreme Soul Or God

Is it really true that the Supreme Soul (God) is present everywhere, in each atom in the entire universe? The sun is in one place yet its influence can be felt throughout the solar system to different degrees in different places, providing a source of heat and light, needs absolutely essential for our physical life. The closer one is to the sun, the greater the effect. In the same way God, the one who is the ocean of perfect characteristics, the source of all spiritual needs, does not have to be omnipresent (present everywhere) in order to be with us wherever we are. He can be in one location and we can still experience his closeness.

If God were literally omnipresent and thus in every atom, where is this love, peace, joy and wisdom? Are they present in every atom in this human world? If God is present inside me, how could ignorance have come to me in the first place? Can ignorance come to God? If God is omnipresent to where or to whom do I turn my thoughts? Just as a radio transmitter emanates waves throughout the world and a receiver, if tuned in, will pick them up, so too if the mind is tuned totally to the material world and physical activities, then I am unable to experience God practically in my daily life. Even though He always radiates His qualities, I can only pick up those transmissions if I am soul-conscious and if I turn my thoughts in His direction to His location. If God were omnipresent, there would be no meaning to the tradition throughout all cultures to have special places set aside (e.g. temples and churches) for worship. In those special places, is God more omnipresent than in other non-sacred places? If God were omnipresent, are the ones who are so-called God-realised beings more God than the ones who have not realised?

(To be continued tomorrow ....)

Soul Sustenance

How Often And Why Do I Need To Meditate (Part 2)?

As explained yesterday, we regularly and quite easily slip into four main negative habits. So meditation is not only sitting in a quiet corner, and connecting with the self and the Supreme, at a couple of fixed times during the day, but it is also the way to gently remember and remind ourselves, many times in a day, that we as well as others, are souls or spiritual beings not physical beings, by detaching ourselves from actions and also while being involved in actions. These reminders given to the self over a period of time become natural and prevent us from succumbing to these four habits. Given below is a basic meditation, which you could use to remind yourself regularly during the day:

I have a body but this body is not me…
I have thoughts but these thoughts are not me …
I have feelings but these feelings are not me …
I have attitudes but these attitudes are not me …
I have emotions but these emotions are not me …
I have beliefs but these beliefs are not me …
I perform many actions through my sense organs, but these sense organs are not me…
I play many roles but I am not my roles…
I experience joy or sorrow through my sense organs, but these experiences are not me …
I am a soul – a being of energy, which is neither created nor can be destroyed, and my original and true nature is one of peace, love, joy and power…

Message for the day


True service is to serve equally through thoughts, words and actions.

Projection: Whenever I think of serving others, I think of only serving through actions or maybe even through words. I never think of serving through my thoughts too. So sometimes I do find that my service is not complete and doesn't have a true impact.

Solution: Before I can think of helping someone through words or through actions, I need to make sure I have good wishes for them. Only when my feelings for them are full of positive and powerful wishes can my service create its impact on others.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 26, 2015: Manage Emotions

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 26, 2015: Manage Emotions

Mount Sinabung, Indonesia, Ash Cloud, Nov 2013

Manage Emotions

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.

When you are faced with different situations or opportunities, which do you say ‘yes’ to and which do you say ‘no’ to?

In order to decide, it is important to keep the vision of your dream and what you the soul really wants, in front of you. Be aware of what is essential for you. From this space of inner focus, we should see which of these situations/opportunities are going in the direction of your dream, what is essential and what takes you away from your dream; also be aware that sometimes situations are like 'mirages' that seem to offer something easy and attractive, but which distance you from the essential or the truth. They are opportunities that seem easier and, out of laziness, it would be easier to say ‘yes’. But within you, if you listen, you know that, in the long term, you will not be happy, content and peaceful given that you have avoided or are running away from the challenge, you haven't listened to your heart. We need to refuse to allow ourselves to be carried by the current.

When you say ‘yes’ to the proposal, situation or action that is close to your essence of your spirit, it is a ‘yes’ in which there is not submission, where you do not lose your freedom or your self-esteem. It is a ‘yes’ with the certainty that, learning from what life offers you; you and others will move forward in a positive sense.

What Is Clean Communication?

With the self covered by the clouds of so many external influences and many of its own negative beliefs and past experiences, the self is normally unclear about its own self. The light of spiritual knowledge brings clarity to the self, about the self. This helps me to communicate with others much more clearly than when I am not sure or clear about what is going on inside me. There is a direct connection between the quality of subtle activities in the form of thoughts and feelings going on inside me and the quality of my interaction and communication with others.

Very importantly, relationships are also connected with attitude and vision. Sometimes, I may feel I have said and done the right things to someone, yet still someone is not behaving towards me as I would wish. At such times I need to check my attitude towards that person and the vision with which I am seeing them. I may find inside a slight feeling of disapproval towards that person, a feeling of discomfort, a resistance to something in their personality. Neither of us may be conscious of it, but my negative feeling casts a shadow on the other person. They are not receiving the acceptance or respect from me, that they should (on a subtle level), although externally I may be showing them a lot of respect. This subtle lack of acceptance and respect from my end influences their ability to hear me clearly (on a subtle level), and the way they behave towards me. The practice of meditation enables me to clean out my thoughts, feelings, attitudes and vision, ensuring that what I share with others on a physical and on a subtle level is positive. Then it is much easier for me to connect with others and for others to connect with me in a positive way. This is called 'Clean Communication'.

Soul Sustenance

How Often And Why Do I Need To Meditate (Part 1)?

As with anything else, the more we practice meditation, the more we feel the benefit of what we are doing. We do need to practice meditation regularly because the habits of:

i. identifying with our physical form,

ii. succumbing to mental and emotional negativity (in the form of waste and negative thoughts) along with negativity in words and actions,

iii. becoming attached to the physical as well as the non-physical, and

iv. being dependent upon the experience of physical stimulation of any sort (from e.g. food, movies, people, sports etc.) for happiness are extremely deep.

These habits have deepened over a period of many many births, because of repeating them regularly, due to a lack of spiritual awareness. As a result, in the present moment also we regularly and quite easily slip into these four habits.

(To be continued tomorrow…)

Message for the day

Truth is effective when it is combined with tact.

Projection: I usually react when something goes wrong. In the heat of the moment I give corrections and others don't seem to understand. Then I tend to become confused, as it is difficult to make a choice whether to leave the situation as it is or to prove my point to the others.

Solution: Unless truth is combined with tact I cannot make people realise their mistakes. When I find something going wrong, I need to wait for the right time for saying what I have to. I also need to tell it in a way that the other person can understand. Only then will my words have their impact on others.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 25, 2015: Lightness

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 25, 2015: Lightness

Lightness

Move through life with lightness, touching the hearts of others without leaving a mark.

The best way to teach is to become an example. 

People are ready to learn, but they need to see an example which they would follow. So, instead of just telling what to do, the better way of teaching is to lead by example. Not only will I be better off because of this, I will also be able to contribute positively to those around me. Added to this, there would be no negative feelings involved. Today I will think of one change that I want to bring in others. I will check if I need to bring into my life first. I will then work on bringing that change first and only then inspire or tell others to do it too.

The Power Of Concentrated Thought (cont.)

Yesterday we had discussed external influences. Some of the internal influences or voices include the influence or voice of:

* selfish or impure desires of name, fame, revenge, greed, remaining in control of a situation or a person or dominating a situation or a person;
* the ego;
* the past;
* our inner conscience;
* pure desires;
* the Supreme Being or God;
* our worries of the present or of the future;
* temporary negative sanskars or personality traits;
* original or inherent positive sanskars or personality traits;
* attachments to people, situations, material objects, etc.;
* jealousy or dislike for a particular person, etc.

We are exposed to some or all these influences, whether external or internal, all the time. If we are not strong, our mind weakens under so many influences, which as a result, becomes unclear, confused and unfocused. Because of all of this, on the one hand, we need to have good judgment power to remain connected to what is essential, important and true, and on the other hand, you have to strengthen your thought, that is, think less; think more slowly; more concentrated and clearly with focus, a sense of purpose and positivity. That thought is like an arrow; it has positive force and clarity and it always bears powerful fruit. This kind of thought is called concentrated thought. The practice of introversion or meditation for a minute or few minutes at regular intervals during the day helps us remain above all influences and constantly feeds our mind with the power of silence, which helps us remain in this experience of concentrated thought easily.

Soul Sustenance

Virtues / Values / Qualities

Take one of the following virtues or values (qualities) per day and spend five minutes thinking about its meaning and its application during the day.

Harmony (Unity)
Forgiveness
Trust
Flexibility
Courage
Gentleness
Freedom
Understanding
Benevolence (Kindness)
Patience
Enthusiasm
Tolerance
Serenity (Peacefulness)
Co-operation
Generosity
Humility (Egolessness)

Message for the day

The one who is constantly flying with zeal and enthusiasm brings progress in others too.

Projection: Whenever problems come my way, I tend to feel heavy with waste and negative thoughts. At that time I am not able to feel free and light. When there is heaviness in my mind, I can't move forward with enthusiasm and thereby find it difficult to contribute for others' progress too.

Solution: Whatever the circumstances I am faced with, I need to make special effort not to reduce my enthusiasm in any way. The more I am able to be enthusiastic, the more I am able to contribute to the progress of others too along with my own progress.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 24, 2015: Transform

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 24, 2015: Transform

Cynthia Calvillo's front yard is a showcase for her art work. Old tyres are pots, stones are painted and the fencing is recycled from the trash as well.

Transform

Transform regrets into realisations and therefore ensure that what could be waste is made into something worthwhile.

Good intentions need to be brought into quick action. 

When we get a thought to do something good, it is better to do it immediately. If we don't, the intention tends to fade and it becomes more and more difficult as days pass by. Also, after a while, we will not be able to find the necessary resources to bring it into action. Today I will take up something that I have wanted to do. I will list out a few points when and what I am going to do to fulfill that thought. I will immediately start doing it. This will bring about a positive change in my life.

The Power Of Concentrated Thought (cont.)

One important component that doesn't let us remain in the healthy and positive experience of concentrated thought is the many different types of influences we are exposed to in our life. There are two different types of influences - external and internal. These influences can also be called voices. Voices from outside as well as inside speak to us.

External influences or voices are of people whom we come in contact with at home, at the workplace, at school or college, at the club, in the media etc. or elsewhere. These people are those whom we either see as equals or look upto. They could be our friends, our parents, our spouse, our teacher, our guru, our doctor, our neighbor, our colleagues, our boss, actors or sportsmen whom we admire, even the daily newsreaders or writers, etc. We have been exposed to these influences right from the time we were born. The influences from all these people are not necessarily on a physical level, they can also be on a subtle level of mental vibrations from others. We interact with all or some of these people and spend time with them and whenever we do that they advise us or give us their opinion on a physical level and we also listen to their voices on a subtle, emotional energy level e.g.  we spend a lot many hours in the office. We may not interact with our boss all the time but his personality is constantly influencing everyone in the office on a subtle level, including us. The office environment is shaped largely by the head of the office. In the same way, we may be taking care that we listen only to the positive voices of the media and we do not listen to the negative ones, but the all pervading negative atmosphere that exists everywhere due to everyone being exposed to the news of violence, sorrow and impurity from the media, definitely influences us on a subtle level, even though we might not realize it. As children, we have been listening to the subtle voices of our parents, even when we were taking shape in our mother's womb.

In tomorrow's message, we shall explain what our different types of internal influences or voices.

Soul Sustenance

A Gauge To Check How Spiritually Powerful Am I

The territory of spiritual understanding is both infinite and unlimited. Simply put, spirituality can be defined as the rediscovery of the deepest values, virtues, positive sanskars or characteristics of the human soul. The innate attributes or characteristics of the soul (peace, love, truth, purity and happiness) give the soul its power. The power of the soul cannot be quantified either on a physical or a non-physical level. The power can only be experienced and revealed to the self and others through the 'quality' of the above characteristics and the different forms they are given by the soul itself.

For a practitioner of meditation, whether a beginner or an experienced once, patience and a gentle persistence guarantee two aspects of self-progress (in varying degrees in different souls):

1. rediscovery and revelation or expression of one's spiritual attributes and secondly, but very importantly

2. the ability to give them an appropriate form internally or externally, depending on the requirement of the situation.

A particular soul might be good at both aspects, another one very good at the first aspect and not so good at the second one. When we choose to be peaceful, we reconnect with our inner peace and create the spiritual form of peace within our self. This form created is different for different souls, depending on how powerful the soul is. So what is the quality of that form, what is the quality of our peace? Is it a superficial quality that is easily disturbed with unexpected changes in our external circumstances, or is it a deep peace which is stable even in the face of fierce criticism from others? Only we know the quality of our spiritual forms.

Message for the day

The one who recognises the needs of others is the one who gives real happiness.

Projection: I usually make a lot of effort to give in some way or the other to those around me. Yet I sometimes find that people are not able to be happy with me. What I give is usually based on what I feel the other person needs. I continue to give in this way and begin to expect from others too, and find myself disappointed when I am not appreciated.

Solution: I need to be a giver in the true sense. Before I think of giving, I need to recognise the needs of others. The more I keep myself tuned to this I will enjoy what I am giving and the impact of it will be there on the others too. I will then find that others are pleased with me too.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 23, 2015: Happiness

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 23, 2015: Happiness

Happiness

The happiness you give makes you happier than the happiness you receive. 

How would you define contentment? 

One definition of contentment, could be:

“At the present moment:

* wherever you are is wherever you are meant to be,

* whatever you are doing is whatever you are meant to be doing and

* whatever everyone else is doing is what they are meant to be doing.”

To experience constant contentment, we need to become aware of all the things that make us dissatisfied and free ourselves from those things (ideas, opinions, objects, people). We don’t have to reject them or distance ourselves from them, but a detachment from them, a detachment at the level of the consciousness that will bring back our inner freedom. Detachment is then accompanied by the experience of a deep, inner awareness of satisfaction and stillness, because you stop being dependent on anything or anyone outside ourselves.

It is highly unlikely that we will arrive at this deep state of fulfillment very soon - though we may touch it and experience it temporarily. It is only by understanding and accepting completely that everything is the way it is meant to be at every moment, both outside our minds and inside our minds that we move closer to being content.

The Power Of Concentrated Thought

The thoughts that we create are of different nature, different intensity and their quantity also varies from time to time during a particular day as well as night and also depending on what action we are performing at that particular moment of time or not performing any action at all. They possess immense potential or power, both positive and negative. They can either liberate (or empower) us or limit (weaken) us. This depends on what we think and how much we think.

The mind tends to jump from one place to another. Many of our thoughts filled with doubts, dejection, fears, insecurity, irritation, worry, comparisons which give rise to emotions like jealousy or inferiority / superiority complexes, desires, un-enthusiasm, etc. are useless thoughts and weaken us. They defocus us and cloud our inner clarity. Sometimes we keep repeating certain type of thoughts inside our mind, we keep going round in circles. Most of the time, these repetitive thoughts are negative or waste in nature related to the emotions mentioned above. Sometimes the repetitive thoughts can be necessary or positive also. Even necessary and positive thoughts, when repeated again and again, turn into the superfluous (excess) or waste. So it's important to think in a higher, concentrated way - think less and think powerful; such thoughts have a lot of clarity, focus and spiritual force that help us to put them into practice more successfully. A single thought or a series of thoughts can block the capacity to feel content and awakened spiritually and make us sorrowful. On the other hand, a single thought or a series of positive thoughts can be the key to open the door that allows us to access, enjoy and experience the richness of our inner self. But it has to be a pure, strong, clear and concentrated thought or thoughts.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

Understanding What Are Karmic Accounts
 

We are not individuals acting alone in this world drama; we act in this extraordinary drama or play of life with other actors or souls who (along with us) play their different roles with different physical costumes at different times in the drama. During the process of interaction with other actors (souls) and according to the type of interaction with them, we create accounts of debit or credit that become the basis of our connections with others. The reasons for which a specific relationship goes well or not are in the so called karmic account that I have accumulated with the other person in the past. The past could be in this birth alone or in one or many previous births. The souls that play the parts of parents, children, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, friends, office colleagues and others whom I know form a network for the giving and receiving of happiness and sorrow from accounts established in the past or being created in the present.

The strongest relationships that I have now were established previously. We knew each other in other lives and but in different roles. The daughter of some births ago returns now as the father, the best friend comes back as the sister etc. As long as the account exists, the interchange of actions between two souls continues. When there is nothing more to give or receive, the paths between the two souls separate by death, a break-up, a divorce or simply by the loss of contact. An e.g. of this is our school friends. Many of our friends whom we were close to in our school days, we are not in touch with today. Another e.g. is when we change jobs; we might lose complete contact with our old colleagues.

Message for the day

To be free from waste questions is to save time.

Projection: When difficult situations come my way I usually have a lot of questions in my mind about it. I continue to ask myself why the situation has come and have no answers. These questions usually bring me no solution for the problems at hand but I continue to have waste thoughts.

Solution: I need to understand the importance of the time that is in my hands. When I recognize the value of my time I will not waste time in unnecessary thoughts but will try to find a solution for the problem. If there is no solution for the problem I at least just stop thinking unnecessarily and just accept it.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 22, 2015: Patience

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 22, 2015: Patience

Patience

Patience and more patience enable a closed mind to gently unfurl.

To recognize what is negative and waste is to have the ability to overcome them. 

When something negative or waste comes up, I need to recognize it immediately. If I am not able to do that, I actually invite it into my life, make it my guest, give it attention and encourage it further. So, it is important to recognize immediately and change anything negative or waste that comes my way. Today I will keep a check on my thoughts from time to time. As soon as I find something waste or negative coming up, I will not encourage it further. I will immediately either create another thought or move away from the situation temporarily till I change my thoughts. Such attention over a period of time, will help me recognize quickly and overcome what is negative and waste.

Experiencing My True Essence

I feel comfortable and attentive... I am conscious of my thoughts and I direct my attention to my breathing... I breathe gently and deeply... I begin to feel how my body and mind relax... I let go of the things from outside... I feel free, like an observer, beyond everything that surrounds me: people, objects, sounds, worries... Everything slips away from my mind... They pass and go away like the clouds in the sky, until they fade away and everything remains completely clear.

I open a door. It is the door of my inner world... I discover that it is like an immense ocean... In the depths of my inner being there is silence, peace, calm and serenity... I go within... I let go of the past and I see it disappear... I submerge myself in this unlimited ocean, where all the mundane (related to the physical and my day-to-day routine) and negative thoughts melt away... Before me, there opens a path of light that takes me to the depths, where my true essence is found...

I see, in front of me, on this path of light, a star, marvelous and radiant with light... From it radiate rays of peace and love, towards me... My mind is tranquilized; I am filled with silence and peace... My thoughts are full of light, of peace, of love... I feel a deep acceptance and serenity inside me... In this space of silence I am with myself... I feel free, light, peaceful and free of worries...  I am at peace... I feel peace... I am free... I am myself...

Now it is time to return... I breathe gently and I am aware of the place I am in... I feel tranquility, silence, peace, wellbeing... My eyes and my face express this wellbeing... I feel myself free... I feel well with myself and with others...

Soul Sustenance

The Benefits Of Soul Consciousness (Part 3)

The following differences between body consciousness and soul consciousness, will make you realize the benefits of soul consciousness (the practice of meditation make us soul conscious):

In Body Consciousness: I am disturbed by feelings of false attractions.
In Soul Consciousness: I am attracted by the qualities of the Supreme Soul only.

In Body Consciousness: I give sorrow, like a thorn hurting everyone.
In Soul Consciousness:I spread the fragrance of virtues like a flower.

In Body Consciousness: I see everyone relative to my individual identity, my life revolving around "me"... this is arrogance (ego).
In Soul Consciousness: I respect each individual and relate to them with humility (egolessness).

In Body Consciousness: I am tense and tired.
In Soul Consciousness: I am alert and relaxed.

Message for the day

When there is determination in my thoughts, the clouds of negative situations will fade away.

Projection: There are a lot of negative situations that come my way, as I am moving along. During the difficult phase I tend to experience a lot of negativity within too, either in the form of fear, anger or pain. At that time the difficulty seems very big and seems to last forever.

Solution: I need to recognize the fact that whatever difficulties I face are like passing clouds. These clouds come at their time and fade away at their time too. I need to develop the determination to work on my problems with this understanding. I will then be able to face the situation with ease.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris