Contemplation: Courage

Contemplation: Courage

Courage

Do not become discouraged in the face of adversity. Understand that the bigger the heart, the bigger the obstacles it is asked to accommodate.

Generosity

To be generous means to be able to recognise the specialties within and
use them for everyone's benefit. The one who is generous never
expects others to understand or give but is able to give constantly
from whatever he has. He is able to spread the fragrance of his
specialties to those around. When I am generous, everyone around me is
benefited and I find that I am able to win the love and respect for
all. My continuous contribution inspires others to make effort to
change and I become an example and inspiration for them. I am able to
move forward with ease.

Tapping Supreme Guidance

There are many occasions in my day-to-day life when I am not sure as to what my next course of action should be in that particular situation. The intellect is the faculty inside the soul which normally takes all decisions for the soul. But sometimes the intellect is clouded by my own or others' sanskaras, beliefs, opinions, inclinations, assumptions, thoughts, actions, past experiences, etc.

In such a situation, I require the guidance of an entity who:

* is above the whole situation and is seeing it as a spectator or observer and is not a player in the situation,

* is the knower of the three aspects of time (the past, present and the future),

* can see the situation from all dimensions or perspectives,

* is beyond all influences and is impartial,

* is extremely pure and clear,

* knows me more than I know myself,

* knows my benefit and harm more than I know it myself,

* someone who is selfless and is concerned for my well being the most, etc.

No human entity can fulfill all these requirements.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

Do Love And Suffering Go Hand-In-Hand (Part 1)? 

There are two things that touch or move us in life: pain and pleasure. Both create addiction. We feel pain in the body, and sometimes it is even emotional. But suffering arises in the mind. The suffering in the mind arises from thinking negatively towards the self, towards others, looking at them with a vision or attitude that causes grief, sorrow and suffering. Both extremes, pain and pleasure, can create addiction. On creating addiction it can start to form part of someone's identity. Later if one tries to stop the addiction of pain or suffering, it can almost feel like a threat towards the self, and towards one's own identity as one perceives it, because suffering is identified with. It is too hard to see oneself as no longer suffering. 

An e.g. in this regard is that of a mother, with three children, who was undergoing a meditation course at one of the Brahma Kumaris centers. Her daughter had learned to meditate and became very happy and joyful. Seeing her happiness the mother came to learn to meditate. With a few sessions she felt much more at peace and had very good experiences, but all of a sudden she decided to stop the meditation practice and leave the course because she was starting experiencing a positive detachment, which she perceived as negative. Now, she was no longer feeling afraid of what might happen to her children. The meditation was awakening in her a love free from fears, but it brought on in her an inner clash of beliefs between the old and new beliefs. Her old belief wasthat to love someone is to suffer about them or create pain related to them. 

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message for the day

To think less is to remain happy. 

Expression: Usually there is a tendency to think more than normal when there is a challenging situation. Although it is considered to be good to think more, we usually miss out on the fact that thinking more means having lots of waste thoughts along with those that are necessary. 

Experience: When we find ourselves thinking a lot we need to ask ourselves if all these thoughts are really necessary. We need to recognize waste thoughts and replace them with something more positive. With this practice we'll find ourselves thinking less and at the same time having powerful thoughts which will keep us cheerful under all circumstances. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: Your Own Truth

Contemplation:  Your Own Truth

Your Own Truth

To follow someone else's truth is a trap. The best strategy is to know your own truth, face it and live by it. Others may inspire, guide, give you directions, but ultimately you have to cut your own way through the jungle. You could always be asking others where North is, and they will tell you. Someone will say North is this way and someone else that North is that other way - and both would have been sincere. But you alone have to find your true North.

The Flight Of Harmony

There are two faces to one coin; a person who wishes to live fully as a human being needs to understand that the existence of one's unique individuality has to be acknowledged, as well as the existence of the group or collective. One cannot exist without the other. Individuals who are developing spiritually feel a personal sense of value. They clearly recognize their uniqueness and have the feeling that there is the freedom to be whatever they choose to be. At the same time, their sense of personal independence allows them to come close to others and work with them. They do not have selfish independence. They get close to others because they have found fulfillment in their own self. Someone who has truly found the value of the self above and beyond labels, name, fame and approval can effectively cooperate within the collective or group and interact appropriately. Such people not only feel themselves to be a part of the whole but, even more importantly, the group or collective feels them to be a part of the whole.

In nature, when birds have to fly to a warmer climate in winter, they flock together and start their journey as a group. The success of the journey depends on the group: if an individual bird does not join the group, it cannot reach the destination on its own. Birds fly in a particular formation, with an appropriate space between them as they fly. If they fly too close to each other, their wings get entangled; they lose their balance and fall. If they remain too far from each other, the formation cannot be created properly, and they are not able to ride the currents of air, which help to propel them in their flight. Furthermore, the leader of the formation does not remain the leader throughout the whole flight, but moves back and allows another to take its place. This repositioning continues throughout the flight until the destination is reached, allowing individual birds to contribute to the success of the journey.

The reality of life is that we are individuals within a collective whole. Just like the birds, we are all a part of an unlimited Flight of Harmony.

Move Forward

To consider life a journey is to constantly move forward. To be on a
journey means to be able to put in effort to move forward constantly.
The one who is on a journey is able to use his qualities to enrich his
own life and contribute to those around too. He is also able to
contribute to make each thing better around him. He doesn't stop
with temporary obstacles but continues to move forward. When I am on a
journey I am able to enjoy the journey as much as I am able to
appreciate the destination. I experience constant progress and success
in everything I do, because there is forward growth in all I do. I am
also able to inspire others too.

Soul Sustenance

The Location and the Form of the Soul (Part 3) 

All of the characteristics present in the soul are subtle or non-dimensional (without size) in nature - thoughts, feelings, emotions, decision-making power, personality traits (sanskars) and so on. If they are all without size, then it is reasonable to conclude that the living, conscious energy, the soul, from which they emerge is also sizeless. For this simple reason it is eternal (beyond life and death). Something which has no physical size cannot be destroyed. As a soul I am neither spread throughout the whole body nor am I an invisible duplicate of the physical body. Even though the body of subtle energy exists inside the physical body, it is the effect of the soul being in the physical form and not the soul itself. Just as the sun is in one place and yet its light radiates throughout the solar system, the soul is in one place and its energy is spread throughout the whole body. To express something that exists but has no physical dimensions we can use the word point. The soul therefore, is an extremely small point of conscient (living) light. For the sake of having an image to fix our minds on we can say its star like in appearance. In deep meditation we can experience the soul as an extremely small point of non-physical light surrounded by an oval-shaped aura. 

Message for the day

To be merciful means to transform the pain and sorrow of others. 

Expression: The one who is merciful always has the feeling of mercy and is able to help those who are in need or in distress. Such a person is able to bring about transformation in others too because of his own pure feelings. He is able to put in effort that becomes a contribution for the progress of others. 

Experience: When I have mercy for others, I am able to accept their feelings, emotions and behaviour and provide them with the right kind of mental support. Then I am able to give them courage without being influenced negatively with their feelings of pain and sorrow. So my mercy influences myself positively too as I am able to keep myself positive under all circumstances. 

In Spiritual Service,

Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: A Long and Healthy Life

Contemplation: A Long and Healthy Life

Mount Roraima is considered as one of the oldest geological formations on Earth, dating back to some two billion years ago in the Precambrian. It is the highest of the Pakaraima chain of tepui plateau in South America. The mountain also serves as the triple border point of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana.

A Long and Healthy Life

There are three ingredients for a long and healthy life: live with attention but without worry, use time in a worthwhile way, keep your thoughts pure, positive and filled with strength.

Inner Perfection

When there is commitment to make oneself clear and pure from inside,
there is the ability to recognize and remove all that is waste and
unnecessary. There is honesty and sincerity with oneself and every
step is taken to remove all that is not good. When there is the
ability to do that, there is an ability also to become a mirror for
others to see their own perfection. To keep myself free from negativity
means to see my own inner perfection. I am not caught up with my
visible negativity, but am able to connect to my inner qualities. I am
honest with myself and am able to work for my own inner growth.

Understanding What is Will Power

The expression will-power is often used to refer to our ability to put into practice the ideas we know to be for our well-being and to resist actions which are harmful. This is directly related to the soul's intellectual strength. When we speak of weakness or strength in the soul we are referring to the intellect. In the case of a weak soul (one with lower will-power) it is almost as if the intellect plays no part in determining which thoughts arise in the mind, but they come as if pushed by the sanskaras (mainly in the form of habits) or are triggered by the atmosphere around or the moods of others. On the contrary, a powerful soul (one with higher will-power) enjoys the experience of its own choice regardless of external stimuli (influence).

Rajyoga meditation develops the intellect to such an extent that this degree of control is possible. A practitioner of Rajyoga meditation can be in the midst of a situation of intense disturbance, yet remain so unshakeably calm that the inner strength becomes a shelter and inspiration to others lacking in that strength. The weak soul is like a leaf at the mercy of the storm, the strong one, a rock in the face of a rough sea.

Soul Sustenance

The Location And The Form Of The Soul (Part 2) 

Whenever I say: I feel something within me, pointing to the heart, obviously it's not something within the chest. The physical heart is just an incredibly sophisticated pump for blood. It can even be transplanted – it does not create feelings! Within the real me, the living and thinking being, the soul (situated inside the brain), there is a centre of emotions, moods and feelings. The sensations that I very obviously feel around the body are due to the total connection that exists between the soul and the body in which it resides. For example, when I am afraid of, say, a dog attacking me, the whole system is activated. From the control centre in the middle of the brain, the soul sends messages out all around the body. Adrenalin is secreted to give extra strength to the muscles (so that one can run). The heart starts to pump faster, the breathing becomes shallower and the palms begin to sweat. While it may seem that all the different organs have their own sensing and feeling systems, the whole operation is so split-second fast that the coordination of sensations and responses by the soul from its own special cockpit in the centre of the brain passes unnoticed – it so seems that the body is creating the sensations and responses, but they are actually coordinated and controlled by the soul. In this way, if I feel something in my heart for or from something or someone, it's really being processed by me, the thinking being, the soul and then reflected in my heart. 

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message for the day

The best way to change others is to remain peaceful. 

Expression: When there is behaviour seen which is not to my liking or approval, there is a tendency to get upset and worked up about it. So immediately, this is brought into words and actions also. Getting agitated or excited doesn't however solve the problem. When there is the ability to remain peaceful, the right solution is found and there is the right response to the problem at hand. 

Experience: When I am able to maintain my inner peace under all circumstances and with all people, I am able to use the power of my thoughts to bring about a change in the mind of others too. I find myself discovering the power of my inner potential and am able to use it for my own benefit and that of others.
 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: Introversion

Contemplation:  Introversion

Cave Homes, Tunisia

Introversion

Instead of talking a lot and wasting my energy, let me be quiet, conserve my energy and experience the spiritual sweetness of introversion.

Procrastination

Procrastination is not only the thief of time, it is the creator of
subtle inner tension. You know you are cheating yourself. There are
three secrets to overcoming procrastination. One, don't wait till you
feel like doing it - the feeling will come only when you start doing
it. Two, list all the things you have to do and then priorities the
list. Three, create a vision of the result and be motivated by the
vision of the outcome, not the thought of the process. And the options
to those ideas? One - ask for help. Two - completely forget about it,
you don't have to do anything! Three - if there is anything you can
learn from the process then see it is action learning.

The Principle Of Focus and Flow

If we look at the sun and the earth, we appreciate a basic and fundamental law of life, which we as human beings can learn from, that is of great help in the right movement of life. By means of light, the sun gives life to the earth; in addition, the sun is fixed in its position (a symbol of "focus") to enable the earth (a symbol of "flow") and all the other planets of our solar system to continue in their rhythmic, harmonious orbit. Otherwise, there would be chaos, upheaval and great damage. The earth on the other hand, constantly moves in repetitive cycles around the sun. This movement allows for changes and expression on the earth, which have a beginning, middle and end. In other words, the phenomenon of time is created as a direct result of the earth's balanced and harmonious cyclic movements. Both the fixed position of the sun and the movement of the earth are necessary for life. The earth has all the potential for life but, without light from a fixed source, there would be no life. In the same way, the sun has the power to give life, but if the moving earth did not hold the potential, even with light, there would be no sustenance of life. This fundamental principle of focus and flow involving the sun and the earth can be applied to real life also.

In certain situations and moments we need focus (like the sun), that is, a concentration of thought, will power and understanding. These three need to be together in one focused point if we are to reach depth and newness. However, if we become over-focused, then rigidity and pressure gradually set in. This subsequently leads to an imbalance that makes us lose our creativity and openness to new vision. Once we have learnt to focus, then it will require less effort and, eventually, the flow (like the earth) will become natural. In focus, we find vision, inspiration and understanding, and in the flow, we find expression, experimentation and experience. It is important not to over-flow, otherwise we get lost in a flood of over-thinking, over-speaking and over-doing. In such a state, there is no direction to guide the expression and things become unclear and delicate. At such a point, we need to recognize that it is time for focus again. According to necessity, a human being needs to move between focus and flow and it is only through the ability to discriminate, that we can know when and how to do this. Everything has its time. We are eternal beings working in time, so we need to know the balance between focus - where we find truth and purpose - and the flow of time - where we find expression and experience.

Soul Sustenance

The Location and the Form of the Soul (Part 1) 

When I look in a mirror I don't see my reflection, but that of my body. The soul is actually looking through the windows of the eyes from some point inside the head. When viewed from the front, this region appears to be between and slightly above the line of the eyebrows. As the brain is the control centre for all of the various processes of the body - metabolism, the nervous, endocrine, immunological, and lymphatic systems - it makes sense that the soul be located somewhere in the brain. Just as the driver in a car sits behind the wheel with the steering wheel in his hands, the soul sits in a specific point in the centre of the brain. This is important to know for meditation purposes because it is the place to which attention is first directed in the effort to concentrate the thoughts: I am the soul, a tiny point of conscious light energy centered in the spot between the eyebrows. 

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message for the day

Anger comes where there is discontentment. 

Expression: When we don't get what we want or when people don't do what we expect them to do we experience discontentment. When there is discontentment, when our desires aren't fulfilled we experience anger. Then trying to do away with anger without knowing the actual reason, doesn't work. 

Experience: When we find ourselves getting angry with someone or some situation, we need to first check what is the true reason for our anger. Once we find the cause of it, which is some expectation of ours, we will be able to work at overcoming it. We will then be able to get rid of our anger too. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: Peace

Contemplation: Peace

Peace

Stay full of peace yourself and know that this peace will reach your loved ones and ultimately the whole world.

Coloured Glasses

To find reasons to be happy is to increase happiness. When the mind
searches for reasons to be sad and sorrowful, even situations with no
great significance are seen with a vision of negativity. So there is
constantly an expression of words and actions that reflect the need for
sympathy and reassurance. On the other hand, when there is the search
for happiness, then everything is positive giving happiness. It is like
wearing coloured glasses. Whatever colour my glasses are, the whole
world is coloured with it. Then, I am no longer able to perceive and
recognize negativity and I am able to remain happy with everything.

The Subtle Role Play Of Thoughts And Images (cont.)

What the quality of a soul's thoughts and images (or scenes) that it creates, depends on the soul's sanskaras. Depending on the quality, the soul experiences the various different emotions, whether positive or negative. When the soul first incarnates on the physical world stage from the soul world, the quality of this role play of thoughts and images is high, pure and positive, hence it experiences only positive emotions. As it plays its different roles and comes down in the birth-rebirth cycle, this quality reduces, leading to the experience of emotions like sorrow, peacelessness, etc.

A point worth noting is that the key to any deep emotional experience, whether positive or negative is the creation of thoughts as well as images related to that particular emotion at the same time e.g. think and visualize at the same time, the death of a close relative that took place ten years ago and you immediately have a deep experience of sorrow. Think and visualize together, a loving hug of your mother that took place in your childhood, and you immediately experience deep happiness. This type of co-ordination between these two subtle processes is true concentration. The key to any type of spiritual upliftment is the upliftment of these two processes. The meditation that is taught at the Brahma Kumaris is nothing but a spiritual thought process accompanied by a spiritual visualization process, whereby thoughts and images of the subtle, spiritual self (or soul) and the Supreme Being (or Supreme Soul) are created together to experience the original qualities of the spiritual self and the eternal qualities of the Supreme Being - purity, peace, love, happiness and power.

Soul Sustenance

What Is Karma Yoga? 

Karma Yoga implies two things: 

• yoga (meditation) by which the karmas are elevated and purified; 
• those karmas by which the remembrance of the Supreme Being (God) is maintained and strengthened. 

The loveful remembrance of the Supreme, is not just a "sitting" matter. If we approach meditation from this angle (as only a sitting practice), any real change in practical life takes a very long time. We should not only use meditation to improve our actions but also modify our actions to improve our meditation. In this way, theory and practice should be simultaneous. As the soul takes virtues and powers from the Supreme Soul, it gives to the world, thus increasing the capacity to take and give. 

In the sitting meditation, be it five minutes or two hours, the soul dives deeply into itself and establishes an unbroken mental link with the Supreme. When the "sitting" finishes and the soul has to go back into the world of action and responsibility, the link need not be forgotten. The hands can be involved with the work and the mind can still be with the Supreme Soul. 

Message for the day

The one who is truly fortunate is constantly enthusiastic. 

Expression: 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. 

Experience: 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. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: Give

Contemplation: Give

Vitarka Mudra - Teaching, Giving Instruction, Reason

Give

Give to others from the heart and in turn many things will come to you.

State of Self-Respect

When we are stabilized in our state of self-respect, we are able to
connect to our own specialties and use them for the betterment of those
around too. Apart from this, we are also able to connect to others'
specialties and are able to encourage them to use these specialties for
everyone's benefit.

The Subtle Role Play Of Thoughts And Images

The human soul is a subtle (non-physical) stage on which a subtle role play of thoughts and images constantly takes place throughout the day and even while sleeping. We have explained in our older messages how thoughts are of 4 main different types - positive which are based on virtues, necessary related to day-to-day activities, waste which are mainly unnecessary and related to the past and future and negative which are related to vices and other weaknesses. In the same way, we also constantly create images or scenes, which are of the same 4 types, which is why we commonly use the term 'the eye of the mind'. The mind not only thinks or speaks subtly but visualizes or sees subtly too, almost all the time.

These two processes function, sometimes independent of each other as well as sometimes dependent on each other i.e. influencing each other e.g. think of peace and that leads to visualizations related to the same. Visualize an unpleasant scene of anger and hatred, and your thoughts are led in that direction. Sometimes these two processes function at the same time and sometimes one at a time. Sometimes neither functions at all, which happens much more frequently while sleeping as compared to when we are awake. This subtle, physically invisible role play is the foundation of the physical role play of words and actions that is visible to the self and everyone else around you.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

Positive Thinking 

What Stops You from Being Positive? 

There are many reasons that make it difficult to produce and hold on to positivity in your mind and attitude. The external information we receive is mainly negative, and our thoughts and conversations are based on this information. Other causes include: 

* Other people's negativity rubbing off on you; Other people's criticisms influencing you; 
* Self-doubt; 
* Lacking clear objectives in life; 
* Not having recognized your true qualities, virtues and values; 
* Lacking self-confidence; 
* Not believing you are a positive person; 
* Keeping the past in your mind; 
* Being egoistic; 
* Comparing yourself with others; 
* Having low self-esteem; 
* Being frustrated or irritated; 
* Lacking flexibility or tolerance with people or situations, etc. 

Message for the day

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

Expression: 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. 

Experience: 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. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: Determination

Contemplation: Determination

Amazing Blue Dragon River, Portugal...

Determination

Determination brings the strength to continue, the steadiness to succeed, and the wisdom to slip past difficulties undisturbed.

Accurate Understanding of Knowledge

The one who has the knowledge to know the right thing also has the
power to do it. So there is equality in thoughts, words and actions.
That means we are able to bring into action what we think and speak.
If there is no equality, it means there is not an accurate
understanding of knowledge.

The Triangle Of Spiritual Energy (cont.)

Referring to yesterday's message, in the triangle of harmonious energy, all three points (the self, the Supreme and others) need to be equidistant - not too much one way or the other. The equidistant triangle in ancient mathematics was the symbol of harmony. Harmony, peace, order and balance is what is natural in human life and if we wish to return to that condition, we need to realize the importance of equidistant relationships. It requires constant attention to keep the three points in balance and in working order. Otherwise, when we get over-focused on any one of the three, we become inflexible. This inflexibility causes us to go out of balance and the result is disharmony and disunity, which can also be called 'violence', an unnatural condition, or even hell when it reaches an extreme point.

In order to maintain a balance between the three, I need silence: times of introspection when I can check the flow of three of my relationships - with the self, Supreme Source and others. This checking mechanism protects, sustains and develops the qualities of these three points.

Soul Sustenance

Discovering Inner Compassion (Kindness) –Part 3 

When we try to describe compassion, it is worth looking at the words sympathy, empathy and interpathy. 

Showing sympathy towards another person's suffering is acknowledging their suffering, for example, 'I am sorry that you have hurt yourself'. We recognize that they are injured or ill without really engaging at a feeling level. 

Empathy is when we literally share a feeling with someone, we walk in their shoes, for example, 'I feel really upset that you are so depressed about losing your job'. This can bring great comfort to the person we are empathizing with, but the comfort to them can be at our expense and leave us feeling emotionally drained or sad. If we identify too closely with them, it can also make it difficult for us to help them. 

An expansion of empathy is a word called interpathy where we relate to another's suffering although we may not understand why they are suffering. This may be because they are from a different culture or because their feelings may seem inappropriate given the situation, but we are curious, we try to understand. 

Compassion is all these words — sympathy, empathy, interpathy - yet it is more and it is less. We acknowledge someone’s sorrow, we sense how they feel, we try to understand how it affects them, yet with compassion we do not become emotionally involved. We are engaged yet detached. We are standing back and looking on with kindness. By showing compassion in this way, it allows us to be compassionate without suffering from 'compassion fatigue' or 'emotional burnout'. 

Message for the day

When we change, our world changes. 

Expression: 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. 

Experience: When we change, our thoughts and attitudes 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. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/