Contemplation: September 03, 2018: Change Skill
Beautiful Turtles, Maldives
Change Skill
There is nothing more certain
than that the world will continue to change. Accepting and not resisting this
is the first and most important inner skill in this frenetically changing,
modern world. Life tests us every day to see how well we have developed this
ability. Equally, there is nothing more real than the inner space within each
of us that never ever changes. We may change our thoughts, our feelings, even
our sense of who we are, but we fail to visit the unchanging centre of our own
self. The ability to be in this inner space, where our peace is found, when all
around would prefer chaos and crisis, is the deepest spiritual change skill. It
is the eye of the storm, it is the oasis in the desert, it is the place where
peace is power. Call in today. You'll be surprised how much it can influence
and change everything and everyone around you!
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Effective Correction
When we find someone making mistakes, we
tend to react to those
mistakes and point them out to the person. We make sure we go on
talking about it till the other person realizes his mistake. But
usually there is no benefit for the other person in any way by talking
about weaknesses. Either the person doesn't want to or doesn't have the
courage to accept. When we recognize someone's mistake, before we tell
him about it, we need to ensure that he does not lose his courage to
move forward because of our correction. For this we need to point out
his mistake with love, and also before doing so we need to appreciate
something good in him. Then our correction will be effective.
mistakes and point them out to the person. We make sure we go on
talking about it till the other person realizes his mistake. But
usually there is no benefit for the other person in any way by talking
about weaknesses. Either the person doesn't want to or doesn't have the
courage to accept. When we recognize someone's mistake, before we tell
him about it, we need to ensure that he does not lose his courage to
move forward because of our correction. For this we need to point out
his mistake with love, and also before doing so we need to appreciate
something good in him. Then our correction will be effective.
The Seven Relationships With The
Supreme
Every soul has a close relationship with the Supreme (God), but we simply forget it as we become over-involved in, attached to and distracted by our life on the physical plane and our different relationships with different physical beings during our journey of births and rebirths. Spirituality makes us realize the need of restoring our connection with God, which has either broken or has become loose. It also makes us realize that this connection needs to be a very deep and personal one.
God plays many roles, just as a good parent, being one, but will play many roles while bringing up his or her child. Each role consists of different spiritual characteristics and virtues of God, expressed by Him. Take a few moments to think about the main roles that God plays in our life and identify the main virtues and characteristics which He expresses e.g. in the role of Father He demonstrates the art of living to us and how to perform right karmas. In the role of Mother he gives spiritual sustenance, in the form of virtues like peace, love and joy to us. In the role of Teacher, he showers us with true knowledge of the spirit or the soul. These are just a few examples. We suggest you do your own thinking about seven different roles that God plays: Father, Mother, Teacher, Guide (or Guru), Companion (or Beloved), Friend, Child and how he plays them. Once you have done this inner thinking exercise, experience each of these seven roles on each of the seven different days of the week, one role per day. Feel Him being in that role for you and then note what you feel exactly and how you relate to Him. Also identify the spiritual characteristics and virtues that it brings out from within you.
Soul Sustenance
The Consciousness Switchover (cont.)
Given below are few simple methods which help us in the process of rising above action or role consciousness and make the task of switching of consciousness to a spiritual one, easy.
1. Every hour, stop for a few seconds and note down in a small diary, which you carry with yourself through the day, to what extent, in the hour that has just gone by; you have maintained the light and detached awareness of yourself as a soul, a being of peaceful and blissful light, situated at the centre of the forehead, playing its part through the physical body costume and the physical role costume and seeing others the same way. If you haven’t had any awareness, that’s fine: the light reminder will help you remain attentive for the next one hour period. This will over a period of time become an easy, natural and enjoyable exercise, which is very relaxing.
2. Every 2-3 hours, stop whatever you are doing for a 3-4 minutes and turn your attention within, creating an awareness and feeling of the soul, but a very deep one. Remind yourself of your spiritual relationship or your relationship on a soul level with the Father of the soul, the Supreme Being or God. Experience the relationship. At centres of the Brahma Kumaris and even at their homes and workplaces, the members of the Brahma Kumaris around the world, follow this exercise. Where it’s feasible, music is played at these times to make the break effective and soothing. This exercise is called 'traffic control', because the peace experienced in this exercise helps you become aware of the traffic of your thoughts and slow it down, reducing the risk of accidents that are caused due to internal mental clashes as well as clashes with the variety sanskaras or personality traits of people whom you come in contact with.
3. Every time you eat or drink something i.e. you nourish the body, along with that sustain the soul with spiritual thoughts, above the mundane or ordinary. These spiritual thoughts could be based on something positive that you have read in the morning at the start of the day.
Message for the day
To know the fruit of efforts will surely come is to remain happy and healthy.
Projection: To know that the fruit of my effort will eventually come one day is to understand the importance of making effort. Once there is this understanding, it becomes easy to continue making effort, which is like nourishment that keeps one happy. So effort is never stopped till what has to be achieved is achieved.
Solution: Knowing that my effort will surely be fruitful makes me enjoy everything I do. It makes me remain happy, keeps me enthusiastic and free from tiredness, even when things are not going right for me. My mental happiness and well being thus keeps me healthy.
In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris