Contemplation: January 29, 2019: Treasure of Memories

Contemplation: January 29, 2019: Treasure of Memories

Treasure of Memories

We've learnt, received & accomplished so much in our life.
Yet sometimes we forget.

Like buried treasure, it's still all there, hidden away inside our memory bank.

When we reach into our treasure chest of memories, we can recover & reclaim the lost experiences, energy & enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm

Without enthusiasm life becomes a dry and tasteless experience. Anyone
can become enthusiastic for a little while but to keep enthusiasm
steadily flowing through our life is a great art. The secret is
remarkably simple; live in a state of appreciation; appreciate the
special qualities within everyone; appreciate the wonder of nature and
give thanks to the cycle of life and everyone's contribution to it.
Enthusiasm is infectious, especially when it is based on an
appreciation of, and love for life itself.

The Five Primary Qualities (cont.)

The soul has five primary qualities; we could say they are the primary colours of humanity with which we paint the picture of our lives. We had discussed peace and purity yesterday. The others are:

Love
Perhaps the most difficult original quality to achieve because it has become so mixed up with attachment, possessiveness and dependence, deeply ingrained habits that have become accepted as normal. As a result, the human being finds it difficult to realize the true form of pure love, which is unconditional. The quality of love means * I care, * I share and, in particular, * I liberate. True spiritual love never creates that need, or dependence, where others cannot find, or be, themselves.

Knowledge
To know and to be what I am eternally and truly, and to exist in this consciousness, is what we mean by knowledge. It is not knowing about the soul, peace, love, etc., but rather knowing is to be the soul, to be peace, to be love. This quality of true knowing is expressed through 'I am', the original awareness of the self that exists beyond the false self of ego.

(To be continued tomorrow ....)

Soul Sustenance

The Power To Decide

Sometimes, there are certain situations where I'm not so much faced with a choice between truth and falsehood where the power to discern (discriminate) is required, but I have to balance competing aims or priorities in deciding on a course of action. There's great value in getting this right, because poor judgment can entangle me in consequences from which it might take years to recover. If I'm deflected because of my attachments or desires, I'll lose my ability to decide accurately.

Understanding myself as a soul, and keeping my heart full and free through my relationship with the Supreme Soul (meditation) makes my mind free from waste thoughts. Having a clean, clear and concentrated mind helps me remain in the best possible position to judge correctly. I'll be like the Statue of Justice, wearing a blindfold as she carefully weighs the evidence: free from prejudice (bias) arising from superficial appearances, above the influence of situations and the emotions and opinions of others, perfectly centered, she is optimally placed to sense the right way forward. 

Message for the day

There is magic in each day for those who have the eyes to see.

Expression: The ones who are happy, always find something new. Even in the most ordinary and routine situations, they are able to find something interesting. So they are able to use everything that is with them in the best possible way. They are the ones who bring newness with enthusiasm and make the best use of the resources available.

Experience: When I have the eyes to see the magic of each day, I have the ability to appreciate even small beautiful things of life. I constantly find myself content with whatever is happening and whatever I attain in my life. My contentment also brings creativity and I am able to experience progress by making use of all that is with me.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: January 28, 2019: Inner Beauty

Contemplation: January 28, 2019: Inner Beauty

Inner Beauty

"Wow...that's beautiful!" Is either a cry or a thought when faced with the mountain sunset, a spectacular view or a well formed man or woman. But where is the beauty, where is the appreciation of beauty, where is the ability to discern beauty? It is within our own consciousness. For the essence of who and what we are, is beauty itself. The essence of beauty is not found in the body, a face or a mountain - they only stir the essence of beauty within our own spirit. And that beauty is not only something we taste within ourselves, but it emerges in our character as virtue, and in our life as care. For what is virtue, but love in action? The next time you say, "That's beautiful!" know that you speak of yourself, and it is you who are beautiful. Always were, always will be.

Inner Landscape

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

The Five Primary Qualities

The soul has five primary qualities; we could say they are the primary colours of humanity with which we paint the picture of our lives.

They are:

Peace
This is the original quality of the soul. Peace is serenity, the personal inner state of non-violence. In this state of peace, I harmonize with everything and everyone around me. The word 'shanti' means peace, and it is this thought (or word) we use as the key step in meditation.

Purity
A state of honesty and cleanliness where I am the same inside and outside, not deceiving either myself, or others. Consequently, there is no room for artificiality. Purity is the state of original truth where no violence is committed against others, nor can violence be committed against me. When the self is in its original purity, others cannot damage or destroy it, even if they try, because there is a natural aura of protection that acts as an invisible barrier. When I achieve this level of purity, it means I respect all things.

(To be continued tomorrow ....)

Soul Sustenance

Observing But Not Absorbing

To observe means we take a new, appropriate mental position in whatever situation, or in whatever relationship, we find ourselves. Observation is a silent skill — a skill we need to learn if we are to assess clearly what positive changes are needed to be made in the self in a particular situation or relationship.

If we fail to learn this art of observing, we are likely to react and absorb ourselves in the negativity of the person, or event. We get lost in the quicksand of 'what's wrong?' which prevents us from putting things right. As we absorb and fill ourselves with negative emotion, we become heavy and remain helplessly rooted to the ground. The gravity of overload does not allow us to rise above a situation and to understand the reality of what is happening. As a result, we lose perspective and overreact.

If we wish to understand how the mental position of observation gives us the power of perspective, we can look at the example of the bird and the ant. The ant, extremely busy, running here and there, scrambling over everything in its rush to find and collect food, will see only what is in front of its nose. The bird, on the other hand, leaves the earth and, as it flies higher and higher, starts to see the bigger picture, compared to when it was on the ground, or on the branch of a tree. Seeing the whole picture, it has a completely different perspective. It is only then that it can truly see where to go and what to do. When we get absorbed in a situation or relationship, we lose perspective; we become like an ant, we get too involved in the details, missing the obvious, and cannot imagine, or think of other possibilities. 

Message for the day

The first step of courage is to consider oneself fortunate at every step.

Expression: The one who is courageous never has a doubt of being fortunate. Even if there are difficult situations and challenges, the faith of being fortunate never fades away. This faith enables such a person to recognize and use the available resources in a worthwhile way. Even during difficult situations, there is never a need to stop as faith gives courage to move on.

Experience: When I consider myself to be fortunate I never experience fear in spite of difficult situations. I am always happy with whatever is happening. Along with it I also have the enthusiasm to make effort to better the situation. I never worry but am able to enjoy each and every moment and make the best use of it.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: January 27, 2019: Complaining about the Weather

Contemplation: January 27, 2019: Complaining about the Weather

“Singin' in the Rain” at the Palace Theatre, New York

Complaining about the Weather

When it's too hot, we complain, too wet, we complain,
too cold, we complain, too windy, we complain.

The next time you catch yourself complaining about the weather, stop. Remind yourself to enjoy the change. Appreciate the gradations within the heat, cold, wet etc.

When you stop complaining you can then do something to
make the situation more bearable. For example, if it's too hot, pour yourself a cold drink and then continue with your tasks!

Live by Values

The highest discipline is to live by the values that are dearest to us.
To do so we may have to sacrifice something, for example, praise, money
or status. However, the rewards are enormous: self-respect,
self-confidence and an ability to face adversity with courage and
optimism.

Seeing With Spiritual Eyes

My eyes are the most powerful medium through which I, the soul, not only absorb information from the outside to the inside but also express myself to others from the inside to outside. All that the soul possesses inside it or is made up of in the form of thoughts, feelings, attitudes, positive virtues, even weaknesses, in fact all personality traits, are expressed through my eyes to others and shared with others. As I look towards others, my eyes can be used to shower others with pure love, peace, joy, power etc. and the same eyes, if not used appropriately, can shower others with anger, jealousy, criticism, hatred etc. My eyes also express whatever wisdom or knowledge I possess inside.

When I stay in the awareness that I am a soul, a spiritual being of subtle light, situated at the center of my forehead, my eyes are used to see others in the same way with a spiritual vision. This leads to my spiritual upliftment. When I stay in the awareness that I am a body, my eyes are used to see others in the same way with a non-spiritual or a body-conscious vision. This brings me down on a spiritual level. A spiritual vision helps me see others with a sense of equality, instead of with feelings of comparison or competitiveness. Usually, on a physical level, I create all sorts of impressions of another person from just one glance through my eyes, about their age, gender, looks, position in society, job, how rich they are, their dressing sense, caste, nationality etc. and many a times, very commonly, I make various assumptions about their personality or behaviour. In the state of soul-consciousness, that changes. Looking out I see souls, and I see them as my brothers, on exactly the same level as me, neither higher, nor lower. A spiritual vision reminds me of the original, positive qualities of each soul, instead of their present personality. It also reminds me that each soul has incarnated from the soul world to play its various roles through different physical costumes in this unlimited drama on the world stage. Age, gender, appearances, status etc. which are visible to me today are just temporary ones. The same soul has been in the past and will be in the future in different physical costumes or roles, where all these have been and will be different and the same applies to me too. This makes me rise above comparisons and I am no longer judgmental about the other.

Soul Sustenance

Revising My Purpose In The Professional Sphere

A young entrepreneur once thought that, in the corporate world, if you earn this much amount of money successfully in a short span of time, you are considered better than the remaining entrepreneurs and you reach the peak of fame. A time arrived when he said to himself "This is stressful. Is this what I want? Working so hard to reach the top, so that you become famous in the entire country and are known amongst the fastest growing businessmen. No, I want to excel in my career, but in another way, without stress, without fighting to reach and maintain fame and power." He then revised his purpose: "What do I want? Why do I do what I do? For what and for who do I do it? What is the price that I have to pay for this dependence on fame?"

Aspiring to be famous causes continuous stress and anxiety. You participate in a race in which you compete and are comparing yourself constantly. You stop taking care of yourself and nourishing your inner self. You take care of your image but not your inner being. This brings about an inner emptiness and loneliness that, sometimes, is unbearable for us. Reaching fame, financial wealth, the power of a visible position, and reaching it with a broken soul, a broken apart family and a sick body, causes anxiety and depression. We need to look inwards and ask ourselves – does our life’s purpose revolve around the search for fame and power? If yes, then we need to revise our purpose suitably by realizing the negative effects that this search can have on our lives.

Message for the day

To have love for God means to have love for all.

Expression: When there is love for God, there will be automatically love for all human beings, the children of the One God. There will be recognition of the speciality of all who come into contact and so words and actions will be beneficial both for one self and others. There will not be love for only some or love only sometimes.

Experience: When I am connected with the seed, God, I naturally find myself becoming an instrument for God's love reaching out and touching the lives of others. I will not have love only for a few people, but will have equal love for all. I will then be in a position to help others too, to get rid of their negativity.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: January 26, 2019: True Benevolence

Contemplation: January 26, 2019: True Benevolence

Prajapita Brahma

True Benevolence

There is no greater teacher than one's own practical example. To be really benevolent therefore means that I must first change, then I have the power, the knowledge and the experience of thinking and doing for the ultimate benefit of all.

Inner Happiness

Protecting our sense of optimism is the best way to remain cheerful. We
can do this by starting the day with meditation to pour light and love
into the scenes we are likely to find ahead of us that day. And then if
we keep touching base with God's mind and His benevolent way of
seeing things, the inner happiness we experience will help us pass
through any situation without feeling weary.

Different Shades Of Attachment To Opinions And Ideas (cont.)

The attachment or detachment to one's ideas not only comes into play while giving an idea or opinion, but even when accepting or receiving or listening to an idea from another person from the group. The more the attachment to one's own ideas, the more will be the tendency to resist or reject the other's idea. A particular person, with the objective or resisting or rejecting the idea:
* might try to do the same through different means like putting up a seemingly valid or even an invalid objection to the idea in front of the whole group which may seem very reasonable to the group and may be taken or accepted by the group or the person objecting may try to ensure that happens or
* he/she may quietly disassociate from the group if the group begins showing interest in the idea (sometimes the influence of the position of the person is such that this kind of disassociation very easily manages to reduce the energy of interest of the group in the new idea) or also
* might present a new idea to the group, which manages to divert the attention of the group, etc.

Sometimes the person rejecting the idea is aware of the fact that he/she is rejecting the idea because of the inner attachment to his ideas, but will not admit it in front of others and sometimes he/she might not even be slightly aware of the fact; the attachment is too subtle to realize. Others might realize their attachment, but they might not themselves. And if someone to point out their inner attachment, they might even react, because where there is attachment, there is fear that the other's idea will be accepted and yours will not. Attachment to one's ideas fills the energy of 'I am right' in any situation. Overcoming all sorts of attachment to ones ideas is one of the foremost steps that we can take to bring about harmony in all types of relationships.

Soul Sustenance

Playing My Part As A Hero Actor (Part 3)

In yesterday’s message we had discussed how some of us believe that our life script has been written by God and we do not play any role in the same. In this regard, it is very important to state that respecting, thanking and remembering God in good as well as bad times is obviously very very good and the right karma but submitting ourselves blindly to God’s will is an inactive response which prevents each of us from using our free will to make any choice at any moment and shape our future. While there is a master plan which is being played out on the stage of the world, a part of the plan is that we each have free will and an opportunity to decide our actions and responses. We need to realize that each one of us possesses an intellect, which absorbs the capacity to discriminate right from wrong, good from bad, from God and decides how to act on the world stage.

In this regard, there are two aspects. The first aspect is – God writes my life script completely for me without me playing any role in the same. The other aspect is - I perform actions and create my responses, based on God’s knowledge of good and bad karmas which he has given me, so as to shape my destiny and write my life script accordingly. There is a fine difference between these two aspects, the second aspect being the correct one. This knowledge given to me by God is stored in my intellect; I am the master of it and can decide how to use it to play my part. 

Message for the day

The method to finish negativity is to fill with the power of positivity.

Expression: There are a lot of negative characteristics, which continue to work in one's lives colouring words, actions and behaviour. Such negativity cannot be removed by reminding oneself of it again and again. Instead, a reminder and an excuse to use positivity, helps finish this negativity very naturally. It is when even the tiniest ray of light comes that the darkness begins to disappear.

Experience: When I start discovering and working with my inner positivity, I am able to easily win over my seemingly strong weaknesses. The lesser attention I give my weaknesses and the more attention I give my strengths, I am able to have an influence over my weaknesses and convert them into strengths. So there is a total experience of positivity, whatever the situation may be.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: January 25, 2019: Changing Others' Behaviour

Contemplation: January 25, 2019: Changing Others' Behaviour

Changing Others' Behaviour

Can we change another person's behaviour?

We can make them aware of their behaviour and make a
polite request for them to change. When they don't make
the necessary changes, accept that you can't change others.

The only person you can change is yourself. Adapt, be flexible, and adjust your expectations to accommodate their behaviour.

When there is change in yourself, you can become a catalyst for changes in those around you, but don't expect others' to change.

Divine help

Many times people report the feeling of divine help and strength when they come close to breaking point. Actually divine help is always there, but we are usually so busy doing things in our own little way that we only look for it when we face absolute defeat. The tranquil nature of enlightened souls comes from their ability to take God's help constantly. A state of true surrender will lead to feeling of victory in everything we do.

Different Shades Of Attachment To Opinions And Ideas

Very often in a group or team, whether social or official, while moving towards a common goal or objective or purpose, different people in the group or gathering give their opinion to make the objective of the team possible. While giving their opinion, one very commonly sees two different categories of people. The first category contains type of people who are attached to their ideas (to different extents) while presenting them to the group and the other contains type of people who are extremely active, positive and authoritative in giving their ideas, when they are required to do so, but are able to keep a relationship of detachment with their ideas.

If someone is attached to his/her idea and it is not accepted, he/she might react emotionally (internally) or even physically (externally). He/she:
* might even start creating disharmony in the group by talking against or creating ill-feelings for the person who objected to his idea or
* might stop co-operating with the remaining members of the group or
* sometimes may just disassociate or distance himself/herself from the group, which is a quiet way of non co-operation and can cause ripples of negative thoughts and feelings in the others.
These and others are some of the common reactions of someone whose idea/ideas are not accepted.

So the right balance of authority (while giving the idea) and humility (while accepting the result of the idea, the result could be rejection or even acceptance of the idea) has to be maintained. Humility comes very naturally to someone who is detached to his/her idea.

(To be continued tomorrow...)

Soul Sustenance

Playing My Part As A Hero Actor (Part 2)

In yesterday’s message we had discussed how we possess the potential in our hands to write the scripts of our lives, our destinies. Some of us do not like this idea because we have been taught since we were small that life is all about luck, but this incorrect belief does not let us realize the immense internal power or potential that we possess of shaping up our destiny, our future. By resigning ourselves to a life of luck, we do not use our potential and conveniently avoid doing the inner work of becoming awake and aware of who we are as spiritual beings and the masters of our own destiny. This is why waking up from the sleep of this wrong belief is the first step towards empowering ourselves, towards taking responsibility for our life, for our present, our future.

Also there are some of us who hold the belief that the course taken by each one of our lives is not written by luck but is decided by God, so it is egoistic on our part if we believe that we can write our own scripts, interfering with the plan that God has in his mind for us. So in times of challenges in our lives, although its not wrong to pray to God at those times, we commonly use words like ‘if God would like it, I shall overcome this obstacle or I will be successful in this particular task or my health will get okay or I will pass this exam etc.’ In times of happiness, although it’s not wrong to thank God at those times, we completely submit ourselves to God’s will, thinking that it is he and he alone responsible for what good that is happening in my life. In the case of the sorrow we forget that although God can help us to some extent, whether we will surpass the sorrow or not is very largely dependent on our past actions which are influencing the present situation. In the case of the happiness, we forget that though God’s blessings do help and work, our past actions are a very important dominant factor which is creating situations of positivity in our present lives.

(To be continued tomorrow…) 

Message for the day

The one who is victorious never withdraws till victory is attained.

Expression: When challenges, either in the form of situations or people, come one's way, the one who aims for victory never withdraws. If there are excuses given to either withdraw or move away from the situation, there can never be victory. To be victorious means attempts are repeatedly made so that there is a constant and steady progress towards success.

Experience: Temporary failures, challenges or difficult situations don't bother me, when I have the aim of being victorious. My only focus would be to attain victory and I would experience victory both in defeat and in victory. Also I will never consider myself to be alone as I continue to receive help. I would naturally experience the support and companionship of those around me.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: January 24, 2019: The Spiritual Aspect of Healthcare

Contemplation: January 24, 2019: The Spiritual Aspect of Healthcare

The Spiritual Aspect of Healthcare

Silence, happiness, love and blessings are important aspects. Happiness leads to good health. It is only you who can give this medicine to yourself. Some bring illness to themselves through anger, greed, unfulfilled desires, expectations, suppression of feelings and relationships not based on true love. Look in your heart, you will know where your illness comes from. 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.

Humility

Humility grows a little more each time we step away from our own
feelings and opinions and genuinely listen to the experience of another
human being. Humility is dedication to the extent that no
acknowledgement is sought for the self. Only when we have learned to
value others no more no less that we value ourselves can we be said to
be truly humble.

Cooking And Eating With A Spiritual Touch (cont.)

Having prepared food with attention (which we have explained over the last two days), the Brahma Kumaris' practice is then to offer the freshly-prepared meal to the Supreme Soul. We call it offering bhog (or commonly called prasad) to the Supreme Father. As a part of this practice, positive energy or vibrations of love, bliss and peace taken from the Supreme via meditation for 5-10 minutes, is given to the food prepared, by keeping a small portion of the food in a clean vessel kept aside for this purpose only, on a table in front of you. This practice can be followed every day for one main meal at least, or more, depending on how much time you have at hand. It is good to do this exercise in a special corner in the house or even a separate small room kept aside for the purpose of meditation or basically a place where the atmosphere is spiritually empowering as compared to the rest of the house. Charging the food with positive spiritual energy and expressing gratitude to the Supreme in this way serves to increase the spiritual quality of the food and deepen the individual's personal relationship with the Supreme, while also creating a powerful, shared divine experience. On a very practical level, it will also help the body to prepare itself to receive and digest food. Of course, the last step is to eat, and this, too, is best done in a peaceful, unhurried and harmonious state of mind and environment: we are what we eat and also how we eat. It's good to avoid eating along with the television or newspaper. Eating with the family in a positive setting is a good practice. But talking excessively and sharing negative information at that time with each other should be avoided. Talking quite less, talking very slowly, softly and sweetly and talking about positive and constructive aspects of life, with the rest of the family members, should be the norm for meal eating time.

Whether you are a new, aspiring or trained cook, we hope that the information in this and the last two days' messages, with its emphasis on the soul as well as the body, will bring an added dimension to your kitchen and dining table. Cooking, and eating, should be a joyful and significant experience. So cook and enjoy!

Soul Sustenance

Playing My Part As A Hero Actor (Part 1)

While just as beings we reside in the soul world, as human beings we play our many roles through many physical bodies in this beautiful world drama on this amazing, colorful and round stage called planet Earth. Each day is filled with multi-million scenes in different locations on this very big stage. Some scenes are directly related to us, some indirectly and a lot many aren’t related at all. Each scene that we are directly involved is an opportunity to not only play our role in the best possible way but also as a result shape the role in the most appropriate way possible. Therefore, we are all hero actors who by playing our roles as well as possible, create the script of our own life i.e. create our own destiny.

And do remember doing this has a positive influence on others’ scripts also, which rebounds back to us and in return helps us in our making our scripts better. While we have been given a role to live the entire birth right from childhood to old age, we possess the power, the remote control to dictate and control as to how exactly we will live the day, the year and each year of our present birth, our present role. Each day offers us multiple options as to not only how we act but also how we respond to the world around us and our script or destiny gets shaped up according to the options we make. Our destiny is decided not by what happens to us or around us, but by (i) how we act (sometimes the actions are responses to external events and sometimes they are not) and (ii) how we respond to a million events and circumstances which we encounter as we make this complete journey of life.

(To be continued tomorrow…) 

Message for the day

To be happy is to let go through the mind and not just through words.

Expression: Things do not always happen as expected. At such times, the one who is able to let go of expectations from the situation is able to forget it. Such a person will not speak about the situation again and again and describe it to everyone. Nor will there be the need to say, "I let go". Once the situation is accepted as it is, there will not be even a single thought of it.

Experience: When I accept things as they are, I will be able to learn and be richer with every new experience. I will not be mentally troubled by what happened, but will be able to maintain my own inner happiness. I will thus be able to keep my mind clear for whatever is coming up in the future. So I will find freedom from waste and constant progress with the resources that I have.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: January 23, 2019: Harmonious Balance

Contemplation: January 23, 2019: Harmonious Balance

Vrikshasana- Tree Posture

Harmonious Balance

We all know the old adage - what you give out you get back, or what goes around comes around. But we forget this cast iron law which is found everywhere in the universe. The energy of life is constantly moving at physical, mental and spiritual levels. And if we stand back and just observe, we see it moving in the process of exchange. In the context of our relationships, we give and receive energy, and when we are truly giving and receiving positive energy there is harmony and balance. But when we do what we are taught to do, which is to take and to keep, then we destroy the harmony and the balance of our life. When we say possession is nine tenths of the law we give life to the illusion of ownership which blocks out the truth. It is possession itself which is our attempt to break the law and it is that illusion which lies at the heart of all human pain, discomfort and disharmony. While many 'things' will come to us, we possess nothing. We intuitively acknowledge this when we say to each other, "You can't take it with you when you go." Can you?
relax7

Royalty

In spiritual terms, royalty refers to an inner state of dignity and an
attitude of service to humanity. Before taking charge of others, let us
learn to rule our own heart and mind with love and compassion. Let us
focus not on other people's weakness, not demand anything of anyone,
and always be available to support and encourage. A leader of this kind
does not chase after power and position, or expect anyone to obey; yet
others naturally want to follow.

Cooking And Eating With A Spiritual Touch (cont.)

When the subtle, spiritual aspect of cooking is taken into consideration, the role of the cook extends from simply creating tasty, nourishing meals with fresh ingredients, to including a spiritual connection with those who will be eating that food. The aim will be to touch and fill the heart as well as the stomach. The love of the cook, and his or her motivation to offer sustenance, will nourish as much as the physical components of each dish. Food cooked by a person who is angry, depressed or full of arrogance or hatred will have a different effect from food cooked with feelings of love, peace and the pure desire to serve. In other words, we are what we eat but also the thoughts, feelings and attitudes that go into what we are eating. Even in today's hectic lifestyle, when there sometimes seems to be hardly enough time to cook, let alone do so peacefully and caringly, it is therefore definitely beneficial to develop a positive attitude towards cooking. Before undertaking any food preparation, remind yourself that the task at hand can and should be an enjoyable and creative activity or experience, rather than an unpleasant, time-consuming activity. A good practice, then, is to meditate before cooking and then to let preparing the meal itself be a creative, meditative experience which yields a balanced, health-promoting diet for the body as a temple for the soul deity. Food always tastes better when it has been flavored or with love and happiness.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

The Mental Periscope

This is the ability of the intellect to come out, observe, understand and initiate appropriate action and, when necessary, go back inside and be calm and still. This act of taking the thoughts inside is called introspection and in this introspective state the self can re-energize, examine, reflect and refine, or just be completely still - whatever it may wish to do in that state of silence. When the intellect uses its capacity as a periscope, it is able to find a balance between the inside and outside worlds.

Effective meditation means to gather the positive resources of the inner self and then use them in the outer world.

It is important to remain neither too much inside, nor too much outside, but constantly to create a balance between the inner and outer realities. Meditation resembles the cyclic path of energy: going from the inside out and then from the outside in, gathering information, or experiences that we need to reflect on, or understand better. On other occasions, it may be a question of recharging our minds with positivity and peace: we go inside and, with the practice of silence, the battery becomes re-energized.

Message for the day

True love for others enables them to be free from their weaknesses.

Expression: The sign of good wishes is that the negativity is not described to anyone else. When there is true love for the other person and there is a desire to see them improve, their negativity is not repeated again and again to oneself or to others. There is also genuine love and concern revealed in the words and so it helps the other person recognize his own specialties and he is encouraged to use them for his own benefit.

Experience: My desire for perfection enables me to become a source of support and encouragement for the other person, when I am able to see their strengths and relate to these strengths and specialities. Under no circumstance do I give others an experience of negativity or discouragement. I also get the love and good wishes from others as a return for what I have given.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/