Contemplation: July 19, 2019: Something New

Contemplation: July 19, 2019: Something New

Library at the Benedictine Monastery of Admont, Admont, Austria

Something New

Focusing on developing a positive aspect of one's life can achieve a goal more easily than by trying to give up the negative habit.

After all, it seems to be easier to take on something new than to give up something old! 

The old way often falls away out of disuse.

To be special is to do ordinary things in a special way. 

If I want to be special, I don't really have to do something special and spectacular. Probably, the opportunities for doing such things are also very rare. But we surely have plenty of opportunity to do each and everything in a special way. That means, I value the contribution I make and I value the action itself. Today I will bring specialty to my actions. Before I start any action, I will remind myself of the contribution I have to make and also understand the significance of the task itself. I will then start the action. This will bring specialty to all I do.

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.

Tomorrow we shall explain how this fundamental law involving the sun and the earth can be applied to real life (the principle of focus and flow)...

Soul Sustenance 

The Invisible Impressions That Shape Me

While the mind and intellect are two faculties of the soul which play their role on the surface of our consciousness; at a deeper level, hidden beneath these two faculties, there lies a third faculty commonly called the sanskaras. The sanskaras is not only a store house of personality traits, as we commonly know it to be, but a store house of millions and millions of impressions or imprints. Such a large number of impressions are created by millions of experiences that I go through my sense organs not only in this life but in all my lifetimes. Everything that I hear, see, touch, taste, etc. I process or analyze or summarize in my own unique way; basically I give the experiences a unique form depending on my personality, before this form gets stored in the form of impressions inside me. I even process my subtle experiences, which are in the form of thoughts and feelings.

This process of experiencing and processing takes place during each and every second of my life including the time I sleep, when my mind may not be experiencing a lot but it is busy processing the physical and subtle experiences of the day that has gone by and storing the processed information in the form of impressions. From this, one can get an idea of the magnitude of the database of impressions stored within me, the being. These imprints which are unique to me, make up my sanskaras, and shape up my unique personality in a cyclic process. My personality shapes what type of impressions are created out of my experiences and the impressions in turn shape my personality, my thoughts, words and actions e.g. if I constantly keep the company of people who gossip, a large number of respective impressions based on the experience of gossiping keep getting stored inside me, which in turn influence my personality, the personality characteristic gets stronger and over a period of time I do not find anything wrong with it and indulge in it more and more. As a result more such impressions get stored. Thus it is a cyclic process.

Message for the day 

Success comes about only when there is an effort to bring about transformation.

Projection: When I am working towards being successful I usually want to work with just those personality treats that I have always been working with before. But this does not always bring me success. Then the reaction is to blame the people around you or blame the people around you or the situations.

Solution: Learning from each situation and working to bring about steady transformation brings constant success for me whatever the situations I will surely feel successful.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: July 18, 2019: Peace

Contemplation: July 18, 2019: Peace

Monet's water garden in Giverny, France

Peace

Peace is filled with pure thoughts, pure feelings and pure wishes. When the energy of thought, word and action is balanced and stable, the individual is at peace with the self, in relationships and with the world.

Being Fortunate

To transform the ordinary into something special is to be truly fortunate.
When I respect myself and acknowledge the strengths and talents that make me unique, I connect with my inner self. 

I realise I have power within to make everything I do, even the most ordinary act - special. 

Then I become truly fortunate.

The Pledge Of Responsibility

A very important aspect of progress in the self and my relationships, which we all desire is restoring a sense of responsibility in my inner world, so that by doing that, I and others around me are benefitted. Even on a physical or non-spiritual level, someone who is responsible while playing his/her role or performing his/her duties either in the family, at the workplace or in some other setting e.g. a club group or a team in a particular sport or a social service group, not only feels content with his/her actions himself/herself but spreads ripples of contentment to others and receives similar energy from each one he/she is involved with. In the same way on an emotional or spiritual level, when I start my day I need to remind myself of my responsibility towards myself. I need to remind myself that I am responsible for the choices I make in my life which influence and color everyone around me. So do my thoughts, feelings, the way my personality functions internally and externally the whole day and my responses to people and situations, for all of which I am responsible.

It is like taking a pledge of responsibility with the self in the morning that today I will not create a single thought, word or action which is against the texture of my innate, positive nature i.e. irresponsible. And what will provide my pledge the much required strength of determination? An injection of positive thoughts, emotions and sanskaras within me in the morning, using a suitable technique of self empowerment like meditation or spiritual study or some other. By taking such a pledge of responsibility and by watering it with the energy of my attention from time to time during the day, I am able to implement it and can make a difference to not only the people around me, but to a lot more than that. In this way, as I change, the world around me changes, because the energy I create in my inner world starts flowing into my circumstances, my interactions, my sphere of karmas, etc. to make them positive, which benefits me in return in the form of a cyclic process. As I take this pledge and abide by it for a few days, I start realizing the immense potential that it possesses.

Soul Sustenance 

Spiritual Education

Spiritual education leads us back to the understanding and the experience of our holistic existence as human beings, to the knowledge that we are spiritual, as well as physical, mental and emotional beings.

A true spiritual education could be described as:
• learning from others
• growing through others
• integrating with others
• contributing to others

When we are genuinely learning, only then can we experience spiritual growth. When we grow, we integrate with others and it is in that integration that there is a natural and mutual contribution to nature and other souls. These four processes of education are constantly at work, but only happen in a way that is enjoyable and meaningful when the spiritual resources of the self like peace, joy and love are activated and creatively used.

These resources, along with the mind and intellect, enrich the way we see the world, the way we interact with it and the way we individually create our place in it. These resources are the original qualities of the self, which we have not properly used for a long time. By become spiritually aware, we start to harness and use these positive energies.

Message for the day 

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

Projection: When we talk about positive thinking, it is usually just 'think positive' and 'be positive'. But just saying this, either to others or to myself, doesn't help to change my thoughts permanently, in fact usually, not even temporarily.

Solution: Real positive thinking is much deeper than just to think positive. For this I need to understand and see things as they are, without colouring them with my own attitudes. Then I can deal with things in the most appropriate way, having understood everything accurately.


In Spiritual Service,

Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: July 17, 2019: Inner Place of Silence

Contemplation: July 17, 2019: Inner Place of Silence

Deepest Step Well in the World, Rajasthan, India

Inner Place of Silence

There is a part of you that is perfect and pure. It is untouched by the less than perfect characteristics you've acquired by living in a less than perfect world. It is filled with divine qualities, so is in a constant state of resourcefulness and well-being. Its total absence of conflict and negativity of any sort makes this part of you a Still-Point...a deep, enriching experience of Silence. Make time to practice reaching this inner place of Silence. It will bring you untold benefit. 

You are what you eat.

We've heard that expression countless times.

Yes, it's important to eat healthily but it's equally important to pay attention to how we cook and how we eat.

Nourish yourself.

Cook and eat with care and good feelings.

And don't forget to add the special ingredient, love.

Soul Wound Healing Through Meditation

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

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

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

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

Soul Sustenance 

The Thought-Destiny Cycle

The process by which we create our own destiny is quite easy to see in theory; however it requires some checking to see how it matches the reality of our practical lives. Here is the process in brief:

• As our intentions, so will be our thoughts.
• As our thoughts, so will be our feelings.
• As our feelings, so will be our attitudes.
• As our attitudes, so will be our actions.
• As our actions, so will be our habits.
• As our habits, so will be our personality.

As our personality in all our relationships on our journey through life, so will be our destiny. So watch your thoughts! Be aware of your intentions!

Our intentions are based on our beliefs about who we are, where we are and why we are here. If we believe we are the physical form, our belief will we be that we need to survive as long as possible. This leads to the intention to get what we think we need before others, which leads to competition, which leads to feelings of fear. Our destiny gets shaped accordingly. When you know you are the non-physical and immortal (which is neither created nor can be destroyed) energy, a soul, then survival is no longer an issue and your intention is one to include, connect and co-operate with and enlighten others. The service of others at a spiritual level becomes the highest intention in action. It is fully free from fear and can be seen as an act of love. This is why competition and authentic spirituality can never be found together.

Message for the day 

A single positive thought helps in changing the entire situation.

Projection: When I am faced with a negative situation the first thought I usually get is a negative one. The thoughts that I follow are naturally negative too because the mind looks for reasons to sustain that negative frame of mind.

Solution: I need to make the effort of intentionally taking a positive thought, thus I find all other connected positive thoughts coming up naturally this is because the situation doesn't look so difficult or challenging with my positive frame of mind.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: July 16, 2019: Opportunities

Contemplation: July 16, 2019: Opportunities

Beautiful Eggshell Art

Opportunities

Opportunities are never lost - someone will take the ones that you miss!

To know what I want is to work for it. 

When something happens that I don't like or don't want, I tend to wish for it to go away. I may even pray to God that it should be over. At such times, instead of thinking of what I don't want, it is more important to think of what I want. This will give me clarity of where I want to go and use my resources constructively. Today I will think of one thing that I really want to bring in my life. I will do something constructively for making it happen. When I work on what should be there, it would automatically help me get rid of the heaviness of what I don't want. Eventually, the situation will change anyways.

The Art Of Stepping In And Stepping Out In Relationships (cont.)

In the same way as the gardener (explained yesterday), we have the duty, or rather the honor, of planting positive seeds of good intentions, love, respect and tolerance, at the same time allowing others and the forces of the universe to be given the space to work and respond according to their time and inclination. Very often we plant those seeds but want an immediate result: * I have shown so much patience, but she doesn't change or * How much longer do I have to tolerate? I feel suppressed. We become attached to what we do, so there is no space for things to happen at their own appropriate time.  Sometimes we have the wrong type of mercy, or we want to take control, thinking we know better, so we step into people's lives too much. This interference and lack of free space provokes hatred, resentment and conflict with others.

At other times, we get fed up with others; our tolerance and empathy is completely reduced and we say, * I've had enough, or * I have got to do my own thing and so we step out, but in a selfish way, that is, we isolate ourselves from others, or situations. We justify, or disguise, this isolation and rejection and dislike towards others with such phrases as, * I need my own space or * Let them stand on their own feet. In actual fact, we aren't bothered anymore; we have stepped too far out of the picture because we have not cultivated the patience which allows the good and positive to germinate and grow in its own time. It is an art to know when to step back and when to step forward, but a very necessary one if well-being is to be achieved.

Soul Sustenance 

The Original Ingredients Of The Soul

Our original resources are very simply - peace, love, purity, knowledge and happiness. In Raja Yoga meditation these are called the five original qualities of the soul. When we return our consciousness to these five qualities and remember them, then the following feelings arise in us, which finally get reflected in our actions:

• Love: I care and I share.
• Peace: I harmonize and reconcile (adjust).
• Purity: I respect and I honour.
• Knowledge: I am and I exist.
• Happiness: I express and I enjoy.

To understand and remember these qualities, we need to recognize the heavy deep shadows or personality traits (sanskars) which have blotted them out, or polluted them. Sometimes we don't recognize the pollutants because they have ingrained themselves so deeply into the personality that we say ‘I am this’. True, complete spiritual knowledge, makes us aware of these pollutants and the practice of meditation empowers us to dilute them and get them out of our consciousness.

Message for the day 

Contentment makes me a giver.

Projection: My mind is busy usually with expectations. I continue to expect something or the other from people. Yet I find that people are too busy fulfilling their own expectations to notice or to give what I need. Since my expectations are not fulfilled I am not able to be available for others and give them what they need.

Solution: I need to be so aware of what I have and be content with it, that people should never think about what I need but should be able to take from me what they need. Then I'll be free from expectations and give others what is required.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Contemplation: July 15, 2019: Handling

Contemplation: July 15, 2019: Handling

  

Handling

To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart.

Do you feel resentment towards another? 

 Are you willing to resolve this conflict?

What attitudes are preventing you from making peace?
Do you want to teach them a lesson? Or do you think that they started it, so they should resolve the conflict?

Why not be the one who takes the first step towards peace and consider resolving a conflict. Just remember, there is always a solution, if you really want to find one.

The Art Of Stepping In And Stepping Out In Relationships

For any activity, or relationship to remain peaceful and successful, we must know how far to step in and how far to step out. It is like a gardener who sows seeds at the right time, steps in to plant and water them and then steps out of the picture to allow nature to carry on with her work. However, from time to time, he steps in again to see if there is enough water, if any insects are attacking the plants, if any food is needed. His role is to find the appropriate space for the potential beauty and uniqueness of the seeds to emerge; he does not create the flowers but facilitates their expression. The gardener does not step in too much; that would be called interference. After planting the seeds, he does not demand an immediate result; he does not dig them up next day to see if they have sprouted. He plays his role, fulfills his duty, but lets go because he understands the blooming of the flowers is not dependent on him. Nor does he let go too much. If he did, then the plants would die from lack of care, or the insects and weeds would destroy them. He does not let go so much that he isolates himself from the process. Instead, by knowing when to step in and when to step out, he creates a respectful partnership or relationship with nature.

Tomorrow we shall apply this example to real life relationships.

Soul Sustenance

The Subtle Role Play Of Thoughts And Images (Part 2)

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.

Message for the day

Wisdom lies in taking only whatever is good.

Projection: I am usually so receptive to things outside that I take in everything, both the good and the bad. The bad part of it, however, doesn't let me be happy. I also notice that the more I take the negative things that people are giving me, the more they tend to give.

Solution: The solution lies in taking only the positive things and ignoring the negative things. Even if I do have to take the negative things, I need to take it in a positive way. This is real wisdom through which I'll get the best out of life.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: July 14, 2019: Goodness

Contemplation: July 14, 2019: Goodness

Goodness

When I become excessively critical towards others, it means I am going in the wrong direction. We are usually very good at spotting mistakes, but we should develop the quality of also spotting goodness. If I can see what is good in others or in situations and go beyond the curtain of negativity, I feel good about myself. If I constantly think "he is wrong", I instead create a barrier which blocks me from reaching my own goodness.
 

Methods of self-progress brings harmony with people. 

It is normally believed that people who spend time with meditation or prayer or any means of self-progress tend to cut off from others. In reality, it is just the opposite. Someone who really works for self-progress would want to contribute from what he has, to others too. Also, it would bring the ability to deal with others in the right way, bringing harmony. Today I will spend a few minutes with one thought "I am peace", spreading peace to the place and the people around me. I will remind myself of this from time to time. I will then observe my interaction with others. A small little change that I observe is enough to encourage me to continue with my efforts.

The Energy Of Thought And Feeling

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

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

Soul Sustenance

The Subtle Role Play Of Thoughts And Images (Part 1)

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 …)

Message for the day

Awareness of my own resources enables me to experience quick progress.

Projection: I usually look for excuses for my lack of progress. I either compare with others or curse my own lack of resources and stop putting in effort. So although I can do a lot I don't experience as much progress as I should.

Solution: To make as much progress as I want to is in my hands. For this I need to recognise the resources I have and put them to the best use. When I am busy with that I am able to move forward quickly.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: July 13, 2019: Anger & Peace

Contemplation: July 13, 2019: Anger & Peace

Hawaiian Volcanic Mountain Peak

Anger & Peace

Anger is the power of ignorance and peace is the power of knowledge.

True introspection is realization of our inner qualities. 

Realizing one's own mistakes and making amendments is usually associated with negative feelings. But true introspection lies in realizing one's own positive qualities. It is to see ourselves with "real eyes" and see the hidden potential and strengths. When we truly realize, there is change and that mistake would never be repeated. Today I will see a strength of mine. This is some quality that I really like about me. In whatever I do today, I will keep awareness of this specialty as a background. This will help me bring quality to whatever I do.

Tapping Guidance From The Supreme Intellect (cont.)

In yesterday's message, we had discussed how no human entity can fulfill all the necessary requirements of someone who can guide us correctly in any difficult situation. Thus to proceed in such a situation, it's good to take the guidance from the intellect of someone who fulfills all these criteria. That someone is no one except the Supreme Being or God, who is the entity possessing the most powerful intellect, and intellect with the most perfect judgment power. Sometimes my mind and intellect is absolutely clean and clear and I am 100% sure about my right course of action for the future, but even in those times its good to verify the course of action from a higher authority. So, in those times, it is very important to connect for a few minutes with the Supreme, who is an Energy of Unlimited Truth. Then, the question to ask myself at that time is not what do I want, or what do others want, but most importantly: What does the Supreme want, what is his wish, what is his perception of the situation? The deeper my connection with Him in meditation, the clearer the answer will come.

When it becomes a regular practice, it will be as simple as taking guidance from my physical parent or spouse or friend. I'll know without wasting time and energy, the right course of action. Sometimes it may happen that the answer may not come to me immediately, but by connecting my intellect with the Supreme's intellect my intellect will become clear, which will help me take the right decision. Also, in some cases the Supreme may not respond immediately but may guide me through some other medium, whether living or non-living after some time or even after a day or two.

Soul Sustenance

The Location of the Soul Inside the Body

The soul has the following basic functions to perform:

• to give life to the body and to maintain life inside it,
• to express and experience its role through the body, and
• to receive the rewards or fruits of past actions performed in previous births, through the body.

These functions are controlled and monitored by the soul via the nervous and hormonal systems from a particular point in the area of the brain which contains the thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary and pineal glands. This region is known as the seat of the soul, or the third eye. The connection between the physical (body) and the non-physical (soul) is by the medium of thought energy. Many religions and philosophies place great importance on the third eye, or eye of the mind. When viewed from the front, this region appears to be between and slightly above the line of the eyebrows. It's for this reason that Hindus use a tilak, a dot in red or sandalwood paste in the middle of the forehead. Christians also make the sign of the cross in this region. Even when one makes a mistake or expresses tiredness it's to this region that we put the hands in the gestures of self-dismay or exhaustion. After all the soul subconsciously knows that it makes the mistakes and not the body. When people are concentrating deeply in thought it is this area of the forehead where creases or lines are formed on the skin.

Message for the day

True nourishment is the nourishment of happiness.

Projection: We pay a lot of attention to maintain the physical health. We give it food everyday, nourishment that keeps us healthy. This helps in replenishing the physical energy, but we don't pay that much attention to nourish the mind.

Solution: The real nourishment is to keep giving happiness to the self. When the mind is happy, then automatically I find myself being energetic constantly. For this I need to make sure I give myself something that I am happy about everyday.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/