Contemplation: July 22, 2019: Give & Take

Contemplation: July 22, 2019: Give & Take

Give & Take

Whatever you give comes back to you. Whatever you take will not stay with you.

To be free from ego is to ensure lifelong learning. 

When someone corrects me, or when something happens that reflects my mistake, I tend to get defensive. This actually is a form of ego, which deprives me of learning. At least to myself, I need to be honest and see what I can learn from it. This helps me enrich myself and progress constantly. Today I will think of one incident where things went wrong. I will then see what I learnt from it. Even if 99% of it is another person's mistake, I will not think of that right now, but will focus only on what I can learn from it. I will repeat this exercise for any other incidents that happen today.

Overcoming Mood Swings

At each moment of the day, we have the capability to feel something. Our feelings vary throughout the course of the day. Sometimes they are joyful and sometimes they are painful. What we forget to do is to choose our feelings consciously.  Instead, many of us have become lazy and allowed our feelings to be dictated and shaped by people and circumstances.   In other words, we have become influenced.   Our swinging, changing moods are the result of the inner karma of becoming attached to things, people, ideas and circumstances.  If we are attached to a person and suddenly he/she leaves us we will feel gloomy and our mood of sadness will drain our energy just when we need to remain optimistic and enthusiastic about the future. Any form of loss will bring about a mood of sadness. If this sadness lasts for a long period of time, it will gradually turn into depression.

When we consider the world around us to be our source of happiness and joy, our moods will fluctuate, even with the changing weather.  But when we are spiritually empowered or strong our happiness and joy come from inside.  We are stable in the face of praise or insult, loss or gain.  We are no longer moody and stability becomes our basic nature. We are in control of our life, our feelings. And while we cannot control the waves of the ocean of life around us, we can control and choose how we will respond to outer events and people.  When we do that, we will be able to choose what we feel, regardless of what may happen in our life.   Life stops being a rollercoaster and becomes more of a cruise, less a storm and more a gentle breeze.

Soul Sustenance 

Practical Ways of Changing Old Habits or Beliefs (Part 3)

Conscious Disassociation
A useful method for transforming habits is that of conscious disassociation. This involves avoiding the situations that give rise to the habit occurring automatically. For example, if you often smoke after a coffee, you have to make sure there is no coffee. By breaking your habit, you will be less likely to have a craving to smoke. Instead of your habitual coffee, you can create a new pattern and have a cup of herbal tea and sit down to think or read, instead of smoking.

Rajyoga Meditation
Rajyoga meditation is an efficient method for transforming habits. By connecting with the Supreme Soul (who is the purest conscient energy) in the incorporeal (non-physical) world of divine light, which is called paramdham or shantidham, the soul purifies itself and one experiences a natural disinclination from negative habits that we have been trapped in for a long time.

(To be continued tomorrow …..)

Message for the day 

Regard for others brings trust.

Projection: When something negative happens, my trust in people breaks. I then find it difficult to keep my mind free from the influence of my past experience. Even if the others try to correct the situation, I am not able to change my attitude towards them.

Solution: When I see others, I have to see them with a vision of regard. I need to pay attention only to look at their specialities and keep myself free from the influence of the past experiences. When I do this, I will be able to trust others even while being cautious.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: July 21, 2019: Clean and Tidy

Contemplation: July 21, 2019: Clean and Tidy

Clean and Tidy

The most important places to keep clean and tidy are my mind and heart. If I allow thoughts to flourish that I wouldn't want to see the light of day, I can never have any real self-respect. By starting each day in quiet reflection and pouring positive, loving thoughts into my mind, I gradually clean out cynicism and unkindness.

Create an Aim

Each one of us is capable of so much more than we currently believe possible. Everyday, create an aim for yourself.

Rather than aiming at what you know you can do, challenge yourself to aim higher than where you are at right now.

Go on, aim high and set yourself a high standard. Stretch, and make effort to reach that aim.

Forgive To Forget

A key principle to remain light and stable in relationships is - forgive and forget - it's a well-known principle - one that we sometimes find difficult to practice. It can be modified to forgive to forget. Sometimes we spend many years with so much bitterness inside us for a particular person, with an inner violence of wanting to make the other pay (emotions of revenge), the one who has supposedly hurt you. If you don't strike back immediately, you at least want to keep this guilt card in your pocket, to be pulled out at a later date: "Oh yes, well what about the time when you...." We keep this bitterness inside us because we haven't forgiven. It does not resolve the situation; the only thing it does is increase our pain, makes us heavy and does not let us remain in peace.  So the key is that if we do not forgive, we cannot forget. When someone has offended or insulted us, the last thing we want to do is to let it go. And yet, if our desire is to have a healthy, lasting relationship, that is exactly what we've got to do.

Sometimes, when it is a question of a broken relationship, it is not only a matter of forgiving the other, but of forgiving yourself for having allowed yourself to enter that experience. It was you that took the step to allow that experience to be entered into. If you hadn't taken that step, you wouldn't have had that experience. You accepted that challenge, that relationship, and what might happen in it - you were aware of the possibilities when you entered in the relationship. So not only do you have to learn to forgive the other, but also to forgive yourself in such situations. Only then will you be able to forget.

Soul Sustenance 

Practical Ways of Changing Old Habits or Beliefs (Part 2) 
Positive Affirmations
Affirmations are promises that we make to ourselves. They are helpful for breaking negative habits or weak thoughts that have been created as a result of mistaken attitudes. Affirmations help to strengthen the mind, although to be effective there must be acceptance and understanding behind them. It is interesting to begin experimenting with them and, later on, we can begin to create variations of new affirmations, according to our individual needs.Here are some examples:
* Today I will experience peace through positivity. I will see what is good in others and will not think about what is negative or harmful. I will see others in the way I would like them to see me.
* From now on I will not judge others.
* Today I will speak peacefully and share peace with everyone around me. I must speak as softly as I can.
* Today I will make the past the past and look towards the future with a new vision.
* Today I will not react angrily. I will stay calm and in peace and will not sacrifice this for anyone or any situation. I must not allow anything or anyone rob me of my peace.

For the affirmation to be effective, we must repeat it to ourselves often, so that it becomes recorded in our subconscious. It is also important to proclaim the affirmations with feeling, believing in them and not in a monotonous and impersonal voice. As a minimum, you should repeat each affirmation at least five times a day. If we listen to something repeatedly, we begin to believe in it. In reality, this is the origin of the majority of our beliefs, when as children we heard our parents tell us things over and over again. Advertising uses this technique constantly. They create a phrase, a slogan, and repeat it over and over again in the media until, finally, people believe it. To be able to control your life, first you must know and dominate your beliefs. One way of doing this is through affirmations.

(To be continued tomorrow …..) 

Message for the day 

Determination is the best companion. 
Projection: When things go wrong, the first reaction is of fear. Because of this, I can't put in any effort to better the situation. I start looking for a companion, a support who can provide me help. But I rarely get help from outside.

Solution: When I have to look for something to rely on, the only support I get is from my own determined thought. I need to make it my companion, not letting go of it till I succeed. This will help me overcome my fear and move towards success.
In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: July 20, 2019: Big Heart

Contemplation: July 20, 2019: Big Heart

Big Heart

Be quick to forgive any form of insult, and slow to forget the importance of a big heart.

Traffic Control

The mind thinks many thoughts, leading us in different directions. No wonder there is so much chaos in the mind, creating traffic jams and even a few accidents!

Now imagine the state of the roads if we didn't have any traffic controlling mechanisms! So, what's needed is a traffic control system for our mind.

At regular intervals throughout the day, stop and control the traffic of your mind. Change negative to positive. Where there are waste thoughts, put a full stop and let it go.

The Principle Of Focus and Flow (cont.)

With reference to the sun and the earth (explained yesterday) - 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 

Practical Ways of Changing Old Habits or Beliefs (Part 1)

Motivation for Change
An important factor to start positive change in our lives is for there to be a passion, a powerful force that leads us, a final goal that keeps us motivated. It is important to set yourself goals, to be convinced and to have the confidence and faith that one can reach them, since in this way we will make a daily effort to achieve those goals. There needs to be a clearly defined sense of purpose to your existence, clarifying the values that must guide your life in order to achieve these goals and establish the steps you must take for inculcating these values. If, at a subconscious level, you allow a mistaken purpose to be created, or there is a lack of true purpose in your life, then you will not be motivated to know and change yourself. Many people think that the purpose of their life is to survive and they use the language of survival in this way: "Life is hard out there. You must get whatever you can". They are not aware that they have chosen this purpose, but subconsciously it is what they believe they are here for, and this makes them think that they must accumulate, take, create barriers to protect themselves and compete with others.

(To be continued tomorrow …..) 

Message for the day 

The one who is selfless is the one who is the best judge.

Projection: When I have to take a decision, either for others or myself, there is some kind of selfishness or greed involved in it. When I think only of my selfish desires, my judgment would not be accurate.

Solution: I need to be detached and see what benefit there is for each one with the choice that I am going to make. The more I think of the benefit of all, the more my judgment is accurate.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

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