Contemplation: September 08, 2019: Thoughts

Contemplation: September 08, 2019: Thoughts

Thoughts

Understand and discern the quality of thoughts....Is it a weak thought, a waste thought, a positive thought or an elevated thought?  Think carefully and you'll find you'll not have to think too much!

Willpower

Everyday our willpower gets tested! Willpower calls on our inner strength to take right action and control impulses and reactions.

Regardless of how "strong-willed" you are, why not conserve your willpower for those times when you need it the most.

How? Instead of trying to tackle multiple resolutions simultaneously, cut down on your resolutions and make them practical and doable.

Stay strong as you face the next temptation. Remember, willpower is like a muscle; exercising it, strengthens it.

Karmas In Spiritual Consciousness

The soul creates its destiny according to the karmas or actions it performs. Vikarmas or negative actions are those actions performed in body-consciousness. Sukarmas or positive actions are those actions performed in soul and Supreme Soul-consciousness. Given below is a list of differences between the two:

Body Consciousness: The soul is influenced by any of the vices; principally anger, greed, ego, lust or attachment.
Spiritual Consciousness: The soul brings its original qualities of peace, power, purity, love and bliss into action.

Body Consciousness: The soul is unable to settle its past karmic accounts and so karmic debts accumulate.
Spiritual Consciousness: The soul balances out its karmic debt and actually begins to accumulate or store credit.

Body Consciousness: Actions cause sorrow and loss for the self and others in contact.
Spiritual Consciousness: Actions fill the self and others with happiness and peace.

(To be continued tomorrow ....)

Soul Sustenance 

Applying The Law Of Balance To Anger (Part 1)

We are all very much aware of the law of gravity. It keeps us grounded on the earth. Gravity ensures everything returns to a state of balance. This is the law of balance on a physical level.

The law of balance can also be applied on a mental and emotional level, to the emotion of anger e.g. Too many angry thoughts of revenge and animosity (hatred) inside our consciousness can emerge in two ways: 

a) either externally as toxic, violent behavior, which will attract toxic, violent responses from others, or
b) if these thoughts are kept bottled inside, they will eventually, after a period of time, emerge as some disease or the other in the physical body. This is because our consciousness then tries to find a way to get rid of the mental impurity, which enters our physical body and restores balance to the mental and physical system, which has been upset due to the creation of the toxic thoughts, in the first place.
The above e.g. is an application of this law on a micro level. We can apply this law of balance on a macro level, on the world at large, where we watch groups of people, even countries exchanging negative energy. We shall explain that in tomorrow’s message.
(To be continued tomorrow…)



Message for the day 

The way to bring transformation in others is to have mercy for them.

Projection: Inspite of wanting to bring about a positive change in people and working towards it, I rarely find that kind of change that I expect. People continue to display their old patterns of behaviour and finally I end up only feeling disappointed or frustrated.

Solution: Real change can come in people only when I am able to have a vision of mercy for them. With mercy I am able to percieve and bring out the best in people without actually being caught up with expectations. Once I am able to see the positive qualities I am able to encourage them to use these qualities.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: September 07, 2019: Just Give

Contemplation: September 07, 2019: Just Give

Just Give

With habits, never give in or we lose our dignity. With the self, never give up or we lose our destiny. With others never give your worst or you will never develop your best. The saying, "What we give is what we receive". The lesson: Just to give.

Being Special

To be special you don't really have to do something special or spectacular. 

In fact, being special is a possibility for each one of us. Yes, you are special.

To be special is to do ordinary things in an extraordinary way. 

Value the contribution you make, value the action itself and make the most ordinary act - special!

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

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

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

Soul Sustenance 

Serving Though The Subtle Body Of Light

Apart from our physical form (body), each one of us also has a form of light - a subtle light body. It is referred to as the aura, and can be seen by some sensitive souls. All of us might not be able to see it, but we can become ‘aware’ of the aura of others’ through the vibrations they emit. The purity of our subtle, light form is dependent on the purity of our thoughts or mental vibrations. Given below are some thoughts for a meditation to help experience your subtle form and serve through it. Think and visualize each thought alongside:

I become detached from my physical surroundings... I consciously create only the purest thoughts... Now I visualize my true form… I am a subtle being of pure spiritual light, a sparkling star situated at the center of the forehead... Gradually, I become aware of my subtle body of pure, white light surrounding my physical form... In my body of light, I, the soul, the sparkling energy, consciously stand up and step away from my physical form, which remains seated... I, the soul, inside my subtle body, observe my physical body in a detached way… Now I slowly fly outside the room I am in… I visualize myself, in the subtle form, suspended in the sky… White rays of spiritual light radiate from me, the soul, and my body of light into the world... like that of an angel… In this pure awareness of myself in my form of light, I realize that the greatest gifts I can share with those around me are the light of love, peace and truth.

Sitting anywhere, this meditation exercise can be done to visualize oneself in a hospital, on the site of a natural calamity, accident, next to a friend or relative in pain etc., basically anywhere where vibrations of positivity, peace and happiness are required – the location of visualizing yourself can be hundreds of miles from where you may physically be. As you practice the art of being aware of your subtle body, you will begin to sense how you can have a positive effect on others simply radiating good wishes, pure thoughts and pure feelings.

Message for the day

The method to stay in constant enthusiasm and to keep others enthusiastic is to see specialities in others.

Projection: Many times while I am sincerely working towards my task, I find myself losing my enthusiasm. I also might find people not very happy with me or my work. I do make an attempt to understand their feelings but fail to do so. Such negative responses further reduce my enthusiasm.

Solution: I need to develop the art of looking at specialities in people. The more I am able to see their positive qualities, the more I am able to relate to them with that speciality. This encourages the other person further to use that speciality. This will naturally keep me constantly enthusiastic. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: September 06, 2019: Windows of Silence

Contemplation: September 06, 2019: Windows of Silence

Windows of Silence

Unclutter the day and create windows of silence for the mind.  Windows, which catch the light of peace and clarity.  Windows which let oxygen into the mind.

To be in the unlimited is to be free from getting trapped in the limited.

In any situation, I need to go beyond what is visible. If I see that I will be able to see the larger picture instead of getting caught up in the triviality of the situation. Everything becomes clear and meaningful when I have the consciousness of seeing it in the context of the larger picture. Today I will make an effort to understand the context of the situation rather than getting caught up with the situation itself. For example, if someone is shouting at me, I will try and understand why he got upset and try to give him what he wants or atleast the feeling that I understand. Also, I will try and understand that the anger is temporary, but the person as a friend is permanent.

The Subtle Role Play Of Thoughts And Images

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

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

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance 

The Art Of Tolerance (Part 4)

Life teaches you that you can widen the limits of your tolerance. When certain situations arrive, they are like exams in order to see your capacity to tolerate. These exams can first be the unpleasant words and harassment by people towards you. Secondly, the different obstacles that place themselves in your path, making it difficult to carry out your aims. There are also people that you trust who will oppose you. Your work colleagues or your partners or your relatives or even children turn into your enemies and create opposition because they are not happy about small or big issues. With the feeling of satisfying those who are not happy, considering that they are influenced by something, holding on to benevolent (generous) feelings and with the power of silence and tolerance, you can make others advance, overcome and collaborate. You can teach the lesson of tolerance with sweetness, good desires and pure feelings. That way not only do you advance, but you are also a searchlight on the road, a medium, seeing whom, others can also advance.

Learn to tolerate with wellbeing. Stabilize yourself in your inner being and, from that calm, clarity and stability you can tolerate without losing your wellbeing. To tolerate is to accept, value, understand and appreciate. Not making a mountain out of a mustard seed (rai in Hindi) but rather the contrary, by taking expansion to the essence, turning a mountain into a mustard seed (light), a mustard seed into cotton – rui in Hindi (extremely light), as the saying goes. 

Message for the day

The method for easy progress is to claim the blessings of all.

Projection: Sometimes we find ourselves making a lot of effort and putting in a lot of energy for getting something done. Yet we find that the results are not according to the efforts that we have put in. We then begin to wonder it happens so.

Solution: To be able to give happiness to those around is to increase the speed of my progress. For this I need to pay special attention to keep giving happiness and not giving sorrow to those around me. This brings me their blessings and these subtle wishes bring me happiness and success easily.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: September 05, 2019: A Tip

Contemplation: September 05, 2019: A Tip

Gold and enamel Pocket Watch, Switzerland, 1840

A Tip

Take a tip from time - leave the past where it belongs...in the past.

Greatness lies in being uninfluenced by negative. 

It is common to get influenced when we hear or see anything negative. But our effort should be such that we are not influenced by anything negative. For this, we need a long time of practice of seeing positive. If I have been seeing positive in a person, I will not easily connect to his negative, even if it is being expressed at that time. Today I will look at only positive in people. If anything negative comes my way, I will use it as an excuse to remind myself of that positive which I have been consciously practicing to see. This will help me to slowly connect to positive instead of the negative aspect of a person.

Filling Myself And Others With Invisible Treasures (cont.)

In yesterday's message, we had explained how soul consciousness provides us access to the ocean of the qualities of peace, love and joy that lie hidden inside our consciousness. An important point worth noting in this regard is that along with quenching my thirst, I must also have a big heart, and pass on to others the qualities that I am receiving from my inner ocean. Otherwise, over a period of time my spirituality reaches a standstill and although I am making an effort to fill myself I do not feel as content and fulfilled as before. This is because; the vessel with which I fill from the ocean can't be refilled unless I am also prepared to keep emptying it. That doesn't mean I have to drain myself spiritually.

It is just that each time I give or donate a quality from my inner ocean with a positive intention to someone; it flows from inside me and then gets transmitted to the other. Before the person experiences and benefits from the quality, I experience getting filled with it myself. Also, each time the person benefits from or even remembers the benefit in the future, he or she sends me positive energy, which, according to the Law of Karma fills me with the quality that I had donated, further. Sometimes a person might benefit or remember the benefit after 10-15 years or even more than that. Even after such a long time has elapsed, I keep receiving a return from the pure donation I have made, and keep getting filled, even if I am not specifically or consciously aware of the same.

Soul Sustenance 

The Art Of Tolerance (Part 3)

Someone who has the power of tolerance will never be afraid or think: "Why is this happening to me too?" As they are constantly full, they will go deeper into the knowledge and the memory of what is essential in life. The one who is full of fear is not capable of going deeper. That's why there is depth in something that is full (wholeness). The one who has expansion is empty; for this reason, something that is empty resounds and that person devotes him or herself to muttering (talking excessively) away.

The one who has wholeness is silent; the one who is empty speaks a lot. Someone who lives in expansion will be constantly murmuring saying things like: "Why this? What is this? This should not be like that but rather in this way. It shouldn't be like that". This person will continue talking in this way in their thoughts and in their words, and also while interacting with others. What happens when you chatter away, beyond the limits? Your murmuring leaves you dry, out of breath and you tire. Those who are tolerant are saved from all these things and for this reason they always feel enjoyment and bliss, they do not chatter but rather fly in the wholeness of their inner silence.

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message for the day

The method for easy progress is to claim the blessings of all.

Projection: Sometimes we find ourselves making a lot of effort and putting in a lot of energy for getting something done. Yet we find that the results are not according to the efforts that we have put in. We then begin to wonder it happens so.

Solution: To be able to give happiness to those around is to increase the speed of my progress. For this I need to pay special attention to keep giving happiness and not giving sorrow to those around me. This brings me their blessings and these subtle wishes bring me happiness and success easily.

In Spiritual Service,

The Brahmakumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: September 04, 2019: Goals

Contemplation: September 04, 2019: Goals

On the Edge, Mount Blanc, France

Goals

Goals offer structure and motivation but are you aware of your own value without those goals?  Who are you without goals?

A pure state of mind brings tirelessness. 

A pure state of mind means being positive in spite of the situations. When the mind is clean and pure, there is energy in the mind and so the body too. Even there is exertion in the body, the power of the mind can recharge the body. On the other hand, negative thoughts drain us of energy and enthusiasm. Today I will keep my mind clean. I will not let any negative thought creep in. I will focus on what is positive. Even if I am exhausted physically, I will take some time off to make my mind positive, peaceful and powerful. This will help me rejuvenate and re-energize.

Filling Myself And Others With Invisible Treasures

Soul consciousness or the awareness of the soul is the key to the internal treasures of the original and eternal qualities of the soul. The moment I switch on the awareness of the soul, a spiritual point of subtle light or energy, situated at the centre of the forehead, I start accessing the qualities of peace, love and joy that lie hidden inside my consciousness. Since these are not physical treasures, they are limitless. It's like suddenly I become an owner of an ocean of these qualities. The ocean is inside me and not anywhere outside.

When we hear the word 'ocean', the first characteristic that comes to mind is limitless. So suddenly I am the owner of an ocean of peace, love, power and bliss. I can draw and drink as much of these qualities as I want and these qualities will never get over, because an ocean is an unlimited, tireless and big hearted provider or giver, never expecting anything in return. The ocean will never refuse me, but, as stated above, the key to accessing the ocean is the awareness of the soul. It is a common experience of many that the moment we are in the consciousness of the body, we suddenly feel empty of these treasures and we experience emotions of peacelessness or sorrow or hatred or jealousy or powerlessness or fear etc., because in those moments, we have lost access to the ocean.

(To be continued tomorrow...)

Soul Sustenance 

The Art Of Tolerance (Part 2)

In the Ramayana, Mahavir Hanuman has been portrayed as carrying a great mountain in his hand as if it were a ball. It does not matter if the problem, obstacle or storm seems like a great mountain: one need to turn something that appears as big as a mountain into a small toy, and overcome it as if it were a game. Making something big very light makes you also feel light. Don't turn a small stone into a mountain; turn the mountain into a ball. To take the expansion to its essence is tolerance.

Expanding obstacles and problems in your mind or speaking of them to others means to create mountains. Don't go into expansion: put a full stop and turn over the page of life and that way you will advance. A tolerant person is always capable of taking expansion, problems and obstacles to their essence with knowledge, meditation and silence. When you choose the longest road, doing so consumes more and ends up by exhausting your time and energy. Expansion is the longest road and the essence is to take a shortcut. Both work in order to get to the other side, but those who take a shortcut are able to save their time and energy, they do not get discouraged. They constantly enjoy themselves and overcome everything with a smile. That is being tolerant. When you have developed the power of tolerance, you do things with pleasure. We are not referring to the physical pleasures but rather to living a life with pleasure in your heart, and that way you will be able to transform any situation or task from confusion into pleasure.

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message for the day

To be free from weaknesses is to move forward constantly.

Projection: Most of the times I do win over my weaknesses and achieve progress but sometimes I find that I am defeated at the wrong moment by my own weakness and I experience failure. So instead of finding the progress that I should I find that I am moving back.

Solution: In order to bring benefit to others and to myself, I should recognize and remove even the last trace of weakness that is working within me. For that I need to have a constant checking about the real cause of the weakness and remove it. Such checking and changing helps me to overcome my weaknesses.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: September 03, 2019: Change

Contemplation: September 03, 2019: Change

Change

It is wise to bend rather than to break. Those who change will get spiritual wisdom. Conversely, those who have wisdom will decide to change. Change is the first law of Nature.

Various Synonyms Or Meanings Of Peace

Peace has a number of synonyms, which all have slightly different shades of meaning:

Serenity
The feeling of contentment and being completely full with no need for further additions to the self; a feeling of satisfaction, of wholeness of the self.

Calmness
There are no disturbances or waves in the mind, like a pool of water that is clear and still with not even a ripple to disturb it.

Tranquility
Tranquility is the state of harmony in nature and in ourselves that keeps everything in balance naturally.

Quietness
In this state, there are no sounds of uncontrolled thoughts jumping around like a monkey in the mind; our thoughts become essenceful, returning to the point, with no expansion; it is an economy of thinking that creates quietness.

Stillness
There is no movement of thoughts. I remain absorbed in one thought and, in the stillness of silence, I am at rest, with a feeling of complete detachment from everything.

Peace has the meaning of harmony, balance, order and freedom: when we are free from waste and negativity, then we exist fully serene, fully at peace with everything.

Peace is my original energy and treasure and with the practice of meditation I step inside and experience it.

To keep a fast for the mind is to free it from waste and negative. 

We do keep fast on some days. On such days, we take care not to include certain things in our food or lives. But, true fasting is to keep the mind free from what is not good for it. That means, I need to work on keeping my mind free from negative and waste thoughts, which only harm my mind. Today I will keep a fast for my mind. I will not think of something that is not good for it. To do this, I will also take a beautiful thought of positivity like, "I have the best in my life" or "today is a great day". Then, I will be able to keep a fast for the mind in the right way.

Soul Sustenance 

The Art Of Tolerance (Part 1)

It is important to understand that to overcome problems you need, on the one hand, inner power, and, on the other, the capacity to tolerate. Tolerating does not mean to put up with. To tolerate is to accept, understand and know how to face things. That is, to tolerate is not to put up with and then explode at a later stage. In tolerance you dissolve that which, otherwise you would be putting up with. Tolerance is like the ocean, which is an example of tolerance, because we throw a lot of dirt into the ocean, the ocean absorbs it and, over time, transforms it. Tolerance is being like the ocean, that is, knowing how to absorb and dissolve, and finally to make it disappear.

Tolerance has to be balanced with the capacity to face things, which is based on bravery, courage and personal security. Having the power to tolerate gives you security and trust that you will be able to, you will achieve it, and you will advance. Tolerance is necessary for shared living, to be and allow to be. With the virtue of tolerance, you will continue to smile, you will never be discouraged. To smile when someone praises you is not to be tolerant. However, when someone turns into an angry enemy and insults you, but you do not have even the slightest sign of dejection on your face, not even in your thoughts, that is to be tolerant. To look, to speak and to enter in contact with feelings of compassion, patience, comprehension, love and respect, with a person that you do not have a good relationship with, is to have tolerance.

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message for the day

To bring equality in whatever I understand, desire and do is to be truly successful.

Projection: Although my understanding of right and wrong is really good, I am not usually able to be or feel successful. This is because I notice a mismatch between what I know and what I want. So I am not able to bring that knowledge into action.

Solution: A conscious effort needs to be put in from my side to compare and see which is better for me - what I know is right or what I feel I want. When I compare in this way, I will be able to change my desires in keeping with the right thing. When these two match, I will be able to bring it into action too. So I will be able to be successful.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: September 02, 2019: Be Happy

Contemplation: September 02, 2019: Be Happy

When a baby elephant sees the sea for the first time

Be Happy

Give yourself the permission to be happy right here, right now.  Be satisfied with what you have when you are in pursuit of what you want.

Hero Actor

To be an inspiration to many is to be a hero actor. When we see
negativity in others, we usually think and speak about it. We then
take no inspiration to think and act positive. The more the attention
is drawn towards negativity, our actions will become negative too.
Whatever the situation we are in, we need to make effort to change our
own actions and turn them to positive. We will then be free from
looking at the negativity in others. And our actions will become an
inspiration to those around us, which will inspire them to become
positive too.

The Power To Accommodate

Closely linked to the power of tolerance, the power to accommodate means having a heart so big and generous that I am able to rise above all differences of character and personality while interacting with other soul actors, knowing that every actor in the enormous drama of existence has a unique personality, contribution and role to play. Whereas tolerance heals wounds and removes hurt, accommodation accepts and values differences, observing them and ultimately absorbing them in my love, as an ocean absorbs the rivers that flow into it. While completing my own part as a river, I also need to be aware of God as the Ocean of Love and the Ocean of Wisdom and I as the master Ocean of Love. When I enter this consciousness through meditation, the goodness of all other soul actors becomes clear to me very naturally, and it is no effort for me to go beyond conflict and clashes of opinion.

I become like my father, the Supreme Soul who is an Ocean of Love. My father sees every actor in this world drama as his child and his love is the same for each one of them (even though they have different personalities and roles) because he has the spiritual knowledge that every soul's original nature is loveful and the present nature is just an artificial one which has been acquired while coming into the process of birth and rebirth. In the same way, I too, experience myself to be a master Ocean Of Love and see all souls as my brothers and absorb their different natures. This is the power to accommodate which I can inculcate inside me through the practice of meditation.

Soul Sustenance 

Wearing The Crown Of Servant Leadership Gracefully (Part 4)

Very often in a group or team, while moving towards a common goal or objective or purpose, the leader of the group or gathering is required to give his opinion to make the objective of the team possible. Servant leaders 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. They maintain a 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). Also servant leaders are detached when accepting or receiving or listening to ideas from team members. The more the attachment to one’s own ideas, the more will be the tendency to resist or reject the others’ ideas, which they do not do.

Also, when a leader starts misusing his leadership for his own good and greed, and becomes egoistic, his team members start staying away. Servant leaders, through their humility, become an inspiration for others. Experiencing power and autonomy is healthy, but when a false sense of ownership sets up in leadership and the leader starts taking his role for granted, it is the time when a leader will experience great downfall in his role as a leader.

Altogether, a good leader is one who uses his mind or law to handle himself and his heart or love to handle others which ultimately brings justice to his role. Such a leader who maintains this balance of love and law wears the crown of servant leadership gracefully through various stages of life, enjoying the respect and earning the good wishes of all whom he comes into contact with.

Message for the day

To be free from negative thoughts is to be free from punishment.

Projection: Whenever there is a negative situation I tend to react very negatively to it. I tend to have a lot of negative thoughts and experience a lot of difficulty at that time. I then begin to blame the situation and feel that I am facing punishment because of it.

Solution: I need to understand the fact that the biggest punishment I experience is through my own negative thoughts. The more I can free myself from these kind of negative thoughts I can free myself from experiencing any kind of punishment.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/