Contemplation: May 14, 2020: Listen In

Contemplation: May 14, 2020: Listen In

Listen In

Only when we find the quietness in our own minds can we begin to hear our inner teacher, so that we may receive some in-tuition. Only when we are ready to recognize and value the wisdom that we carry at the core of our being will we turn our attention inwards and 'listen in'. But it's been a long time since we truly listened, so a little practice and patience will be needed. Sit down, be quiet and listen in at some point today and you might be surprised at what you hear. Then do it again tomorrow. All you need to do is remember that you are the listener and not the noise.

Absorbing Spiritual Light (Part 1)

Just as darkness is the absence of light, negativity which manifests as vices and weaknesses inside us is merely the absence of spiritual light. Through the influence of negativity, the sense organs waste away the light. The question of vice, or sin, has been of a lot of importance in religion. No matter how much political or religious control has been imposed, nothing has been able to block the internal wasting away of the light of the soul. Light has a source but darkness does not. Darkness is not created by any source but is rather the absence of a source. In the same way, the negative forces do not emerge from the real nature of the self, but are simply symptoms of a lack of spiritual power or light. As spiritual power declines, symptoms of negativity such as anger, greed, ego, attachment, hatred, jealousy and related vices appear. On the other hand, as the soul's power and spiritual light increases through a union (meditation) with the Supreme, the vices automatically disappear. In fact problems are not fundamentally caused by a particular vice, it is a question of the extent of one's power. If I am weak, the sanskars mostly related to vices dominate my experience. If I am strong they do not have a chance to affect me.

The negative forces have often been personified as Ravana, Maya or Satan but in fact there is no such entity. Maya describes a level of consciousness. There is no outside being whom we can blame. The vices are symptoms of individual ignorance and loss of power, which appeared only when our original creative powers subsided as we came into the process of birth and rebirth. When the soul's power fell below the level necessary to control matter and the senses; then the vices emerged inside the soul. The soul was more and more propelled by them through many births, until today when they appear to be a basic part of our real nature.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Inspiration to Action

We read many books, quotes and articles that inspire and stimulate our minds. But this isn't enough, as inspiration often fades away unless we take action.

Make what you read impactful by turning inspiration into action.

Here's how: pick one inspirational point to focus on and apply in your life. 

Message for the day

The one who has the courage to face is the one who can bring about a change.

Expression: When there is a challenge which brings out a negative response, there is an immediate desire to move away from the situation so that the negativity finishes. But the real challenge is not the situation itself, but the expression of a weakness within. The one who has the courage to face this weakness and work on it is able to bring about a change accordingly. 

Experience: When I am able to face the challenge of working on my own weaknesses, instead of moving away from the situation I am able to experience progress at every step. Then there will be no feeling of helplessness but I will be able to have full control on the situation. So there is the ability to learn from each situation and move forward constantly.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: May 13, 2020 : Success

Contemplation: May 13, 2020 : Success

How to grow tomatoes...

Success

Success means to reach such a constant level of positive thoughts that pure actions happen naturally. Pure actions are like good seeds which, when planted, produce healthy, sweet fruit.  'As you sow. so shall you reap.' Concern for the quality of my actions today ensures the Success of my tomorrow.

The Method Of Realizing Your Purpose (Part 2)

A question that can help you to find the purpose for your self is: when you feel absolutely on top of the world, very much content and full of enthusiasm, what is there in you? Who are you at that moment? What is the energy inside you at that time? What do you give to your surroundings and to others? This stage is something that you want to reach all the time and keep with you. Ask yourself that question. Visualize that moment, which at some time in life you must have experienced. If not, visualize what you would like to experience.

Second question to find your purpose related to the world: What is it that you want to radiate to others? What is it that you want to give? That is, what do you want to devote yourself to? This isn't limited to your job or a hobby or a sport for e.g., but rather applies to what you offer and radiate in the whole day, in relationships, with people through your thoughts, words and actions - in the family, at work, in the market, friends, acquaintances and even strangers.

To carry out this inner inquiry (in both the cases above) you need to go to its deepest part. What is your purpose? Not your purpose for this weekend you want to go for the club meeting or not, or that in the holidays you want to visit a hill station; all these are short term purposes. Your life purpose refers to what it is that you really want to reach. If you clarify it, it will help you to make decisions with clarity and determination in your life.

Respect

Respect is never catching anyone out, never pulling at their shortcomings, so that they become a target for laughter. 

It means watching and nurturing strength and it is based on the awareness that everyone has value, because everyone is unique. 

It rests also on humility, because humility knows that what's visible in a fool is only a chapter in their whole story.

Message for the day

To have the awareness of being God's instrument is to bring about a positive change.

Expression: When there is the awareness of being an instrument of God, there would be the desire to do the best and be the best. So each and every thing I do would be for the improvement for the self. Due to this there would be divinity and speciality seen in every thing that is done. This would also bring the awareness of all the resources and they would also be used in a worthwhile way. 

Experience: When I am aware of my own role and what I contribute through my specialities, I recognize the fact that I am a beautiful instrument of God. This awareness naturally helps me be in my state of self-respect under all circumstances. I find myself giving my best and making myself more and more beautiful within. So I find that I am able to bring about a positive change with great ease. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: May 12, 2020: Respect

Contemplation: May 12, 2020: Respect

Artist: Leonardo da Vinci-The Last Supper

Respect

True respect does not come from what we do, as much as how well we do it. This means we are shown respect according to the virtues and qualities revealed through our behaviour.

The Method Of Realizing Your Purpose (Part 1)

Throughout our daily routine right from the time we wake up till we go to sleep at night, we all always have something to think about, to say and/or something to do. We are occupied and are busy. The question is whether everything that we do forms part of our life purpose or whether we are simply occupying time spaces and using our mental, verbal and physical energy in activities, tasks and conversations that do not lead us to anything substantial or whole. We simply pass time doing and talking, but without a sense of purpose. Although the things we do and/or speak about are necessary to be done, if they do not make up part of our life purpose, they will tire us. We will feel an inner emptiness and dissatisfaction, as if we are missing something.

The most authentic purpose is that of fulfilling our ideal, our dream in life. What happens is that, sometimes, we haven't worked out what our true purpose or life dream is. We have to ask ourselves what our true purpose is. There are two purposes – one is a purpose related to the self and the other related to what we want to offer to the world. During the day we are exchanging energy - each one of us is different and can give something to the world during this exchange; each of us can play our musical note in order to contribute to the orchestra of the Universe.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

The soul has five primary qualities: (... continued)

Knowledge 

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

Happiness 

Happiness is the natural expression of joy in being alive and interacting with others. Happiness is only possible when I relate to myself and express respectfully what I am and allow others to share in what I am and what I have. I relate to people and nature and experience the fulfillment of human life through relationships.

In the Rajyoga meditation, we absorb the rays of these five primary qualities from the Supreme Soul by concentrating on his point of divine light form in the incorporeal world (“paramdham” or “shantidham”). The absorption and the harmony of these basic qualities (peace, purity, love, knowledge and happiness) lead to the development many more virtues inside us.

As we become aware of these five primary qualities, we gradually realize that each one of them has many characteristics.
e.g. we understand that love does not mean just a special feeling for one or two people.

Spiritual love is far greater; it means respect, tolerance, forgiveness, compassion and flexibility; there is a universal feeling of belonging, an openness of heart, a generosity of spirit that is all-embracing. 

Message for the day

The method to bring about a permanent change is to bring about newness in thinking.

Expression: To bring about a permanent change for the better means getting the mind trained to new ways of looking at the same situation. Only with this new understanding will there be a new response. Trying to bring about change in a superficial way will not bring about a long-lasting change. 

Experience: When I train my mind to think creatively I'm able to keep my mind busy. In this way I'm able to free it from thinking negative and waste. Also I find myself enjoying every scene that comes in front of me and I also find myself constantly progressing.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: May 11, 2020: Free Mind

Contemplation: May 11, 2020: Free Mind

 Free Mind

A free mind is a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing. Most people spend much of their time looking for reasons to be offended. An open mind is never offended because it is free of any attachments. It is never the self that is offended but always the illusion that the self has of itself that is affected by insult! If you can really understand this, deeply grasp it's truth, live it each day, then pain will be no more. Next time you 'feel' offended look closely within yourself at yourself and ask yourself what was offended? If you remain aware you will see that it was only an image of yourself which you had become attached to, and that image did not resonate with the image contained in the insult. If you weren't attached, if you didn't identify with the wrong image of yourself then there would be no offense taken. You would then remain free and therefore happy. 

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Experiencing Spiritual Growth Through Group Interactions (Part 2)

If you are living in isolation you don't become aware of the dimensions of your ego and, therefore, you cannot overcome it.

Also, the beauty of group interactions or being a part of a spiritual community or any other group, is that in groups, various powers like 

the power to:

- adapt and mould oneself with people of different personality traits and as different situations in the group demand;
- tolerate;
- face negative situations in interactions;
- forgive and forget;
- become a detached observer of situations and people's actions, not to get over involved, in order to maintain one's stability and calmness;
- co-operate;
- communicate;
- see and absorb only specialties of each one (in-spite of obvious weaknesses being visible) and spreading the specialties (not weaknesses) to the others in the group, by way of praising and not criticizing them;
- listen, understand and  empathize;
- discriminate and judge different situations and people;
- go into inner silence, whenever required, amidst the actions and interactions of group activity;
- show respect to each one and remain in self-respect;
- remain content or satisfied and make the others content; etc.

are absolutely necessary to experience success in the groups, either within the relationships with others or even with the self. There is a difference between experiencing success with the self while staying alone and within a group. By bringing the above powers into practice in a group, they increase further inside us. This does not happen in isolation, or if it does, then the extent is quite limited. So basically, being a part of a group, brings about greater spiritual growth and empowerment.

The soul has five primary qualities:

We could say they are the primary colours of humanity with which we paint the picture of our lives. They are: 

Peace 

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

Purity 

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

Love 

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

(..continued)

Message for the day

The method to finish waste thoughts is to deal with the mind with love.

Expression: When there are waste thoughts in the mind which one tries to stop, it becomes difficult to do that. There is discomfort and difficulty experienced. On the other hand, when the mind is taught to take the right direction with love, there is a quick and dramatic change. 

Experience: When I learn the art of speaking to my mind with love, I am able to free myself from waste thoughts without any feelings of suppression. Concentration too becomes easy and all thoughts are directed towards the right direction.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: May 10, 2020: Detached Observer

Contemplation: May 10, 2020: Detached Observer

Artist: Raphael - Cherubini Canvas

Detached Observer

It is far better to observe than to absorb every word, feeling and attitude, to get over-involved, or react too much. Observing gives us the patience and clarity to think, act appropriately. Observing creates an inner focus that allows us to see reality.

Experiencing Spiritual Growth Through Group Interactions (Part 1)

Anyone who is inclined towards growing spiritually will sooner or later feel the need to taking up a particular spiritual path, which provides him/her with an assigned code of leading a spiritual life and helps him/her to incorporate it in his/her life. This also means becoming a part of a spiritual group or gathering or community and participating in spiritual study, practice like meditation or prayer and perform service along with the group. But, on the other hand, there are also many spiritually motivated people who are not very interested in groups and communities and keep a distance from them. They are of the opinion that it is easier to work it out alone by collecting information from other alternate sources by books, the internet, the television, videos, etc. and progress spiritually.  But the relationship between spiritual growth and being a part of or participating in a group is clear.

For the isolated and solitary person, growth is limited, since the personality is not activated to the same extent as when it interacts with others. In relationships and in living together, the various forms of hidden ego and the different shades of the personality, positive as well as negative, are stimulated, creating the possibility of being more aware and conscious about them, bringing about greater growth and spiritual development. After all, one of the main objectives of spiritual development is achieving victory over the ego and becoming soul conscious, getting rid of the negative shades of the personality and further enhancing the positive traits and skills, so that they can be used for benefiting the self and others.

Tomorrow we shall explain the various powers that are required to experience success in groups, which as a result, get enhanced in group activities and interactions.

Acceptance

Why write someone off because they've done something wrong? Accept that people are inconsistent, and embrace all variations of personality and behaviour. Remember, you have inconsistencies too. So, be kind and generous with your judgments. 

Message for the day

The power of determination brings all thoughts into practice.

Expression: There are a lot of thoughts that come into the mind that should come into practice immediately. These thoughts come according to the demands of time or according to the kind of people that one comes into contact with. But the only way to bring all these thoughts into practice is to use the power of determination. Where there is determination there is the commitment to use all the resources for the realization of that thought.

Experience: When I am able to use the power of determination, I am able to realize my inner potential and use it in the right way. So I am able to experience constant progress, because all my thoughts are for my own self progress and all these thoughts naturally come into practice. I never give up anything with temporary setbacks but am able to do everything for the constant progress of the self. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: May 09, 2020: Attitude of Gratitude

Contemplation: May 09, 2020: Attitude of Gratitude

 Artist: Masoud Salemi

Attitude of Gratitude

Gratitude means being thankful and appreciative for everyone and everything in your life.

Being grateful makes you happy.  It stops you from taking life for granted.  So cultivate an attitude of gratitude by taking time to focus on all the good things in your life.

Maybe even try holding a short gratitude session, weekly.

Respect for others enables them to strengthen themselves and progress. 

When you have respect for others you are actually creating an environment in which they can strengthen themselves and grow. You are not caught up with their weaknesses but are encouraging them to use their specilaities. When you see someone working with his weakness think of one speciality in that person and relate to him with this speciality. Also draw his attention to it and slowly you'll find him getting stronger.

Internal And External Attachments (Part 3)

Each time we attach ourselves to anything which is external or internal (we have mentioned some common examples of both types of attachments in the last two days’ messages), we create fears, amongst which the main one is the fear of loss of what I am attached to. The attachment not only gives rise to fear but also brings with it emotions like anger, ego, sadness, jealousy, greed, comparisons, hatred etc. All these emotions have their roots in attachment, which gives rise to insecurity.

Any type of attachment out of the ones mentioned in the last two days’ messages or some other is a sanskar that is so deeply embedded inside us that it seems normal to us. It is just a sanskar but it has immense amount of power and it manages to imprison us completely, but most of the time we do not even realize we are imprisoned. The negative emotional states connected with this kind of attachment create a state of internal mental pressure or an inner emptiness and make us feel absolutely helpless at times. Over a period of many births, we have become so accustomed to these attachments and the various forms of suffering connected with it that we have started believing that these are an integral part of the human personality and human life since the beginning and are, therefore, natural. And so we continue with the sanskar and even keep strengthening it, never ever thinking that it should be removed. We do this with internal stress and unhappiness to the point that even our health gets affected adversely. The natural state of the self is free and not attached in this way to anything. Attachments, whether external or internal, are acquired at different points of time in birth-rebirth cycle and are not natural or there from the beginning. All the things mentioned in the last two days’ messages have existed from the beginning but attachment to them has not. The present suffering indicates to us that these types of attachments are something abnormal or not natural.

Message for the day

The power of determination brings all thoughts into practice. 

Expression: There are a lot of thoughts that come into the mind that should come into practice immediately. These thoughts come according to the demands of time or according to the kind of people that one comes into contact with. But the only way to bring all these thoughts into practice is to use the power of determination. Where there is determination there is the commitment to use all the resources for the realization of that thought.

Experience: When I am able to use the power of determination, I am able to realize my inner potential and use it in the right way. So I am able to experience constant progress, because all my thoughts are for my own self progress and all these thoughts naturally come into practice. I never give up anything with temporary setbacks but am able to do everything for the constant progress of the self. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/