Daily Positive Thoughts: August 25, 2016: Ocean of Peace and Silence

Mo'orea Island, French Polynesia

Ocean of Peace and Silence

It is said that rest is best. Imagine an ocean of peace and silence and plunge into it. Let your mind relax and enjoy moments of tranquility. Free yourself from wasteful thoughts. This is the best type of rest.

Going Back To My Original Nature

Our present personalities are basically the combined habits of this lifetime (birth), built on the combined habits of previous lifetimes (births), all of which have left their mark (sometimes deep and sometimes not so deep) on our consciousness.  It may well be that habits such as becoming angry, upset, anxious, stressed, sorrowful or scared, have been with us for so long that, they feel a natural part of our inner world, so natural that when someone says our true nature is not anger but peace, not fear but love, not aggression but acceptance, not anxiety but calm, it does not feel right.  And even if it did feel right for a moment, we have become so attached to our old habitual moods, emotions and behaviors that we do not really want to change. It may even be the case that we have become so weak that we need help to change. It seems much easier to stay the way we are.
As we begin to meditate and develop our spiritual practice, our views on the above subject will fluctuate. When that does happen, imagine you are having a conversation with yourself and teaching yourself.  Give yourself permission to be peaceful by nature, full of love and joy by nature, naturally content by nature, wherever you are and in whatever you do.  After a while, you won't need to give yourself permission and you will find these states of being are there within you quite naturally at every moment.   They are our original and eternal nature.   Everything else is acquired or learned.  In so many ways introduction to spirituality, like many other approaches to inner awakening, is as much about unlearning (the acquired beliefs) as it is about learning (new beliefs).

Get It?

Some people really "get" you & some just don't! And that's fine, you might not "get" them either!

But do take this opportunity to see if there's something you can improve in yourself.

Try to be friendly & get along better with them but, if they don't reciprocate, then know when to stop trying too hard.

If they want to know you or befriend you, they'll make that choice. 

But between now & then, enjoy being you & keep the warmth of your good feelings flowing towards the other person.

Message for the day

To end waste means to be free from defeat. 

Thought to ponder: The one with faith in the intellect always remains at a distance from waste, whether it is waste thoughts, waste words or waste actions. To move away from waste means to be victorious. The one who is free from waste is busy with the positive and useful. Such a person is constantly searching for solutions and trying to make the best out of the situation. 

Point to practice: It is because of waste that I sometimes experience defeat and sometimes victory. If I am able to finish waste, I am able to finish defeat. Because whatever the situation may be, however challenging it may be, if I am able to finish waste I am able to recognize the benefit that is merged within it and so I am able to experience being constantly victorious. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 24, 2016: Relationships

 

Relationships

A sensible person knows it is a waste of time and energy to get angry. Effort will then have to be made to reconstruct that relationship. It is much more useful to breathe deeply, pay attention to your attitude and answer without rushing. In this way, improve and strengthen your relationships with others.

Understanding What Are Karmic Accounts

We are not individuals acting alone in this world drama; we act in this extraordinary drama or play of life with other actors or souls who (along with us) play their different roles with different physical costumes at different times in the drama. During the process of interaction with other actors (souls) and according to the type of interaction with them, we create accounts of debit or credit that become the basis of our connections with others. The reasons for which a specific relationship goes well or not are in the so called karmic account that I have accumulated with the other person in the past. The past could be in this birth alone or in one or many previous births. The souls that play the parts of parents, children, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, friends, office colleagues and others whom I know form a network for the giving and receiving of happiness and sorrow from accounts established in the past or being created in the present.

The strongest relationships that I have now were established previously. We knew each other in other lives and but in different roles. The daughter of some births ago returns now as the father, the best friend comes back as the sister etc. As long as the account exists, the interchange of actions between two souls continues. When there is nothing more to give or receive, the paths between the two souls separate by death, a break-up, a divorce or simply by the loss of contact. An e.g. of this is our school friends. Many of our friends whom we were close to in our school days, we are not in touch with today. Another e.g. is when we change jobs; we might lose complete contact with our old colleagues.

Be an Alchemist

Like an alchemist, transform something worthless into something precious. The key to alchemy is in your perception.

Look for the limitless possibilities that surround you. 
See the innate value of everything and turn lead into gold.

Focus on the pure gold within each one. You may have to overlook the visible lead to seek the hidden gold!

Message for the day

As is the aim so is the qualification.

Thought to ponder: If I have a high aim, I will set high standards for myself. I will make efforts to reach that aim. So the qualities that I imbibe will be of a great standard too. So, it is important that I constantly set high standards for myself and make my life qualitatively better.

Point to practice: Today I will, in any one aspect, set an aim for myself. I will then check to see if I can do a bit better than what I think I can do right now. I will make sure I will set an aim for myself a bit higher than what I normally do. This will increase my qualities and will automatically keep me prepared for higher things. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 23, 2016: Wise Wealth

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 23, 2016: Wise Wealth

Wise Wealth

There are many words for which we have forgotten the meaning - love is one such word, and wealth is another. When we hear or use the word wealth today we immediately conjure images of huge cheques, large properties, five star holidays and the very best in everything. In fact it is this limited form of wealth, measured and defined essentially by money which blocks the realization and manifestation of true wealth. Every human being is wealthy beyond imagination; but not in their bank accounts. Real wealth is completely intangible, invisible and deeply internal. Every human being is a unique individual spiritual entity. And as such, a source of the most precious energy in the universe. Love is the gold of the soul. We are each that gold at the core of our being. But few of us are aware of it, let alone consciously tapping it and expressing it. No one teaches us that love is what we are, that our purpose in life is to know it, and give it, and that when we do, all other energies, including the material stuff, will come back to us. We are taught instead that love is dead, love is daft, love is for softies, love is sex, loving is losing not winning, love is indulgence, love is about doing deals in our relationships. No wonder we are stressed out. We have a totally distorted view of wealth and an inherited belief system which clouds our view and access to the riches we contain within our heart. No wonder there is spiritual poverty amidst affluence, no wonder the destitute wander streets paved with the riches of their neighbours. No wonder the children in the villages of India have a smile that lights up your soul, while the kids in 'material land' are always miserable with their lot! Are you wealthy, or are you Wealthy?

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The Filtration Process In The Soul

The mind and its creation i.e. thoughts, in these times, in most people, are controlled by three main factors:
i. their habits or sanskaras
ii. their past experiences, and
iii. information which they are exposed to and which they imbibe.

The intellect is like a filter which has the function of discriminating, of judging the thoughts and deciding which ones to put into practice and which ones not to, basically filtering them. Presently the filter of the intellect has become weakened, confused and unsure; it has become blocked by many incorrect beliefs, due to which this filtration does not take place properly – as a result many wrong thoughts get converted into actions. A lot of times during the day, thoughts become actions so fast, that the filter of the intellect does not even come into play i.e. thoughts become actions bypassing the filter.

The beliefs that we have today are related to our cultural, physical, social, religious, political identity associated with our age, gender, occupation, wealth, role etc. of our body. Beliefs connected to materialism, to having rather than being, are living based on the perception of the sense organs, and not on the intuition and the wisdom of the spirit. There are beliefs that block you, or brake you, others break you, they bring about fears in you and a limited perception of reality and of yourself. However much you try to generate positive thoughts, if you do not change these beliefs, their influence on the intellect will be so strong that it is almost impossible to maintain a positive state of mind. Even if you experience it, it will be short-lived and temporary.

Distractions are everywhere. 

No matter how much we try, it's almost impossible to get rid of all the distractions.

How about this: focus despite distractions!

Here are a few tips:

- Have music in the background. Music can tune out the distractions around you & keep you engaged & motivated.

- Be energised. Have enough sleep & stay hydrated. The more energy you have, the less likely you are to get distracted.

- Set email times. Schedule specific times to check & respond to emails.

Message for the day

To be alert is to constantly have an attention to check and change. 

Thought to ponder: When someone is recording something, there is a constant attention to do the best. After a bit is recorded, they would recheck and see if everything is ok or if it can be better. In life too, we are trying to record the best. For each and everything that happens, when I have attention on myself, I can make it better each time. I just have to have the attention to check and then bring about the required change.

Point to practice: Today I will pay special attention to the actions that I do. After the action, I will look back and see if I could have done it in a better way. Also, at the end of the day, before I go to sleep, I will look back at the day and review all that happened. This practice of checking and changing helps me to be prepared to face everything that comes my way. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 22, 2016: As Without, So Within

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 22, 2016: As Without, So Within

As Without, So Within

We live in the age of ‘busy’ Busy people not only do a lot, they think a lot. The origins of ‘busy’ are mental. Mental tiredness is a symptom of the self going against the grain of the truth about the self. Being lost in thought, thinking constantly about things to do, what’s been done, what could have been done, what was done wrong, what should have been done but wasn’t, what others did, are doing, should do, must do, is not only tiring and a brilliant way to waste energy, If you would learn to meditate and thereby turn the eye of your attention and awareness within, if you would let your mind be quiet and allow your being to be still, you would rediscover, ‘as without, so within’. You would realize outer space is but a reflection of inner space. Both are vast and infinite spaciousness.

Discovering God (Part 3)

I love God a lot, Thank you God, O God please help me, O God please forgive me, O God where are you, O God please make me healthy, O God please grant me a child, O God please make my mind peaceful, O God please shower my life with success and prosperity, etc. are some of our common cries in God's name. We say and they all reach Him, but do we ever wonder how much God loves us, how much He is ready to help us and grant us all of these desires or help us in bringing them in our lives? Does God help each one of us equally? We know He is impartial and loves each one of us equally but at the same time He is a parent who also knows which children of His are more full of qualities than the others. Also, He knows which children of His from amongst the world population have performed higher karmas or actions in their complete journey of birth and rebirth and who are very very pure and humble, not only in the present but also who have been like that in many many lives. Also, how much do we remember God with a clean heart in our present and how much have we remembered Him in our past births? God knows our present as well as our past equally correctly, on the basis of which He sees us.

There are two sides of God's personality. On the one hand He is loveful and so His love and respect for all His children is equal. On the other side and at the same time, while being lawful, He chooses to be more loveful and respectful for a few, based on all the things He knows about us. It is two sides of the same coin. Both sides are a part of the coin and it is only a Supreme Being like God who can keep a balance of both these sides so beautifully. You might question this, but God is commonly a strict being with some souls who are lacking in qualities or whose actions are of a low quality, under the influence of the five vices - lust, anger, greed, attachment and ego, which are like Ravana's ten heads. These ten heads are a symbolic representation of five vices in men and five vices in women. Remember Ravana was Ram's enemy, where Ram is a symbolic representation of God. So, if you want your mind to be blessed with the presence of God or Ram inside it, make sure Ravana or the five vices mentioned above are no longer a part of your personality.

Remain Peaceful

We have to develop this hobby of going into the depths of silence. Practice this, make it your hobby and see how much you then enjoy it. 

The tiredness of the soul will then be removed. We will feel that we are able to remain carefree and restful. 

When the soul is tired it is restless and there is a lot of worry; we think I have to do this, that and so we cannot feel restful. 

All actually I have to do is to remain peaceful and there will be the feeling that everything will be ok...

Message for the day

To see and relate to virtues is the best form of diplomacy. 

Thought to ponder: It is said that we need to be diplomatic while dealing with people. Yet, many feel that being diplomatic, equals to not being honest or truthful. However, the easiest way to be diplomatic is to see and relate to virtues. When I am able to see others' virtues, I am only relating to them with that. There might be weaknesses, but I don't highlight them during my interaction with them. So they too are more comfortable with me. 

Point to practice: Today I will look for virtues. Out of all the people, I interact with; I will pay special attention to list out the virtues or specialties of at least three people. Every time I interact with them, I will remind myself of these qualities at least once during the interaction. This practice will help me create a habit of picking virtues. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 21, 2016: Anger

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 21, 2016: Anger

NASA captures Guatemala Volcano erupting from space

Anger

Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind.

To be controlled by anger is to repress the soul's original qualities of tolerance and love.

Discovering God (Part 2)

Love for God is incomplete without a complete realization of who God is and what are His nature's different characteristics. Also as the saying goes in Hindi that God as He is and what He is, only a few in crores and even from those few very few will realize Him completely. There can be crores who think about Him and even love Him very much and also realize Him partially or incompletely but only a few extremely pure minds will realize Him completely and accurately and also become like Him. These selected few are amongst us and absolutely normal humans but the only specialty they have is that they are extremely pure and humble, as a result of which God reveals Himself completely to them. Purity of the mind, which means a mind that has made itself completely free of lust and anger, which means not only words and actions but our thoughts are completely free of these two emotions. Also, humility or egolessness while performing actions. Such a mind will be able to perceive God and His nature completely and experience His love in the sacred space of His mind. You might say that what is life without lust, anger and ego as life without these is not possible but then ask those who are on a journey to free themselves of these three emotions and are getting closer to God more and more each day and making others around them a part of their closeness. Such people are very few but they exist and are looked upto by God also.

It is like the taste of the mango. The one who has tasted it can only know its taste and say it is absolutely delicious. God is the most beautiful being that exists and to have a close relationship with Him means becoming as beautiful as Him over a period of time and as a result getting to know Him more and more in return and fulfill the spiritual heart's desire. This desire exists inside each one of us, but is sometimes hidden because we have become over-involved in materialism and forgotten our eternal relationship with Him.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Be Eco-friendly

It's so easy to complain about the world around us. But it's just as easy to care and make our neighbourhood a better place.

Doing simple things can make us a better guardian of the environment, dropping litter in the bin, printing double-sided, using reusable shopping bags, unplugging appliances at the wall when they're not in use.

What will you do, that's easy and doable? Remember, your contribution counts and inspires others to care.

Message for the day

The one who defames or criticizes is a true friend. 

Thought to ponder:  If one has a clear vision of where he wants to go, he constantly looks for opportunities and means to move ahead. When someone criticizes, it is an opportunity to learn something, to check and change what I might have missed. It doesn't matter with what intention the other person is criticizing. It is more important whether I have learnt from it or not. So he actually becomes a friend who is helping me progress.

Point to practice: Today I will listen to people carefully and take at least one point that I could bring about a change. I will then explain to myself that this particular aspect is going to help me to move forward. This is what I will bring into action. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 20, 2016: The Beauty Within

The Beauty Within

You see behind the masks and beneath the fears to the beauty within every heart.

Discovering God (Part 1)

When remembering God in our daily lives, we need to sometimes stop and look inwards and ask ourselves that do we remember His complete personality. That means do we, while remembering Him, relate to Him in various different ways and also do we remember His different roles and responsibilities for which He is remembered all over the world. E.g. do we remember God as only the Supreme Father or do we also sometimes see Him as an extremely loveful mother, the One who sustains us with His love and is extremely forgiving while seeing our mistakes? Or, do we remember God only as a strict parent, the One who judges and punishes but forget that He is the Ocean of Mercy also? Or, do we remember God as the Ocean of Peace and Love but not as an Ocean of Power, by connecting with whom, we can overcome all our weaknesses and become as strong as Him? Also, do we remember God just as a Teacher, who gives us knowledge and not as a Guru, who can purify us so much that all our sins of many lives, performed because of ignorance, can be cleaned by His remembrance? Also, do we remember God as someone from whom we can absorb qualities and powers only or someone from whom we can learn the secrets of how the soul functions and how it plays its different roles in the world drama? The list is endless of what I could be missing while trying to discover God and His personality.

Just as in pure worldly relationships between humans, unless we have known a person for long and know all aspects of his personality, which we commonly call nature, we are not able to have a close relationship with him. That relationship could be your parent or a very close friend or even an office colleague. Also, one person can be someone with whom we are so close that being with him, gives us the joy of all worldly relationships. There can be one person in your life who is like your parent, as well as a friend as well as a teacher and also like a guru, but all of them are not the Supreme or they are not completely perfect. In the same way, God is one, but can play different roles and relationships at the same time, but He is the Supreme or perfect in all these relationships. This is the beauty of God.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Dream on

Most of us have forgotten how to dream. We have exchanged our creativity for security.

The current state of the world is a wakeup call that brings us back to our dreams and hopes. This is the time to realize that beyond us there is another, unlimited, energy in action. This energy will surpass our expectations, if only we trust. 

The more we remember our dream, the more we become alert for the coincidences and synchronicity that will bring us in its direction.

Message for the day

To be an example is to ensure positive correction.

Thought to ponder: To correct people through words is easy. Yet, we find that people are not ready to listen to what we say. Each one feels, in his own way, that he is right. So however positively we put it, we cannot change people's thinking. But whatever we want to teach, we first have to be an embodiment of that. When we become a role model, people learn, without them feeling that they are being corrected. 

Point to practice: Today I will be patient even when I see someone doing something wrong. I will not correct him and make him feel guilty. Because I understand that if his behavior is wrong, my correction is wrong too. Especially if it is done rudely or with anger or irritation. So I understand that one wrong cannot correct another wrong. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 19, 2016: Failure

Failure

Failure doesn't mean - you'll never make it, it means - it will take a little longer.

The Invisible Law Of The Universe (Part 6)

Reviewing the day that has gone by and checking how the quality of karmas have been and then ensuring that the karmas the next day are of a positive nature is a very good protection against difficult situations and also in reducing the intensity of these situations. Some people say that there is no justice, but remember the law of karma is an integral part of life. It is eternal and permanent. So people who are creating negative thoughts, words and actions will sooner or later face sorrow because sometimes the law of karma can take time to catch up with someone but they will face the results of their actions sooner or later. Also, if someone is surrounded by different types of difficult situations and problems all the time does not mean that he has performed more negative actions than those who are relatively less surrounded by situations. In these cases, it is just a matter of chance that at a particular moment of time or for a few months or years, their past actions were visible in their lives in the form of problems more than for the others. For the others, that time when they face the results of their karma could be a few years later. So using the law of karma to label someone as one who has performed more negative actions in their past births or lives is absolutely incorrect because remember negative or impure actions were performed by everyone, some more and some less. Each and every human being on the planet is facing the result of their past karma at the present moment of time when it’s time to clear all our negative actions.

This is the time when God  performs His task of world transformation incognito i.e. not known to the complete world, since many people have not recognized His present presence in the world or have heard of that but they do not believe it is possible. God is a part of our lives today for the purpose of freeing us from the results of all our negative actions, so there is no need to feel sorrowful if there are negative situations in our lives today. On the other hand, let us become full of the power of determination, that with the help of God’s power of purity and a powerful connection with Him I can finish of all the accounts of my negative actions and become pure and problem free.

Vagueness

Being vague can save time but when communication lacks clear information, it may lead to mistakes or vague results.

Being vague with certain people can limit their interference in our life. But they may take advantage of unclear expectations and boundaries.

So watch out for vagueness. Know when to be vague and when not to be.

Message for the day

Have the power to discern and pick up the positive.

Thought to ponder:  Like a swan which picks up only jewels and leaves the pebbles aside, it is up to me to pick out only good things from all interactions. There are both (positive and negative) available and probably the negative (pebbles) are more in number. But I need to have the power to discern and pick out only that which is good and positive.

Point to practice: Today I will only talk what is positive. I will make special effort not to think, talk or see negative. This will help my mind be free from that which is not necessary or harmful. Thus what I speak will be positive, powerful and beneficial too. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris