Contemplation: Appreciation

Contemplation:  Appreciation

Artist - John William Waterhouse

Appreciation

If I cannot appreciate what I have at the moment, how can I value what the future has in store?

The Secret of Fullness

There is an immaculate eternal and constant space within you hidden
under different appearances. In that space there is only peace, love
and wisdom. Let go and free yourself from the layers that cover that
space and you will uncover the secret of life of fullness.

Revising My Purpose In The Professional Sphere

A young entrepreneur once thought that, in the corporate world, if you earn this much amount of money successfully in a short span of time, you are considered better than the remaining entrepreneurs and you reach the peak of fame. A time arrived when he said to himself "This is stressful. Is this what I want? Working so hard to reach the top, so that you become famous in the entire country and are known amongst the fastest growing businessmen. No, I want to excel in my career, but in another way, without stress, without fighting to reach and maintain fame and power." He then revised his purpose: "What do I want? Why do I do what I do? For what and for who do I do it? What is the price that I have to pay for this dependence on fame?"

Aspiring to be famous causes continuous stress and anxiety. You participate in a race in which you compete and are comparing yourself constantly. You stop taking care of yourself and nourishing your inner self. You take care of your image but not your inner being. This brings about an inner emptiness and loneliness that, sometimes, is unbearable for us. Reaching fame, financial wealth, the power of a visible position, and reaching it with a broken soul, a broken apart family and a sick body, causes anxiety and depression. We need to look inwards and ask ourselves - does our life's purpose revolve around the search for fame and power? If yes, then we need to revise our purpose suitably by realizing the negative effects that this search can have on our lives.

Soul Sustenance

Analyzing Success And Failure (cont.)

For many, society has conditioned us to look for success through the path of our career, achievements, profits, praise, financial wealth etc. That way, we have learned a narrow view of success. Running in search of this kind of success and pursuing it, we come to exhaust ourselves, get burnt out and depressed.

In order to achieve these successes we have stopped caring for the inner being (the soul) and relationships. That has meant and means stress, pain, anxiety, family break ups, personal and relational disintegrations, the destruction of the environment and planetary and climatic imbalances. As a consequence, we feel empty. Although we achieve the applause, the income and other successes, the soul is malnourished and has the sensation that it is lacking something. Reaching fame, financial wealth, the power of a visible position, and reaching it with a broken soul, broken up family and a sick body, causes depression which explains why, in our recent history, famous people have ended up committing suicide.

If we want to redirect our personal and collective lives toward true wellbeing and wholeness, we have to re-evaluate and redefine our beliefs and factors that lead to success and failure. Before asking yourself what success and failure mean for you, it is important to be clear what context you want success in. Depending on the context, the dimension and the meaning of success and failure will be different. For example, in the work context, a failure will be different to that in the family context. In the personal context or in life in general, the way of perceiving success or failure varies.

Message for the day

To be special means to have a gift for everyone we meet.

Projection: Usually we are ready to give physical gifts to people but when it comes to being a giver in the form of understanding or love, we cannot always be a giver. We usually begin to expect from others.

Solution: We need to make sure that we have a gift for everyone we meet; it could even be a smile or a kind word. When our focus is on what we have to give, we will be free from expectations from others. This will make us truly special.

Contemplation: Thinking

Contemplation:  Thinking

Thinking

Everything depends on our thinking. If I think in the right way I will be light. If I think in a wasteful way I'll be heavy. Waste thoughts are dangerous. They waste my time. They allow the past to come alive, and then I may forget the present and question the future.

Fulfilling Desires By Changing Your Belief System (cont.)

We have been holding a lot of incorrect beliefs as to what can lead us to back to our eternal and original state (these states were discussed in yesterday's message) and many of our actions are based on these beliefs. We have mentioned a few examples of incorrect beliefs below. There are many more, which you could reflect on.

Lust and attachment increases love in a relationship.

Anger is necessary for success in relationships and is important for getting work done and gaining respect. It provides a mental upsurge of energy.

Greed attracts physical prosperity and brings happiness.

Ego is power; a person with no ego is generally timid or submissive.

Worry prepares us for the worst, worrying for someone close is expressing our love for them.

Being emotional and crying for our loved ones in bad times, is expressing love for them. Being emotional and crying in good times is expressing and experiencing joy.

Gossiping increases social bonding and gives one an experience of joy.

Jealousy inspires us to do better and achieve more.

The Supreme Teacher changes our belief system and not only makes us aware of these incorrect beliefs but reconditions us by incorporating correct beliefs inside us so that we start performing karmas or actions based on them and start progressing towards our eternal and original state.

Independence

In order to live in peace, try not to depend on anyone and at the same
time try to help others not to depend on you. Help them become
independent, free and responsible for their lives. Ensure you do not
cause anyone sorrow, and do not allow others to be a source of hurt for
you.

Soul Sustenance

Analyzing Success and Failure

You feel positive and joyful when you realize that you are successful. However, when failure comes to you, you feel defeated. The definition of success and failure varies from one person to another and according to the stage of life that you are in. It is important to have success and failure well defined for yourself, because, based on your definition, you feel greater or lesser inner wellbeing, happiness and wholeness.

There are also different levels of success and of failure. For example, for some the greatest success is to be happy and radiant, whatever happens inside or outside. If one manages to keep happy in the face of failure, for them it is a success. Because to be happy means that I am connected with my essential worth or inner self, my being is awake and alive. Failure does not reduce my vitality, my contentment levels. The greater or fewer external achievements do not reduce the quality of the inner being or of being happy. The important thing is that you believe your own definition of success and failure.

Some ideas can be shared that can act as guidelines, but, in the end, each person has to create their own guidelines, definitions and factors leading to success and failure. Basing ourselves on these guidelines and beliefs, we evaluate our successes and failures. You can reflect on what true success and failure mean for you and, according to those meanings, centre your attention on the values and efforts that lead you to achieve your objectives.

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message for the day

The one who is free from carelessness is the one who is constantly enthusiastic.

Projection: Sometimes we do find ourselves in situations where we have no enthusiasm to continue with what we had started with a lot of enthusiasm. We do continue with what we are doing but not with the interest that we had started with-to the extent that we sometimes even give it up.

Solution: We need to check the real reason for our lack of enthusiasm, which could be our own carelessness. When we make sure that we pay special attention to what we are doing and don't let carelessness set in, we will be constantly enthusiastic till we complete the task.

Contemplation: Love is the Key

Contemplation: Love is the Key

 

  

Full moon rising over Mt. Hood

Love is the Key

Love is a powerful force. It can take us to great heights and leave us feeling light and airy. Yet it has been the most abused and misused force. Many degraded things pass for love. True love is based on understanding, mutual trust and respect and not simply on transient emotions. Love is being in balance, that is, in harmony with the self, God and each other. Love dwells in the soul. We must allow this love to flow out and around us. Without love, all of life's treasures are locked away from our vision and experiences, for indeed 'love is the key.'

Fulfilling Desires By Changing Your Belief System

One most important characteristic that differentiates the Supreme Soul from human souls is that the Supreme Soul is the only entity that exists in this World Drama that is completely desire-less and remains that way eternally. If we were to make a list of desires that human beings have, we would name a lot many and various different types of desires.

Whatever karma or action any soul performs at different points in the World Drama, whether positive or even negative, pure or even impure, they are all performed to fulfill these different types of desires. But when seen from a spiritual perspective, whatever the external form of the desire may be, the internal desire is always very simple - to go back to its eternal (or inert) state of peace or original state of peace, love, joy and power. The eternal or inert state of each soul is the state in which it exists before it begins its journey of birth and rebirth, when it resides in the soul world and the original state of each soul is the state in which it exists when it has just begun its journey of birth and rebirth i.e. at the beginning of the birth-rebirth cycle.

Even negative karmas based on the personality traits of anger, greed, ego, lust, etc. may externally seem to be filled with violence or impurity, but internally, each time any soul performs such karmas, all it desires is a return to its eternal and original state (we shall explain this in tomorrow's message). But it does not realize how these karmas take the soul away and not close to these states.

This is where the role of the Supreme Soul comes in. The Supreme Soul is completely desire-less and possesses the capability, knowledge and power to fulfill these desires of the soul. Being the Supreme Teacher, He guides and teaches us what are the right karmas or actions that can help us fulfill our desires and take us closer to our eternal and original state and which actions, take us away from it. Also He is the only one who can teach us how to connect with Him so that these desires are fulfilled, because he is the Ocean of all the qualities that exist inside us in our eternal and original state and connecting with Him fills us with these qualities. The connection and the right actions, both, are vital for our progress.
(To be continued tomorrow...)

Values

Values are related to each other as if they were members of a great
family. From peace and happiness emerges inner joy. From this state of
wholeness love awakens and with it the desire to share and give. Two of
its relatives are tolerance and respect. All values have a shared
origin which unites them - the peace of spirituality. When you lose
peace you begin to lose everything.

Other recipients:

There is an immaculate eternal and constant space within you hidden under different appearances. In that space there is only peace, love and wisdom. Let go and free yourself from the layers that cover that space and you will uncover the secret of lif

Other recipients:

It is easy to create new things, change places or do something different. To sustain that sense of newness that creates enthusiasm is more difficult. The secret of newness in life is not to do new things constantly, but to see everything you do with

Other recipients:

Self-control is not about suppressing emotions or tolerating the pressure of circumstances. Self-control is to be the creator of your thoughts and feelings, to be creative and find new answers. This helps you to remain calm and cool.

Other recipients:

When you do not upset yourself thinking about how others must change and instead you concentrate on your own change, good things start to happen. You will feel better about yourself. And you will start to have positive feelings towards others and sta

Soul Sustenance

Self Realization (cont.)

People affected by anger lose their temper and become excited at the slightest provocation. Yet, when the event is over they find peace in going back to their normal nature. The same applies to all the other vices (greed, ego, lust and attachment), which are at the root of all emotional disturbances, strains, tensions and imbalances. This indicates that the vices are not the original nature of the soul.

If the soul thinks about its original nature and does everything with the realization "I am a soul, not a body," its original qualities reappear naturally. They are its basic values. It is worthless seeking them externally. It is like the musk deer running after the sweet smell of musk, unaware that it is coming from its own navel. Peace of mind is the soul’s property. It automatically flows from within it once it is soul-conscious.

The soul only has to let its original sanskaras become thoughts and keep them flowing. Whatever thoughts are in its mind that is the state it experiences. Soul-conscious thoughts bring peace of mind. Body-conscious thoughts disturb the soul. It is the soul who decides what state of mind to experience. It can either be peaceful, or in peacelessness. It is the soul who has the power of decision. The situation should not dictate to the soul.

Message for the day

True service is to be free and make others free from obstacles.

Projection: When we are involved in a task, we totally think about ourselves irrespective of what effect it has on others. Such an attitude sometimes takes on the form of selfishness to the extent that we become an obstacle for others.

Solution: We need to check ourselves whenever we are involved in a task if what we are doing is affecting others positively or negatively. Whatever we do, only if there is benefit for us as well as for others, can we call it truly successful.

Contemplation: Letting Go

Contemplation:  Letting Go

Letting Go

Whatever has happened is the past. Do not think about the past. Learn from whatever has happened in the past and be cautious in the future. The past belongs to the past. Let me let go of it, because it does not belong to me.

Weak Spot

At times there is a weak spot, something you do not want to see about
your character. The way to discover it is through others. They are the
mirrors that reflect your personality. If something bothers you about
someone, you are recognizing an attitude that is actually within you.
When you feel it does not affect you and you can respond calmly, it
means that this weakness is no longer in you.

Creating Positive Habits

Some habits do not upset us, but others can cause irritation, frustration and desperation. We want to rid ourselves of them: but how? When we look at the creation and fulfillment of thoughts, it looks like a closed system: the thoughts lead to actions, the actions create a series of impressions (sanskars), and these impressions are responsible for similar thoughts, which lead us to similar actions, this is a vicious cycle. If we want to change a habit, then where do we start? In other words, where do we change the system or how do we get out of the cycle? First of all, we can try changing our negative actions: for example, stop a mental negative habit like anger or a physical one like drinking. In many cases, although we change our behaviour, but because we have not understood deeply why we wanted to do it, is quite possible that one day we will go back to this old habit.

We can try changing this system in our subconscious. By analysing what is recorded in our subconscious, through different therapies, the results are not altogether satisfactory. There is always some traumatic event, or painful experience behind a fear which causes us to cling on to a negative habit. And although we can see and recognise our fears and anxieties, if we do not replace them with something better, with a more beneficial and healthier alternative, very often we will feel tempted to cling on to these old systems, even though they do not work and they make us unhappy. To eliminate certain things we have recorded in our subconscious, meditation and silence are the most effect non-violent methods. Another method is to try and change our beliefs with positive affirmations (thoughts) that strengthen our willpower, and thus introduce a new habit to replace the old one. It is vital not to repeat this affirmation mechanically, but to introduce it into the system of beliefs we hold, and act as if we already were what we express in this affirmation.

Soul Sustenance 

Self Realization

The soul, originally a star-like living energy point of perfect peace and purity, twinkling in the soul world is fully charged with spiritual energy, which it naturally displays as love, joy, peace and purity in its actions when it first comes into this physical world. Gradually by taking many births, it becomes attached to the sense organs and the various physical objects and it forgets its original values. Then it becomes a slave to five basic negative forces; anger, greed, ego, lust and attachment. These forces have their roots in body-consciousness, or the false belief that existence is entirely physical. Any time it suffers disappointment, worry or anxiety, it is due to the effect of anyone of these negative influences.

The soul forgets the heights of spiritual attainment and the delights of super-sensuous joy (joy which is not experienced through the sense organs) thinking itself to be a body and it searches for peace and happiness through the sense organs. It mistakenly pursues worldly pleasures in an effort to regain its former state. It forgets its true identity, nature, home and Supreme Father.

While controlled by these negative forces, the soul cannot come back to its normal state of peace, happiness and bliss.

These vices are unwelcome intruders (entrants) into the soul’s original texture of purity. Until the vices have control over the soul, it will never restore its original qualities of peace, bliss, love, purity and knowledge.

(To be continued tomorrow ….)

Message for the day

Where everything is done according to the right method there is success.

Projection: When we don't achieve success we sometimes do get tempted to opt for a short cut method, which might bring us temporary success, too. But in the long run we find that it isn't be so beneficial after all.

Solution: Whenever we are involved in a task specially if it is a difficult one we need to make sure that we are following the right method. Whatever is done according to the right system will surely be successful.

Contemplation: Take Care

Contemplation: Take Care   

Artist- Autumn Skye Morrison

Take Care

Take care of yourself with understanding and love, and make sure that you never compromise your own spiritual growth.

Silence

In the ocean of silence you may discover your eternal treasures of
peace, love and happiness. In silence, you can let bad feelings and
past sorrows dissolve. Silence calms your heart. It is a balm that
heals the wounds of the soul. It strengthens the spirit and takes you
to a world without sound where peace reigns.

Discovering Inner Compassion - cont.

When we try to describe compassion, it is worth looking at the words sympathy, empathy and interpathy.

Showing sympathy towards another person's suffering is acknowledging their suffering, for example, 'I am sorry that you have hurt yourself'. We recognize that they are injured or ill without really engaging at a feeling level.

Empathy is when we literally share a feeling with someone, we walk in their shoes, for example, 'I feel really upset that you are so depressed about losing your job'. This can bring great comfort to the person we are empathizing with, but the comfort to them can be at our expense and leave us feeling emotionally drained or sad. If we identify too closely with them, it can also make it difficult for us to help them.

An expansion of empathy is a word called interpathy where we relate to another's suffering although we may not understand why they are suffering. This may be because they are from a different culture or because their feelings may seem inappropriate given the situation, but we are curious, we try to understand.

Compassion is all these words -- sympathy, empathy, interpathy - yet it is more and it is less. We acknowledge someone's sorrow, we sense how they feel, we try to understand how it affects them, yet with compassion we do not become emotionally involved. We are engaged yet detached. We are standing back and looking on with kindness. By showing compassion in this way, it allows us to be compassionate without suffering from compassion fatigue or emotional burnout.

Soul Sustenance

Anger Management

Creating Your Inner Peace Room (Visualization)

To overcome anger, visualize a house and in that house there is a peace room. See the room as an empty space. Then, step by step decorate and finish the room with the colours and objects, which symbolize peace to you. See the sun streaming into the room, filling the room with light. Then see yourself sitting in the room and filling the room with your vibrations of peace.

This is now your inner peace room. Whenever you see yourself experiencing emotions like anger, irritation, frustration etc. - you can go visit this room using the power of your mind and intellect (visualization) - it takes only a second - and peace awaits you. To keep it fresh in your mind write a description of your peace room.

Message for the day

To contribute selflessly is to move forward with the blessings of all.

Projection: Many times weI find ourselves in situations where there is a problem, where we seem to be part of the problem too. We try defending ourselves but people do not always understand. At such times there is no solution to be found, and we find ourselves talking again and again about the problem.

Solution: We need to become part of the solution instead of just being part of the problem and talking about it. To be part of the solution means to make some contribution in order to better the situation. When we do whatever little we can, we continue to receive blessings from those around us.

Contemplation: Communication

Contemplation:  Communication

 

Communication

In prayer you communicate with God, in meditation God communicates with you.

Matters of the Heart

A well-nourished heart is automatically giving and full of grace. We
can nourish our hearts with the energy of positive thoughts and pure
feelings. When we realize we are eternal souls, beings of consciousness
rather than Matter, and that our original nature is benevolent and
wise, the heart grows full. When we remember, with love, that we are
the offspring of an eternal Parent, a source of eternal truth, the
heart overflows. This is the greatest gift we can offer to each other
and the world in the year ahead.

Discovering Inner Compassion (cont)

To really understand compassion, we have to experience it for ourselves. We can observe and admire others; we can even acknowledge that we have behaved compassionately on some occasions, but how do we develop the virtue of compassion inside us? If we can find a place of inner silence where we can slow down our thoughts and touch our deepest nature, we will discover that it is peaceful and compassionate. This is the source of our compassion and the more we experience it the more it will become part of our actions. Meditation reminds us that we are compassionate at our core.

Most people can remember a compassionate act. It may be an everyday situation or something that stands out as very special. Examples may be sitting holding the hand of a distressed relative or friend, or simply smiling and being positive. Reflecting on such acts helps us to identify the qualities of compassion that a person may express, such as patience, tolerance, generosity and calmness. By thinking about acts of compassion and the people that perform them, we can begin to get a sense of what compassion means and, with further reflection, how we have shown these same qualities ourselves.

We all use words in different ways to describe how we feel and what we mean, and the meaning can change in different settings. We need to come to some understanding of the word compassion, redefining it for ourselves. Compassion can mean simply kindness; it can mean patience, generosity, respect and understanding. Compassion is unconditional love.
(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance
Pure Cooking (cont.)

1. First, it is essential to develop a positive attitude towards cooking. Before undertaking any food preparation, ask yourself. 'Do you consider the project at hand to be an enjoyable, creative activity or an unpleasant time-consuming boring, repetitive karma?’ Find a way of enjoying it, by playing spiritual songs or trying new recipes and having deep meditation while cooking.

2. Before cooking, make sure the kitchen is clean and in order. Take out all the things you will need to make the meal and place them where they will be used. This makes the process of cooking more smooth and enjoyable.

3. While cooking avoid doing other work in between. You will actually be saving time and the food will definitely turn out better.

4. As much as possible, remain in silence, paying attention to the quality of the thoughts you have. Try to have pure and peaceful thoughts. This creates a powerful atmosphere that fills the food with pure vibrations and brings personal benefits as well. 


Message for the day 

To be obedient to God means to have a right to His inheritance.

Projection: We sometimes find ourselves feeling low and unenthusiastic. We tend to blame the situations and the people around which makes us feel even more dull. At such times we expect and seek God's help and power but experience no help from him. 


Solution: We need to realise that we don't have to ask God for power or blessings but have a right to them. Before we perform any task we need to ask ourselves if God will like what we are doing. If we do everything according to God's wishes that means we are obedient. Such obedience will get us the inheritance of peace and happiness from God.

Wish you & your family a very very Happy Diwali & Prosperous New Year !!!

Wish you & your family a very very Happy Diwali

& Prosperous New Year !!!

​

This Diwali,

This Diwali,

instead of wearing a new dress,

can I change the way I address people?

This Diwali,

instead of cleaning an already clean house,

can I work on scrubbing my dusty heart?

This Diwali,

instead of lighting up my doorway,

can I light up my pathway to ignorance?

This Diwali,

instead of stuffing myself with sweets,

can I give up the bitterness in my heart?

This Diwali,

instead of bursting crackers,

can I burst my egoistic pride?

The day I do all this,  God will quietly walk into my heart!

While we all light up our houses, do spend some time to light a few lamps inside you; sit in silence with your eyes closed.

Light the 1st lamp inside you and let it burn away any anger and jealousy that you have for any one; see it melt away.

Light the 2nd lamp and let it burn away unwanted greed and desires. Feel happy and contented with what you have been blessed with.

Light the 3rd lamp and let it fade away all insecurities that you may have in your mind related to anything material or financial; just believe that God has given you life and He will surely give you enough to survive.

Light the 4th lamp and carry that lamp to each part of your body; let it burn away all your diseased cells or any disease in making. Feel healthy as this lamp travels to each part of your body and illuminates each of your organs.

The 5th lamp is a miniature of the Sun, nothing but the divine light. Light it and let it fill you with warmth and love. Feel one with the Divine. Let the love and warmth filled inside you radiate out of you. Carry this love with you and you will find everyone around you happy and elated too.

Light these 5 lamps and carry their positivity wherever you go.