Contemplation: The Spiritual Aspect Of Healthcare

Contemplation: The Spiritual Aspect Of Healthcare

The Spiritual Aspect of Healthcare

Silence, happiness, love and blessings are important aspects. Happiness leads to good health. It is only you who can give this medicine to yourself. Some bring illness to themselves through anger, greed, unfulfilled desires, expectations, suppression of feelings and relationships not based on true love. Look in your heart; you will know where your illness comes from. There are three ingredients for a long and healthy life: live with attention but without worry; use time in a worthwhile way; keep your thoughts pure, positive and filled with strength.

Accurate Decisions

Making accurate decisions means to make right and benevolent decisions,
that is they should bring benefit to all. Before making an accurate
decision, we need 1. Time to reflect 2. To understand the power of
choice. Ask, understand, discuss and then decide.

Uprooting The Emotion Of Worry From The Consciousness

What is a good definition of worry? Worry is a process of imagining the worst possible outcome or result or future in a particular situation and creating a living and active image of it in front of the eye of your mind, and then using the energy of that negative image to flow inside your consciousness so as to completely overpower or weaken your spiritual and as a result your physical self to evoke fear in the self.

When people are asked about this process, a person who is attached to this process and is involved in the process very regularly the whole day in different types of situations, one who is a habitual worrier, responds "But it's important t0 worry, it's good to worry. If we don't think of different possible negative outcomes, how will we prepare for them?" It's important to realize that the belief, that by worrying, we prepare for the worst in the future is a false one.

This belief causes us not to realize the truth that all worry is simply an incorrect and fruitless creation. It is a wrong use of the positive, constructive and imaginative capacity of our mind and intellect which, instead of empowering the mind and intellect, weakens it. Preparing for the future is important and necessary, but very often while doing that, we enter the territory of worry, which leaves us, defeated or weakened.

There is an extremely fine line between proactive preparation (necessary preparation in advance) on the one hand and worry on the other. The preparation can be done without creating an excessive number of possible negative outcomes in the mind.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

How Does the Mind Work?

We can compare the mind with a screen, where thoughts, images, feelings and associations are constantly appearing. Thoughts manifest themselves in the mind in the same way as images on a film are projected onto the cinema screen.

The mind often interprets negation as affirmation. Therefore, when we tell you not to think about something, it is as if we were saying, "Think about this" and these thoughts are produced with even more force in the mind. Therefore transforming negative habits and personality traits becomes a struggle. The most effective way of fighting is to ignore these unwanted thoughts, but we should then immediately focus our mind in another direction, thinking about something positive. Thus useless or negative thoughts have no space to grow in our mind. Thinking positively is not a battle against negativity but by imbibing spiritual knowledge, we transform the negative into positive.

We can compare the mind with a naughty child who is playing with a dangerous object: if you take it away from them they will cry until they get it back again. Perhaps a more effective method would be to offer them something that would be of more interest to them and in this way, by having a new inoffensive toy in their hands, they will leave the dangerous object alone. 

Message for the day

Sweetness is the ability to see the good in all things.

Projection: Deep within each and every situation is something good. It only takes a little patience to look within and find it. When we are able to understand the secret behind what is happening, it automatically brings sweetness in our life

Solution: Whatever happens throughout the day, we should be able to see the good in it. Even if we are not able to discover something good at that moment, we should maintain the faith that whatever happens is for the best.

Contemplation: Being at Peace

Contemplation:  Being at Peace

 

Being at Peace

We spend most of our time running after things, doing things. We forget that being comes before doing. Those who remember this secret make an effort to "be" and discover that when they stop and observe, life helps and brings whatever is needed. Learning to be is learning to be at peace. It is our most fundamental nature.

Be Yourself

You search for something you know exists because you have experienced
it in the past. All your searching ends when you find yourself. You do
not need to go anywhere, or to look beyond yourself. Just become what
you were before. You fill your life with peace when you discover you
only have to be yourself, to be what you have always been - a peaceful
being.

Rising Above The Look Of The Other

We have to trust that, being ourselves, we will be well-received and loved by the world. If we are here, why have we been incarnated on Earth? To satisfy the look of the other or to bring what is unique and exceptional in us? We all have two eyes, a nose and a mouth but no face is the same. We are all a being of conscious energy, a soul, but each one has a colour, an art, a creativity and something different to contribute. Let us trust in ourselves and use our talents to bring our difference.

You can be your best friend. Imagine that someone accompanies you in your life, values everything that you do and finds it to be great: what you do, what you say; you are the best; extraordinary; a shining being; a star. Now imagine that you have that person next to you day and night. How do you feel? On top form and you are fine. This happens in relationships. When someone loves you very much, they practically only think about you; they ring you, they send you text messages, maybe they write you letters or emails. You feel unique, special and loved. But this does not last forever and, nowadays, it lasts less and less. The difficulty is that if you depend on the look of the other to feel fine, sometimes you will be fine if the person looking at you does it well, but if not, you won't be fine.

How do you look at yourself? This unconditional friend that loves you so much and that supports you is what you have inside. You can be your best friend. This gives you security and trust. If someone else likes you or doesn't like you and criticizes you, you won't collapse within because to be fine you do not depend on the look of the other.

Soul Sustenance

The Lamp Of Hope

You create the future basing yourself on what you think, feel and do in the present. If you act according to your values, it is easy for you to trust in your destiny. That strengthens your hope that all will go well, and, if it doesn’t, you know and trust your inner resources or treasures to be able to deal with things and change. That trust feeds the enthusiasm, the motor energy that, along with motivation and passion, helps us to advance.

When you lose courage and you feel weak, when you feel insecure and do not see with clarity where to go towards, hope lights the way for you to carry on going forward. If you fall, get up again and carry on looking ahead. Don't look back. Don't let your past be a burden that is too heavy and prevents you from advancing. Focus your vision on your objective and on all your potential to achieve it.

Whatever happens, keep the lamp of hope lit. You can. You will achieve it. Change will become reality. You will free yourself from the shadows of fears, blockages and the other limitations that weaken you.

Live each situation as an opportunity. Learn from criticism and failures. On living life as a constant opportunity for personal growth and learning, you keep hope always alive.

Give yourself moments of silence on beginning each day, during the day and on finishing the day, to connect with your inner self. That way your awareness stays awake, the lamp of your hope, your motivation and your values remains lit.

Message for the day

Detachment gives the power to be uninfluenced by desires.

Projection: When we are able to use the power of detachment that is within us, we are able to go beyond the attraction of things even whilst using them. We will be able to be in the consciousness that we are the true masters who use all things as and when needed, while being uninfluenced by them.

Solution: When we find ourselves having a desire we should remind ourselves that we are the ones who are the creators of things. So we are the ones who influence and not the ones who are influenced by the creation. This will easily make us detached from the things that we are using.

Contemplation: Great Wealth

Contemplation: Great Wealth

Great Wealth

To be content with a little is a great wealth

Detachment

There is benefit in every situation, but to gain benefit especially
when loss is in the air, one must be honest with the self. This means
assessing and facing the self with no lame excuses. If you have the
power to transform negative to positive, you will always experience
positive. Those who defame will be your friends; obstacles become
opportunities to take high jump and storms will cement your
relationship with God. It is important to see the total picture which
includes seeing your own actions. You have to be detached from the
scene - only then can you assess the situation without being
influenced by your injured ego.

Meditation On Experiencing My Original Loveful Nature

I sit in silence, letting my thoughts go away from the outer world... I allow my mind to relax... to calm down... I focus my attention on the heart of my being... My heart is like a sacred silent place where I can feel what I really am... I am peaceful and light... a loving soul... strong... secure... kind...

I have many virtues and qualities that I can share with others... Now my attention is going towards the quality of love... I imagine love like a seed in my heart waiting to awaken... grow... and blossom... like a rose... For this, I only have to accept... believe... feel... that I am a soul full of love... child of the Ocean of Love... I am a spiritual rose flower... radiating the spiritual fragrance of love...

Letting go of the past... letting go of expectations... fears... negative feelings... forgiving... opening my heart... feeling that it is cleansed and this energy of love is as pure as the clean water flowing from a waterfall. Nothing and nobody have touched it... this is a love that asks for nothing in exchange... the love of a clean heart is unselfish... free of ego and expectations... It makes truth and sincerity grow... acceptance and understanding... I open my heart completely to love... I inhale deeply... I visualize my heart filling itself with this energy of pure love... I exhale slowly... and I visualize radiating this light of love from the deepest part of my heart towards the world... I am a beautiful soul of light radiating peace and love... I am love... I love myself and accept myself and others...

Soul Sustenance

The Cyclic Functioning Of The Three Faculties Of The Soul

The soul consists of three faculties – the mind, intellect and sanskaras. They work together in a cyclic fashion. How they work together can be illustrated by looking at how habits or sanskaras are formed e.g. if you are used to scolding your children to get them to do their homework, here is what happens when you visit a friend’s place and watch, for the first time, how your friend is doing the same to his/her child, you might think (done by the mind): ‘I should adopt the same method to discipline my children, they never listen to me '. Your intellect discriminates and judges whether that thought is right or not. Seeing others using the same method, and also seeing that the children are not being affected in any negative way (at least in the short term, not realizing the long term harm) and also seeing them get the desired result, you make a decision to do the same, which leads to the action of scolding your children.

This creates an impression or memory within the soul, somewhat like cutting a groove in a piece of wood. This groove in the soul becomes a characteristic of your personality and is known as a sanskara. Within the groove is recorded the memory of, firstly, the action of scolding the children and, secondly, the desired result from the action. Now, whenever your child disobeys you even a little bit, this sanskara is activated and the memory of the action and result associated with it emerge in the mind triggering a thought: 'Let me scold my child, that’s the best way to get him to do things'. The intellect judges the thought, remembering the proof of the scolding, based on past experience, and then makes the decision that it is alright to using anger as a weapon to discipline the child. In this way, the sanskara keeps getting deeper and deeper. The cyclic process explained above, applies to all habits, whether physical or non-physical.

Message for the day

Detachment adds quality to each and every action.

Projection: When we are detached, we will not be bound by the action itself, but will perform the action in a detached way. This means that we perform the action, yet we are not dependent on the fruits of the action. This automatically increases its quality. Then we would be free and uninfluenced by the bondage of the action.

Solution: In any situation where we find ourselves doing a lot yet with a feeling of not attaining anything, we should ask ourselves if we are attached to the task at hand. The more we are attached, the quantity of work that we put in increases at the cost of the quality. When we are detached we are able to give our best in all that we do.

Contemplation: Love All

Contemplation:  Love All

 

Love All

Love can never be exclusive. The sun does not choose to shine on some flowers in the garden and not others. Love is inclusive and has many faces - caring, listening, sharing from the heart, just accepting someone for what they are right now, are all acts of love, as long as you seek nothing in return. It all starts with acceptance of yourself - you're just fine as you are right now, warts and all. It's not that you will stay that way for ever - but you might, if you don't accept. The secret key to the greatest door called love is acceptance. First your self, then others (especially the ones you currently resist) and eventually ...all.

Relax7

The Relationship Between My Conscience And Intellect

To act from a state of truth, it is important to realize the relationship between my intellect and conscience and what role these two play in experiencing this state of truth in my thoughts, words and actions. The quality of my thoughts, words and actions is based on the quality of my intellect and conscience. There are three different stages of the intellect conscience relationship.

* The first stage is one in which my conscience and my intellect, both are so pure and transparent that whatever is right and true is naturally brought into my thoughts, words and actions and nothing negative or impure manages to enter into my thoughts, words and actions.
* The second stage is one in which my conscience acknowledges that which is the truth, but the intellect does not have the strength to be able to bring the truth into practical. The conscience tells me one thing, but my intellect pulls me elsewhere, and it overpowers me. I do what I know I shouldn't.
* The third stage is one in which my conscience is not clean enough or aware enough to acknowledge the truth so the question of it influencing the intellect to bring the truth into practical does not arise. As a result my intellect, which is not at all backed by the conscience in this state, takes complete control of me. I do what I shouldn't and I am not even aware of it.

When my intellect overpowers my conscience repeatedly, my conscience loses its influence on my intellect. As a result the conscience keeps weakening until its voice is stifled or silenced. As a result of that, I can then no longer discriminate between truth and falsehood. I will feel that there are no fixed ways of defining right and wrong, that each has their own judgment or definition of truth and falsehood.

True spiritual knowledge, which gets stored in the intellect, and the experience of meditation, which purifies the intellect as well as my conscience, both together, make me aware of the definition as well as give me an experience of what is the truth and what is false, what is right and what is wrong. As a result of that, I am able to maintain the first stage of the intellect conscience relationship very easily in my day-to-day actions.

Positivity

Positivity is a subtle, spiritual attribute or energy, natural to all
of us, that can accumulate in the mind just as electrical energy
accumulates in a battery. A positive frame of mind promotes healing in
oneself, and this energy naturally flows out to others.

Soul Sustenance

When To Say Yes And When No

When you are faced with different situations or opportunities, which do you say yes to and which do you say no to?

In order to decide, it is important to keep the vision of your dream and what you the soul really wants, in front of you. Be aware of what is essential for you. From this space of inner focus, we should see which of these situations/opportunities are going in the direction of your dream, what is essential and what takes you away from your dream; also be aware that sometimes situations are like ‘mirages’ (illusions) that seem to offer something easy and attractive, but which distance you from the essential or the truth. They are opportunities that seem easier and, out of laziness, it would be easier to say yes. But within you, if you listen, you know that, in the long term, you will not be happy, content and peaceful given that you have avoided or are running away from the challenge, you haven't listened to your heart. We need to refuse to allow ourselves to be carried by the current.

When you say yes to the proposal, situation or action that is close to your essence of your spirit, it is a yes in which there is not submission, where you do not lose your freedom or your self-esteem. It is a yes with the certainty that, learning from what life offers you; you and others will move forward in a positive sense.

Message for the day

The ones who are detached watch the challenges that come their way as a game.

Projection: There would definitely be many difficult situations that come our way, but if we are detached, we will not become confused. Detachment gives us the power to observe all the situations just as we would observe a game. We would not feel caught up, but will be able to enjoy under all circumstances.

Solution: If there is any situation where we feel helpless we need to develop the power of detachment. We should practice looking at the situation just as we would watch a play. Then we can feel light and enjoy the different turns that the situation takes.

Contemplation: A Calm Mind

Contemplation:  A Calm Mind

Beautiful Sunset at Beach Cook Islands (South Pacific Ocean)

A Calm Mind

Don't give your mind permission to get disturbed. A disturbed mind is easily influenced. This will cost you your peace. Learn to maintain your peace by freeing yourself from attachments. Competing or comparing yourself with others will not allow you to focus inwards. An inner focus allows you to keep your eye on your higher self. Remember your original nature. It allows you to forge a link with the Divine. Then it becomes easy to recognize useless thoughts and replace them with a spiritual perspective. A calm mind is not just peaceful, it is focused, self-directing and Divine.

Purity - the Basis of Spirituality

It is impossible to attain peace and happiness without purity. Where
there is purity, i.e. no trace of negativities in any form, there is
the power of peace and happiness. Pure ones are always cheerful -- in
fact, purity is the basis of spirituality.

To Complement And Not To Compete (cont.)

We all have a place within this beautiful embroidery of life; let us know it, enjoy it, express it as our right, but never overdo it because we feel our role or position is 'more advanced', or 'better' than others. Sometimes, when there is a sense of personal or collective emptiness, there is the need to be recognized, which creates attachment to your own talents, role or virtues.

We have to learn to complement rather than compete. Nature works on the principle of complementarity. This can be seen with the seasons, day and night, the continual cyclical process of birth, growth, maturity, decay, death and rebirth. Even our bodies work on this principle.

Look at the face! Each face has two eyes, one nose, one mouth, two ears, all in the right position and functioning in an appropriate way. Which of these is more important? Would you say the eyes are more important, so you would prefer to have three eyes and no nose? Or would you say the nose is more important, so you would prefer to have three noses and no ears? We cannot think like this because it is absurd and illogical.

Each feature has equal value and when we recognize the equal value of all things, then we stop being illogical - comparing, competing, feeling superior or inferior, or striving to be what we are not.

In a society that functions, can everyone be a doctor, an engineer or a farmer? Everyone has different talents and positions because different tasks have to be fulfilled if the whole society is to run well. If we examine life carefully, we realize that the recognition of this principle of complementarity is the basis of creating a peaceful and happy coexistence, because the vision of equality respects and honors the differences.

Soul Sustenance

Limiting Ourselves In Comfort Zones

We are basically unlimited beings. But we limit ourselves in many comfort zones. We have a lot of conditionings which, in reality, are mental.

Some mosquitoes were put in a box and they kept jumping a lot. The box was covered from the top and each time they jumped they hit the top of the box, and when they jumped too close to the right or the left they hit the sides of the box. Slowly, to avoid harming themselves, they learned to jump just under the cover and without reaching the sides of the box. One day all the four sides of the box were opened. The mosquitoes were free, but they kept on jumping as far as the limit they had learned. The physical limits were no longer there. But they had become conditioned mentally. The same thing happens to us. We have to open the sides of the box and take off the top, or we can continue to live inside the box created by our own mind.

Given below are some conditionings under which we work, because of which we do not experience complete freedom.

* Beliefs , acquired since our childhood, which limit us.

* The negative images of low self esteem that we have created of ourselves.

* The damaging thoughts of doubt, which does not let the highway of trust to build up inside ourselves and does not allow the creative energy of positivity to flow from inside us to the outside.

* The fear of failure or not being to able to succeed completely. A lot of times the fear exists due to past experiences of failure or not having succeeded as much as you would have liked.

We need to become aware of what our pattern of thoughts is, which brings us under the negative influence of mental conditionings. When that happens, we will be able to become free of these conditionings. While we do not become aware, we will continue to remain under its influence.

Message for the day

The one who is detached is the one who is loving too.

Projection: The lotus flower is both detached and loving. It is untouched by the dirt it is surrounded with and is beautiful and loving at the same time. In the same way, whatever the situations or the people around us, we need to be untouched by their negativity. Then we will become the ones who are loving too.

Solution: When we are faced with a negative situation, instead of blaming the situation, we need to work at our own inner strength. The problem could be created by someone else, but we have to make effort in bringing about the solution. Then we will be able to make things better without having negative feelings towards anyone.

Contemplation: Balance

Contemplation: Balance

Balance

The indication of balance in life is a sense of well-being, optimism and a clear conscience. The foundation for achieving this is to look after myself spiritually - making my mind peaceful, loving and thoughtful at all times. Then I will instinctively know how much time to spend on my own well-being and how much on fulfilling other responsibilities. I can only give my best to others when I am myself at my best

Consciousness

Self-consciousness distinguishes you from other animals. It enables you
to be aware of your thoughts, feelings and emotions and to understand
how they influence your behavior. When your consciousness awakens, you
start being truly free because you decide your destiny and take
responsibility for your choices.

To Complement And Not To Compete

Harmony, well-being and the fulfillment of individual purpose are only possible when our consciousness is universal or inclusive (taking everyone into consideration) in the sense that we can recognize and appreciate the purpose and necessity of all things in life and, therefore, give them the space to express their basic right to be. When people, either on an individual or collective level are no longer universal or they are exclusive (no longer taking everyone into consideration), that is, when the foundation of their identity is based on ego and superiority, then harmony, peace and certainly love are lost both in the individual and in society.

Individuals, societies, nations, religions and politics all do not remain universal when they are gifted a particular specialty, talent or position. While it is healthy and necessary to value who you are, it becomes most unhealthy and violent to become attached to your special qualities, making others feel inferior because they do not possess those same qualities.

The reason for conflict, on any level, is nearly always this sense of right to dominate or suppress others because we feel we are better in one way or another. Unfortunately, in modern society, the idea of outdoing others in order to prove the value of the person, or idea, has overtaken the basic principle of life, which is complementarity. When we learn to complement rather than compete, there will be peace and, above all, self-respect. Self-respect means to recognize myself as I am and thus fulfill my purpose without injury to, or comparison with, others.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

The Seven Relationships With The Supreme

Every soul has a close relationship with the Supreme (God), but we simply forget it as we become over-involved in, attached to and distracted by our life on the physical plane and our different relationships with different physical beings during our journey of births and rebirths. Spirituality makes us realize the need of restoring our connection with God, which has either broken or has become loose. It also makes us realize that this connection needs to be a very deep and personal one.

God plays many roles, just as a good parent, being one, but will play many roles while bringing up his or her child. Each role consists of different spiritual characteristics and virtues of God, expressed by Him. Take a few moments to think about the main roles that God plays in our life and identify the main virtues and characteristics which He expresses e.g. in the role of Father He demonstrates the art of living to us and how to perform right karmas. In the role of Mother he gives spiritual sustenance, in the form of virtues like peace, love and joy to us. In the role of Teacher, he showers us with true knowledge of the spirit or the soul. These are just a few examples. We suggest you do your own thinking about seven different roles that God plays: Father, Mother, Teacher, Guide (or Guru), Companion (or Beloved), Friend, Child and how he plays them. Once you have done this inner thinking exercise, experience each of these seven roles on each of the seven different days of the week, one role per day. Feel Him being in that role for you and then note what you feel exactly and how you relate to Him. Also identify the spiritual characteristics and virtues that it brings out from within you.

Message for the day

The power of detachment helps us to watch the different games of life.

Projection: Whenever we are faced with a situation or when we watch someone dear going through a difficult situation, we tend to overreact because we feel caught up in it. Then we are neither able to work to remove it nor are we able to enjoy all that life brings.

Solution: Whenever a situation comes up, we need to use the power of detachment that is within us. With this power we can see and appreciate all the variety that life brings. This makes us enjoy, whatever the situations may be.