Contemplation: Desires

Contemplation: Desires

Desires

Reduce your desires and your problems will also reduce.

The real reason why we sometimes experience a lack of real, deep
lasting happiness in our lives is dependency.

We are taught to make our happiness dependent on some event,
condition, person, object etc. This is why we keep delaying our
happiness until things are just right in our life. We think we will be
happy in the future and then wonder why we are not happy now. But life is never just right, and the
future never comes – there is only now! And that's why, in order to be
happy we must make our happiness a decision and not a dependency. This
may seem slightly difficult in the beginning, because we have just
spent our life being dependent on acquiring something or someone, or
seeing the result we desired, or wanting some pain to go away, before
we allow ourselves to be happy.

The Practice Of Meditation

As with anything else, the more we practice meditation, the more we feel the benefit of what we are doing. We do need to practice meditation regularly because the habits of:

i. identifying with our physical form,

ii. succumbing to mental and emotional negativity (in the form of waste and negative thoughts) along with negativity in words and actions,

iii. becoming attached to the physical as well as the non-physical, and

iv. being dependent upon the experience of physical stimulation of any sort (from e.g. food, movies, people, sports etc.) for happiness are extremely deep.

These habits have deepened over a period of many many births, because of repeating them regularly, due to a lack of spiritual awareness. As a result, in the present moment also we regularly and quite easily slip into these four habits.

(To be continued tomorrow...)

Soul Sustenance 


Meditation For Overcoming Fear (Part 2)

This meditation commentary is a continuation of yesterday’s message.

Create the following thoughts:

I continue to go forward... I only observe feeling who I am... I am a being of light... a peaceful being... like a small candle that lights up a dark room I radiate light and remove the darkness inside. Conscious of who I am... I imagine that I am in the presence of a generous Being of Light that radiates infinite love, peace and happiness... It is a powerful ocean of love that can dissolve all my fears, the pain and suffering that there is inside my soul...

I open my heart... and mentally I say: "here are my fears... They are yours... They are no longer useful to me... I hand them over to you... I absorb your light... I absorb your love and let it reach each dark corner of my inner self... I feel how your powerful light, full of love, touches my fears... they dissolve and I am freed... I let go of all worries... The weaknesses and problems no longer have power over me... I feel that the Supreme Being is with me... that He accepts me as I am... He comforts me... I feel safe... at peace... in an immense peace... and free of worries..."

I enjoy this present moment in His company and I share this peace and love with the world.


Message for the day 

To have cooperation, love and mercy is to be a giver.

Projection: When we see others' weaknesses all we can have generally are negative thoughts about them. We can, then, no longer help the other person in any way as such negative thoughts only further strengthen the others' negativity.

Solution: Instead of reacting with negativity, we need to have mercy for the ones who are in the control of their own weakness and see if we can help them in any way. And the only way we can encourage the others to change is with love.

Contemplation:Don't Miss Your Life

Contemplation:Don't Miss Your Life

Don't Miss Your Life

Many of us spend most of our life trying to live someone else's life. We are great fixers, and as we watch others we can hear ourselves attempting to 'sort them out'. We hear it in our conversations with others and with ourselves. It sounds like, "They shouldn't...weren't they awful...did you hear about so and so...in my opinion they should". In these moments we waste time trying to write the script of others and forget to write our own. We have no right to write another's script and any attempt to do so is futile, frustrating and doomed to failure. So let be, and taste the freedom from the subtle tensions and anxieties about others by letting them write their own script. Don't miss your life by trying to live someone else's.

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The Distinction (Difference) Between Love And Attachment

Attachment is a mental state. It is a relationship we have with
someone in our own minds. When we become attached to someone we use
their image to fill our mind. We find our thoughts are constantly
filled with their image and the memories of their behavior. It is not that we should never think about others, it is more about thinking about others only
when it is necessary, and as we do so, to make sure we don’t lose our
self in their image. This will finally free us of dependency. Symptoms of
attachment can be found when there is any personal desire or
expectation of the other person. Desire causes the change of the
energy of our love into fear.

We forget we are already a source of what we have been taught to need
and desire. Attachment desires, love never desires and it has no
expectations. It doesn’t need to! As soon as you have any desire from
others, or expectations of others, and your happiness becomes
dependent on the desire or expectation being met, you are already
giving birth to fear and anger, otherwise known as negative emotions,
otherwise known as stress, otherwise known as suffering. Love never causes pain, attachment does.

Soul Sustenance 

Meditation For Overcoming Fear (Part 1)

Breathe deeply. You should say to yourself "relax, calm yourself". Repeat until you are peaceful and centered. Become serene and feel a sensation of peace and wellbeing. Maintain this serenity on breathing. Free yourself of worries on breathing out. Now slowly create the following thoughts:

I sit comfortably like an observer in silence... I let go of every-thing around me... objects, people, responsibilities, places... I focus my mind on the present moment... I let the serenity... the peacefulness... envelop me... In this calm I can see the dark corners of my inner self... Like shadows, I can see the fears, anxieties, guilt, unhappiness, weaknesses that lie hidden there... Fear has poisoned my being; it has stolen my peace, my happiness and my self-respect...

I accept that there is fear within me... I observe it and I realize that I am not that fear... I am not that weakness... it is not real, it is a shadow... I focus now on what is real: it is love... it is peace... it is wellbeing... it is the purity of the soul, what is real, authentic and true... I only have to access these original qualities and allow these energies to heal and strengthen my soul... To do this, I continue to observe calmly... with patience... I do not allow my mind to judge, or analyze what is happening to me... everything that has happened to me forms part of the past... I have learned from my mistakes... I forgive myself... I forgive others...

This meditation commentary will be continued tomorrow:

Message for the day 

When there is equality in what we understand, desire and do, there is success.

Projection: We usually recognise the need to bring about a change in ourselves from the signals we get from different situations. We also feel strongly that we have to change, but most times we find ourselves not taking into action and our change is limited only to understanding and having a desire.

Solution: As soon as we understand that we have to change, we have to work at bringing about a change in ourselves immediately. We need to tell ourselves that there is no better time than now when we can bring about a change. We, then, find ourselves successful in all we do.

Contemplation:Think Eternity

Contemplation:Think Eternity

Think Eternity

Life experiences are like sentences – we are always looking for the full stop, the conclusion. It’s OK to end a train of thought, but not thought itself. Thoughts are like the magic carpet, on which the soul rides across eternity -in reality, there are no endings, no conclusions. Rest for the spirit (which is what we are) is when we allow only the current of the purest thoughts to flow through our mind - thoughts which carry good wishes and blessings for ourselves and others. This is not so much going with the flow, as being in the flow, and refreshed by the flow. For when we have powerful, positive thoughts for and about others, who experiences them first?

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Self Acceptance is an agreement with yourself

to appreciate, validate and support who you are right now, even those parts you'd like to change.

Look at yourself in the mirror. Take a moment to love and accept the
person you see looking back at you.

Changing My Thought Patterns

Why is it that we can't change the pattern of our thoughts so easily? Imagine a bird being so comfortable in its nest that, though perhaps sometimes it stands on the branch of the tree to inflate its chest and adjust its feathers, it never wants to fly and does not even realize it could fly. It never knows the blissful freedom of flight, never feels the wind through its wings. It thinks the other birds that are flying around are unwise or foolish. In much the same way, we never really leave our nests of old thought patterns. Our habitual thoughts become our comfort zone and each repetitive thought pattern is like a twig in the nest, which makes the nest stronger and our stay in the nest seemingly comfortable and permanent. We never experience our true spiritual freedom or flight or feel the breeze of our inner beautiful nature. Even the thought, "I am a soul" has to be realized eventually, so that we can actually experience its deepest truth.

In the world of spirituality, thoughts are like the map, but they are neither the territory nor the reality of the experience. Thinking - * I am a peaceful soul or * I am a loveful soul or * I am a powerful soul, is not being soul-conscious, it is only theory or knowledge, but it is definitely an essential start. Maps are important and necessary, until we know the way home to experience. Reaching this final destination of experience makes it easier for us and empowers us to transform or change our old thought patterns.

Soul Sustenance 

Marrying Spiritual Practices With Actions

Spiritual practices and life are interconnected; so are my thoughts and actions. It is not possible to separate them. The immediate influence of any spiritual practice like meditation is on the quality of my thoughts. The quality of my thoughts is then reflected in my day-to-day actions. As the quality of my actions improves, it starts influencing my thoughts positively and the quality of my spiritual practice also starts improving. When I really understand this, it becomes clear that the right way to live is to marry both these sides within my life - meditation and practical life, marry the process of improving the quality of my thoughts with my actions, because both are interconnected with each other.

Actions performed by being too action conscious, in a wrong, non-spiritual consciousness, have led to a monotonous and meaningless existence, an existence without permanent peace, love and joy, causing feelings of discontentment and an emptiness in many hearts. On the other hand, religious or meditation practices, which were done with the aim of bringing peace and happiness in our personal life as well as in relationships, but were performed in seclusion (by detaching or becoming aloof from society), did not achieve the desired objectives and was unable to influence life positively. This caused spirituality to become disconnected from reality.

I want my consciousness to become such that I can experience the richness of a life of actions, interactions and relationships of the world, but adorned (decorated) with the jewels of the energy and spiritual power that only meditation can provide.

Message for the day 

To think of solutions instead of the problems is to be in peace.

Projection: When faced with difficult situations, we see such situations as problems. Thus we find ourselves anxious or tensed and our mind is full of negative thoughts. We can no longer think positive or keep our mind in peace.

Solution: In each difficult situation we need to see what solution we can find for the situation at hand instead of thinking unnecessarily of it as a problem. When we learn to think in this way our mind will be light and we will be able to maintain our own inner peace.

Contemplation: Kindness

Contemplation: Kindness

Kindness

Great souls take advantage of every moment and every opportunity to give happiness to others through kindness in their thoughts. Such souls are willing to overlook weaknesses and mistakes and have the desire to help everyone reach their highest potential.

Each one of us is born brilliant.

But, a few disappointments here, a few setbacks there
and POOF! Just like that, our brilliance is clouded over.

It's not necessary to be perfect to step into your brilliance.
Striving for excellence in everything you do is enough to release your
brilliance.

Visualise your brilliance and step into it. See, then be.
Inhale, then excel!

Factors That Shape Our Perception (cont.)

There are four main criteria that may influence how our perception of reality is distorted or altered (changed). We have already discussed two criteria. Today we discuss the remaining two:

Associated Memories
We have many associated memories: in fact, all addictions are associated memories. For example, the cigarette addict associates many moments during the day to cigarette smoking (after lunch, while seeing someone else smoking, in the restaurant with friends, coming out of work, etc.). Another example is when we have listened to a song over and over again. If after a few years we hear it again, not only do the words and tune emerge, but also the memories associated with the song. In our relationships, associated memories create barriers when we relate to others, since the memories we associate with certain people and situations means that we nearly always see them in a specific way and do not give them the chance to change and improve. This limited and unchanged vision that we sometimes have of others leads to misunderstandings when communicating.

Assumptions
They are images created in advance in our intellect and which work in a sub conscious way, just like associated memories. By assuming, guessing or imagining, we create a series of assumptions that influence our perception and stop us from recognizing the reality. For example, we hear our name being discussed by a group of people and we think that people are speaking wrongly about us. If we learn to rid ourselves of a whole series of assumptions that affect our communication and relationships, our perception of reality will not be distorted or altered (changed). The best way of eliminating these preconceptions is through open, concise and precise communication in order to clear up any misunderstandings.

Soul Sustenance 

The Three Root Causes Of Anger (Part 3)

We are at war with our self when we fail to make the world do exactly what we want, or we believe we have let our self down. An e.g. of a war with one self is – Suppose you are standing in a queue waiting for your chance to arrive, only to discover an hour later, just when your chance is about to arrive, that the time for the counter to close has come and the counter has closed. You get upset, but with whom? Perhaps the person at the counter at first and may be with the other people in the queue and then with yourself, for not having found out the time of closing of the counter. There are two failures that make you uneasy here. First you failed to ask someone early enough, which would have saved you the hour time loss. Second, you failed to control your emotions of anger. Although you might not externally admit that you failed, inside you know. Because of these two failures, you then start to get angry with yourself. The thought pattern that goes inside your mind: to fail is to lose, to lose is to be sorrowful, to be sorrowful causes me to become angry, as you look for an external cause of your sadness which, in this case, is initially the person at the counter and the other people in the queue (who would have known the time of closing and could have told you). So you demonstrate to others your justified anger towards them. But deep inside you know it is you yourself that has made you sorrowful.

As the anger builds up inside you, again, after a while, you find someone else outside on whom you vent out your anger. You seem to feel better as a result, but it's only temporary. The next time you become angry; interrupt the pattern of your anger by asking yourself two simple questions: Who are you fighting a war with? Answer: Yourself. Who is suffering the most due to the war? Answer: Yourself. And if your anger is directed at yourself for your own supposed failure then just tell yourself, "There is no such thing as failure, only a different result from the one that I expected and results are not going to be exactly as I want, expect or desire. That is a rule of the game of life."

Message for the day 

The one who is free from complaints is the one who becomes complete.

Projection: When things go wrong it is the usual reaction to complain, against situations or others, and to find fault with them. When we are busy complaining we will not be able to make any effort to make any improvement in ourselves.

Solution: Whenever we find ourselves complaining we need to see what we can do to bring about a change instead of just complaining. There would surely be something that we can do. Slowly as we begin to implement each thing that we learn, we find ourselves moving forward towards our own perfection.

Contemplation: Silence

Contemplation: Silence

Silence

We have to develop this hobby and practice 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...

..

An obstacle is a blessing.
It slows us down and makes us more considerate.

When an obstacle comes - THANK it!
When you say 'thank-you', you're actually ready to participate in a
transformational process.

Look carefully at what it is that has come and why.
Focusing on the positive allows the bulk of the obstacle to fall away
until there is only CLARITY and INSIGHT left.

Factors That Shape Our Perception (cont.)

There are four main criteria that may influence how our perception of reality is distorted or altered (changed). We had discussed "Mental Limits" yesterday. Today we continue to discuss the same:

Mental Limits (cont.)
Trapped by mental limits, some of which were discussed yesterday, human beings in general only use 10 per cent of their inner potential, and the other 90 per cent is available but is not used due to oversight (overlooking) or the lack of awareness that they have it. Meditating helps us to cross these mental limits. Meditation takes us to a higher dimension over our physical identity that releases us from these limits. Throughout our lives, and especially during our childhood, many impressions are formed about ourselves, since at the very beginning of our lives we do not know who we are or who we should be, until we learn it from those around us, who are older, and who know more things and who presumably love us.

One of the biggest mistakes we can make in our lives is to refer only to the opinions of others to work out who we really are. e.g. When a parent tells a child - * You are extremely naughty, * You are ignorant or * You are lazy, the child is creating negative and false images about himself (or herself). It is quite possible that the child has said or done something wrong, but this does not mean that we label the child negatively. It was their behavior that was bad. It is important to establish the difference between - * You are a naughty child and * It is incorrect to fight with your sibling.

Due to the fact that many people label others based on their behaviour, negative beliefs are created that are not based on what is true and genuine, and these beliefs may be dragged along throughout the person's life - which then function like mental limits in the life of that person.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance 

The Three Root Causes Of Anger (Part 2)

We are at a subtle war with another person when he/she has done something which we perceive or judge to be wrong and our anger is an attempt to change them or take revenge. This is the second belief (we had mentioned the first one in yesterday’s message) that is embedded very deeply in our consciousness that the world, including its entire people, should do exactly what we want them to, or what we think they should do. Perhaps we have not yet realized that it is impossible to control others and make them change. The lack of awareness and realization of this truth, which we will definitely realize at some point or the other, doesn’t let us become anger-free very easily. People will always make their own decisions and control their own actions, always. They can definitely be influenced, but they cannot be controlled. When our internal desire of a certain type of behavior from people is not fulfilled, or in other words something against the above belief happens, our instant reaction is one of resentment or irritation or frustration or hatred which are all forms of anger.

One of the most important attributes of a great soul is the ability to not have even a trace of desire for revenge inside and the ability to forgive someone who has supposedly wronged him in anyway. Don’t we all acknowledge that such an individual who has freed himself completely from all anger forms earns our and everyone else’s respect and deepest admiration, and we give him the medal of greatness inside our minds and even physically? So doesn’t that mean we intuitively know that this anger is an incorrect emotion and peace, good wishes and forgiveness are the correct ones, in harmony with the basic nature of the human spirit?

(To be continued tomorrow…)

Message for the day 

The one who is content is creative and thereby successful.

Projection: It is usually believed that to be content is to have nothing to look forward to. And the one who is content is the one who tries for nothing new. So it is usually believed that contentment brings hardly any great achievements.

Solution: We need to ensure our own contentment in whatever we do. Because when we are not content we find that the mind is not able to work to the fullest extent. On the other hand contentment brings creativity. This creativity ensures our constant progress and thereby our success.

Contemplation:Trust yourself

Contemplation:Trust yourself

                                                     Trust yourself

You must begin to trust yourself. If you do not then you will forever be looking to others to prove your own merit to you and you will never be satisfied. You will always be asking others what to do, and at the same time resenting those from whom you seek such aid.

To limit your faith to one set of beliefs

or an institutional belief 

system is to commit intellectual suicide. We shut down the possibility
of being enlightened and enriched by others' experiences, which may be
derived from their beliefs. We build a barrier between ourselves and
our fellow travellers and then feel threatened, even in small and
subtle ways, by someone of a different faith. The deepest faith is the
intuitive conviction that all is as it should be, despite appearances,
and that every human being is intrinsically good, despite appearances.
This reminds us to keep our minds open, not take the law into our own
hands, and look out for the best in others, regardless of what they
say or do. This is faith in life, not faith in a set of learned or
inherited beliefs. Have you ever noticed how people don't go to war
over their faith in life?
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Factors That Shape Our Perception (cont.)

There are four main criteria that may influence how our perception of reality is distorted or altered (changed). We had discussed "Mental Positioning" yesterday. Today we discuss:

Mental Limits
It is said that the solution to important problems we face cannot be obtained in the same consciousness (state of mind) we are in when we create them (the problems) - the consciousness needs to be changed to see the solution.

Mental limits are those which we have imposed on our mind. We create these limits ourselves or they can come as a result of our education, the family environment and the society in which we live. For example, at work a mental limit is always thinking in the same way. So we always take the same decisions and get the same results. Experience itself may also generate mental limits. You think you know how to do certain things and these convictions act as mental limits. The greater the mental limitation, the greater will be resistance to change. Due to the mental limits, we usually have a series of readily prepared responses. They are excuses and justifications that provide us with poor results. We are always trying to solve problems using the same formula and this often causes stress because we cannot find the answer.

The main mental limits are related to identity. We create a very narrow and limited image of ourselves. * I am a man, * I am a woman, * I am a Christian or a Gujarati, * I'm young, * I'm old, * I am white or black. The image we have of ourselves may be limited, because we do not have sufficient knowledge of our own resources, virtues, values, and identity. A deep investigation into our inner selves will help us to change the image we have of ourselves.

(To be continued tomorrow)

Soul Sustenance 

The Three Root Causes Of Anger (Part 1)
Any time we sense irritation, frustration or anger emerging inside our consciousness, if we take a close look at it, we will notice we are fighting a war in our consciousness with one of these three: either with another person, most obviously or with the past or with our self.

We are at war with the past because our anger is always towards something that has already happened and looking at it we react emotionally which means we are trying to change it, which is impossible. Any scene that has taken place a year ago, a month ago or even a second ago cannot be changed. We may be completely convinced and we may believe we can. That's because we hold this belief subconsciously. Somewhere and sometime in the past, we have picked up and absorbed the belief that the world and its circumstances should shape up exactly as we want.

When our internal desire of a certain type of circumstances is not fulfilled, or in other words something against this belief happens, our instant reaction is one of the various forms of anger and we tend to try and change the incident that has happened in a far-off past or a past that has just gone by. We keep replaying a revised incident, with words and actions that we would have liked and that suit our convenience and we also keep nullifying the actual incident or remain in a un-acceptance mode towards it. This is like fighting a war with the incident. We tend to do this inside our minds, repeatedly, even realizing somewhere deep within, that it is impossible.

(To be continued tomorrow…)

Message for the day 

The sparkle of a true diamond reveals itself.

Projection: Whenever we make a positive contribution, we expect those around us to recognize and appreciate it. But there are occasions where we do not receive such recognition and we then feel disheartened which in turn doesn't let us give our best in all we do.

Solution: Whenever we find ourselves expecting people to appreciate us, we need to remind ourselves that the diamond doesn't need to speak about it's own sparkle but is recognized because of its speciality. We, too, need to discover our own speciality and work with it. We will, then, be satisfied whether we get recognition from others or not.

Contemplation: Riches

Contemplation: Riches

 Rare Stamps

Riches

The greatest good we can do for others is not to share our riches with them, but to reveal to them their own.

The method to finish negativity is to fill with the power of
positivity.

There are a lot of negative characteristics, which continue to work in
one's lives colouring words, actions and behaviour. Such negativity
cannot be removed by reminding oneself of it again and again.
Instead, a reminder and an excuse to use positivity, helps finish this
negativity very naturally. It is when even the tiniest ray of light
comes that the darkness begins to disappear. When we start discovering
and working with our inner positivity, we are able to easily win over
our seemingly strong weaknesses. The lesser attention we give our
weaknesses and the more attention we give our strengths, we are able
to have an influence over our weaknesses and convert them into
strengths. So there is a total experience of positivity, whatever the
situation may be.

Factors That Shape Our Perception (cont.)

If someone believes that Indians are very generous, good-hearted people, and they have this ingrained in their subconscious, this thought will form part of their perception of India. Perhaps not only part of their perception: they may even identify fully with this belief. In other words, the thought becomes a belief and finally one identifies with the belief. The same holds true for any negative belief about anything or anyone.

There are four main criteria that may influence how our perception of reality is distorted or altered (changed). These are:

Mental Positioning
Mental position is the internal position from which we see situations, and may be positive or negative. For example, we are really excited about owning a new car, but after buying it we start worrying about where to park it, if it may be stolen or we might meet with an accident. Another example is that of the professional who has always dreamt of being promoted at work and, when he gets it, starts to fear losing it. According to our mental positioning we experience fear (a negative state of mind) or we feel confident (a positive one). A correct mental positioning broadens our conscience and improves our lives and relationships.

To live in the present in a relaxed way and planning the future with an open and optimistic view, we should be able to free ourselves from preconceived ideas and the influences that dominate our perceptions. To do this, the best mental position is that of being an impartial observer. In this way we can observe, recognize and transform (change) those thoughts, attitudes that cause us pain, anxiety and stress.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

Understanding The Process Of Birth And Death

When the body has become unserviceable due to age or disease, or it suffers a fatal injury, the soul leaves the body. At the moment of death, the soul withdraws its energy from the organs of the body and vacates its seat in the middle of the forehead. Like a bird, it leaves the cage made of skin and bones, and taking its sanskaras, it enters into another, a new body, in the womb of the new mother. From the very birth, the sanskaras of a soul are apparent (visible); whether the new-born baby is happy, unbothered, sad, shy, mischievous, quiet, violent or agitated.

Death occurs at the precise moment when the account of giving and taking with other souls through a particular body is finished. The new birth is determined by the soul's account of karmas with another set of souls. One may be born into a cultured, wealthy family, another as a beggar, one may be born deaf, dumb, blind or crippled, another with a strong supple body. The type of body and the conditions of birth are determined by the thoughts and actions performed in the previous births. 

Message for the day 

To remind ourselves that we are the children of God is to take the gift of positivity.

Projection: We usually turn to God only when the situation at hand becomes the worst, i.e., when there is no hope from anyone else. So, we find that in a negative situation our mind naturally goes into negativity and then we have to make great effort to turn it positive again.

Solution: We need to remind ourselves that we are the children of God. When we remind ourselves in this way we find that we have a right to our father's property, of all the positive qualities. Then, there will naturally be peace, happiness and love in our life.