Contemplation: April 24, 2019: Think Simply

Contemplation: April 24, 2019: Think Simply

Think Simply

With so many choices and decisions, so many demands from people and events, in our modern fast changing world, it's a real challenge to 'keep it simple'. Making it simple means making things easy and clear. The magic wand to wave over your life is 'planning and prioritising'. Make plans, long and short term and then prioritise. Then practise taking one thing at a time, so you can have one thought at a time, with some space before you have to have your next thought. But don't get attached to your plans or priorities. Be flexible (easy) and yet focused (clear) and in this way you can teach yourself to think simply and act simply. One thought at a time. At your own pace. In your own space. A simple life is a contented life.

Full-stop

Constant awareness of a positive thought enables me to maintain my own
inner positivity. The way to remain stable is to apply a full-stop.
When difficult situations come my way, it is very natural to have
questions and exclamations in the mind. It becomes very difficult to
apply a full-stop and finish the situation in my mind. Because of such
waste thoughts I am not able to experience stability in difficult
situations. I need to bring out in my mind one or the other positive
point about the situation. When I understand the meaning behind the
situation, I am able to accept it. This acceptance enables me to be
free from waste questions and negative thoughts and I am easily able
to apply a full-stop. This is what brings inner stability. (No
question-mark.... why me, when, how, who...?)

Negative Reactions To Negative Actions

We very commonly react negatively with anger to another person's anger filled words or actions, which we perceive to be unjustified or unreasonable. But this kind of action on our part, which we feel is our right and is a justified reaction or response, only adds to the negative energy already existing inside a particular situation, increasing the energy and making the situation even more complicated and difficult to resolve. Two negatives never make a positive, they make a higher negative, to which a very high positive has to be added (as compared to before) to bring the situation back to neutral or normal. Also, when you react, you are doing exactly what you believe the other person, the attacker, is doing - injuring someone on an emotional level, which is a form of subtle violence. 

Lastly and very importantly, the other person's negative and impulsive behavior, directed at you, portrays that at that particular moment he/she is experiencing an emptiness or void of wisdom, joy, peace, love and power, a void which he/she believes you have created and can only be re-filled by you. The anger filled action is a desire directed towards you, for this filling up. Hidden behind his/her anger is the feeling, "Because of this person, I have lost my happiness at this particular moment and he/she should give it back to me immediately", which means that the other person is lacking the realization that no other person is ever responsible for your happiness. You are, always. Instead of switching on the awareness of this spiritual fact and emerging the value of forgiveness inside yourself, forgiveness because the other person is lacking this wisdom at that moment of time, you react, which makes you similar to him possessing a similar belief, something which you will definitely not appreciate too much. But, what happens is that the emotional storm inside you at that moment hides your ability to see how you are yourself injuring your spiritual heart. While you are in that emotional state, there is no way you can heal the wounds of the other's heart i.e. correct the other person.

Soul Sustenance

Stress Management

Standing Back, Observing and Steering -

Standing Back : We can do this individually or as a team, when stressful situations occur. We may take a few minutes to stand back mentally and physically from the situation or scene.

Observing : The next step is to re-view the situation, as if we are an onlooker or a detached observer. Being as silent as possible, we can ask ourselves if the thoughts we are having are the ones we wish to keep, if they are going where we would choose them to.

Steering : In the resulting silence, it is possible to steer (change direction) our thinking to where we want it to be; perhaps to personal affirmations (positive thoughts) we use to calm us. The affirmations can be: 'I am aware of myself as calm and peaceful or, ….as happy and satisfied’, etc.

This technique changes our attitudes and feelings, which influences positively the situation as well as how others respond.

Message for the day

To have a clear aim of where the action will lead is to be successful in everything.

Expression: Many a times it so happens that one acts immediately seeing a situation. But the one who is successful analyses the situation and predicts the outcome of the action that he performs and then acts keeping the end result in mind. Because of knowing the consequences of the actions before actually performing that action, he is able to continue putting in effort in spite of the challenges and difficulties. So he continues to give his best to the task.

Experience: When I am able to give time to myself to think before performing any action, I am able to take the opportunity to be clear in my thinking. The consequences of the action I wish to take are clear in my mind and so, the action taken to overcome the situation is right. Hence, I receive easy and sure success.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: April 23, 2019: Original Peace

Contemplation: April 23, 2019: Original Peace

Original Peace

It is not necessary to search for peace. It is within. Your original state is one of peace. Learn to be in charge of yourself and maintain your peace: centre your awareness on your spiritual form - a tiny star-like point of light, seated in the middle of your forehead. Really experience the difference between You the Sparkling Star, and your body, the physical vehicle. Learn to detach yourself from the vehicle. Even a few moments of this practice, if done regularly, will return you to your natural state of peace. And your actions will be filled with love - for the self and others.

Learn from Mistakes

When we see someone making a mistake, we usually judge the other
person based on it. We begin to form an attitude towards that person
which doesn't allow us either to learn, or to help others learn from
what has happened. So we really are not able to experience as much
progress as we should. I sometimes wait for my own experience to teach
me what is right and what is wrong. But this would not be necessary
when I am able to learn from others' mistakes too. So when I see
someone making a mistake, instead of judging the person based on it I
need to make use of it to take the learning and move forward.

Factors that Bring Us Closer To Failure

Given below are some factors that bring us closer to failure:

* Dejection and Disillusion.
* Fear.
* Ignorance.
* Confusion.
* Influences.
* Mental weakness.
* Insecurity.
* Inexperience.
* Ego, arrogance.
* Mistrust.
* Attachment, dependencies.
* Excuses, laziness, putting off.
* Excess of acceptance with submission.
* Fear of being yourself.
* Making judgements without an objective vision.
* Nervousness.
* Not taking on limits.
* Low self-esteem.
* Blockages. Not going forward.
* Intolerance.
* Rigidity - inability to adapt to different situations.

Soul Sustenance

The Pledge Of Responsibility

A very important aspect of progress in the self and my relationships, which we all desire is restoring a sense of responsibility in my inner world, so that by doing that, I and others around me are benefitted. Even on a physical or non-spiritual level, someone who is responsible while playing his/her role or performing his/her duties either in the family, at the workplace or in some other setting e.g. a club group or a team in a particular sport or a social service group, not only feels content with his/her actions himself/herself but spreads ripples of contentment to others and receives similar energy from each one he/she is involved with. In the same way on an emotional or spiritual level, when I start my day I need to remind myself of my responsibility towards myself. I need to remind myself that I am responsible for the choices I make in my life which influence and color everyone around me. So do my thoughts, feelings, the way my personality functions internally and externally the whole day and my responses to people and situations, for all of which I am responsible.

It is like taking a pledge of responsibility with the self in the morning that today I will not create a single thought, word or action which is against the texture of my innate, positive nature i.e. irresponsible. And what will provide my pledge the much required strength of determination? An injection of positive thoughts, emotions and sanskaras within me in the morning, using a suitable technique of self empowerment like meditation or spiritual study or some other. By taking such a pledge of responsibility and by watering it with the energy of my attention from time to time during the day, I am able to implement it and can make a difference to not only the people around me, but to a lot more than that. In this way, as I change, the world around me changes, because the energy I create in my inner world starts flowing into my circumstances, my interactions, my sphere of karmas, etc. to make them positive, which benefits me in return in the form of a cyclic process. As I take this pledge and abide by it for a few days, I start realizing the immense potential that it possesses.

Message for the day

To transform waste into something purposeful and powerful is to remain light.

Expression: To successfully transform something waste into something powerful and meaningful is to look beyond the situation and see what it has to teach. When there is the ability to do this, there is the ability to go on in spite of the most challenging obstacles. There is the deep understanding that nothing happens without a purpose. There is no time or energy wasted in wasteful company.

Experience: When I understand the significance of everything that happens, I am able to transform in a second. So I am able to remain light because I am able to put in sincere effort and free myself from the burden of waste. I also find that there is no problem in my relationships too, as I am able to understand others and behave accordingly.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: April 22, 2019: The Quality of Mercy

Contemplation: April 22, 2019: The Quality of Mercy

Monk feeding a 3 year old 350kg male tiger

The Quality of Mercy

A person with the quality of mercy works on such a subtle level that the support given never demeans or implies weakness in the other person.

Smile

You never have to be miserable because of someone else's bad attitude.
Your own attitude is yours to control, and you can do with it what you
please. Others will often attempt to draw you into their negativity.
They may whine, scream, glare, pout, or call you all sorts of names,
but never does it mean that you must pick up on any of it. You can
lovingly and politely choose to stay positive. Simply realize that
another person's negative attitude is that person's problem, and does
not have to dictate your behavior in any way. The most powerful
response to negativity is not more negativity. The most powerful,
confident, effective response is to keep yourself focused on moving
positively forward. Smile, and know that you are in control of how
you feel, what you think and how you act. Offer your best, most
sincerely positive face to the world, no matter what kind of faces you
find looking back at you. Rather than being pulled down, you'll be
lifting up. And that's a powerful, effective place to be.

Defining Failure

Given below are some definitions of failure:

* Depending on your perception: failure actually does not exist.
* Staying stuck in what you could have done and haven't done. Letting your though patterns to be influence by the same.
* Experiencing emotions of frustration, pain, suffering.
* Losing your notion (idea) of the dream, of the ideal life you want to lead.
* Not fulfilling set expectations.
* Not having enough courage and bravery to walk through life.
* Not being the ruler of your thoughts, feelings, actions and life in general.
* Allowing yourself to be led by something negative that a particular situation causes.
* Distancing yourself from your values.
* Not being in harmony with your inner conscience (while performing actions).
* When the self does not accept what life brings it.
* Putting your life in the hands of, and blaming, others and circumstances with feelings of emptiness and confusion.
* False expectations.
* Excessive attachment.
* Excessive materialism.

Tomorrow we shall discuss some factors that bring us closer to failure.

Soul Sustenance

Imbibing (Absorbing) Spiritual Knowledge

The first step into experience, particularly the meditation experience, is knowledge. What does it mean to 'know'? Knowing involves four steps, which ultimately give the meditator the experience of realization:

The first step of knowing is information. With information, our intellect opens to new ideas and opinions.

The second step of knowing is knowledge, when we begin to reflect and think on the ideas and views that we have listened to. At this point, we often have to select only a few of the ideas we have heard, as it is not always possible to reflect (think) on all the information that is fed to us. In order to deepen our understanding, we reflect on the information and sometimes discuss our findings and thoughts with others.

The third step of knowing is when we move from thinking to doing, that is, from knowledge to wisdom. Wisdom is gained when we commit ourselves to doing. Knowledge translated into our everyday behaviour is called wisdom, which, in turn, is called quality life. A life of quality is where personal values are not only realised but also lived and experienced through our practical actions.

Doing, or practice, naturally brings us to the fourth and final step of knowing, which is called Truth.

Message for the day

To be merciful means to transform the pain and sorrow of others.

Expression: The one who is merciful always has the feeling of mercy and is able to help those who are in need or in distress. Such a person is able to bring about transformation in others too because of his own pure feelings. He is able to put in effort that becomes a contribution for the progress of others.

Experience: When I have mercy for others, I am able to accept their feelings, emotions and behaviour and provide them with the right kind of mental support. Then I am able to give them courage without being influenced negatively with their feelings of pain and sorrow. So my mercy influences myself positively too as I am able to keep myself positive under all circumstances.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: April 21, 2019: Your Inner Artist

Contemplation: April 21, 2019: Your Inner Artist

Artist: Vincent Van Gogh-Sunflowers-1888

Your Inner Artist

Today, bring out your inner artist.

Try seeing things from different perspectives.  Look for notable things to wonder at, maybe the tiny detail or a big panorama.

Then engage your inner artist in what you do and turn everyday actions into an artistic expression.

Become an Inspiration

The one who is able to become an example for others by living his life
with quality is the one who becomes an inspiration to others. Then
there is no need for so many words to express what has to be done.
Whatever is required to be done will be done without having to be
told. When I have the aim of becoming a role model, I not only
improve myself but also am able to give inspiration to others too. I
find that the support and the cooperation comes very naturally and
easily. So nothing is difficult for me as I am able to pool in
everyone's resources without having to say anything.

Concentration

With some meditation techniques, people are given ideas or mantras, which they often simply repeat. They do not penetrate the mind and do not bring any sense of meaning. People bounce these ideas around like a ball in their mind and, from the mind, the ball of thought is bounced to the mouth. Sound patterns are repeated, but nothing has really been understood. The result of this is that there is very little power generated from within to bring about change in behaviour, or personality. Thus, everything continues in the same way. In these cases, people are not focused on spirituality. As a result, after a while, such people find meditation boring, they fall asleep, or think that by repeating words, either verbally or mentally, they are doing meditation. However, the right type of concentration is not brought about simply by repeating sounds or ideas.

Natural concentration is when the mind can hold a thought for a long time, when thoughts are under our own control.

Without concentration the mind goes here, there and everywhere, jumping like a monkey from branch to branch, idea to idea. When there is a natural concentration, we can control our mind and there is peace. This one-pointed concentration on a thought, holding it for as long as we like, gradually collects strength in the mind and in the self.

A strong mind is a mind that is peaceful, stable, satisfied and can remain in the deeper meaning of a thought. There is no waste caused by over-thinking, or the high speed of thought. These are the two greatest diseases of the mind these days, which is why there is so much stress and mental breakdown.

Soul Sustenance

Effect Of Food On The Mind - Part 2

Food may be placed in one of three categories. Pure (or sattwic) food constitutes the staple diet of a yogi (meditator). It includes fruits, grains, seeds, sprouts, most vegetables, dairy products and a moderate amount of spices and herbs. Then there is stimulating (or rajsik) food which may be consumed in moderation, and includes coffee, tea, colas, vinegar, radishes and spices. Finally there are impure (or tamsic) items, such as tobacco, alcohol, nonprescription drugs, all meat, fish, fowl, eggs, stale food and also garlic, onion and chives. These should all be completely avoided. Ordinarily onion and garlic are recommended to non-vegetarians as blood purifiers and to help counteract the buildup of harmful animal fat and cholesterol. However, the healthy vegetarian is not in need of such protection and a spiritually sensitive meditator will be aware that they (onion and garlic) tend to arouse anxiety and irritation – passions which reduce serenity and peace of mind. The purer ones diet, the more the emotions remain in a state of equilibrium, bringing tranquility to the consciousness and greater clarity to the mind and intellect. 

Message for the day

The best way to change others is to remain peaceful.

Expression: When there is behaviour seen which is not to my liking or approval, there is a tendency to get upset and worked up about it. So immediately, this is brought into words and actions also. Getting agitated or excited doesn't however solve the problem. When there is the ability to remain peaceful, the right solution is found and there is the right response to the problem at hand.

Experience: When I am able to maintain my inner peace under all circumstances and with all people, I am able to use the power of my thoughts to bring about a change in the mind of others too. I find myself discovering the power of my inner potential and am able to use it for my own benefit and that of others.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: April 20, 2019: Trust Yourself

Contemplation: April 20, 2019: Trust Yourself

Jacob's Well, Wimberley, Texas

Trust Yourself

In any relationship trust is the first thing to leave and the last to return. And if you recognize that the most important relationship is with yourself, then perhaps it's time to start some trust building close to home. Make and keep a promise or a commitment to yourself, however small - in fact, start very small! Make one and keep one today, and then notice the surge of inner power as a result. See how much more you like yourself as a result. Trust is being built.

Humility

The magic potion for mixing and matching Sanskaars or personality
traits is the precious virtue of HUMILITY. Humility brings harmony in
relationships. When there is humility there is the ability to
understand and relate to others. There is an acceptance of the other
person as he is. There is no pressure on the other person to change
according to one's own personality, but there is the ability to
provide an environment for the other person's growth. When I am
humble, I am able to see and relate to others with their specialities.
I do not think about what I have given to the relationship, nor do I
expect anything from the relationship. But I continue to enjoy and
appreciate what I get. So this keeps me positive even when the
personalities don't match.

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.

Soul Sustenance

Effect Of Food On The Mind - Part 1

In harmony with our great spiritual, religious and wisdom traditions, the Brahma Kumaris places great importance on food. Whilst modern science tends to take a technician’s approach and sees the molecules, chemical compounds and nutrients that feed the body; we look at a more spiritual, holistic perspective which places a sacred significance on what we eat, seeing how the food’s energy can touch, heal and nourish the soul as well. The body needs sustenance but so does the soul: we must absorb, assimilate and integrate spiritual energy as well as physical energy from our food. Practitioners of the Raja Yoga meditation, which the Brahma Kumaris teaches, are typically lacto-vegetarians (diet is a vegetarian diet which includes dairy products). They believe that non-violence is an essential characteristic of the spiritually awakened individual and that the essence of the human soul is peace, tranquility and love. If the internal workings of the soul are disturbed, by eating the wrong type of food then the individual is not able to enjoy meditative serenity (peacefulness). The meditator sees that whatever food is eaten has an effect on the mind, in a subtle form, in a similar way in which alcohol or intoxicating drugs can dramatically change our mood and power of judgment.

We shall be explaining the different types of foods tomorrow …

Message for the day

To be powerful is to destroy unwanted habits.

Expression: To be powerful means to be aware of one's own hidden powers and to use these powers in destroying old unwanted habits. It is to apply a powerful brake to the thoughts in a second, so that there is the ability to master the situation. Such a person does not fall prey to the situation but makes effort to become a destroyer of the weakness in a second.

Experience: When I am able to use my inner powers I am able to apply a brake to my thoughts in a second. I am able to finish old unwanted habits and be free from the burden of having to be with negativity. So I am able to be a master who is well equipped to face all situations in life. And I am able to be successful both in relationships and in my work.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: April 19, 2019: Forgiveness Brings Me Closer to Others

Contemplation: April 19, 2019: Forgiveness Brings Me Closer to Others

Forgiveness Brings Me Closer to Others

Why is it hard to forgive others? Usually because we believe that they are 90% to blame for the problem, that I am not as bad as they are. So I start to carry the load of other people's actions. If my ego is too hurt, I will have the sense of correction, of justice: 'I know I am right', 'That is not fair'. But if I start to forgive from the heart, sincerely, then this kind of feeling and attitude begins to dissolve. I remain humble and this forgiveness will bring me closer to others. Then I do not carry regrets or anger, I just let go and remain light.

Focus on Happiness

The reason why negative thought energies are so detrimental to our

well-being is that they frustrate the universal forces that can create
a happy, healthy and successful life. They keep our true potential
trapped in a mental prison of our own making. "We are what we think,
all that we are arises with our thoughts," said the Buddha, "with our
thoughts, we make the world." In other words, you are constantly
creating your circumstances by the way you think. It's as if you had a
guided missile in your unconscious that relentlessly directs you
towards its target, and the target is whatever your thoughts dwell on.
Think doom and gloom, and that's what you'll get. Focus on happiness
and optimism, and they're already yours. "

Stages of Meditation to Realize The Self

1. Relax your body.

2. Withdraw your attention from everything around you, including your body.

3. Affirm (confirm), using your thoughts, your identity as a soul or spirit, and your nature as peaceful and full of love.

4. Contemplate (think) the knowledge of yourself as a soul, a point of spiritual light, situated in the centre of your forehead.

5. Concentrate attention on yourself as a peaceful, loving being.

6. Experience (visualize) yourself as a soul and acknowledge the feelings of inner peace.

7. Maintain, without force, consciousness (awareness) of yourself as a soul even while in action and while interacting with others.

Soul Sustenance

Negative Reactions To Negative Actions

We very commonly react negatively with anger to another person’s anger filled words or actions, which we perceive to be unjustified or unreasonable. But this kind of action on our part, which we feel is our right and is a justified reaction or response, only adds to the negative energy already existing inside a particular situation, increasing the energy and making the situation even more complicated and difficult to resolve. Two negatives never make a positive, they make a higher negative, to which a very high positive has to be added (as compared to before) to bring the situation back to neutral or normal. Also, when you react, you are doing exactly what you believe the other person, the attacker, is doing – injuring someone on an emotional level, which is a form of subtle violence.

Lastly and very importantly, the other person’s negative and impulsive behavior, directed at you, portrays that at that particular moment he/she is experiencing an emptiness or void of wisdom, joy, peace, love and power, a void which he/she believes you have created and can only be re-filled by you. The anger filled action is a desire directed towards you, for this filling up. Hidden behind his/her anger is the feeling, "Because of this person, I have lost my happiness at this particular moment and he/she should give it back to me immediately", which means that the other person is lacking the realization that no other person is ever responsible for your happiness. You are, always. Instead of switching on the awareness of this spiritual fact and emerging the value of forgiveness inside yourself, forgiveness because the other person is lacking this wisdom at that moment of time, you react, which makes you similar to him possessing a similar belief, something which you will definitely not appreciate too much. But, what happens is that the emotional storm inside you at that moment hides your ability to see how you are yourself injuring your spiritual heart. While you are in that emotional state, there is no way you can heal the wounds of the other’s heart i.e. correct the other person. 

Message for the day

To have the right attitude is to add meaning to circumstances.

Expression: Circumstances are like objects. They are not alive but they come to life depending on the kind of attitude that one has. If the attitude is positive, there is the ability to make situations positive too. But if the attitude is negative, even the most ordinary situations seem to be negative. So every action done with such an attitude creates a negative impact on one's own life and that of others too.

Experience: When faced with a situation, if I am able to look at it in a positive way, I am able to make the best of the situation. I accept the situation as it is and I am able to be happy and light. This positive state of mind creates a great impact and it spreads around touching the lives of others too.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: April 18, 2019: Miss Everything

Contemplation: April 18, 2019: Miss Everything

Miss Everything

You can only be in one place at any moment in time. If you feel you are missing out on something then you are. But it's not the party, or being with another person that you're missing, it's your own life. As long as you are thinking of where you could be, you are marking yourself absent from where you are now. Which means you are nowhere. Many people spend their entire life in 'nowhere'. Not a wise choice!

Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is
that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our
darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be
brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?" Actually, who are you
not to be? You are a child of God! Your playing small doesn't serve
the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's
in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give
other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our
own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

The Role Of Emotions In The Functioning Of The Soul

Inside the soul, there are four components - thoughts, feelings, emotions and sanskaras. Thoughts and feelings are present more on the surface of the soul in the conscious. Emotions and sanskaras on the other hand are less easily perceived and lie below thoughts and feelings.

Sanskaras can be defined as the traces left on the soul due to actions performed by it and also due to its interactions with others in relationships.

Emotions, on the other hand, are impulses associated with the sanskaras and are very close to these traces.

The internal functioning of the soul is cyclic - 'thoughts gives rise to actions, actions give rise to sanskaras, and sanskaras give rise to further thoughts'. This description becomes complete, when we add an additional component - emotions. The deepest component inside the soul is the sanskaras. Next up from sanskaras are the emotions, above that are feelings and then finally the uppermost component inside the soul is the thoughts.

Thoughts can be caught instantly. Feelings can be seen and perceived if I stop for a moment and check. Emotions are deeper than both of them and are very close to the sanskaras, and just as its difficult to see all the sanskaras of an individual, we can't always see their emotions.

Feelings, being more towards the surface, can be clearly identified, but you have to go deeper to see the quality of emotions a person is creating and the quality of his/her sanskaras.

Soul Sustenance

Universal Concepts About The Supreme Being or God - Part 3

Continuing from yesterday’s message:

The Zoroastrians worship God as fire (Indian Zoroastrians are called Parsis).

The ancient Egyptians worshiped the sun as God.

A Buddhist sect in Japan focuses the mind on a small oval shape. They call it Karni, the Peace-giver.

The Jews have the Menorah (a candlestick or holder for many candles together) which when lit is a memory of the form of God as light.

It seems therefore that human beings, without realizing, have all been worshipping and trying to discover the same God. There is only one God and His form is light. If union between the soul and the Supreme Soul is to take place, it can only be possible if there is knowledge and experience of that form.

On the basis of our (soul and the Supreme Soul) similarities of form and place of residence, I learn from God of my own original sanskars of peace, purity, love, knowledge, power and bliss. As I tune my thoughts to Him, His influence fills these original qualities in me. He is the perfect and infinite fountain, indeed the ocean, of these qualities. His superiority lies in the depth, clarity and continuity of His divine sanskars. Whilst human souls fluctuate between peace and peacelessness; love and hatred; knowledge and ignorance; sorrow and joy, God is ever constant and above and beyond these fluctuations.

Message for the day

Humility wins hearts.

Expression: The one who is humble is able to put the other person forward. Such a person recognizes, appreciates and uses the specialities of others for the success of any task. So, along with giving the best, he is also able to bring out the best in the other person too. So, he is able to do the best in any task.

Experience: When I am humble, I experience harmony in relationships. I am able to learn from the different experiences and make myself better and better each day. So, I experience success in all I do. I am also able to win the hearts of others and get good wishes from them.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/