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.

Contemplation:Patience

Contemplation:Patience

Tianmen Mountain Zhangjiajie City, China

Patience

Patience is a virtue and a power too. Patience tells us that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and that we get over there one step at a time. Patience teaches us not to rush. Knowing that there is a reason and a season for everything it enables us to smile at the challenges, realizing that there is an answer to every problem. And, even though we cannot see it, yet there is awareness that within every crisis lies an opportunity.

Conflict Resolution

Too often we focus on the 'enemy' rather than understanding the
underlying causes of conflict. Our old beliefs and thought patterns can
be both a block and a limitation. If we as individuals accept personal
responsibility and recognize that the source of conflict is internal
rather than 'the other' - then the possibility of resolving conflict
comes back into our hands. This is a great relief and very empowering.

Beginning Your Spiritual Journey With Acceptance (cont.)

In yesterday's message, we had explained some facts of spirituality, which if accepted initially, help us restore our personal relationship with the Supreme Father or God and experience Him easily. Given below are some more facts:

4. Accept that God does not reside in the physical world, He is not present everywhere as is the common belief, but He is a very real, individual and unique Being, staying in the incorporeal (non-physical) or soul world, situated beyond the physical world.

5. Accept that God is a loving Parent of the soul who does not give sorrow, pain or punishment to His children but who only wants the best for them -- He is a gentle and understanding Father and Mother who not only knows why we loose our true self awareness and, as a result, create sorrow for ourselves; but also helps us regain that awareness.

6. Accept that experiencing God does not require blind devotion. Also accept that it does not take many births of penance to find and establish your connection with the Supreme - only one second, and the right kind of thoughts. The process of creating the right, positive and spiritual thoughts so as to connect with God is called meditation.

Soul Sustenance

The Relationship between Virtues and Vices

When we are internally strong, our nature characteristics and skills are reflected, from inside us to the outside, to everyone we interact in, in the form of virtues. If we are internally weak, those same traits emerge and radiate as vices. Vices are just qualities or virtues that have lost their focus and strength. For e.g. if we take the quality of love - when a strong soul radiates love, it is unlimited and without any conditions. Such a soul respects and has good wishes for everything and everyone and under all circumstances, irrespective of whether love and respect is coming from the other side or not.

When a weak soul radiates love, he/she tends to restrict the love to limits e.g. the love would vary from person to person and from situation to situation. In a sense, if spiritual might (strength) and spiritual light (understanding or knowledge) are taken away from the virtues, they get transformed into the six vices, which make us spiritually unhealthy or weak:


Ego - developing an image of the self that is false, temporary or imaginary.

Greed - finding short term fulfillment by acquiring material goods, a role in society or money or through the physical senses – eyes, tongue, ears, etc.

Attachment - finding security by developing a feeling of possessiveness over loved ones and material objects.

Lust - using excessive satisfaction through the senses as a means of fulfillment.

Anger - the feeling of hatred and revenge when any of the other vices are threatened or being taken away from us.

Laziness - becoming inactive on a spiritual, physical or mental level.

Message for the day

The one who wins over situations with the power of one's own stage is a winner.

Projection: When difficult situations come our way, it is usually our own stage that is affected. We feel disheartened, or frustrated which makes us feel helpless in the situation. We can, then, do nothing to bring about any change and lose out to the situation.

Solution: Whenever a difficult situation comes our way, we need to remind ourselves that the situation is here only for a short time as a test for our own stage and to give us a chance to progress. This thought will help us be stable in the worst situations and will enable us to learn from what has happened in order to improve ourselves.

Contemplation: Role Play

Contemplation: Role Play

 

Role Play

Shakespeare was absolutely right - all the world's a stage and you are on it! It means we all have many roles to play. That means never identify with your role, or you will get very stuck and very stressed. You are not what you do. Your job, position, vocation are just roles. Play the role, never think you are the role - this is the art of making life creative and fun. All great actors dislike being typecast and seen to be good for one particular type of character or role. There is no role you cannot play, if you really want to play it. Which is the same as saying there is nothing you cannot do, if you really want to do it, nothing you cannot be, if you really want to be it. You can even be a Queen or King. You may not have a throne or a court of advisors, but you can create and express all the qualities and behaviours of a 'royal' character - dignity, respect, humility, caring...and many more. Be a 'royal', sit on your inner throne with dignity and self respect, and you will see many other royal qualities emerge through your character. And then...you will feel royal.

relax7

Being a Master and a Child

Free yourself from forcing, expecting or wanting someone to receive
what you think they should take - it could be your idea, opinion, or an
opportunity you think they should accept - you can't make anyone take
anything. Offer humbly. Offer gently. Offer as if you are a master,
and then let go, and retire like a shy child. When you can dance the
dance between being master and child, you'll be surprised how much more
others will accept what you have to say, and how much more they
appreciate your offerings

Beginning Your Spiritual Journey With Acceptance

Sometimes, in order to get a desired result from a process, we need to let go of our resistance and trust the process initially. In order to restore our personal relationship with the Supreme Father or God, we need to let go of our old beliefs temporarily and trust the path or process of spirituality. Given below are some facts of spirituality, which if accepted initially, will help you experience the Supreme Being easily:

1. Accept that the soul and the Supreme Soul are separate energies with the same form. They are both points of spiritual light, extremely small in size but with immense amount of capabilities, virtues and powers; the Supreme Soul, having more of them than the souls.

2. Accept that we must be proactive in building our relationship with the Supreme (and not depend only on Him) and also be aware, that like any worldly relationship, this one also takes a little time to develop.

3. Accept that the re-establishment of the loving connection with the Supreme requires the letting go of, not the material world of objects and people, but our attachment to them.

In tomorrow's message, we shall explain some more facts.

Soul Sustenance

Positive Thinking

Given below are some examples of simple positive affirmations (thoughts) that you can make about oneself, others, real life situations and the future, which will help you in becoming a positive thinker.

The self: I do like myself; I accept my weaknesses; I understand myself; I have special skills and qualities; I value myself; I believe in myself; I am lovable.

Others: I accept others as they are; I look for the best in others; there is something good in everyone I meet; I appreciate others.

A real life situation: I am capable of handling the situation; I have all I need; I am fortunate; there is a bright side to everything; nothing lasts forever.

The future: I look forward to each day; every difficult situation is an opportunity/challenge in disguise; each day brings something new and beautiful, something to learn.

Message for the Day

The one who transforms oneself is the one who is victorious.

Projection: When in a discussion or debate with someone, we usually want to have the last word. We want the others to understand us. When we succeed in this we feel we are a winner. But we find that neither is the other person satisfied with us nor are we able to learn anything new.

Solution: In order to be a winner in all situations, we need to pay special attention to keep learning from each situation. We need to see in what aspect we can bring about transformation in ourselves instead of trying to prove ourselves right. This will make us truly victorious.