Thursday, May 30, 2013

Thought for Today 30-05-2013

Gossip, like fire starts with a tiny spark and if fuelled, it creates a fire which spreads and spreads.

If you have the habit of fueling gossip, remind yourself: relationships thrive on trust. How would you feel if others gossiped about you?

Even though most of us delight in gossip, resist the urge. Try not to say anything about others which you wouldn't say to their face.

And when someone else starts to gossip, say you're not interested or you're not comfortable discussing it. Alternatively, you can just opt out of the conversation or change the topic.

Soul Sustenance

The Significance Of The Power Of Thought In Meditation 

Meditation is not a process of emptying the mind of thought. In meditation I use the natural power of the soul – the power to create thoughts, as a take-off point (or as a spring-board) to finally experience the consciousness of the true self. In meditation, I climb a ladder of well-prepared, positive and spiritual thoughts and eventually climb beyond the ladder into the pure experience of what I really am. Pondering over these pure and real thoughts can occupy the soul for long periods of time. 

In the most basic stage of Rajyoga meditation, first comes the realization: I am a soul, the energy of consciousness made up of a mind, an intellect and a collection of sanskars. My eyes, ears, nose, mouth are just the organs, which when used correctly, help me, the soul, enjoy life. I now possess the knowledge that will free me from my cage. I have the key, spiritual knowledge is the key - I am a soul, a being of light, ‘a bird’ which has the power to fly freely. Knowing this, I am not bound by physical laws. I can detach and fly at the speed of a thought, to the soul world, where I can easily experience my original state. I must realize that it is impossible to have ‘peace of mind’ if I cannot detach from the body. I must look upon all my family members, friends, colleagues, also as souls which have come from the soul world. We are all fellow souls. 

Message for the day

To have hope means to have a chance for success. 

Projection: When we encounter failures, we sometimes get so disheartened that we lose hope in both the situations and in ourselves. Instead of seeing the obstacle that comes our way as a turn, we see it as an end and give up trying. So we lose out on our chance for success. 

Solution: Even when things don't seem to be working out right, we must never leave hope. To leave hope means to rule out our chance for success. When we have hope we will keep thinking of new ways for success. We will then surely get cooperation from somewhere or the other and we will be successful. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Thought for Today 29-05-2013

Change is a means to take one forward for those who are positive. 

For the one who is not able to maintain an inner state of positivity, every change in life is challenging and sometimes even a threat. Negative situations seem like mountains or a storm come to take away something from me. But in fact, every situation, be it negative or positive is a gift for me to take me forward. I need not be afraid because I know to see the positive aspect, even if its a small one. I am able to learn and move forward. Today I will sit and list out 3 changes that happened in the last couple of years. I will then make a list of what I learnt from these situations and what positive outcomes there were because of that change. I will also keep a lookout in a similar for future situations too.

Soul Sustenance

Connecting To The Qualities Of Others 

Meditation adds immense value and depth to my relationships. It also brings closeness in them. Many obstacles and barriers, both on a physical as well as a subtle level, come between me and others when my consciousness and as a result, my perception are struck primarily in the physical dimension. If I hardly know five to ten per cent of myself, and that too mostly on the surface, my relationships are going to be similarly superficial. With my self-respect built on very weak foundations, it will tend to be delicate and I'll be prone to trying to maintain it by thinking about and focusing my energies on others' weaknesses, sometimes real and sometimes even imagined. I'll also find it hard to realize and appreciate their qualities. Such is the state of so many human relationships today. 

In meditation, I go into the depths of myself, and deep within my inner being, I find the beauty of peace, love and happiness that is there inside me. I also realize that this same beauty lies inside each soul. Then naturally and very easily, without any effort, I get connected to the same qualities in others. I also find the strength to do the same. I am no longer judgmental seeing others’ temporary sanskaras of negativity. I find qualities that are basically there inside every soul: the original qualities or sanskaras of each spiritual being. It’s like a basic prototype for the whole of humanity, which I deeply see and realize. 

Message for the day

Determination enables elevated thoughts to become practical. 

Projection: When we have an aim in our life and are working for it, we sometimes are not able to bring into practice all that we plan to do. We then tend to become disheartened and give up after trying for some time. Thus we lose out on the benefit that our thoughts can bring in our life. 

Solution: In order to put into practice the good thoughts that we get i.e., in order to make our thoughts practical we need to stamp it with determination. Our words should never be 'I'll try', but must always be 'I will do it'. Where there is determination there is victory. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Thought for Today 28-05-2013

As are the thoughts, so is the quality of life. 

It is said that chanting brings happiness and benefit. Real chanting is remembering those things which bring beauty to my thoughts, and not just repeating the words. Throughout the day, when I go on remembering and experiencing these positive things, they further get sustained. This continues and these thoughts help me even when things are not going good. Thus, the quality of life gets better by the day. Today I will take one point to practice internally. This could be a simple thought like "I am special with my own unique set of specialties" or "God is my Companion at every step". This will help me sustain a positive experience throughout the day.

Soul Sustenance



What Is ‘Clean Communication’? 

With the self covered by the clouds of so many external influences and many of its own negative beliefs and past experiences, the self is normally unclear about its own self. The light of spiritual knowledge brings clarity to the self, about the self. This helps me to communicate with others much more clearly than when I am not sure or clear about what is going on inside me. There is a direct connection between the quality of subtle activities in the form of thoughts and feelings going on inside me and the quality of my interaction and communication with others. 

Very importantly, relationships are also connected with attitude and vision. Sometimes, I may feel I have said and done the right things to someone, yet still someone is not behaving towards me as I would wish. At such times I need to check my attitude towards that person and the vision with which I am seeing them. I may find inside a slight feeling of disapproval towards that person, a feeling of discomfort, a resistance to something in their personality. Neither of us may be conscious of it, but my negative feeling casts a shadow on the other person. They are not receiving the acceptance or respect from me, that they should (on a subtle level), although externally I may be showing them a lot of respect. This subtle lack of acceptance and respect from my end influences their ability to hear me clearly (on a subtle level), and the way they behave towards me. The practice of meditation enables me to clean out my thoughts, feelings, attitudes and vision, ensuring that what I share with others on a physical and on a subtle level is positive. Then it is much easier for me to connect with others and for others to connect with me in a positive way. This is called‘Clean Communication’

Message for the day

Real positivity is being positive even in negative situations. 

Projection: It seems very difficult, if not impossible, to maintain positive thoughts when we are faced with a negative situation. Even with a strong intention to be positive, challenges come in the form of relationships, physical illness, difficult circumstances etc and we find ourselves weakening. 

Solution: A long time of practice of maintaining inner self-respect is what will help us in a difficult situation. To maintain self-respect means to understand and appreciate our own uniqueness. With this practice of self-respect we will not be dependent on the external situation but will find the strength within. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Monday, May 27, 2013

Thought for Today 27-05-2013

Procrastination is an obvious form of avoidance. 
Ask yourself what is the one thing that you are delaying? Why are you avoiding it? Is it the task itself or something else? Know the reason why you procrastinate doing a certain task & then "get over it". Motivate the procrastinator in you so you can accomplish the task.

Here are 2 possible ways to avoid procrastination:

1. Just Do It: Doing something takes less time than to procrastinate about it. And the longer you 'put it off', the harder it becomes to get it done. Make the decision to stop the procrastination & just do it.

2. Save the best (task) till last: Do the things you don't enjoy first. Get them out of the way so that you can move on to something better.

Soul Sustenance

Positive Consciousness 

The habitual way in which you use the house you live in and its contents are all affected if you use them in a positive consciousness (mental state). The result is purification while interacting with the physical object, so that when the object is in use, it fulfills its function accurately, and it has also undergone a permanent change. This can happen when you are cleaning the house, cleaning any object in the house or preparing objects for a particular purpose. If such actions are done in a positive consciousness then the physical object will have such a vibration of peace and purity that no harm can be done with it and whatever action it is used to perform will be successful. Any other soul who comes into interaction with those objects will also feel the affect of their pure vibrations. 

If we perform each action with the physical body in a positive consciousness, then the physical body gets purified and we can become free of illnesses. 

In our relationships it is the same principle. First there needs to be that detachment in relations. Secondly, when there is a positive consciousness, I will find that my interactions have a purifying affect on all that I relate to and I can bring benefit to everyone I meet. 

In this way a positive mental state enables all actions to be successful, whether at work or at home. 

Message for the day

The method to finish negative is to transform it and make it positive. 

Projection: When someone says something that we find negative we normally tend to speak about it to others. Having recognised that it is negative, instead of finishing it we usually talk about it. Without realising that we are only increasing negativity by talking about it we spread it to others. Naturally instead of finishing, it only increases all the more. 

Solution: When we find someone with negativity, we need to make effort to look at something positive in that person. We need to recognise the fact that each one is special and has some or the other positive quality. When we make effort to look at the positive in the other person we will be able to finish the negativity in our mind first and will be able to inspire the others to finish it too. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Thought for Today 26-05-2013

To sow seeds of right effort is to reap results in plenty. 

When I go on putting in effort in the right direction, I will keep gaining qualities. I will keep drawing the best from everything around and I will keep receiving cooperation from people. If, in between anything or anyone hinders this, its effect will not be so much as I am continuing to put in my efforts. Today I will do something constructive for what I really aim for. Towards this, I will make small little contributions. I will also continue with this practice everyday and one day I will find the result coming. It could be either what I expected or something else that I haven't expected. 

Soul Sustenance

Becoming Responsible For My Destiny (cont.) 

Factors like any particular person, a group of people, the government, nature, even God, etc. cannot be held responsible for what has happened t0 me in my life, up to this moment. It is my and my responsibility alone. Equally, what my future holds depends on me to a very large extent. Rather, whatever I choose to do at this moment is already creating my destiny for tomorrowI shouldn't forget that the only real time I have for creating my future is the present, now. 

Karma teaches me that at every step, I am the creator of my own little world, the creator of my future circumstances. I also am the creator of the environment immediately around me. On a bigger level I am a co-creator or partner, together with God, of a positive future of the world, of the world of tomorrow, of the world of peace, love and happiness. So my responsibility and my ability to influence the future is not restricted to my life alone. 

That I can create the future of my choice - of love, peace and happiness, for myself and others, can appear as unreasonable optimism. It's just being realistic. What I create is what is going to happen. If I choose to transmit love and peace in my interactions with others today, I create relationships, in the present and for the future, based on those qualities. 

Message for the day

The one who is free from desire is the one who is able to maintain positivity. 

Projection: When we put forth our ideas to others we expect them to listen to us. Our idea changes to desire and when it is not accepted we then tend to become irritated. And along with it comes jealousy or dislike for the others and we find ourselves caught up in negativity. 

Solution: We need to make sure that we share our ideas with others but at the same time we need to keep ourselves free from any selfish motive. When we put forth our idea in a detached way, we too will be open to learning and we will be able to accept any criticism or rejection that comes our way. Thus we will be free from negativity. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Thought for Today 25-05-2013

To love God is to get attainments from Him. 

If I believe that God is only waiting to punish me for my sins, I can only be God fearing. Then, I will not be able to experience benefit from Him. On the other hand, when I understand that God is an Ocean of love, I will be able to experience so much attainment by experiencing Him as a constant companion. I can then feel His help at each step, inspite of the situations. Today I will keep God as my Companion at every step. When God is with me I will of course keep a watch on my words and actions. Also where something unwanted comes my way, I can take His support and easily overcome these negative situations.

Soul Sustenance

Becoming Responsible For My Destiny 

These are examples of some of the inner questions that emerge in our minds from time to time: 

* Why is she rich and successful and I am not? * Why did he behave in that way with me; I've always behaved well with him. * Why does that one have easy success in life and the other, however hard he tries, fails at every step? * Why is he nice natured but is born blind and the other ill natured but has no health problems at all? * Why does she suffer so much? * She is so sweet, but yet everyone disrespects her. * Why did that child die at such a young age? She was so innocent. * Why did I get married to such a person? * Why am I here? * How is that student in my class so intelligent? 

There are lot more questions like these that trouble us. In the case of sorrows, it is seen more than the sorrow, it is the question - why this sorrow exists in my life that troubles us. Why? What? How? When? Even so, they all have only one answer: karma. 

I don't need to go into minute details of each situation. If I see that nothing can happen without having had a justified cause in my past or in that of others, life becomes much easier to face, with responsibility and the power of courage. 

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message for the day

Real progress can be experienced when we are faced with obstacles. 

Projection: When faced with obstacles in our path, we usually tend to have negative feelings. We either experience fear or irritation and we don't enjoy the work anymore, our total focus being on the result. We only wait for the outcome not really bothered about enjoying the effort that we need to put in. 

Solution: When we are encountered with a difficult situation, instead of seeing it as an obstacle, we need to see it as an opportunity to evaluate ourselves and see where we stand. We can then use this understanding to bring improvement in ourselves. When we constantly work on ourselves in this way, we will never stop when faced with obstacles, but will experience constant progress in our life. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Friday, May 24, 2013

Thought for Today 24-05-2013

To be happy is to be living. 

The true blessing of life is happiness. To be happy is as simple and necessary as breathing. Just as I don't forget to breathe, I shouldn't forget to be happy. Just as breath is life, happiness too is the true life. My lifespan is counted based on the number of moments I live happily. Today I will be happy and I will accumulate precious moment of happiness in the piggy bank of my soul. The more number of happiness I collect, the richer I will be. So today I will collect as much as I can.

Soul Sustenance

The Four Pillars Of A Spiritual Lifestyle - Achieving A Balance 

A balanced and fulfilling spiritual life is like a table. It stands on four legs and if one leg is shorter than the others then both balance and equilibrium will be difficult. The four legs or pillars of a spiritual life are given below in the form of four subjects. If any of the subjects is not a part of our lives or is a part of our life, but not to as great an extent as the others, then the overall balance of our spiritual life will be affected adversely (negatively). 

1. Daily spiritual study (knowledge or gyan) 
Daily spiritual study provides the right quality of nourishment for our mind and intellect, the two important energies of the soul. 

2. Daily meditation (spiritual yoga) 
Daily meditation provides the means to explore, discover and reconnect with oneself and with God. 

3. The inculcation and development of virtues (dharna) 
Giving some time each day to the conscious development of our character (virtue) helps to eliminate any negative sanskars or personality characteristics (vices) arid improves our ability to build positive and harmonious relationships. The quality of our relationships is a mirror reflection of our dharna. 

4. The service of others (seva) 
A life purpose based on some kind of service is the foundation of personal growth through the practice of giving. Finding appropriate ways to use our increasing spiritual power and understanding (through the three subjects mentioned above) for the benefit of others is the most satisfying way to use our energy today. It also ensures happiness for the present as well as for the future through accumulation of positive energy in the form of blessings of those who are served. 

Message for the day

The right kind of support makes people independent. 

Projection: When we provide help and support to others, sometimes we find that they become dependent on us. They continue to expect the same kind of support that They had got from us before, when we are not in a position to give. Then our good gesture becomes a bondage or difficulty for me. 

Solution: When we are providing help to someone,we need to check the kind of help that we are providing. True help is to provide assistance in such a way that slowly the person learns to rely on his own resources and becomes independent. Then there will be no expectations from us. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Thought for Today 23-05-2013

The one way to break an old habit is to create a new one. 

We take new year’s resolutions and try hard to break habits. But the more we are thinking of it and worrying about it, we are investing time and energy in it. This will only strengthen the habit we want to break. Instead, let me create an alternate habit which is good and that will replace the old one. It is more important to think of what I want rather than what I don't want. Today I will invest more time and energy in a new habit than what I am investing in old habit. I will ensure that, through this I will create a new habit, which will replace the old one, as there would be no longer any space for it in my life.

Soul Sustenance

The Filtration Process In The Soul 

The mind and its creation i.e. thoughts, in these times, in most people, are controlled by three main factors:
i. their habits or sanskaras
ii. their past experiences, and
iii. information which they are exposed to and which they imbibe. 


The intellect is like a filter which has the function of discriminating, of judging the thoughts and deciding which ones to put into practice and which ones not to, basically filtering them. 
Presently the filter of the intellect has become weakened, confused and unsure; it has become blocked by many incorrect beliefs, due to which this filtration does not take place properly – as a result many wrong thoughts get converted into actions. A lot of times during the day, thoughts become actions so fast, that the filter of the intellect does not even come into play i.e. thoughts become actions bypassing the filter. 

The beliefs that we have today are related to our cultural, physical, social, religious, political identity associated with our age, gender, occupation, wealth, role etc. of our body. Beliefs connected to materialism, to havingrather than being, are living based on the perception of the sense organs, and not on the intuition and the wisdom of the spirit. There are beliefs that block you, or brake you, others break you, they bring about fears in you and a limited perception of reality and of yourself. However much you try to generate positive thoughts, if you do not change these beliefs, their influence on the intellect will be so strong that it is almost impossible to maintain a positive state of mind. Even if you experience it, it will be short-lived and temporary. 

Message for the day

True treasure is the treasure of contentment. 

Projection: We, sometimes, find that we do not always have with us everything we want. When we are faced with this thought again and again, we naturally begin to have negative thoughts. We, then, are not able to appreciate and use what we have. Instead we are left wishing for something else. 

Solution: Instead of thinking of what we don't have or need, we need to make effort to use whatever we already have with us. For this, we need to make a conscious effort to check what treasures we have, then, we will be able to use them in a worthwhile way. Then, we will be able to be content whatever the situation may be. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Thought for Today 22-05-2013

Walk quickly today, not because you are in a hurry, but because you value the exercise for legs and heart. As you walk, allow your thoughts to visit you, but not stay. Let them come to pass, and you will be surprised how quickly they become positive, and filled with creative ideas. And paradoxically, if you stay internally aware, you may notice that the quicker you walk, the more your thinking slows down and deepens. Walking briskly and positive thinking - that's the simplest way to take care of body and mind. And life was meant to be simple...wasn't it? 

Soul Sustenance

The Soul Journey 

A common question asked by many is – “Do we go back to the soul world, the incorporeal world (non-physical world), the home of all souls, when we die?” When we understand and experience ourselves as souls, as un-destroyable, eternal beings, we realize that death is only a physical phenomenon. At the death of the body, the soul enters another physical costume and a new chapter in its journey of life begins. Depending on the soul's karma performed through the body, its new birth is likely to be somewhere in the company of those souls with whom it has been close in previous births. It is quite a paradox that when a soul leaves a body, the relations which it has left, mourn over the loss of their loved one, and the new relations which it gets attached to celebrate with happiness, over an addition of a new-born entrant in their family. 

The soul only leaves the home (the soul world) once in a unique, personal journey. This journey of the soul is not linear i.e. a straight line, with a beginning and an end. But, on the other hand, it is cyclic i.e. a circle, with neither a beginning, nor an end – although both leaving the soul world and going back to the soul world happen once each in every cycle. This soul journey can be compared to actors who leave home to go to the theatre to play their parts. They change costumes between scenes - they don't return home at the end of each scene, they return home when the play is finished, only to return the next day to repeat their part in the play. Each birth of the soul that it takes can be compared to a new scene of the play, which consists of many different scenes. 

Message for the day

To have love for the self means to finish the weaknesses within. 

Projection: When we make a mistake we usually think about it a lot and continue to feel guilty. The continued thought about the mistake magnifies it and we think it is difficult to change or overcome that weakness. 

Solution: Like a mother who accommodates the mistakes of the child, yet has the best wishes for the child to be free from them, we, too, need to deal with ourselves with love in order to finish the weakness that is working within us. We need to recognise and work with some speciality that is within us, which will help us overcome the weakness. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Thought for Today 21-05-2013

Often we assume that good ideas just happen. Or we try to generate ideas in a formal environment.

Sometimes changing the setting can get our creative juices flowing. Instead of holding a meeting in a conference room or the office, go to a coffee shop.

Sometimes retreating to the visual world of art can open the mind and spark new ideas. Visit a gallery or a museum and immerse yourself in the colours, textures and impressions.

Soul Sustenance

Experiencing The Stage Of Being A Detached Observer 

Experience the stage of being a detached observer by gradually creating the following thoughts: 

I am aware of the present moment and of time... The whole world is out there... I let go for a moment of what is happening around me... It is as if the world continues to turn, but I have stopped for a few minutes and turned into an observer... Mentally, I take a step back... I look around me as if I were in the inside of a room... the room of my mind... In this place, I can be with myself... at peace... calm... free... Here I do not have pressures, or worries, or fears... Nothing and nobody can influence me... I can think... see things as they really are... 

I am sitting like an observer, seeing through two windows... These windows are my eyes... I am not my eyes... I am aware of who is looking through these eyes, a tiny sparkling star like energy, the soul... I am different from everything I am seeing... I perceive that separation between the observer and the observed... I observe the things that surround me without judging, without analyzing... I simply observe, remaining at peace with myself... 

I see this world as a stage of a great unlimited theatre play... each human being is an actor, a soul playing their own role via their physical body... I simply observe from my inner room... things come and go... nothing is permanent... I do not need to worry about anything or anybody... I let things be... flow... I am at peace... calmed... I share this vibration of peace with all that surrounds me. 

Message for the day

The one who teaches others never makes time his teacher. 

Projection: When the situation demands or forces us to change, we can usually bring about a change. But rarely do we find ourselves changing before time and being ready for the situations that are to come. So, we face a lot of difficulty during the time we are facing a problem. 

Solution: We need to have the simple aim to keep learning from everything that happens. With this aim we will be able to learn and be ready even before time forces us to change. Then we will be able to give the right direction to others, too, at the right time. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Monday, May 20, 2013

Thought for Today 20-05-2013

When mistakes are made, we get defensive because of our ego. Ego prevents us from learning.

Nobody likes making mistakes but why not make a resolution to learn from your mistakes.

Even if 99% of it is another person's mistake, don't think of that. First, be honest with yourself and see what you can learn, then you'll be free from ego. Gain wisdom and accelerate your self-improvement