Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Thought of the day 31.8.2016

Feeling Great

Enthusiasm is the master key to feeling great. It keeps the self extremely positive beyond the pull of negativity while simultaneously making others feel uplifted too. To develop enthusiasm, have faith in the goodness of life, and in the original goodness of the self and others.

Soul Sustenance


Spreading The Fragrance Of Happiness (Part 2) 

Whenever you begin your day, fill your mind with some happiness filled thoughts. Those thoughts could be – Today, in the entire day, I will gift a smile to each one I meet or Today, throughout the day, I will keep each one’s specialty in my mind and experience joy. They could also be - During the entire day, today, I will touch each one I meet with my positive good feelings for them. We could also think something like - All through the day, today, I will bring different virtues in action and experience lightness and give the same to others. 

It’s these types of thoughts which will make everyone around me happy and they will give me happiness in return. This in turn will make the atmosphere around me full of happiness. Happiness begins with the self and happiness given to others is happiness experienced by myself first. When you meet someone in the whole day, ask yourself and check yourself – Did I just meet the other person and interact with the person in a common manner? On the other hand, did I share happiness with the other person and make the person free from worries and burdens? After all, it’s my duty towards each and everyone I meet - giving unlimited happiness to others. This is the common emotion that binds all of us together - happiness. Giving and sharing happiness will make life beautiful and our existence meaningful. Very often, whether it’s in our work or any other activity, we tend to become busy. We may not perform any negative actions during that time. But because we lose touch with our inner virtuous self, our happiness reduces. 

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message of the day

An elevated consciousness brings speciality to the task being done. 

Expression:As is the consciousness, so is the feeling behind the task, and therefore its quality. Just to perform action and finish the tasks at hand does not bring speciality and accuracy as much as it should. When the consciousness is special, that means before a task is performed there is a thought given both to the task and to the self, there is speciality revealed in the task. 

Experience: When I am able to start each task with a special consciousness, like "I am victorious", or "I am powerful" or "this task is for the benefit of all", I am able to experience the speciality of doing the task. I am also able to increase my state of self-respect, whatever the task or however simple it maybe. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Thought of the day 30.8.2016

Words of Peace and Purity

A pure mind makes for pure words. It is said that speech may exalt someone to kingship or send him to the gallows. I should never let myself indulge in false, bitter and vicious speech. My words should reflect my true, inner nature, that of purity and peace. Words, once spoken, can never be recalled.

Soul Sustenance

Spreading The Fragrance Of Happiness (Part 1) 

A beautiful aspect of each one of our lives is living a life full of enthusiasm and joy. Also we keep spreading the same to others through our entire personality and through our actions and attitudes. It is one thing being happy yourself and another to share that happiness with each one at every step. For some, it is a hobby to start the day with wishing everyone with greetings of happiness and give them a feel of love filled joy. By doing this, they spend the entire day ahead free from the tensions that they might face and full of lightness filled thoughts and feelings. 

Also, give a new flavor to each day, of different experiences filled with different types of qualities. Qualities such as cheerfulness, contentment and lightness, which are all different colours of happiness will make life a beauty filled journey. It is journey in which you are accompanied by others. Also, you along with others will share and receive these beautiful experiences. This giving and receiving will make this complete life journey full of something you look forward to and enjoy to the fullest. These experiences are like gifts that we share with each other and gifts always bring happiness. Physical gifts are limited to particular days and particular people. But these invisible gifts of different positive happiness emotions are unlimited and can be shared with each and everyone. We can do this in our homes, at our workplace, with your close friends or in society in general. 

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message of the day

To be free from worry means to have the power to change negative into positive. 

Expression:The ones who are free from worry change that which is bad into something good, because the state of mind is calm. The one with a calm state of mind is able to think creatively and see very clearly even beyond the situation. So there is the ability to transform the seemingly negative situation into something very positive. So there is clear decision-making and quick action. There is also no time wasted. 

Experience: When I am free from worry, I constantly remain satisfied for having seen the positive and finding the solutions immediately instead of looking at the problem and worrying over it. This internal silence gives the feeling of power, which naturally enables transformation in a second and only the goodness is absorbed. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Monday, August 29, 2016

Thought of the day 29.8.2016

Good Relationships

In order to create good relationships...

- with your mind, think about what you have to learn from others,

- with your eyes, look into good qualities of others,

- with your words, recognize, value and appreciate their accomplishments,

- with your actions, cooperate and do something for others.

Soul Sustenance


The Spiritual Seed And The Human World Tree 

Spirituality introduces God or the Supreme Being as a seed, a point of reference, the spiritual Pole Star, remembered by all souls all over the world. But over a period of time, with an experience of linking my mind and intellect with Him, we realize that although He is a seed, a point, He is a not a non-living seed but a living one with a unique personality of his own, a personality which no one can match, a personality of spiritual truth, of beauty, of purity, of generosity, of love, of giving, of peace, of humility, of bliss, of power, of sweetness etc. How is this possible? We normally think of a seed as inactive or dormant, despite the enormous potential that lies within it, due to which it gives rise to a complete tree and bears fruits and other products. God is the seed of the human world tree. When I see virtues around me, whether it be in all human souls including deities, prophets, saints and the founders of the great religions or animals or nature, I know that ultimately this comes from God but God is not all pervasive, i.e. he is not present in all humans or nature or in the divine souls, but everything that is good in them comes from the virtues that are present in God or basically from the personality of God (mentioned above), because the tree is the creation of the seed, so all that is positive in the tree has come from the Source, the seed, perhaps sometime in the past. But, despite the goodness which is visible; today, peacelessness and pain do not seem to have reduced, and have probably increased, if we look behind the false covering of material success. The goodness is only in small patches. So what is the need of our times? 

To spiritually uplift myself, I, being a part of the creation, a part of the tree, need to catch the positive energy within God, the creator, the seed. This energy is subtle, in that it is non-physical, but it is also glowing like light, and in meditation I can catch that glow, absorb it and feel its spiritual embrace healing me and making me complete or full.At the present moment, recognizing this need, the Supreme Being is shining the light of His personality through pure thought and vibrations more brightly than ever into the human world tree, inviting us: Oh sweet child, come and reclaim for yourselves your birthright, the inheritance of truth, by absorbing the qualities inherent in me through meditation or a spiritual link with me and making them your own. 

Message of the day

True help is to help people discover their own specialities. 

Expression:When others' negativities or weaknesses are perceived, it is essential to look at their positivity or specialities too. This will naturally bring love and positivity in the relationship and there will be an encouragement of that positivity. So even if that person has no recognition or has not been using his speciality, an encouragement of it by others will naturally enable him to begin to use it. 

Experience: Making others aware of their specialities and subtly encouraging them to use these specialities is a great help that I can do for others. When I am able to give this unique help and cooperation, I not only find benefit for others, but I am also able to get the good wishes of others. Even others naturally become positive with my positive attitude. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thought of the day 28.8 2016

Hope in Myself

If at any time I begin to lose hope in myself, let me simply look inside my heart and see all the good actions I have ever performed, from the smallest to the grandest. When I see how much happiness I have given, I easily remember the purpose of my life.

Soul Sustenance


Creating The Destiny Of Your Choice (Part 2) 

We want a destiny of peace, love, happiness, health, wealth and harmony. To change our destiny, we will need to create the right thoughts and to make that happen in a natural way, we need to consume pure information. Stop and check the quality of information we are feeding the mind daily. Very often, we are feeding our self with information full of terror, violence, hatred, ridicule, impurity, manipulation … which is reflecting in our destiny today. The next time we receive any information, we need to check whether it is the right diet for us to be spiritually, emotionally, physically and socially healthy. If not, let us not read or absorb it, like we refuse to eat food which is not right for us. Reading negative information and sharing it with friends is creating a deep karma of radiating negative energy and this collective energy makes our world what it is today. 

Let us begin the day with ten minutes of healthy information. Spiritual information can be our friend on this journey. Information full of wisdom and deep insights which nurture the mind and empower us to create right thoughts in every situation and choose a beautiful destiny daily. Facing a challenge or just a little confused … our friend is always with us. Just read a little piece of spiritual information and read every word and feel the mind getting strengthened to cross the challenge in a dignified way. 

Creating a destiny of our choice … It’s only one thought away! 

Message of the day

The one who has self-respect is the one who is free from aggression. 

Expression:When the situation seems out of control, there is naturally a feeling of helplessness. This helplessness further creates tension, which gets expressed in the form of aggression. Such a kind of aggression cannot be suppressed or controlled. To be in the state of one's own self-respect is to be confident and the one who is confident will be assertive but can never be aggressive. 

Experience: I am able to keep my mind cool, when I am in my state of self-respect. So I never react to situations negatively but I am able to understand the situation and respond in the right way. I take decisions in a calm and composed state of mind, so I find myself relaxed and easy even in the most difficult situations. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thought of the day 27.8.2016

Will Power

If you believe ‘you can’ and have the strong desire to do so, then despite setbacks, it’s your will power that makes you ‘try, try, try again’. Both ‘will’ and ‘power’ are released when you go from ‘will do’ to ‘doing things willingly’.

Soul Sustenance

Creating The Destiny Of Your Choice (Part 1) 

In this information age, we have an overflow of knowledge.Do we pause and check the quality of the information we are consuming? Does it matter or can we listen, read and watch everything that is fed to us. Like food is a vital part of our body, information is the food for the mind. Every piece of information we consume becomes the source of our thoughts. Our every thought is followed by a feeling. Feelings over a period of time develop our attitude. Attitude comes out into action. Any action done repeatedly becomes a habit. All our habits put together is our personality. Our personality radiates energy and as will be the energy we send out, so will be the energy we receive according to the law of karma, which becomes our destiny. Let us be aware of this inner process and see the impact of our thoughts on our destiny and the influence of information on our thoughts. Simple formula Information = Destiny. 

Let us take simple scenes of our life and check how we react – Your child has not reached home and phone is not reachable … are thoughts of worry, anxiety and mishap natural? You have worked very hard on an assignment and you get criticism in return … are thoughts of hurt natural? You expect someone to behave in a particular way and they just do not seem to understand … are thoughts of irritation and anger natural? We live in a world where uncomfortable emotions like stress, anger, rejection, hurt, jealousy, resentment are being called natural. This chain of emotions means we are creating a disturbed mind, diseased body and conflicting relationships. 

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message of the day


The one who has the power to face is free from tensions. 

Expression:To be good with those who are good is quite natural, but to be good with those who are bad is known as having the power to face. This naturally comes when there is the power to transform even that which in negative into something positive. When there is the power to face, there is no retaliation, no conflict. There is love given to all around. 

Experience: When I am able to transform and look at each and everything in a positive way, I will not have any difficulty with any situation. I will naturally be able to face all situations in a light and easy way. When I am able to be free from tension in this way, I am also able to give my best and thus become an inspiration for those around me. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thought of the day 26.8.2016

Think Simply

Making it simple means making things easy and clear. The magic wand to wave over your life is 'planning and prioritizing'. Make plans, long and short term and then prioritize. Then practice 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.

Soul Sustenance

Time Management With Ease (Part 3) 

Very often, apart from creating the right type of thoughts, which help in proper time management, what is required is a good balance. I need to check myself whether my time given to different actions is being distributed properly. These actions could be your work, your hobbies, your personal life, your health, your relationships and all other areas of your life. Very often we define success wrongly for ourselves and run after it with the wrong beliefs acquired over a long time. As a result, our time sometimes gets utilized in the wrong way. So, I need to check aspects like which relationships of mine are the most important ones. I need to also check how much importance do I give to my work and to what extent I give it time. Also, is the balance between my personal and professional life okay? I analyze all this, keeping in mind the correct definition of success, which is not only material success, but a content mind and heart. Contentment is inner success and more important than material success. Once I understand my priorities correctly, my time starts flowing in the right direction, in the right manner. 

I need to also check what I may gain or lose in every action of mine in the form of my internal mind’s treasures like peace, love and joy. Suppose I am running after my work ambitions in the search of success, but am I neglecting my relationships, my health or my peace of mind in the process? Also, some relationships may be giving me temporary happiness but are they taking me away from my relationship with God? After all, if my relationship with God is strong, all my other relationships will be successful. The answers to all these and many such similar questions lead me to a good time distribution in my life, also called time management. 

Message of the day

To be free from waste words is to ensure easy success. 

Expression:The one who wastes time and energy in gossip or slander has no time for success. All attention is focussed on picking out the mistakes and the negativity of others and so there is no attention on learning new things or picking out the positive. So there is negativity visible in one's own attitude, words and actions. 

Experience: When I am able to free myself from waste and negative words, I am able to use the resource of my words in a positive and useful way. My words will be for the benefit of all. I would also notice that my words would be filled with the power of positivity and faith, faith in the self and faith in others. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thought of the day 25.8.2016

Ocean of Peace and Silence

It is said that rest is best. Imagine an ocean of peace and silence and plunge into it. Let your mind relax and enjoy moments of tranquility. Free yourself from wasteful thoughts. This is the best type of rest.

Soul Sustenance


Time Management With Ease (Part 2) 

Whenever we are very busy, we need to take a break for a minute or two and talk to ourselves and give ourselves a few positive thoughts. In this way, the negative thoughts will be replaced and reduced in your mind. We need a concentrated mind and intellect to perform actions in a positive manner. E.g. if at a certain point of time, the requirement of your mind is peace, say to yourself - My real nature is peace and I am originally a peaceful being or energy. Also, look at everyone around you and create the simple thoughts - The energy of my peace is spreading to everyone around me and giving peace to them. In a similar manner, if you are stressed because of a relationship, talk to yourself - I am a sweet natured soul and I have to give love to everyone, even if I am not receiving the same from others. You could also think – I am radiating love to my home or my office and changing its atmosphere to a one filled with good wishes and good feelings. 

This can be done for one minute every hour. As explained in yesterday’s message, depending on what you need, create the relevant thoughts. Remember, these thoughts will make your workplace and your home as per what you think and feel. Also, before that happens, your own mind will become just like what you think. Your thoughts will influence your feelings and attitudes accordingly. Relationships will become successful and people will start co-operating with you much more. Also, you will be able to satisfy people much more with your words and actions. 

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message of the day

Bringing newness in dealing with life's situations brings happiness. 

Expression:When there is the desire to find new ways of responding to life's challenges, unhappiness ends which in turn helps to fulfill one's highest potential. All it needs is the determination to adopt a fresh awareness. Thus burdensome thoughts that drain out positive energy are set aside. The quality of life itself becomes better. 

Experience: I experience a lot of happiness when there is newness brought in responding to situations. The potential and the energy of the mind is channelised in a positive way so there is an experience of fulfillment and satisfaction. The mind is not caught up with negative or waste but is busy trying for the best solutions in all situations. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thought of the day 24.8.2016

Relationships

A sensible person knows it is a waste of time and energy to get angry. Effort will then have to be made to reconstruct that relationship. It is much more useful to breathe deeply, pay attention to your attitude and answer without rushing. In this way, improve and strengthen your relationships with others.

Soul Sustenance

Time Management With Ease (Part 1) 

Living a life full of work pressures and deadlines in the present world of busy lifestyles and challenging relationships can be very stressful for many people at times. What should one do to remain free from stress and at the same time keep one’s efficiency at the highest? Whenever one starts a new task, it is important to take care of a few important things. 

E.g. if I am a project leader in my office, I need to analyze, apart from the various tasks of my work, many other aspects. The first and most important aspect is time planning, which means I know exactly how I will complete all the different aspects of the project successfully. I have to do this within the time frame I have at hand. A very important aspect of time planning is how I keep my thoughts as less as possible. This is because the more the thoughts that I have in my mind, the more time it will take me to finish any task. It is commonly experienced that by practicing simple techniques like meditation to silence the mind, work efficiency can be increased. That means more work will get done in less time.A simple method of relaxing the mind is stopping my work after every hour and performing a thought traffic control of the mind. Traffic control means creating few positive thoughts of different types of qualities like peace, love and happiness or even characteristics like success, victory and faith. You can do this for a minute and then continue working. This will keep you focused and charged mentally for the next one hour. This is a principle of the mind and its connection with the body. The more peaceful the non-physical mind, the more efficient the physical body will be in performing actions correctly. 

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message of the day

To be healthy internally is to make the best use of all treasures. 

Expression:A healthy intellect acts like a mother, always showing the right path. When internally one is strong, there is the natural ability to treat the mind with love and guide it towards the right direction. Such a healthy state of mind naturally enables the recognition and the proper utilisation of everything available. 

Experience: Once I have learnt the art of guiding my mind in the right direction with love, I then never experience the difficulty of having to bring back the mind to the right thinking. Because the mind is totally under control in a very easy and natural way and I don't have to control it or force it to think or not to think in a particular way. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thought of the day 23.8.2016

Wise Wealth

There are many words for which we have forgotten the meaning - love is one such word, and wealth is another. When we hear or use the word wealth today we immediately conjure images of huge cheques, large properties, five star holidays and the very best in everything. In fact it is this limited form of wealth, measured and defined essentially by money which blocks the realization and manifestation of true wealth. Every human being is wealthy beyond imagination; but not in their bank accounts. Real wealth is completely intangible, invisible and deeply internal. Every human being is a unique individual spiritual entity. And as such, a source of the most precious energy in the universe. Love is the gold of the soul. We are each that gold at the core of our being. But few of us are aware of it, let alone consciously tapping it and expressing it. No one teaches us that love is what we are, that our purpose in life is to know it, and give it, and that when we do, all other energies, including the material stuff, will come back to us. We are taught instead that love is dead, love is daft, love is for softies, love is sex, loving is losing not winning, love is indulgence, love is about doing deals in our relationships. No wonder we are stressed out. We have a totally distorted view of wealth and an inherited belief system which clouds our view and access to the riches we contain within our heart. No wonder there is spiritual poverty amidst affluence, no wonder the destitute wander streets paved with the riches of their neighbours. No wonder the children in the villages of India have a smile that lights up your soul, while the kids in 'material land' are always miserable with their lot! Are you wealthy, or are you Wealthy?

Soul Sustenance

 Cooking A Meal – Subtle Energies At Work 
(Part 3)! 

The low subtle energy of certain tamsicfoods is an obstacle in the purification of the soul, which is our life objective and they also affect the body negatively on an energy level. So excessive consumption of such foods should be avoided. This is a spiritual principle and given significance by the spiritual minded, based on their experiences, because these foods cause the minds to become agitated and aggressive and even bring the mind under the influence of other negative emotions like greed, attachment, ego and jealousy. You might say why not purify these foods by meditation and then consume them but giving these foods pure emotional energies in the form of subtle vibrations does not transform their inherenttamsic nature so much so as to not have a negative effect on the mind and the body at an energy level. 

Also, along with being selective about your meal menu ingredients, taking into consideration their different natures, it’s important to maintain a higher spiritual consciousness while cooking and having meals. This can be done by mothers by creating positive and peaceful thoughts or by playing a few songs of the spiritual type or even playing soothing meditation tunes while performing the cooking karma. Also, before consuming any food item or even water, spend a few seconds in creating a powerful thought of spiritual self-respect and focus your vision or drishti on the item. In this way, the food or liquid item will be charged with positive vibrations through your eyes and its negative nature, both on a physical as well as spiritual level, will be healed. This is in short a spiritual perspective of cooking and consumption of meals. 

Message of the day

To remain happy is to truly live life. 

Expression:Life has meaning when there is the happiness of living. Everything that happens brings something new. The more the mind is tuned to see and appreciate this truth, there is the happiness that lasts - whatever the situations may be. The one who is constantly happy is able to creatively use all the resources in the right way and also makes others happy. 

Experience: When I am able to maintain my internal state of happiness under all circumstances, I am able to enjoy the beauty of life. I am only able to see the positive in each and everything and also only the specialities and goodness in everyone. I am never let down by situations, people or their reactions, but enjoy everything. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thought of the day 22.8.2016

As Without, So Within


We live in the age of ‘busy’ Busy people not only do a lot, they think a lot. The origins of ‘busy’ are mental. Mental tiredness is a symptom of the self going against the grain of the truth about the self. Being lost in thought, thinking constantly about things to do, what’s been done, what could have been done, what was done wrong, what should have been done but wasn’t, what others did, are doing, should do, must do, is not only tiring and a brilliant way to waste energy, If you would learn to meditate and thereby turn the eye of your attention and awareness within, if you would let your mind be quiet and allow your being to be still, you would rediscover, ‘as without, so within’. You would realize outer space is but a reflection of inner space. Both are vast and infinite spaciousness.

Soul Sustenance

Cooking A Meal – Subtle Energies At Work (Part 2)! 

When cooking a meal, switch on the role of a beautiful creator of the divine sustenance for the mind and body, a loving God Mother and switch off the role of a hard-working homemaker, say to yourself - I love making a meal using the creations of nature, the ingredients that are given to me by the wonders of nature, the elements of nature, so pure in their original state, that they are also given the status of different Gods or deities actually (although being non-living), like Vayu Devta (the god of wind), Surya Devta (the sun god), Indra Devta (the rain god), Agni Devta(the god of fire), Prithvi Devta (the earth god) etc. Nature is also commonly called Mother Nature or Dharti Mata, which reflects its purity, gentleness and softness. These elements reflect all that nature has to offer us through different sources. 

So making a meal is respecting and loving these elements to the fullest. Also, although nature’s elements are eternal, it is important to know that when nature loses its purity, it’s the Supreme Power of the Universe, incorporeal (non-physical) God who purifies them and returns them to their original state. That is why God is mistakenly called the creator of nature, which he is not exactly, although he is a transformer of nature. So the nature’s elements also, when in their pure state, give pure energy to the soul and its temple, the physical body. But, today as we all know, these elements have lost their purity on a physical level i.e. because of causes like pollution, emission of poisonous gases from manufacturing units, deforestation, depletion of the ozone layer, global warming and other man created issues like the use of improper materials to grow vegetables and fruits that are harmful to the physical body; and they have also deteriorated on a subtle energy level, the spiritual energy level. So it’s important to purify your meal ingredients through meditation before their consumption. 

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message of the day

To forgive is to give correction. 

Expression:When there is forgiveness, the harm of the mistake is forgotten. The mistake itself is remembered only to the extent that the correction is to be given. So there are no negative feelings expressed even while giving correction. And the words that are used are few but prove to be very effective. 

Experience: When I learn the art of forgiving I am able to be free from the burden of negative and waste thinking. So there is never any difficulty in giving correction when necessary. The mind is free from the attitudes of the past and it creates harmony in relationships even if the opinions or personalities don't match. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thought of the day 21.8.2016

Anger

Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind.

To be controlled by anger is to repress the soul's original qualities of tolerance and love.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Soul Sustenance


Cooking A Meal – Subtle Energies At Work (Part 1)! 

Mother, what are you making for dinner tonight? Do make something delicious! The ordering children often dictate the menu for a meal to their mothers, hoping for a mouthful. Mothers are often in a hurry to finish their cooking tasks for the day and also eager to fulfill the tastes of their children and other family associates. Often mothers relax at the end of the day after having spent their energies on the minutest details of their meals – the vegetables, the salt, the turmeric, the spices, the oil, the pulses, the wheat flour and the water – taking care that food is prepared precisely, leaving no room for error. The objective – satisfying the palate of everyone and also earning the blessings from the family expressed in the form of many - yummies, wows, lovelies and thank yous. How come,inspite of this warm exterior feel to this family setting, there lie underneath not so warm subtle energies, which prevent the food from being not only pleasing to the tongue and stomach, but also spiritually fulfilling. This is the message of the Supreme’s children, the mothers, wives and even the young sisters and brothers, who cook food at the Brahma Kumaris in different settings - at their homes or at the official spiritual service locations. 

Love filled food, pure vibrational energy filled food is not only healthy, curing ailments but also spiritually, emotionally and mentally soothing, because of the subtle bridges that exist between the body and the non-physical mind causing both of them to influence each other. You have heard of how food cooked by a mother tastes better than the food cooked by a maid. Why? Because of the purity of purpose. The mother is absorbed in the love of her children while working on the meals and the maid cooks because she earns from the task, which she experiences as tedious many times. The mother will cook with a higher purpose which reflects in the food quality and the energy it’s every bite carries invisibly. So food should be cooked in love, but let’s change this to a higher love, say a higher love for God and not the worldly love which carries with it dependencies, attachments, possessiveness and fear. 

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message of the day

Good wishes and pure feelings bring easy success while working at a task. 

Expression:If there are good feelings for both the task and the one who is carrying out the task, then the result attained by those feelings is automatically special. The feeling of giving love and cooperation, no matter what anyone is like gives good wishes and pure feelings. There is a deep impact of such good feelings which transforms others too. 

Experience: When I am able to maintain my own good feelings for others, I am able to enjoy the fruit of my own pure thoughts. I am not disturbed by temporary clashes that I have because of the different nature of the person I am working with, but enjoy working together. So there is also good feelings from the other person too and so there is easy success experienced. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thought of the day 20.8.2016

The Beauty Within

You see behind the masks and beneath the fears to the beauty within every heart.

Soul Sustenance

Temporary And Permanent Sources Of Peace 

It’s a common notion (idea) to think of peace as being closely related to the beauty of nature - the play of waves on a beach, the blowing of wind through a forest, the soaring and swooping of gulls; in short, anything away from the rush and hurry of the city. Alternatively we associate peace with some physical form of relaxation like headphones plugged into soothing music or a brisk walk in the park. In meditation we realize peace to be our very essence (nature); we realize very quickly, trying to extract peace from the world around us or even from some physical sensations in our own bodies gives us only a temporary experience of it. 

Once we start meditating, we start to see physical relaxation as an escape from tension and not a solution for it; and the beautiful scenes of nature now no longer as sources radiating permanent peace. But in fact it is their mere absence of conflict, their harmony of colours, forms and sounds which appeal to us. There is something in each of us which cries out to be free from conflict. We discover that small voice or need is only our true nature demanding to be recognized. We realize that neither the body nor nature can give the peace that the soul was longing for, but it has to be tapped from within. Having found it, it remains constant, whether in the city or countryside, in comfort or discomfort. In the midst of noise and confusion, peace is really our own. 

Message of the day

Mercy means to give support to the ones who are helpless. 

Expression:A negative situation or a person who is in need and is helpless usually stimulates feelings of unhappiness or sorrow. At such a time it becomes very difficult to maintain a positive state of mind. But real mercy is that which gives support through the positive state of one's mind. The more there is the feeling of happiness, others too can be brought to that state of happiness and joy. 

Experience: When I am able to remain happy even in negative situations, I am able to maintain my internal state of calm. And this is the best frame of mind where I am able to see things objectively and in a detached way and I am able to make the right decisions. So I find myself becoming a source of support. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Friday, August 19, 2016

Thought of the day 19.8.2016

Failure

Failure doesn't mean - you'll never make it, it means - it will take a little longer.

Soul Sustenance


Seeing With Spiritual Eyes 

My eyes are the most powerful medium through which I, the soul, not only absorb information from the outside to the inside but also express myself to others from the inside to outside. All that the soul possesses inside it or is made up of in the form of thoughts, feelings, attitudes, positive virtues, even weaknesses, in fact all personality traits, are expressed through my eyes to others and shared with others.As I look towards others, my eyes can be used to shower others with pure love, peace, joy, power etc. and the same eyes, if not used appropriately, can shower others with anger, jealousy, criticism, hatred etc. My eyes also express whatever wisdom or knowledge I possess inside. 

When I stay in the awareness that I am a soul, a spiritual being of subtle light, situated at the center of my forehead, my eyes are used to see others in the same way with a spiritual vision. This leads to my spiritual upliftment. When I stay in the awareness that I am a body, my eyes are used to see others in the same way with a non-spiritual or a body-conscious vision. This brings me down on a spiritual level. A spiritual vision helps me see others with a sense of equality, instead of with feelings of comparison or competitiveness. Usually, on a physical level, I create all sorts of impressions of another person from just one glance through my eyes, about their age, gender, looks, position in society, job, how rich they are, their dressing sense, caste, nationality etc. and many a times, very commonly, I make various assumptions about their personality or behaviour. In the state of soul-consciousness, that changes. Looking out I see souls, and I see them as my brothers, on exactly the same level as me, neither higher, nor lower. A spiritual vision reminds me of the original, positive qualities of each soul, instead of their present personality. It also reminds me thateach soul has incarnated from the soul world to play its various roles through different physical costumes in this unlimited drama on the world stage. Age, gender, appearances, status etc. which are visible to me today are just temporary ones. The same soul has been in the past and will be in the future in different physical costumes or roles, where all these have been and will be different and the same applies to me too. This makes me rise above comparisons and I am no longer judgmental about the other. 

Message of the day

To end waste means to be free from defeat.

Expression:The one with faith in the intellect always remains at a distance from waste, whether it is waste thoughts, waste words or waste actions. To move away from waste means to be victorious. The one who is free from waste is busy with the positive and useful. Such a person is constantly searching for solutions and trying to make the best out of the situation. 

Experience: It is because of waste that I sometimes experience defeat and sometimes victory. If I am able to finish waste, I am able to finish defeat. Because whatever the situation may be, however challenging it may be, if I am able to finish waste I am able to recognise the benefit that is merged within it and so I am able to experience being constantly victorious. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Thought of the day 18.8.2016

Depth of Humility

Humility means to understand the self and through that to understand others as well. Humility is the attitude where a person is not attached to his or her opinion and feelings. Humility is the most natural expression of truth. It helps in better understanding of truth. Humility is the basis for maintaining self-respect. Humility does not mean bowing down and being subservient to others. Humility allows you to see benefit in everything. Developing humility brings a lot of comfort and ease into your life.

Soul Sustenance


Changing Negative Thought Patterns (Part 3) 

To create positive sanskaras, we need to first take the foremost step of determination. Determination means a strong promise to the self that I will change my thought patterns from negative to positive. That is the first realization. Then, we need to select one particular sanskara of weakness that disturbs us and does not let us be powerful. For e.g. if I have the habit of being impatient in difficult situations, then first I need to fill myself with that quality through self-effort. Until I do that, no matter how much I may try to be patient in any situation, because I am lacking the quality at the level of the sanskara and it has not been erased, it will be difficult for me to be patient. Let’s say on a particular day, I am faced with a traffic jam. If I say to myself that all these vehicles on my way should get cleared in the next five minutes, but they take half an hour, will I be able to remain calm in those extra twenty five minutes, which I did not anticipate or expect. So, what I require is patience. If I say to myself, in those twenty five minutes that I have to be patient, will I experience that virtue? I will not unless that virtue is in my sanskara or part of my personality. So, it is like filling myself with a lot of happiness and then I will experience that quality. I cannot say to myself - I am the happiest person that exists in this world and experience happiness alone. I need to first fill myself with that quality and then happiness will come naturally to me. 

So it’s about being natural and not theoretical alone i.e. I should be an embodiment or a practical form of every quality and power and not just repeat inside my mind that I have that quality or power. This applies to all the different qualities and powers which are required in crossing negative situations or circumstances.Meditation fills us with these qualities and powers very easily, because it is a beautiful relationship and connection with the Supreme Source of spiritual energy and power – God, who is full of those qualities and powers and never loses them ever, unlike us, who need to fill ourselves when we lose them. 

Message of the day

Determination fills a thought with power. 

Expression:Any thought which is added with determination automatically brings confidence. This confidence naturally fills the thought with power. When there is the thought, 'I can do it', there is surely the power to do it. Then there are no distractions, nor is there any comparision with others. All resources are put to the maximum use and the task is accomplished. 

Experience: When I am able to fill my positive thoughts with the power of determination, I am able to bring all my special thoughts and plans into action immediately. I am able to feel the satisfaction of bringing equality into my thoughts, words and actions. There is no feeling of helplessness, but there is only confidence and courage in doing what I am supposed to do. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Thought of the day 17.8.2016

Harmony

All things have their time. All things have their answers. All things have their right to be. 
Accepting this reality, all things come into harmony.

Soul Sustenance


Changing Negative Thought Patterns (Part 2) 

A life facing difficult situations requires each one of us to equip ourselves with powers and strengths and not only spiritual wisdom, which is found so much all over the world. You can read spiritual knowledge telling you how to face difficult situations for many years together and yet not be strong enough to face them when they actually come.Spiritual knowledge shows us the path to becoming powerful but the actual spiritual power to change one’s own thinking and thesanskaras which are the source of this thinking will come with strengthening the mind with powerful thoughts and experiences. 

There is no substitute for correct thinking when there is a difficult situation in front of you. You think negatively but try to act according to the spiritual knowledge you have read. That will not make you successful in overcoming the situation as well as your inner habits of creating thoughts of fear, pessimism, hopelessness and impatience will not reduce, although you may temporarily feel positive based on what you have read or learnt. Inner habits are very deep which have been inside the inner spiritual being or soul since many many births. Each time we have performed a negative action or created a negative thought, a sanskara was created based on that thought, word or action. And thatsanskara then caused a similar thought to be created by me and action being committed, again strengthening thesanskara. This is the cycle of repetition. And this cycle keeps having a more and more powerful negative influence on us the more times it is repeated. We need to now change these negative cycles into positive ones.How do we that? We will explain that in tomorrow’s message. 

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message of the day


True victory lies in inspiring courage in others too. 

Expression:The one who is victorious enables others to be victorious too. Such a person will never make the other person seem any less. He will never allow the other person to feel defeated because the one who is victorious is a bestower. He has the ability to give courage to others and fill with hope to achieve something better. 

Experience: When I have the feeling of being victorious, I would naturally want others too to experience the same. I would look for ways to give courage and support to the ones who are losing. This will never let me lose hope in myself or in others and will also win the trust and good wishes of others. So there is a constant experience of being victorious. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Thought of the day 16.8.2016

Journey of Life

Journey of life is exciting when you challenge your own weaknesses. Sometimes your enemy
 teaches you better than your friend.

Soul Sustenance


Changing Negative Thought Patterns (Part 1) 

Experiencing a life full of different types of events, which can be negative at times, can be demanding and also make life a difficult journey of ups and downs. There are some people who like life to be full of stability and even a little bit of instability can cause sorrow to them and also unsettle them. Once upon a time, there was a saint in a far off land who taught people the way of living life in a peaceful and positive manner. There were many people who respected him and looked upto him and approached him to get a glimpse of him and learn the way of right thinking and living from him. Once a follower approached him and asked him a simple question – Why is it that difficult situations in everyday life seem to disturb us a lot inspite of the fact that we make efforts to think positive and remain untouched by them? Tell us a way by which we can turn our mind to a positive direction in the middle of negativity and instability of life. The saint replied and gave him a very simple answer – You look for solutions to problems outside whereas the solutions lie in your thinking and the change you bring in them over a period time. It’s very easy to say to yourself – do not think negatively but it’s another thing to actually do that and not feel the pressure while you do that. The follower was confused and thought to himself that life without the pressure of negative situations is like a sea without water, next to impossible. 

And as we also realize that although we are able to withstand and tolerate situations and it’s not only a few people but all of us try to some extent or the other. Of course, there are some of us who fail completely also. Butmost of us are successful to different extents in feeling joyful and light when negative situations surround us while there are some who may not be joyful when they face a difficult situation but can nonetheless be serious and stable and also free of too many negative thoughts and thoughts of a weak nature. 

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message of the day

To bring newness into actions means to contribute for the betterment of the self and others. 

Expression:There is a constant desire to do something better that makes a contribution to oneself and to others too. So the one who thinks of newness can bring about such a contribution. There will not be something different that can be done. But the same thing can be done in such a way that there is benefit visible. 

Experience: When I am able to bring newness in the way I do things, I am able to experience constant progress. There will also be the satisfaction of bringing about newness and creativity even in ordinary actions. Along with this will also be the satisfaction of making a contribution in every action of mine. 


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Monday, August 15, 2016

Thought of the day 15.8.2016

Changing Times

 
It is wise to bend rather than to break. Those who change will get spiritual wisdom. Conversely, those who have wisdom will decide to change. Change is the first law of Nature. In fact, change is the mark of Time.