The Benefits Of Meditation

The Benefits Of Meditation

love and happiness

meditation gives the intellect the power to select those positive
sanskaras which lead to the higher emotions, calm and clear thoughts, and
the pure desire to enjoy life in such a way that no sorrow is experienced for
the self and no sorrow is given to others.

The practitioner of meditation calms the mind and experiences sanskaras
which in most people surface only occasionally as they are deeper than the
superficial (shallow) memories of worldly experiences.

These are the pure
and powerful sanskaras relating to the original nature of the soul - peace,
purity, power and contentment. Consciousness (the soul) has the same
property as light; a powerful force with distinct qualities yet having no
gravitational mass. In fact, the only pull or burden on the soul is the
result of its own impure thoughts and negative actions.

The practitioner of meditation calms the mind and experiences sanskaras
which in most people surface only occasionally as they are deeper than the
superficial (shallow) memories of worldly experiences.

 These are the pure
and powerful sanskaras relating to the original nature of the soul - peace,
purity, power and contentment.

Consciousness (the soul) has the same
property as light; a powerful force with distinct qualities yet having no
gravitational mass. In fact, the only pull or burden on the soul is the
result of its own impure thoughts and negative actions.

                                 love and happiness

When the above mentioned original sanskaras are experienced then love
and happiness are also experienced automatically.

After some regular
practice, the practitioner has the intellectual power to consciously emerge

these sanskaras into daily life at any time. In a situation which would lead
most people to experience negative moods or emotions such as fear,
depression, anxiety, boredom, fatigue, hatred or aggression

the practitioner becomes detached and emerges the inner powers of
contentment and tranquility (peacefulness). This of course is beneficial not
only for the self but also to others.

When I am able to maintain a balance between being master
and a child, I am able to experience constant happiness I am able to put
forth my creative ideas with confidence. Yet I am not upset when someone
criticizes my ideas. On the contrary, I am constantly learning and moving
forward. So I constantly experience success.

To have the right balance means to know when to be a master
and when to be a child. When one gives an idea or makes a contribution, it
is as a master - with total authority. But while the idea is heard by others
and is being criticized I become a child. There is no attachment to the idea,
but the mind is open to receive new thoughts in order to enrich what is
already there.

Energy is neither created nor destroyed, but transformed into other energy forms.

Energy follows a direction in its constant movement. In a

spontaneous way, it tends to go from a concentrated state into a state of

expansion. For example, after a while a full glass of hot water goes cold.

This is a law of physics according to which all things tend to go from a highenergy

state to a low-energy state. Applying these principles to the area of

our conscience, our thoughts and feelings, we can discover similarities to

these laws. When our thoughts (which are metaphysical (non physical)

energy are focused on the outermost layers of our conscience, towards the

external world (objects, possessions, people and so on), our creative

capacity decreases, weakening us on entering into this expansion and not

having sufficient power (concentrated energy) to take on negative

situations and circumstances that we are faced with.

On the other hand, if we focus on our intrinsic, original and genuine
qualities (peace, love, power) we accumulate more energy and our inner
strength can grow. This means that we are capable of creating, of having
more willpower and, therefore, strengthening our self-esteem. Positive
thoughts are a high-frequency vibration that transports a great deal of
concentrated energy, capable of influencing the atmosphere and the
consciences of other people in a subtle way, transforming any negative
vibrations. 

Negative thoughts are a low-frequency vibration that causes the
energy to become dissipated. They weaken and block communication. They
destroy harmony (peace).

Since the relationship
between soul and body is intimate and powerful, anything the body
experiences (be it intake of food or contact with physical world) will
affect the soul. If the environment I live in is physically and
spiritually pure, it is easier for me to increase my soul power.

Many of us don't like to be 'superstitious' but in some way or
the other we all tend to believe in the influence of objects, omens,
places or destiny... An intellectual mind usually discards such notions
saying nothing external can really influence the human spirit. However,
spirituality shows us a balanced approach: although nature and physical
objects/places are inanimate, the thoughts and feelings experienced by
human souls permeate the environment and remain.

                                                    

 Stop, Listen and Decide

When making decisions it's important to listen to your heart, your conscience, your intuition. It's also useful to look to others for inspiration. Keep an open mind when listening to the advice of others but follow your heart. Others may have an interesting perspective, but it's your life. At the end of the day, you and only you are responsible for all your decisions.

Inner peace and love

           

           

Inner peace and love

 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. 

 The immediate influence of any spiritual practice like meditation is on the quality of my thoughts. The quality of my thoughts is then reflected in my dayto-day actions. As the quality of my actions improves, it starts influencing my thoughts positively and the quality of my spiritual practice also starts improving.

How to find inner peace within yourself

                     know yourself

The soul has five primary qualities; we could say they are the primary colours of humanity with which we paint the picture of our lives.

 Peace

This is the original quality of the soul. Peace is serenity, the personal inner state of non-violence. In this state of peace, I harmonize with everything and everyone around me. The word shanti means peace, and it is this thought (or word) we use as the key step in meditation.

 Purity

A state of honesty and cleanliness where I am the same inside and outside, not deceiving either myself, or others. Consequently, there is no room for artificiality. Purity is the state of original truth where no violence is committed against others, nor can violence be committed against me. When the self is in its original purity, others cannot damage or destroy it, even if they try, because there is a natural aura of protection that acts as an invisible barrier. When I achieve this level of purity, it means I respect all things. 

Love 

This is the original quality of the soul. Peace is serenity, the personal inner state of non-violence. In this state of peace, I harmonize with everything and everyone around me. The word shanti means peace, and it is this thought (or word) we use as the key step in meditation.

 Knowledge

 To know and to be what I am eternally and truly, and to exist in this consciousness, is what we mean by knowledge. It is not knowing about the soul, peace, love, etc., but rather knowing is to be the soul, to be peace, to be love. This quality of true knowing is expressed through 'I am', the original awareness of the self that exists beyond the false self of ego. 

Happiness and power

 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.

 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.

Self love and inner peace

  To find yourself, allow your mind to become quiet, to become utterly tranquil. In the quiet depths of every being, there is a stillness that contains a deep inner peace and wisdom that can guide you in your life.

                                                     

Being lost in thought, thinking about things to do, what's been done, what could have been done... is not only tiring but also a brilliant way to waste energy. It diminishes your peacefulness and clouds your clarity. Every time you become lost in thought it means exactly that - you are lost!

Simplicity is usually considered as being plain and with no decoration. So when we think of simplicity we are not so attracted towards it. We tend to make a lot of effort to colour ourselves with a lot of other things from the outside which then become part of our personality. But in this process we tend to lose touch with our innate purity and innocence. So we are not able to express this beauty.

 Simplicity means complete purity. It is to be egoless and also to be free from every kind of negativity. So when we come back to our original purity and simplicity we are able to express our innate beauty and strength. Since we are natural, whatever we are doing, wherever we are, we will be able to express this natural nature.

When you are in peaceful mind

Factors That Bring Us Closer To Success

* Focus

 * Performing all karmas with love and happiness.
 * Giving the maximum of yourself in everything you do.
 * Creativity.
* Thoughts and actions in tune with each other.
* Appreciation and blessings (good wishes) from others.
 * Gratitude toward oneself and others.
* High self-esteem.
 * Constancy.
* Courage and determination.
* Integrity and honesty.
* Self-acceptance and acceptance of others.
* Believing in what you do, regardless of external factors.
 * Responsibility.
 * Dedication, determination and tranquility.
 * Being positive in the face of adversities (negative circumstances)
. * Being consistent with your values.
 * Precision in decisions and choices.

Know yourself in simple way by bk shivani

Spiritual Practices With Actions 

 The immediate influence of any spiritual practice like meditation is on the quality of my thoughts. The quality of my thoughts is then reflected in my dayto-day actions. As the quality of my actions improves, it starts influencing my thoughts positively and the quality of my spiritual practice also starts improving.

When I really understand this, it becomes clear that the right way to live is to marry both these sides within my life - meditation and practical life, marry the process of improving the quality of my thoughts with my actions, because both are interconnected with each other

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

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

Put into
 Practice                        

When we hear something new and worthwhile from someone, we naturally get the feeling to bring that into our practical life. But it is then soon forgotten and doesn't become part of our life. It remains theory in our mind, and after sometime we are not inspired by it anymore.

We either don't have courage or discouraged with our past experiences. We can bring something we know into practice, only when we are able to experience it at some point. For this we need to make a plan to actually find a space for what we know to come into practice. When we start even mechanically, that particular point brings experience in our lives. Then we are naturally further experiment with it. 

Importance of meditation in our life

Importance of meditation in our life

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.

How do you meditate for 10 minutes?

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.

  How do you meditate at home?

     The soul needs strength to deal effectively with day to day situations, as demanding as they are, and yet be able to pack up useless thoughts; to be able to take time out for itself, to store the power of peace from the Ocean of Peace. If the soul does not recharge itself it will lose the courage and enthusiasm. We need the strength to continue the fight for right, even though the forces of wrong grow strong.

If God were literally omnipresent and thus in every atom, where is this love, peace, joy and wisdom? Are they present in every atom in this human world?

If God is present inside me, how could ignorance have come to me in the first place?

 Can ignorance come to God? If God is omnipresent to where or to whom do I turn my thoughts?

 Just as a radio transmitter emanates waves throughout the world and a receiver, if tuned in,

 will pick them up, so too if the mind is tuned totally to the material world and physical activities, then I am unable to experience God practically in my daily life. Even though He always radiates His qualities, I can only pick up those transmissions if I am soul-conscious and if I turn my thoughts in His direction to His location.

 If God were omnipresent, there would be no meaning to the tradition throughout all cultures to have special places set aside (e.g. temples and churches) for worship. In those special places, is God more omnipresent than in other non-sacred places? If God were omnipresent, are the ones who are so-called "God-realized beings" more "God" than the ones who have not realized? 

Determination fills a thought with power.

 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 comparison with others. All resources are put to the maximum use and the task is accomplished. 

 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. 

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Importance of meditation for students

Understanding The True Self And The False Self.

 The illusory (false) self is made up of desires that, even when fulfilled, fail to add value, or a sense of worth to the self. In fact, quite the opposite process happens.

 Let us examine some of these illusions and how they give us a mistaken sense of value.

 Illusion (False emotion): Ego
 Thought: I know, I am
 Result: Arrogance, inflexibility, controlling others 

Illusion (False emotion): Greed
 Thought: I want, I need
 Result: Emptiness, wanting, dissatisfaction

Illusion (False emotion): Anger
 Thought: I expect 
Result: Force, aggression

Illusion (False emotion): Lust
 Thought: I desire
 Result: Exploitation, misuse, emotional dependence

Illusion (False emotion): Attachment 
Thought: I own, It's mine 
Result: Insecurity, possessiveness, jealousy

When you live with an awareness of your inner being, then your qualities of peace, love and happiness shine like light

When you're light, others experience warmth and radiance that enlightens their own path.

Make sure you understand what causes you to become heavy. Then find quick and easy methods to lighten yourself. And then try to maintain this lightness.

Scientists have learned a lot about our physical functioning, but most admit that what actually keeps a human being alive is a mystery not completely solved

 Rising above being just a product of chemical and electrical activity in the brain, as believed by many of us, spirituality orients me and trains me to come close to my real self, my spiritual self. Before I was a stranger to my own self, unaware of what is going inside my consciousness and distant from my own self.

The first step in coming close to myself is that I learn to use the energy of my mind in the most effective way possible. For this, I decide to find a place where, each day, I can sit for a few minutes without interruptions, in order to focus on the self and explore the inner world of the creations of the mind - my thoughts, feelings, attitudes and emotions.

 In the teachings of meditation
 the mind, which gives rise to my thoughts, feelings, attitudes and emotions, is seen as a faculty of the soul, not the body.

 It is rather like the difference between a television set and the movies seen on that set. The movies originate in the minds of the directors, not in the television set itself. The television set is just a medium for displaying the movies.

 So it is with all these four creations (thoughts, feelings, attitudes and emotions). These originate in the non-physical consciousness and not in the physical brain.

 The brain is just a processor of them and the body is a medium via which all four are displayed or brought onto expressions, physical gestures, words and actions. When I realize this, and really understand this difference, it very empowering.

 I am then able to use the power of discrimination to make choices between thoughts, feelings, attitudes and emotions that are useful and empowering for myself and others, and those that bring me down.

 

   

True royalty lies in humility.

True royalty lies in humility.

The one who is humble never reacts but responds in the right way to situations or challenges. Thus there is royalty visible in all words, actions and behaviour. So there is newness visible in the way of responding to situations. 

: When I am humble I am able to be beyond the influence of praise and defamation. This is because I am stable in the state of my selfrespect. Also because of this I am able to bring about newness and I am able to be creative in responding to situations too. 

Inculcating Powers Through Rajyoga Meditation - The Power To Discriminate 

Meditation gives me a discriminating eye - an ability to discriminate between truth and falsehood. It does this by helping me maintain a consciousness that helps me rise above competing claims to truth - the different ideologies and opinions, reasons and analyses, justifications and stories related to a situation - which can be so confusing. 

The image of discrimination is the jeweler, who, with the help of his eyeglass, sorts out real diamonds from false. Meditation opens my third eye, the eye of pure consciousness. When I look at the world through this eye, truth is not just an intellectual idea, but an experience of the heart. When I think and act in ways that maintain and deepen this experience of truth, I know I am moving in the right direction. Conversely, I discover that thoughts and behaviours that cloud or hide the experience of truth are coming from falsehood, no matter how much I or others may try to justify them. So, meditation gives me a reliable basis for discriminating the value in different courses of action: will this help me recover my truth, or take me further into falsehood? Will it maintain the flow of love, peace and happiness in my heart, or will it cause a blockage? Previously, I may have been easily swayed by other people's demands and opinions, or by illusory ways of thinking arising from my own negativity. Like a good lawyer, the intellect is very clever at arguing its case, regardless of where the truth may lie. But, when truth is experienced in and from the heart, there is no arguing with it. Deeply experienced truth clears my mind of irrelevancies created due to possessiveness, greed, desires and ego. As I learn to create pure, positive thoughts, and connect with the divine, it is as though a flow of clear, fragrant water gradually displaces the mud and rubbish in my intellect, enabling me to see reality or truth again. 

Maintaining Positivity

When we feel ourselves to be surrounded by violence, suffering and pain, we find it difficult to sustain hope. We need to understand the causes of that suffering, to go to the root that brings it into being, since only thus will we be able to keep the light of hope on. Understand that pain is a sign that indicates to us that something has to change. If your tooth didn't hurt you wouldn't go to the dentist nor would you realize that something in your tooth isn't working. In the same way, emotional and mental pain suggests to us that something is not right. Understanding the signs that suffering brings us helps us to accept the causes of the pain and to generate the power to transform or change it. Out of understanding, acceptance and being willing to change, we relieve the pain and keep hope alive.

 In spite of all the international, national, local, family and personal conflicts that there may be, there are many positive things to be happy about. There are more and more people becoming aware of the importance of personal development, and of taking care of oneself on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level. There is a list of positive things and situations to be happy about. Be grateful for and discover the benefit that there is behind everything that happens. All of it helps you to strengthen hope in yourself, in others and in humanity.

Free from Weaknesses

The normal reaction to negative situations (situations that hold a threat for me) is to react with negativity (with my weakness). But the problem with such a reaction is that each time I use my weakness it only gets further strengthened, and becomes a part of my nature. I need to remind myself that only when I free myself from my weaknesses can I bring benefit to myself or to others. This thought will enable me to constantly check myself and put in constant effort to change myself too in overcoming my weaknesses. 

Take Time to Laugh

Take time to laugh, it is the music of the soul. Take time to think, it is the source of power. Take time to read, it is the fountain of wisdom. Take time to love and be loved, it is a God-given privilege. Take time to work, it is the price of success.

Peace, Love and Happiness

The Search for Peace, Love and Happiness

We are constantly searching for true values. In consciousness we mistakenly think that the physical world and physical relations can provide us peace, love and happiness. However peace, love and happiness are not the properties of matter, nor of the physical identity, but the true properties or characteristics of the soul. This has to be realized. 

Imagine a scene in which you are surrounded by all your favourite things; food, music, fragrance, scenery and companions. Just about to enjoy your meal, the telephone rings and you are told that a person close to you has just died. Instantly, that scene of "favourites" melts into a distasteful and superficial experience. Something has happened that shakes the soul and it can no longer enjoy those things. At the same time it finds itself powerless in the face of the bad news as understanding and power are missing. Life is full of experiences such as this and it becomes clear that physical things are not the sources of peace, love and happiness, but that understanding and inner strength are. 

One of the basic facts of human psychology is that we do not seek or desire something that has not been experienced previously. For example, if one has never tasted a mango, there cannot be a burning desire to have a mango. This suggests that desires might be arising from previous life experiences. In fact, it is impossible for a human being to act or desire outside the field of his or her own experience. The search for peace, love and happiness is so fundamental to the human spirit because these are the original and true qualities of the soul itself.

Life is a Work in Progress

Life is not something that can be rushed

Things take time, lots of patience and hard work.
 It is a continual process of learning. 

Build upon each lesson to constantly refine who you are,
what you do and how you do it.

Understanding The True Self And The False Self 

The illusory (false) self is made up of desires that, even when fulfilled, fail to add value, or a sense of worth to the self. In fact, quite the opposite process happens.

 Let us examine some of these illusions and how they give us a mistaken sense of value.

 Illusion (False emotion): Ego
 Thought: I know, I am
 Result: Arrogance, inflexibility, controlling others

 Illusion (False emotion): Anger
 Thought: I expect
 Result: Force, aggression

 Illusion (False emotion): Attachment
Thought: I own, It's mine
 Result: Insecurity, possessiveness, jealousy 

Illusion (False emotion): Greed
Thought: I want, I need
Result: Emptiness, wanting, dissatisfaction

 Illusion (False emotion): Lust
 Thought: I desire
 Result: Exploitation, misuse, emotional dependence 

These are the five fires that burn away the quality of human life: uncontrolled emotions that once, in their original pure state, gave happiness and peace to the individual but now create only emptiness and sorrow. 

To have the awareness of being God's instrument is to bring about a positive change.

 When there is the awareness of being an instrument of God, there would be the desire to do the best and be the best. So each and every thing I do would be for the improvement for the self. Due to this there would be divinity and speciality seen in everything that is done. This would also bring the awareness of all the resources and they would also be used in a worthwhile way. 

 When I am aware of my own role and what I contribute through my specialities, I recognize the fact that I am a beautiful instrument of God. This awareness naturally helps me be in my state of self-respect under all circumstances. I find myself giving my best and making myself more and more beautiful within. So I find that I am able to bring about a positive change with great ease. 

Being A Good Transformation Agent

Often, we feel ourselves to be victims of different factors that seem to direct the course of our life without us being able to control them. The world does not seem to dance to our music and our will, and we feel ourselves to be victims because things do not work out or are not as we want. Therefore, we give up and decide to resign ourselves to this reality; to be victims of it and observe passively (non-actively), resisting what comes, getting frustrated and bad-tempered. However, we could position ourselves in another way: being transformation (change) agents (the ones who are able to change the external factors like people or situations) by creating a different reality. To do so we have to change our perception. Also, it is necessary to strengthen our capacity to tolerate, accept, let go and forget. Tolerance here also refers to understanding, love and compassion (kindness). Not to put up with people or things, but to remain above them, to go beyond them; to co-operate with trust and motivation. It is difficult for us to tolerate because we have expectations and pre-conceived ideas of how others should act and be. Then we create negative feelings towards them because they are not like that or don't act in the manner that we want. This makes our relationship with them difficult.
 

When your vision towards others is positive, you see their qualities, their efforts and their values instead of their defects and their errors. You are open to listening to them and to understanding their intentions. That way it is easier to have good feelings towards them. Basing ourselves on a positive and objective vision and on good feelings, we do not have to put up with, or even tolerate the other - the relationship becomes streamlined.

Count your Blessings!

What a great blessing it is to have God as a friend, with a heart so trusting you may safely bury all your secrets in it, who can relieve your cares by His conversations, your doubts by His counsels, your sadness by His good humor and whose very looks give you comfort.

Accuracy brings perfection and speciality in all that is done.

 To be accurate means to take up full responsibility for every task and do it to the best of one's ability. That means all resources that one has are used in the best possible way for the best result of the task. This naturally brings perfection in everything that is done.

  When I am accurate in everything I do I am able to be free from carelessness and negligence. I find myself bringing specialty and uniqueness in what I do. For having done things with accuracy, I also find myself becoming trust-worthy and I am also able to be satisfied with myself.

Take time to laugh, it is the music of the soul. Take time to think, it is the source of power. Take time to read, it is the fountain of wisdom. Take time to love and be loved, it is a God-given privilege. Take time to work, it is the price of success.

Self Transformation

Self Transformation

Meditation is an attempt to find the true self. It is this self which holds the identity of what I am, an identity which, when realized, gives fulfillment and direction to our life. This is what we call the consciousness of I am, which emerges in meditation when there is concentration on the present and we focus on the now of I am, rather than the past, or the future (I was, or I will be). To remind us of this state, we use the word ‘Om’, which means I am a soul, the spiritual identity that acts as a key to human consciousness. As we find and realize the true self through meditation, we become aware of the false self and how deeply embedded it is in our lives, both in our way of thinking and being.

 When we understand this illusory (false) self then we can begin the process of dissolving its negative effects on the original or true self.

The method to bring about a permanent change is to bring about newness in thinking. 

 To bring about a permanent change for the better means getting the mind trained to new ways of looking at the same situation. Only with this new understanding will there be a new response. Trying to bring about change in a superficial way will not bring about a long-lasting change. 

 When I train my mind to think creatively I'm able to keep my mind busy. In this way I'm able to free it from thinking negative and waste. Also I find myself enjoying every scene that comes in front of me and I also find myself constantly progressing. 

Strength of Character

Observe how easily the day would pass if you were able to move freely without being affected by the negative attitude of others. Imagine how much you can accomplish if you were able to remain constantly in a calm and peaceful state rather than fluctuating up one minute then down the next. Every time you lose happiness and go down, just see how much energy is needed to take yourself up again. If you learn to remain constant, not only is energy saved but you will find that your mental strength increases and of course with mental strength and stability come the development and maturity of character. Strength of character depends upon my ability to remain unaffected by adverse circumstances. 

Inculcating Powers Through Rajyoga Meditation - The Power To Tolerate 

Real tolerance is a state in which, firstly, I have to go inside and check how I can contribute positively to a difficult situation. If the difficult situation requires me to mould my own behavior, I have to be open about that and respond accordingly.

 Secondly, real tolerance requires understanding and humility in the self and sympathy towards others: realizing that at the deepest level, everyone's original qualities are love, peace and happiness and everyone wishes to experience these qualities and live with them and that when we behave badly towards one another, it's because we are suffering from a loss of these qualities, a loss which is temporary. That doesn't mean I have to invite another person to continue to insult me, or deliberately expose myself to negative situations. But if I happen to be in a situation where there is continuous insult or assault, understanding will contribute to my power to tolerate and accept it or walk away from it in peace.

Thirdly, real tolerance is that state of contentment, which comes only through the relationship with the Supreme, in which there is no impact from the assaults, other than to cause a response inside me of wanting to give, like the fruit tree (explained earlier). Forgiveness is the healing balm for an intolerant nature. When we move very far away from God, our tolerance level reduces. The nature we express becomes that of wanting, taking, needing, rather than our original nature, which is of giving and forgiving.

Letting Go of Mistakes

When you make a mistake, learn from it, resolve not to repeat it and then let it go. Do the same with others. Instead of making their mistakes bigger, dissolve them in your mind. This will help the other person to let go of their mistakes

Inculcating Powers

For most people today, if someone insults them, they'll immediately become angry or upset in return, so the situation not only remains unresolved but in fact becomes more complicated. Those who are virtuous may be able to remain content and smile for a while, responding with patience, but repeated insults and repeated efforts by the other person to bring them down will tire them until the 

point come where their tolerance levels are crossed and they will react.

If however, through my power of spirituality and meditation, I am receiving immense amount of strength from the Supreme Being, my heart will remain open and I won't count how many times the other person has harmed or insulted me. This may sound extremely difficult and may look like an impossible thing to do. Meditation, however, makes the impossible possible. Meditation gives me an experience of a very deep, personal relationship with the Supreme and helps me keep the Supreme as my constant companion, which gives me such power. It's immensely useful for anyone then to move towards that goal.

True tolerance is made possible by openness and acceptance. It doesn't mean clenching my teeth and carrying on, come what may. Suppression of my feelings can cause me internal, physical as well as emotional damage, and end in an outburst which can damage others too.

The power of determination brings all thoughts into practice.

The power of determination brings all thoughts into practice.

There are a lot of thoughts that come into the mind that should come into practice immediately. These thoughts come according to the demands of time or according to the kind of people that one comes into contact with. But the only way to bring all these thoughts into practice is to use the power of determination. Where there is determination there is the commitment to use all the resources for the realization of that thought.

  When I am able to use the power of determination, I am able to realize my inner potential and use it in the right way. So I am able to experience constant progress, because all my thoughts are for my own self progress and all these thoughts naturally come into practice. I never give up anything with temporary setbacks but am able to do everything for the constant progress of the self.

A Temple 

You live in a body and that has to be known, not physiologically, as a machine, but spiritually, as a temple. When you know it physiologically, you cure it with chemicals; when you know it spiritually you cure it with thought. And when its health is based on thought, it becomes a thought; it becomes a source of health to others - a refuge. When its health is based on medicine, it becomes an attraction to others and so a trap.

The Eternal World Cycle

This world is a vast amphitheater of action in which souls, in their respective bodies, play their various parts. Planet Earth exists in an extremely tiny portion of the physical universe and is governed by welldefined physical, chemical and biological laws.

 In India, the world, which we inhabit, is called karma kshetra (the field of action), because it is here that we sow the seeds of actions and reap their fruits. It is here that the soul takes on flesh and bones and expresses the role that it has hidden within itself, causing variations in the material environment. The state of the material world at any given moment is a direct reflection of the state of consciousness of the human beings, which inhabit it. If there is peace and harmony within the soul this is reflected in nature. If there is conflict and confusion, nature responds accordingly.

 It is a world of three dimensions of space and one of time. Its principal characteristics are sound, movement, colour and form. On this immense stage of deserts, forests, mountains and seas; illuminated by the sun, moon and stars; the world drama is enacted. In the drama, the actor-souls move from pleasure to pain, purity to impurity, happiness to sorrow, new to old, positive to negative. A point is finally reached when the process is renewed i.e. all souls and the elements of matter are purified by the Supreme Soul and they move back to their points of origin, only to start again. This is called the eternal world cycle. 

The Power To Tolerate 

Visualize a tree with lots of fruits hanging from its branches. When I throw a stone at it, what does it do? It bends its branches low and offers its sweet fruit to me. I enjoy eating the fruit, which gives me inner satisfaction. What happens as a result? My respect for the tree increases. 

. This is a beautiful image of the power of tolerance and I have lots to learn from it. It shows me that if I want to imbibe the characteristics of the tree, I must become full of the fruits of the spiritual attainments from the Supreme Soul. When I am filled internally with fruits like joy, love, wisdom, beauty and peace through spiritual knowledge and meditation; even when the stones of difficult circumstances come my way I'll still be able to respond positively and creatively, with courage and humility. If I'm empty, the stones will injure me, and I'll react with anger or fear or ego or some other negative emotion.

Also, although many stones have injured me in the past, I must remove any hurt in my heart, which may have developed as a result of injuries experienced from them, when I did not have the Supreme Soul with me. These will prevent me from sharing the unlimited fruit made possible by the company of the Supreme. 

Real tolerance means tolerating with pleasure and not with stress. It does not just mean putting up with a difficult situation, and at the same time counting how many times I have had to tolerate it. Tolerance means that no matter what stones come my way, I realize completely that those throwing them are souls not full of attainments, and so my duty is to continue to share my internal attainments with them. 

A Thinker

Who are you that lives in the body? You are a thinker, and what you think creates the atmosphere in the 'temple', and the atmosphere determines how much love there is in your life. A poor thinker in a smart machine attracts friendship with a motive; a rich thinker in a temple attracts love. And the love that you attract today is the foundation of your future, so though it is earned slowly, its depth is worth it.

Meditation– A Process Of Renewal (Recharging)

Meditation is an internal process of renewal (recharging) and liberation. When you control the process of moving through the following states of consciousness: choose a response, detach yourself and go beyond; 

You get back the spiritual power, which was trapped or hidden. You learn to channel your energy in order to unblock yourself. You control better what you think and you think better. You free yourself of bad feelings, bad energies and bad influences.

 On the one hand, you have to learn to generate positivism; on the other, you have to learn to protect yourself from energies that are unhealthy, sick, weakening, on an emotional level. Meditation helps to do this, to digest situations when they have to be digested and not to consume what they offer when it is not necessary. On a physical level, if you know that something will make you ill, you don't eat or consume it. On the level of relationships, you learn not to allow certain situations, scenes or words to influence you. That way you stay renewed (recharged) and your energy flows without blockages. 

Power of Silence

Power of Silence

Sometimes you are trying to remember something, its within your reach, on the tip of your tongue, but it is just isn't coming out. Everyone around is suggesting something or trying to help, but in reality not helping at all. You wish for a moment of silence, so that you can dive into your memory bank, for you know that is the only way you will be able to remember. This is the power of silence in action. Many, not recognizing its power, do not value it. They turn their heads away from the thought of a few moments of silence. They feel it a punishment.

 When we find our thoughts moving in many directions because of external demands on our attention, we need to stop, take a rain check on everything and experience silence. This power of silence is essential when we want to plan for the future; we should silence unnecessary thoughts and think of a point in question. So when you get an opportunity of a moment's silence, don't waste that precious moment. Use it to store the strength within that is so necessary for dealing with the world without.

The one who is calm and cool is the one who makes the right decisions.

 The natural nature of the human mind is to come under pressure and tension during negative situations. When there is a challenging situation, there is naturally the tendency to find it difficult to maintain an inner state of calm. But the one who has the ability to go within and find the inner calm is able to be clear in thinking and is able to make the right decisions. 

When I am able to experience the inner state of calm, I am able to be clear in my thinking. With this clarity I find the right decisions and solutions emerging very naturally within my mind. I will never have the difficulty of having to make decisions, but all decisions are made with ease and they are right too. 

Carrying Feelings Experienced In Meditation Into My Interactions

If I keep close contact with my internal self, to check what my feelings are like and I maintain the ‘meditative’ awareness at many moments during the day, even if it is for very short periods of time, I will find that the good feelings I have experienced through conscious choice, in meditation, I carry them with me into my interactions with others. Then, in any exchange, although the other person's thoughts, words or actions may not be as I would like them to be, I'll be better equipped to maintain a good feeling towards that individual, and towards myself.

 For example, I meditate in the morning and then leave home and find myself in a situation in the office where two of my colleagues are arguing over an issue. When I try and intervene, one of them gets aggressive with me as well, but the feelings of peace I experienced in my meditation a couple of hours ago are still with me, using which I do not reacting angrily or fearfully. In fact, if my peace is powerful enough, it will make the other one also peaceful.

 So the key is to emerge and collect positive feelings through meditation at regular intervals during the day. And then become a donor of positive feelings to negative situations as discussed above is an invaluable achievement. It is good for my own wellbeing, and for contributing to the creation of a peaceful atmosphere wherever I am, whenever required. 

Be Punctual 

 Be punctual. To arrive early, or right on time, is a sign of respect for yourself and others

. By being punctual you reduce your stress levels and avoid causing inconvenience to others. 

The key is planning. Allow extra time in your preparations and for any delays.
 Remember, getting ready, even locking the door, catching the lift, walking to the car, the tube... all takes time

. Maybe, the secret to punctuality is as simple as waking up when you're supposed to wake up! 

Love creates the right environment for others' positive growth.

Love creates the right environment for others' positive growth.

 Where there is love, a natural environment for others' growth is created. Love gives the ability to perceive the positivity in others and gives the encouragement to others to bring about that positivity and use it for the benefit of the self and others.

   When I have love for others, along with perceiving their specialties, I am also able to recognize and use my specialties and inner powers more and more. Knowing and using these specialties is naturally for the benefit of those around me. This gives me an inner experience of power which makes me a constant giver and a support for those around me.

Love

Live in such a way that love informs every action! When we have learned to live like this, nothing will disturb us. Our contentment and good feelings towards others remain constant. We become free. The power to live like this comes from inside, not from outside. That is why we stay free, with no expectations from others, no frustrations. To live like this requires us the let go of certain beliefs and habits that drain us from this strength and interfere with our ability to love. Sometimes they become so deep-seated in us, that we are not aware of its presence.

The Circle of Influence and Worry

Make a list of the things that worry you most and decide if they are in your circle of influence or worry. Think about what you can really do to have an influence on each of them in an effective way. By determining which of these two circles is the centre around which most of your time and energy revolves, you can discover a great deal about your level of positivity. Positive people focus on the things they can do something about. If necessary, they change their attitude. They are aware that perhaps they cannot change the circumstances but they can improve their inner attitude. This is what positive focusing is all about: being creative, thinking differently, being open to listening, being more understanding, more communicative and showing more solidarity. Reactive people focus on the problems of the circle and on the circumstances about which they have no control. They react to the defects found in other people. From this worrying, accusations, destructive criticism, feelings of blame, a reactive language and feelings of weakness and frustration can arise. They want others or the circumstances to change first and when that happens, then they will change. Whenever they think that the problem is on the outside, this thought is the problem. The negative energy produced as a result of this approach, combined with the lack of attention to the areas in which they could do something to improve the situation, means that the area of influence decreases in size. They give power to what is external so that it dominates them. In other words they think that change must come from "outside towards the inside"; they think that something that is outside must change before they themselves change. 

If a good driver, while driving a car is distracted by the negative and disturbing scenes which he comes across and his attention is pulled in many different directions, he will make his journey unsafe increasing the probability of meeting with accidents. When the same principles are applied to the soul and the body, I also need to take care that, while traveling on the road of life, I am not distracted by scenes that are not useful to me e.g. when looking out through my eyes and I don't have to take in all the images, scenes and information along the way, otherwise I may meet with an accident. When listening through my ears, I don't have to take in all the words and everything that people say, otherwise I may meet with an accident. I can choose to take in what is useful for me, but I do not have to register distracting, negative and harmful images and words. Just like a driver, I see and understand situations, too I keep my eyes and ears open - it would be unsafe to ignore them completely, I need to be aware of them - but I look only for the positive in them, so that I remain focused and am not deflected from my goal of experiencing inner contentment and bliss, while making the journey. I, as the driver in charge of this vehicle, the body, also need to take care that I do not drive rashly i.e. I learn to monitor the feelings and attitude that are transmitted outwards through my eyes, my words and my complete body language. Driving rashly i.e. transmitting negative energy in this way could harm any co-traveler on the road of life. When these feelings stay positive, filled with sweetness, purity and respect, that too helps to ensure that my journey passes smoothly and enjoyably. When I stay alert and aware in a driver conscious and drive carefully as explained in this and yesterday's message, my actions bring me closer to my spiritual truth and I am able to share my positivity with others around me. When I lose awareness for even a moment, there's danger either from me to others or vice versa.

Freedom is a state of mind.

Freedom is a state of mind.

Freedom is a state of mind. Understanding the self is the key to freedom. The more one understands the self, the easier it is to be liberated from the chains of waste and negativity. Freedom is to be uninfluenced and unaffected, to be at peace with the self. Real freedom is to experience the true essence of one's being.

Churning Spiritual Knowledge

Churning spiritual knowledge or thinking deeply about it makes us a complete authority of that knowledge. What are some practical ways of implementing churning in our lives? Take 15 minutes out of your daily routine every day to think deeply on any topic related to spiritual self progress (like e.g. each day’s Soul Sustenance message or something else). You do not need to disconnect yourself from action to do this. You could do this while taking a walk, while driving to office, while cooking food, etc. By churning this way in isolation, the mind is able to concentrate immediately. Secondly if you read some spiritual knowledge and afterwards write down the essence (summary) of it for 5-10 minutes as it has influenced the mind, then you will find that essence will remain with you and deepen during the day.

The benefits of churning spiritual knowledge are as follows:

 1. Churning makes the soul feel powerful:

 it makes you aware of your powers and increases your self-respect. Any inferiority complex ends and one experiences oneself as a great and powerful soul. Self-confidence awakens as weak thoughts diminish: 

* I won't be able to do this. Will I succeed or not? Strong thoughts emerge instead: * The Supreme Being himself is with me. I will definitely be successful. Such confidence and bravery is experienced which strengthens the soul to undertake any impossible task. 

2. Natural and unruffled peace in my outlook:

 Churning takes us to the depths of the ocean of knowledge. The depth of knowledge finishes all our attractions. In the depths there are no storms, but only the peace and bliss of unlimited treasures. 

Experiencing And Maintaining A State Of Contentment

To reach, experience and maintain a state of contentment or fulfillment you have to first realize what true freedom is and then learn how to use it so that it strengthens you and also helps you to achieve the full potential of your individual self. Freedom is the key to contentment. You also need to check what brings you close to the state of fulfillment and what takes you away from it. Fears of different kinds are one of the main obstacles in experiencing contentment.

 Any weakness, inability to apply any virtue or spiritual power required in any situation, lack of focus, inner instability, etc. will cause a leakage of the energy of positivity that is required to feel content. Free yourself of any personality trait that hinders your progress and does not allow your inner being to manifest itself and express itself with all its potential. To live in contentment, you should be in charge of your inner mental and emotional world. If not, you will only be able to experience temporary periods of fulfillment.

To achieve fulfillment you not only have to have inner control, but you also need to check whether there is any door open to allow any weakness to enter the room of your personality. Because if you strengthen yourself on the one hand and on the other you are weakened, you will never reach the desired state of inner power.

 E.g. you keep a bucket of water under a tap of water. If it has even a single crack, however much water you pour into the bucket, it will never get filled completely. In the same way, this can happen to you. Because of this, you need to check, which cracks are present in your personality through which there are leaks of energy, because of which your efforts to become content do not give you the results you hope for.

The virtues of honesty and courage bring success. 

The one who is courageous is never deterred by challenges, but moves on towards success. Combined with courage, is the virtue of honesty which allows one to be consistent, sincere and true in the efforts put in. So success comes with proper effort and there is also humility visible in such a person. 

 When I am courageous, but at the same time honest in my efforts that I put in for achieving success, I'll never have ego. I will be able to get the cooperation and good will of all, and especially the protection and the help of God. I will find myself moving slowly towards success with everything I do.