Friday, November 30, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 30-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 30-11-2012
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Improving The Quality Of Different Areas Of My Karmas (Part 2)

Karmas performed for the self
If I, the soul, am the master of my body, then I have to look after its upkeep. The consciousness with which I feed and take care of the body has to be such that my actions don't bring me into further attachment to it. They have to be of such quality that they bring me closer to God and help to reduce my bodily ego or the pull towards physical desires. I have to work, cook, feed and wash the body but these activities can be done in such a way that they bring me closer to my destination of perfection, of freedom and of liberation.

Karmas in our relationships
There is specific energy that drives all relationships - that of credit and debit, give and take. These are the so called karmic accounts that have been created in the past (either in this birth or previous births) and which now determine the quality and quantity of all our interactions and their results, in terms of joy or sorrow, in all our relationships. It's not necessary to find out exactly what the karmic root cause of a problem in a relationship may have been. A very simple guideline to improve the quality of our interactions is:

Rather than take, let me give, so there won't be any further debts. Whether it is colleagues at work, family relationships or friends, let me see if there is a way in which I can fulfill my responsibility with integrity and honesty. If I am not doing that, if I am moving away from my responsibilities, I am adding to my karmic burden. In what way can I give or serve, so that there is no longer conflict, tension and struggle but just sweetness and respect in my relationships?

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 30-11-2012
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Real positivity is being positive even in negative situations.

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

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


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 29-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 29-11-2012
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Improving The Quality Of Different Areas Of My Karmas (Part 1)

Karma yoga (experiencing meditation in practical life situations) functions in two ways:

• By filling the self with power, the transformation of action is possible. This in turn brings about change in my sanskars.
• By absorbing the qualities of the Supreme Being my sanskars change.
It's necessary to experiment with this to discover its validity. On one level, whatever I have done, I have to receive the return for that but, on another level, just simply pure love for God is the factor that purifies, cleanses and forgives. Whatever my past karma may have been, the fire of God's love, the fire of a powerful connection with Supreme is able to resolve it and remove its impact from within the soul itself, in terms of negative personality sanskars and also in terms of negative karmic effects in real life situations. Thus it can be seen why yoga or the union of love with God is so crucial.

If one looks at the whole pattern of human life, there are four areas of karma which need to be improved:

• Karma that I perform for myself, for my own sustenance and upkeep.
• Karma that I perform with or for others in terms of relationships.
• Karma that I perform, not out of need or necessity, but for leisure or entertainment.
• Karma that I perform as service of others.

In the next three messages, we shall explain how we can improve these four areas of karma.

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Message for the day 29-11-2012
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The one with the vision of perfection constantly experiences progress.

Expression: Many times, as we are moving ahead in the path of our life, we find ourselves stagnating. There seems to be no progress at all in any aspect of our life. We try to bring about a few changes that work for sometime. But after sometime we find ourselves dissatisfied and we stop trying.

Experience: We need to have the vision of perfection constantly in front of our eyes. We need to ask ourselves what is it that we expect out of ourselves, to be a source of joy to others, to keep learning.... it could be anything that inspires us to constantly move ahead while appreciating all that life brings.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 28-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 28-11-2012
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The Pledge Of Responsibility

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

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

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Message for the day 28-11-2012
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Determination enables elevated thoughts to become practical.

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

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


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 27-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 27-11-2012
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Concentration

The understanding of the self as a soul is the foundation of all spiritual experience. If you have practiced some form of meditation before, it is likely that you were asked to concentrate on a flower, a dot on the wall, the picture of some great saint, a candle flame or maybe even to endlessly repeat some words, which sometimes, are little understood. To concentrate, I must have a focus that is certain and easy to visualize. In Rajyoga meditation, as taught by the Brahma Kumaris, very simply and naturally, I, the soul, on the wings of my thoughts fly to my eternal and highest home – paramdham, shantidham and experience my original virtues.

As I begin to practice soul-consciousness, I learn to detach myself from the diverse and difficult situations around me and turn naturally to my home and concentrate on the Father of all souls who resides there. The mind becomes automatically controlled by this flow of peace. With the fundamental understanding of the differences between soul and body, the spiritual and the physical, I begin to meditate.

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Message for the day 27-11-2012
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To have hope means to have a chance for success.

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

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


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Monday, November 26, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 26-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 26-11-2012
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Understanding What Is An Angel (Part 2)

In Christian mythology, angels are commonly shown as small children with wings – this is symbolic of the fact that angels are very innocent and pure, untouched by vices like anger, greed, lust, ego, hatred, jealousy, etc. (so are children). The purity of an angel is depicted in mythology in the form of an aura of subtle light or a halo around the head.

An angel’s love for humanity is unlimited, yet it is completely detached as the Supreme. An angel experiences that whatever comes through it in the form of thoughts, words or actions has the effect of blessing other souls, as if it is able to perceive or judge immediately or instinctively what each soul needs and cater to their needs. This act of blessing others is depicted in the form of a magic wand. Angels are commonly shown with magic wands in their hands, with which they shower blessings on others.

An angel’s thoughts, words and actions are all serving others. An angel is a lighthouse, mighthouse, connected with the Supreme; it radiates the spiritual rays of light and might, the love, peace, happiness and power of the Supreme Soul, to others.

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Message for the day 26-11-2012
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Perfection comes when there is positivity in thoughts.

Expression: When we are faced with any weakness of ours, we usually think about it so much that it is totally blown out of proportion and it seems bigger than it actually is. This leads to negative thinking, which in turn doesn't let us work on improving ourselves. We will then just remain the way we are, not being able to bring about progress.

Experience: What we need to do in order to win over our weakness is to change our focus. Instead of thinking about the weakness, we only need to think, "I am not perfect yet, but I am working towards it and I am slowly improving." With such positive thoughts, our negativity will finish.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 25-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 25-11-2012
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Understanding What Is An Angel (Part 1)

When I have the consciousness that I am a soul, a non-physical being of light, acting through the physical body, even others begin to notice. This is what the angelic stage is. By remaining in this angelic, soul-conscious stage, others will also feel a sense of lightness and upliftment in my company. Angels are thought to be mythical creatures who have a human form with wings, who are always in the company of God and help Him in guarding and protecting other souls. Actually, angels are human beings with divine qualities.

Angels are always shown with wings. One of the wings of the angel is symbolic of spiritual knowledge, which it has received from God; the other is symbolic of spiritual qualities and powers, which it has inculcated, through the power of meditation or a spiritual connection with God. The wings of an angel also symbolize the lightness and freedom of such souls. With such wings the angel flies constantly in the company of God. Its lightness and freedom is because it has no bondages or attachments in the physical world; all the chains have been broken. Because angels has the absolute and constant support of the Supreme Being they can be the support and protectors of many others, by sharing with them, spiritual knowledge, qualities and powers, which they possesses.

An angel is the right hand of God in the task of world transformation (change). The language which it uses to bring about this transformation is spiritual silence; positive, powerful and pure thoughts along with sweet words full of spiritual knowledge, all of which have the effect of uplifting others.

(To be continued tomorrow…)

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Message for the day 25-11-2012
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Faith enables one to bring solutions to problems.

Expression: When problems come, we tend to overreact to it or exaggerate it to such an extent that it becomes a trap for us. Instead of working on the problem we fall a prey to it making all our thoughts negative. Once we are caught up in negativity we will neither look for, nor find solutions.

Experience: Each thought of ours is important when working on a problem. Instead of making our thoughts negative, we need to remind ourselves that what we are going through is a test which we must pass with honour. When we have this thought, all our energy will be focussed on working to bring a solution.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 24-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 24-11-2012
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Soul Power Over Role Power (Part 3)

Continuing from yesterday’s message, the remaining components of soul power are:

The power of good wishes, desires and feelings full of love for others, while coming in contact with them. These type of feelings will bring good wishes in return from the other to you, which will not only empower you, but will also assist your physical role on a subtle level.

The power of complete purity and cleanliness in thoughts, words and actions - A state where one is not under the influence of vices like anger, ego, attachment, greed, hatred, jealousy etc.

The 8 main powers - the power to tolerate, accommodate, face, pack up, discriminate (or discern), judge (or decide), withdraw and co-operate – their implementation on an internal and external level i.e. not only in words and actions, but also on a thought level. Where there is lack of any of the above powers inside me, there will definitely be waste and you will be weakened, which reduces the probability of success of your role.

The power of truth or spiritual wisdom - A state where the self has deeply realized and understood eternal truths of the soul, the Supreme and the Law of Karma and has drawn immense amount of power and experience from that knowledge. The power of physical knowledge would fall under role power, which has been explained earlier.

By focusing on each of the above components of soul power and those explained in yesterday’s message, by giving them more weightage and using them along with the components of the role, which were mentioned in the message before that, one can experience the desired success in any role in any sphere of life very easily without much effort.

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Message for the day 24-11-2012
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Self-respect increases when one learns to converse positively to the self.

Expression: The usual way to talk to the self is to talk to the most superficial aspects of the personality, those which are related to fears (including those of the future), complaints and mindless repetition of things in the past. Such talk to the self only lowers the self-respect to a great extent.

Experience: Not only when our mind is going towards waste and negative, but at all times, it is important that we talk to the mind with love, as we would talk to a child. Like a mother would lovingly explain to the child, we need to teach our mind with love. This creates true happiness within and our self-respect increases.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Friday, November 23, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 23-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 23-11-2012
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Soul Power Over Role Power (Part 2)

Continuing from yesterday’s message, the various components of soul power are:

The power of inner silence or the silence of my mind - Silence is a power. The fewer the thoughts in my mind and the more powerful, positive, peaceful and focused they are, the more my mind will contribute to the success of the role on a subtle level. My silence is regularly tested when faced with negative situations or obstacles. The more successful I am in maintaining this stage in such situations, the more is my treasure of silence collected over a period of time and the more positive the influence of this silence will be on my physical role and the success of various tasks connected with the role.

The power of inner and outer carefreeness, happiness and contentment - Happiness not only inside but also giving others an experience of the same through my face, my eyes, my words and actions full of lightness and enthusiasm, etc. while coming in contact with them. Ensuring I am content with myself and others and also others are content with me. Regular periods of discontentment or unhappiness either within me or in my relationships affect the success of my role adversely.

In tomorrow’s message, we shall explain the remaining components that make up soul power.

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Message for the day 23-11-2012
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True respect comes not from what one does but how well it is done.

Expression: Respect is usually associated with what one does, i.e., it is usually associated with position, status etc which is associated with the job. When there is such an attitude, there is a tendency to look at the people around in a superficial way, missing out on recognising their true worth.

Experience: We need to recognise the fact that true respect comes from doing well whatever is being done. We need to recognise each one's virtues and qualities revealed through the behaviour. This enables us to have true respect for others. We then no longer look at what one is doing as important, but will be able to appreciate each and every one's contribution.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 22-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 22-11-2012
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Soul Power Over Role Power (Part 1)

Every act that we are involved in throughout the day is made possible or real by two entities - role and soul working in conjunction with each other. Although, it is a spiritual fact that the soul is the master and makes the role function, without the soul the role cannot function; while playing any role in our day-to-day life we tend to forget this fact and our entire focus falls on the role that is to be played, forgetting that by doing that, we bring down the probability of success of that role in our personal or professional life. Focusing positively on the soul and its components while playing the role fills the role with soul power and focusing on the role and its components while playing the role fills the role with something you could call role power. We need to create a balance between the role and the soul and a balance in using both role and soul power to bring about the success of the role, the role could be of any type. Even a project that you have to work on in the office which is going to last for a month is an example of a temporary role you have to play. There are many other examples of roles - getting your child’s homework done, preparing food for the entire family, doing charity work at the club together, taking part in an extracurricular activity in school or college, etc.

Any such or other role will consist of some or all of these components - various tasks, interaction with people or relationships, mediums like wealth and other objects, time, knowledge of everything connected with the role including the components that make up the role, etc. All these components are physical in nature and make up the role. The power that these components possess makes up what we call role power. Now, what happens is that as soon as we step into the role each day or on a particular day, obviously our aim is to bring about success of the role, but to achieve that, our entire focus falls on using the power of the role, neglecting the immense potential that soul power possesses. We spend our day and night in streamlining the role components for the well being of the role, not realizing that this purpose could be more easily achieved, if the focus is more on using soul power, obviously without neglecting role power (without which the purpose cannot be achieved).

In tomorrow’s message, we shall explain the various components that make up soul power.

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Message for the day 22-11-2012
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To spread the light of happiness is to become a spiritual lighthouse.

Expression: When we are in situations where there is negativity around or there seems to be no source of happiness, we too naturally tend to feel low and negative. We are totally under the influence of the situation and we can't seem to overcome the feeling at that time. Nothing actually inspires us to make effort to come out of such a feeling.

Experience: We need to remind ourselves that we are a lighthouse, a source of light to all those around us. This thought will give us the inspiration to remain stable and strong even when we are amidst chaos or difficult situations. We will be able to spread our light across and show everyone the right direction by becoming an inspiration to those around us.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 21-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 21-11-2012
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Self Empowerment

We do not realize that we are more than the limits we repeatedly place on ourselves.

What is it that limits and overshadows us? The prayers and the requests of the human race for many centuries - with I need, I want and I own, people place value on the self by relating to the material, external aspects of their lives. However, this does not work and when people insist on behaving in this way (that is, relating to the outside), then addictive attachments are created. They try to fill themselves, but exactly the opposite happens: the self becomes more and more empty. Unfortunately, the mechanism of need and greed functions in this way: first, there is the illusion of gain and secondly, when this is not realised, depletion (emptiness), instead of enrichment (filling up), occurs. Whatever the addiction is, no matter how camouflaged (hidden) it may be, it quietly but surely, ruins the person. It is a silent illness that only meditation can cure.

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Message for the day 21-11-2012
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When we are in the elevated company of the One God, no bad company will influence us.

Expression: Sometimes when we are working for our self-development we sometimes wish for support or understanding from others which we don't always get. We actually look for a role model, whom we could follow or who could be an inspiration for us. When we don't find anyone like that we tend to get disheartened and continue to justify ourselves for not bringing any change in ourselves.

Experience: The solution lies in becoming a role model and a source of support for others instead of expecting others to do so. For this, we need to pay extra attention to the kind of company we keep. Under all circumstances, if we keep God as our companion we will not be influenced by any other company, however strong they might be. We will then be able to bring about change in ourselves.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 20-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 20-11-2012
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Freedom From The Dependency On The New (Part 2)

In the market, there always appears the novelty (newness) of the same product wrapped differently. There always seems to be a new soft drink, a new kind of chocolate, but they are really the same products as always. The only thing that changes is the packaging and their image. Some children, whenever they go to the market, want the new kinds of biscuits, pastries, etc. They always want new things that then stay in the fridge. We encourage this by telling little children that happiness is stimulation, the new is stimulating, and comes from the outside or you get it from the outside. We create an addiction to the new; in this case, to the newness of the packaging. What kind of newness is that!

When, in order to be happy, you need to go shopping, you try to fill yourself with something that isn't you. You try to find wholeness by filling your life with material things. A soul who is spiritually awake knows that they are already complete and they do not need to depend on the purchase of something new regularly for feeling full internally. The only effort is in remembering and reconnecting with their whole self, their complete self; reconnecting with their inner treasures of spiritual wisdom, virtues and powers.

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Message for the day 20-11-2012
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To celebrate means to finish all trace of the old.

Expression: We find that whenever there is an occasion, we are full of zeal and enthusiasm for that day. However this doesn't continue for long and we find ourselves getting caught with our old nature. We then give the excuse to ourselves saying, 'this is how I am, and this is my nature' etc. Once we start working with our old nature we cannot be enthusiastic anymore.

Experience: Each new festival is an occasion for us to finish something of the old. We only need to take a determined thought to remove something of our old nature. We no longer need to give excuses, but make the firm promise to ourselves to transform. Our zeal and enthusiasm will then never lessen and we will continue to celebrate with constant enthusiasm.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Monday, November 19, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 19-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 19-11-2012
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Freedom From The Dependency On The New (Part 1)

One of the dependencies that the consumer society promotes is dependency on the new. You have a car but today a new, better one is coming out. You have a mobile but the new one on the market today has more features and yours is now obsolete. The same thing happens to the television, MP3 players, DVD players, etc. Today you have some clothes but tomorrow the fashion will be different. We find the need to fill ourselves with more and more. This way an addiction to the new is generated. We get bored quickly and we need something apparently new and different all the time.

Some people need to buy new clothes all the time because it makes them feel better; they ‘feel’ the newness, is this normal or is it actually an addiction to the new out of boredom, is it discomfort with oneself and the inner need to impress and please others that sometimes some people seem to possess. It is actually living in the superficiality of the pair of jeans or the saree, not in the inner essence of being or soul. It is to use time to distract oneself and not to construct creatively. It’s not as if buying new stuff or going shopping is wrong but when it becomes a dependency, when it becomes a source of boosting your self esteem, that’s a sign that you are going wrong.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 19-11-2012
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The one who has the power of realisation is the one who can bring transformation.

Expression: When something goes wrong we immediately begin to look for excuses why that mistake happened. This finishes our power of realisation and we will not be able to recognise our own mistake. Then we will not be able to work at improving ourselves and we will not be able to bring any transformation.

Experience: Instead of looking for excuses for what happened, we need to take the opportunity to check within ourselves and see our own mistake. When we recognise our mistake, however small it may be, we will be able to work on it. Only when we are able to realize our own mistake, will we be able to bring about transformation in ourselves.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 18-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 18-11-2012
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Negative Reactions To Negative Actions

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

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

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Message for the day 18-11-2012
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With benevolent feelings and good wishes we can free people from worrying.

Expression: When we come across someone who is faced with a difficult situation because of which he is worrying, we too usually tend to think about it. Instead of helping the other person to be free from worrying, we too begin to worry. This doesn't help either of us in anyway but only adds to the negativity of the situation.

Experience: We need to develop such benevolent feelings for the ones who are going through the situation that the power of our positive feelings will spread to them too. It will act like the light of the lamp, which helps to dispel the darkness around. Only when there is positivity in the mind will they be able to think of some solution.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 17-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 17-11-2012
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Varied (Different) Concepts About The Supreme Being or God (Part 2)

There is an endless variety of human theories and concepts which appear to create confusion and even hatred among people when they are opposed to each other, but ultimately I must ask myself how far "I", the individual, have the experience of His powers and qualities.

The basis of forming a relationship with anyone is knowledge of who they are, what they look like, where they are from, and what they do. Similarly if I am to have the awareness of myself as a soul, and emerging from that, a close relationship with God, the Supreme Soul, then I must know:

• Who He is?
• What His form is or what does He look like?
• Where He is or where does He reside (stay)?
• What His personality traits or sanskars are?
• What His acts or karmas are?
• What is my relationship with Him?


God is living and real, not a matter of scientific research. It is necessary for me to re-establish a living relationship with Him, on the basis of complete knowledge of Him. My connection should not be based on the fears and superstitions of the past.

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Message for the day 17-11-2012
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Negative situations can be transformed into positive with the power of stability.

Expression: When faced with a negative situation, usually the mind gets affected. Lot of questions arise in the mind that don't allow us to be stable at that time. Because of the thoughts in our mind, although it is in our hands to work at transforming the situation we don't make use of this opportunity but only end up adding to the negativity.

Experience: In a negative situation, it is necessary for us to maintain our own inner stability. We need to free ourselves from wasteful thoughts. Then the negativity in the situation will finish, first in our mind and then in the situation itself. Our own internal stability will help in finishing the influence of the external situation.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Friday, November 16, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 16-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 16-11-2012
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Varied (Different) Concepts About The Supreme Being or God (Part 1)

Various questions related to the Supreme Being or God for the vast majority remain unanswered and therefore the experience of God remains unfulfilled. The concepts about God are as varied or different as are the sanskars of human beings.

Some common concepts about God:

• Some say God is everywhere.
• Some say He is nowhere.
• Some say He created the whole Universe out of nothing or out of Himself: others see that as illogical and impossible.
• Many say God is beyond the understanding of limited human intellects, others believe that they have understood Him and are then respected as self-realized or spiritually knowledgeable humans.
• Still others believe themselves to be God and allow themselves to be worshiped.
• Some say that God creates only what is good, and others say that He also creates evil or bad, and that everything that is happening in the world is just God's play.
• God is seen by some to be just an expression of human beings' needs and that they will soon go beyond needing such a figure-head (someone who is looked upto).
• Some say He makes the grass grow and the wind blow, others say He is merely the voice of the conscience - the inner voice.
• Others define God as the higher self who remains constantly at peace; this concept is called cosmic-consciousness, since the one with this characteristic is said to be at one with the whole universe.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 16-11-2012
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Where there is honesty there is flexibility.

Expression: When someone challenges the truth of what we are saying we generally tend to argue and prove our point in order to prove ourselves right. When we argue in this way, it only shows our own stubbornness and doesn't help in anyway to reveal the truth. Where silence doesn't help in revealing the truth, argument never will because the other person is not in a position to listen to us at that moment.

Experience: We need to realise the fact that when the other person is not able to recognise the truth, our arguing will not help in any way. When the truth is with us we need not argue but we only need to wait for the right opportunity to tell what we have to say. When we try to tell when the other person is not in a position to listen to us, it only reveals our lack of flexibility.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 15-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 15-11-2012
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Reaching The Destination Of Peace On Time (Part 2)

In yesterday’s message, we had mentioned the main type of distractions that you might face in your journey to the destination of peace. The secret of not getting affected by each of these distractions is very simple – do not interact with any of them on a subtle level by giving them your mental energy of attention, but avoid them, detach yourself from them, just observe them and let them go, remaining completely focused on reaching your destination.

Imagine you are driving to your office on the highway and you are very late. There are a large number of different vehicles which you pass, either travelling in the same direction as you are or coming at you from the opposite side. You are even familiar with a lot of these people sitting inside these vehicles, because you see them every day, but you don’t even spare a second to glance at them because if you did you would lose your focus and be delayed, you would fail to reach your destination, your office in this case, on time. Meditation is exactly like this. Just as you cannot empty the highway full of vehicles, because you are in a hurry to reach office, you cannot empty the highway of your consciousness of all thoughts, emotions, beliefs, worries, opinions, desires, memories etc. some of which are even very familiar to you, just because you want to get to the destination of your inner peace. Let all of these, like the vehicles, come and go, but all you have to do is avoid them and focus on reaching your destination on time. It's as if, by the way you are driving, your body language, in this case the subtle energy of your determined thought, word has spread through the highway of your consciousness that you will not be sparing a second to even glance at any one of these on your way. If with a momentary loss of self-awareness, you do start giving attention to them, and you get lost in one of them, remind yourself subconsciously, "I am on my way back to the destination of peace, peace that I am." This will help you regain your focus and before you know it, you will realize you have arrived; you will experience your destination i.e. the peace within, and will completely believe that you are that. And it will be the most blissful experience that you have felt in a very long time.

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Message for the day 15-11-2012
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Faith in others enables them to be powerful.

Expression: Faith in others is usually mistaken for blind faith - observing helplessly only hoping for the best in our heart. We then consciously don't do anything but just hope for the best. In such a situation we subtly experience fear or tension. But this is not true faith nor is the outcome usually right.

Experience: Faith in others means to remain alert to what is going on and then to fill the other person with the strength of our faith to such an extent that they feel able to do whatever needs to be done. Our faith will fill them with confidence and they will be able to give their best to the task.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 14-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 14-11-2012
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Reaching The Destination Of Peace On Time (Part 1)

The objective of meditation has always been reaching the destination of inner peace. The process of meditation is like a journey to that destination, which many human souls have undertaken since thousands of years. After a life and in fact many lifetimes of indulging in habits of anger, fear, ego, sorrow, jealousy, hatred, greed etc. all of which blocked our access to this inner pure emotion and made us believe that these are normal emotions, believing completely that our true nature is peaceful, which is an experience opposite to all these; might seem difficult at first. Only our own experience can lead to a change in our deeply held beliefs, which then makes it easy for us to incorporate peace as an integral part of our personality.

As you dive into you own consciousness, with the objective of searching for and reaching your subtle destination of inner peace, you will encounter some distractions in your journey. Some of the most important of such distractions include:

* thoughts in the form of negative memories of the past; over-thinking about the present scenes and day-to-day actions in your life; desires, worries and unnecessary thinking related to the future, waste thinking about the natures and actions of people whom we come into contact with the most, etc.

* the inner, subtle voices of the many incorrect beliefs, which we have picked up from people by whom we have been surrounded since we were small;

* thoughts and emotions related to deep habits of identifying with and getting attached to things we are not, like the physical body, material possessions, people, our role in society, money, places, opinions or viewpoints, hobbies or interests etc.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 14-11-2012
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Success comes to the one who has a balance of being a master and a child.

Expression: When we make a contribution in the form of an advice or a suggestion, we usually do it with confidence. That means we are sure of ourselves and we are masters. But the problem usually comes when people don't accept our suggestion. W are then not able to accept their decision or criticism.

Experience: We need to have the perfect balance of being a master and a child. It means that along with being a master while giving the suggestions we need the consciousness of a child while it is being heard. That means we are totally ready to accept the comments/criticism that we might be faced with.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 13-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 13-11-2012
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Meditation On Experiencing My Original Loveful Nature

I sit in silence, letting my thoughts go away from the outer world... I allow my mind to relax... to calm down... I focus my attention on the heart of my being... My heart is like a sacred silent place where I can feel what I really am... I am peaceful and light... a loving soul... strong... secure... kind...
I have many virtues and qualities that I can share with others... Now my attention is going towards the quality of love... I imagine love like a seed in my heart waiting to awaken... grow... and blossom... like a rose... For this, I only have to accept... believe... feel... that I am a soul full of love... child of the Ocean of Love… I am a spiritual rose flower... radiating the spiritual fragrance of love…

Letting go of the past... letting go of expectations... fears... negative feelings... forgiving... opening my heart... feeling that it is cleansed and this energy of love is as pure as the clean water flowing from a waterfall. Nothing and nobody have touched it... this is a love that asks for nothing in exchange... the love of a clean heart is unselfish... free of ego and expectations... It makes truth and sincerity grow... acceptance and understanding... I open my heart completely to love... I inhale deeply... I visualize my heart filling itself with this energy of pure love... I exhale slowly... and I visualize radiating this light of love from the deepest part of my heart towards the world... I am a beautiful soul of light radiating peace and love... I am love... I love myself and accept myself and others...

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Message for the day 13-11-2012
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True help is to appreciate the efforts of each one to improve themselves.

Expression: Not realising that all are making effort to bring improvement in themselves at their own level, we tend to point out people's mistakes only to prove them wrong. It is by proving them wrong that we want to prove ourselves right. This doesn't help others in anyway to bring a change in them.

Experience: We need to focus more on the potential and unique specialities of those around us, rather than on their faults. This will help us to appreciate the effort that each one is making to bring improvement in himself. Then we find that even the corrections we give are effective, as they are more for the benefit of the other person. This is the real help we can give to others.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Monday, November 12, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 12-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 12-11-2012
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Instruments/Tools To Perceive God

Perhaps I have been avoiding coming close to God because of the extraordinary confusion surrounding the subject. Maybe I have just lacked the tools with which to be able to discover God. The whole universe of things going on within a tiny drop of blood can be instantly revealed by the use of a tool or an instrument like the microscope. In the same way, the secrets behind realities of the self, the non-physical, spiritual self and the reality of God remain hidden until undiscovered by the appropriate instruments or tools. With which tools or instruments then, can I perceive or experience God? Since God is non-physical, the tools would also definitely be non-physical in nature.

That I haven't been able to understand myself is amply demonstrated by the periods of confusion and inner turmoil I go through. Sometimes I don't understand those with whom I share the same room or house, let alone my neighbors next door! The word ‘misunderstanding’ occurs frequently even in the closest of my relationships. It indicates that the quality of my mind, consciousness or even conscience hasn't been sufficiently clear to establish real rapport between myself and others. The realization and experience of God remain even further out of reach.

There's a very specific methodology involved in firstly understanding and organizing myself, and from that, coming to terms with God. I already have the most powerful of all instruments, the energy of my own mind, to work with. The extent to which I am able to research into the subject of God-realization depends on the quality of my thoughts and feelings.

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Message for the day 12-11-2012
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Success comes to the one who is able to involve others and work as a team.

Expression: Because of having a feeling that the more the people involved, the more difficult the task becomes, we tend to avoid involving others in any task that we take up. We tend to do everything on our own, making us lose out on useful resources that we can get as others' contribution.

Experience: As much as possible we need to involve others in such a way that they make a valuable contribution to the task that we have undertaken. We are doubly benefited with this. Firstly, we will gain from the others' resources. We also find that the good wishes of others are there for the task for which they have contributed and we find ourselves succeeding.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 11-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 11-11-2012
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Resisting From Playing The Blame Game

A very common negative habit that some of us possess is blaming others when required, either in the family or at the workplace, to save face and gain temporary respect, even if it is at the expense of someone loosing face and being disrespected. It is a very common occurrence in offices when an issue arises between people, before the issue is taken up with the head of the particular department or the office, one of the two people involved in the conflict, who is more at fault, will present his case to the head in such a way so as to blame the other and to acquit (free) himself and maintain his reputation in the office and find favour with the head.

We explain this phenomenon on a spiritual level. The person who blames is attached to an image of himself being as being extremely efficient and well-respected at the workplace, who never does anything wrong or incorrectly. He identifies with this image completely and because of that is very attached to it. In the above scenario, if he lets his mistake come out in the open, this internal image, which he carries, would get tarnished (harmed), something which he is in love with. So there is attachment and because of that there is fear of loss or harm to the object to which there is attachment, the image in this case. This image, which is so defined in spiritual language, is called ‘reputation’ in common language. Also, there is attachment with an internal image of being more successful by getting a possible promotion and progressing at the workplace in the future. This image is also about to get damaged since the job might be lost or a promotion might be stopped. So there is attachment to this second image and fear of harm to this image also. To protect these two images, the person plays the blame game. The Law of Karma, though, does catch up sooner or later with such a person and with such behaviour. Being honest may cause temporary harm to these two internal images or ‘reputation’ as defined above, but one remains safe according to karmic principles in the long run and the temporary harm, if any, is undone and respect regained.

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Message for the day 11-11-2012
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Responsibility enables us to give our best in all we do.

Expression: When we are responsible to do something, we tend to feel burdened. This could be because responsibility sometimes takes on the form of interference. That is we take on those tasks too that are not connected with us. To such an extent that we even begin to do those things that others are capable of doing by themselves.

Experience: If we ever find ourselves feeling burdened, we need to ask ourselves if we are taking on any responsibility which is not ours. When we recognise the fact that responsibility doesn't mean taking on everything on our head, we will be able to lighten our own burden. At all times we need to have this attention that we need to take responsibility but if the situation is not our business or someone else is in charge, we don't have to get caught in it.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 10-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 10-11-2012
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Understanding The Different Types Of Thoughts That The Mind Creates (Part 6)

We have explained Positive Thoughts yesterday. Today we continue with the same:

Positive Thoughts (cont.)
Positive thoughts make you happy and as a result your expectations of others decrease. This does not mean that they do not matter to you, but that you no longer demand love, respect, recognition, or even calm, from them, and it makes your relationships that much easier. This is the best way to create long-lasting and harmonious relationships. When you have inner happiness, you have the strength to accept other people as they are without wanting them to be different. This acceptance produces more peaceful relationships. With the positive attitude you create, you can offer yourself to other people just the way you are, with your virtues and limitations, without pretence.

Your body also benefits greatly, since when you have a balanced, harmonious mind you are less susceptible to illnesses. A person who has many useless thoughts will often feel very tired because they are spending their energy in creating thousands of unnecessary and inefficient thoughts.

Your mind is strengthened and healed by being nourished with positive thoughts. A healthy mind is the basis of a balanced personality.

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Message for the day 10-11-2012
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Faith brings victory.

Expression: When things seem to be going wrong again and again we begin to get upset and curse our fate. Mentally we seem to accept our defeat and when we start something new, we are not always able to be confident as there is an underlying fear of failing. When there is fear, it will be difficult for us to succeed as we are not able to do things to the best of our ability.

Experience: We need to be alert under all circumstances. This will help us to recognise negativity as soon as it comes up. Instead of making our mind negative when things go wrong, we need to work at increasing our faith that things will work out fine. Then we will also be able to give our best to the task with confidence. And we will be successful in whatever we take up.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Friday, November 09, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 09-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 09-11-2012
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Understanding The Different Types Of Thoughts That The Mind Creates (Part 5)

We have explained Necessary, Unnecessary and Negative Thoughts in the last few days. Today we explain:

Positive Thoughts
Positive thoughts are those thoughts which give us and others the experience of our original virtues like peace, love, bliss, happiness, etc. They enable you to accumulate inner strength and equip you to be constructive. Positive thoughts are always beneficial in all circumstances, without trapping you in the external appearance of a situation.

Thinking positively does not mean ignoring the reality of your world and living in a fantasy or longing to be another person. For example, if you were to repeat over and over again, "I am well, am well," when you were ill, this is not what we mean by positive thinking.

Thinking positively involves looking at problems and recognizing reality, but at the same time being able to find solutions without becoming obsessed or confused. This often requires tolerance, patience and common sense.

A person who thinks positively is aware of the weaknesses of others, but even then will direct their attention towards their positive characteristics.

(To be continued tomorrow …..)

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Message for the day 09-11-2012
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Recognising our own uniqueness makes us a support for others.

Expression: We can never be a source of support for others unless we are strong and stable. But usually our own wellbeing is dependent on others and their opinion of ours. As a result we make others our support, which is not always reliable. This also makes us miss out on our self-support.

Experience: Instead of looking out for support from others, we need to turn within and see what specilaity within us can get us out of the situation. It is essential to recognize and make use of our speciality. Then we will never expect support from others but will become a source of support for those around us.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thursday, November 08, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 08-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 08-11-2012
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Understanding The Different Types Of Thoughts That The Mind Creates (Part 4)

We have explained Negative Thoughts yesterday. Today we continue with the same:

Negative Thoughts (cont.)

If your thoughts are based on the five vices or related emotions (as explained yesterday), it is as if you had poisoned your own mind and the atmosphere around you. However much you may be right, it does not matter. By thinking negatively you will always be the loser, since negative thoughts take away the respect you have for yourself and others respecting you. Generally speaking, people who think very negatively about others will often find themselves alone, even though they have many relationships. Other people will try to avoid someone who has angry thoughts since anger is like a fire that destroys and causes damage, and nobody wants to approach this fire.

A negative person who only sees the negative side of things causes disharmony in their immediate environment. These types of thoughts are more prevalent in people today, and are one of the causes of stress, fragmentation, aggressiveness and suffering in our current society.

At a practical level, negative thoughts make you lose energy and weaken you. They are a form of inner pollution that must be cleansed so that your mind becomes a more efficient tool.

(To be continued tomorrow …..)

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Message for the day 08-11-2012
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When there is real transformation we never repeat our mistakes.

Expression: When any mistake of ours keeps repeating again and again, it becomes part of our nature, a habit and then we make it an excuse and defend ourselves saying, 'this is just the way I am, this is my nature, etc.' When we justify our mistake we will not be able to work on it to remove it and we find that it is only further strengthened.

Experience: Once we have recognised the fact that our nature has become such that the mistake keeps repeating again and again, we need to make an attempt to change it without giving any excuse to ourselves or to others. Unless our attitude towards the mistake changes, i.e. we stop justifying it, we will not be able to do away with it.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 07-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 07-11-2012
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Understanding The Different Types Of Thoughts That The Mind Creates (Part 3)

We have explained Necessary and Unnecessary Thoughts in the last couple of days. Today we explain:

Negative Thoughts
Negative thoughts harm you and are not good for you. As well as the impact they may have on others, these thoughts disturb your peace and weaken your inner strength. If these thoughts occur on a regular basis, they can cause health problems, both physical and mental. They can even become destructive.

Negative thoughts are based on the five vices primarily – lust, anger, greed, ego, attachment. They are chiefly caused by selfish and harmful reasons, without taking into account the values and inner qualities of the person.
"If he speaks to me again in that way I'll beat him up (rage), I think they should pay me more without having to do any more work to earn it" (greed).

Negative thoughts also arise from unsatisfied expectations, in disagreements, in laziness, vengeance, racism, jealousy, criticism, hate and an excess of power.
"My boss never appreciates my work but he always values my colleagues more (jealousy). An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth or He who lives by the sword, shall die by the sword" (vengeance).

(To be continued tomorrow …..)

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Message for the day 07-11-2012
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Change in others is possible when we change.

Expression: When there is some misunderstanding, we normally want to change others, trying to bring them to our way of thinking. We usually can't understand why they are not able to understand our way of thinking when we seem to be right. We are usually not able to succeed in this and we end up feeling frustrated.

Experience: Instead of trying to force people to change their way of thinking, which is not going to work any way, we need to concentrate instead on our own change process. As long as we are working on ourselves we will be able to be sweet to those around too. Our own change process inspires others also to work on themselves.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 06-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 06-11-2012
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Understanding The Different Types Of Thoughts That The Mind Creates (Part 2)

We had explained Necessary Thoughts yesterday. Today we explain:

Unnecessary (Waste) Thoughts
Unnecessary thoughts are thoughts that are produced at untimely moments that fill us with worry and anxiety when they appear in our minds. They have no constructive use. Unnecessary and useless thoughts are quick and repetitive which lead you nowhere. Often they refer to things from the past: "If this hadn't happened? Why did she have to say that to me?" Too many thoughts are about things that we cannot change, or worries about the future, like: "What will happen tomorrow? How will it happen? What will I do if I find myself on my own? If I had been there at the time, this disaster would not have happened. If I had had this information at the time, I would have won the case. When I get the qualification, I will be more respected by my superiors."

Your ability to concentrate is weakened by these useless thoughts. If you have a lot of these thoughts you use more energy and time to undertake each task. The origins of negativity also reside in them.

From the time that the past has already passed and the future is yet to come, these kinds of thoughts are not useful and they also weaken your inner strength and exhaust you. It is vital that we learn to avoid this pattern of thinking. In this way you will be more focused and your decision making capacity will improve.

(To be continued tomorrow …..)

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Message for the day 06-11-2012
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The one who is cool and calm can make accurate decisions.

Expression: When something goes wrong the natural consequence is of internal disturbance, of chaos within. The mind begins to race and is filled with a lot of unnecessary thoughts. It seems very difficult to remain cool at that time. Being in such a state of mind we find it very difficult to make the right decisions.

Experience: Even in a chaotic situation, it is important to keep the mind peaceful and calm. Calmness means to keep it focused and self-directed. This we can do by practicing to look within, checking ourselves and moving forward. Then our decisions will also be accurate and there will be no further confusion in our mind.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Monday, November 05, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 05-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 05-11-2012
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Understanding The Different Types Of Thoughts That The Mind Creates (Part 1)

By understanding each one of the thoughts that the mind creates we can keep the beneficial thoughts and discard those which are useless or harmful. Today we explain:

Necessary Thoughts
Necessary thoughts are those relating to your daily routine, such as, "What am I going to have for dinner? What time am I picking up the children from school? What is the number of my bank account? What have I got to do today?" They are also thoughts connected with your profession or job. These necessary thoughts relating to your daily life come into your mind according to your responsibilities and needs at a more physical, material and professional level. When these thoughts are repeated over and over again, they become unnecessary or waste thoughts.

(To be continued tomorrow …..)

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Message for the day 05-11-2012
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Real success is to experience internal progress.

Expression: The usual definition of success is of visible success - of profit, increase in status etc. Success is also understood as that ideal state where nothing goes wrong. But we find that it is usually not possible for that to happen. And, because of it, we do not experience constant success.

Experience: What is important to experience constant success is not what we achieve outwardly but what our experience is within. As long as we are working on ourselves i.e., we do internal work to remove our own flaws, we can watch and enjoy our internal success whatever the outward situation may be.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 04-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 04-11-2012
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The Invisible Factor

The most powerful things are invisible. For example, the roots of a tree cannot be seen; they are underground silently nourishing the visible tree. A house is supported by its foundation deep within the earth. If the foundation is weak the building will fall when there is some kind of strong pressure, like an earthquake. The essence of matter is the atom; it holds a tremendous amount of energy but cannot be seen by the eyes.

Can we see the Supreme Being (God)? You will never meet someone who has seen Him. People have experienced, or felt God's presence but no one has actually seen a personal form, yet millions believe in such a Being! In the same way, when it comes to knowing the true self, we ask, 'What does the soul look like? Where is it situated?'

Spirituality leads us to the answers related to the invisible i.e. answers to what is the form, location and virtues of the soul as well as the Supreme Soul.

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Message for the day 04-11-2012
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Success in relationships comes when we are free from expectations.

Expression: In our daily interactions if we find that we are not able to get along with someone, our usual reaction is to avoid that person alltogether in order to avoid the conflict. But that is not really a solution. Unless we recognise why we are not able to get along with that person we will face the same problem with someone else.

Experience: When we are not able to get along with someone we need to recognise the fact that the problem is not with the person but with our own expectations. When our expectations are not being met we have a conflict which is reflected in our relationship with that person. So we need to work at recognizing and removing these expectations.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Saturday, November 03, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 03-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 03-11-2012
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Resolving Conflicts in Relationships (Part 2)

During a conflict, it is good to realize that the energy that you put into the conflict will possibly be the quality of energy that you will receive in return. This is the law of reciprocity (cause and effect). On a subtle level, we radiate according to our attitude, and on a physical level, we radiate according to our behavior. What we transmit on a subtle or/and physical level will return to us in a similar way; unless the ‘other’ is wiser and decides not to give us back the same negative energy, but rather to treat us in exchange with a positive attitude and pro-active behavior. That way, that person won't bring about a dependence inside us, but rather they will help us to free ourselves of our own negativity.

Often, conflict between two people happens because we do not get the result in a relationship that we want; we are stuck to getting a specific result and we allow our happiness to depend on getting it. On not getting it, we use a wrong method; we generate a conflict, we feel ourselves to be victims, we blame the other, we project our pain onto them; all of this under the belief that others - the other - is who makes us happy or unhappy. This is a false belief. When your happiness depends on your expectations being fulfilled, it is difficult to be happy in a constant way. Often expectations are disguised desires, and where there are desires there is fear - the fear of not getting what you want. When you don't get it you get unhappy and, in so doing, you keep happiness away from you. It is good to set yourself goals of peaceful relationships, but if they are not fulfilled or if these goals take time to achieve, don't lose your sense of wellbeing. Your happiness is a much more valuable treasure than the external achievement of your expectations and of those that others have of you.

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Message for the day 03-11-2012
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Problem solving is to work at the roots of a problem.

Expression: When a problem comes up we usually try to work at removing the problem at hand by trying various methods based on the understanding we have. We don't go deep into the actual cause of the problem and so find it repeating again and again. Unless we understand the root cause of the problem we will not be able to get rid of it fully.

Experience: The trick to problem solving is to go to the root, i.e. to find the actual cause. When we find and work at removing the actual cause of the problem we will never find it repeating. For example, if the actual problem might be inability to finish everything in time, the cause behind might not be lack of sufficient time, but my own carelessness.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Friday, November 02, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 02-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 02-11-2012
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Resolving Conflicts In Relationships (Part 1)

In relationships, sometimes we feel that the other person is not only a problem but also a source of conflicts. We have to be aware that there always have to be two people involved for there to be an unhappy or conflictive exchange. When we are in any conflict, it is difficult to see and understand the true causes and the real energy of the process of the conflict. The emotions that arise inside us during a conflict distract us and even blind us.

In the first place, it is important to recognize that your response in any situation of conflict is your contribution to the conflict. The process of responding to any person or situation is something that takes place in you. Nothing can make you feel anything without your permission. If you have been in conflict with someone for a time, for sure, you create fear or anger towards them, expressing thus behaviors of resistance when you communicate or relate to them. The other person is not responsible for your emotions or for your behavior.

Your experience of conflict and your contribution to the conflict begin in your consciousness and you keep them in your consciousness. It begins with your perception of the other (how you see others). If you perceive them negatively you will think negatively; you will feel negative and create a negative attitude; you will behave negatively, and so you will transmit a negative energy. You don't have to do it like that. Perception is a choice.

When there is conflict there is mental and emotional pain, even physical. Who creates that pain? You! Who creates at least half of the conflict? You! Where do you dissolve it? In your consciousness - in you. Freeing yourself of the conflict is a matter of a decision. At any moment you can decide not to be in conflict. One party has to dissolve their contribution to the conflict, even if it is temporarily, for the process of resolution to be able to begin.

(To be continued tomorrow…)

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Message for the day 02-11-2012
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Patience enables one to easily overcome obstacles.

Expression: Usually, when faced with obstacles there is an urgency to remove it without any proper planning. That means we want to overcome the obstacle without putting in any effort. And when it is not possible, it tends to create impatience and frustration in us.

Experience: It is important to do some internal work to overcome an obstacle. First, it is good to check to what extent there is faith in the self. With faith in ourselves, we need to plan out before we act to remove or overcome the obstacle and we will, then, find ourselves successful.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thursday, November 01, 2012

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 01-11-2012

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Soul Sustenance 01-11-2012
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Meditation On Self-Forgiveness

Sit comfortably and relax. Recall the feelings associated with some mistake or mistakes you have made in the past. Connect with any feelings of hatred and revenge; connect with any feelings of guilt and how you felt you had let others and yourself down; the shame and the humiliation you may have felt...

Now ask yourself:
What good is it doing me or others by holding onto these feelings...?
What benefits does it bring me? How does it help me, or the other people affected...? (pause for 30 seconds).


Now, say the following to yourself inside your mind:
I decide that I have held onto these feelings long enough and it is time to let them go... This is a matter of reason as they no longer serve me, and a matter of my will at a deep level to release them... I feel all these negative feelings and let them go... I release them... let them go...

Now, unconditionally, forgive yourself... you have made a mistake... you have learned from that mistake... there is nothing to be gained from having feelings of guilt or shame... let them go... forgive yourself... forgive everyone else who may have contributed... it is time to let it go...

Now focus on your true self - a divine being of spiritual energy situated at the center of the forehead... focus on your inner feelings of peace... Think of and feel your inner qualities of honesty, tolerance, kindness and generosity. Focus on them, as this is who you truly are... a peaceful, compassionate, forgiving being of spiritual light... radiating these qualities to the world...

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Message for the day 01-11-2012
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Simplicity sharpens the power of perception.

Expression: When there is simplicity within us, the clouds or layers that prevent our perception begin to fade away and we can see the situation clearly. With simplicity we find that there is nothing to colour or change our perception and naturally the decisions that follow become accurate too.

Experience: Before we take any important decision we need to stop for a while, detach ourselves from the situation and see it with a cool mind. With this our thoughts will become free from all kind of associated memories and unnecessary attitudes and we will be able to make the right decision.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris