Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 31-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 31-05-2014
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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 31-05-2014
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The method to stay in constant enthusiasm and to keep others enthusiastic is to see specialities in others.

Projection: Many times while I am sincerely working towards my task, I find myself losing my enthusiasm. I also might find people not very happy with me or my work. I do make an attempt to understand their feelings but fail to do so Such negative responses further reduce my enthusiasm.

Solution: I need to develop the art of looking at specialities in people. The more I am able to see their positive qualities, the more I am able to relate to them with that speciality. This encourages the other person further to use that speciality. This will naturally keep me constantly enthusiastic


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 30-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 30-05-2014
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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 30-05-2014
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The way to bring transformation in others is to have mercy for them.

Projection: Inspite of wanting to bring about a positive change in people and working towards it, I rarely find that kind of change that I expect. People continue to display their old patterns of behaviour and finally I end up only feeling disappointed or frustrated.

Solution: Real change can come in people only when I am able to have a vision of mercy for them. With mercy I am able to percieve and bring out the best in people without actually being caught up with expectations. Once I am able to see the positive qualities I am able to encourage them to use these qualities


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 29-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 29-05-2014
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Going Beyond False Identifications

The more I identify with the physical factors of my life, the more I become a prisoner to my destiny or the various up and downs of my life. E.g. if my self-respect is attached to my beautiful new car, how will I feel about myself when the car becomes old and its beauty and shine reduce? Or if I my car is stolen or gets immensely damaged in a road accident? Then, I shall find myself in an identity crisis. The same will be true if my business or job is everything to me. If one day, I am in a good financial state and I enjoy a very respectable and dominant position, and the next day I find myself in a dispute in my profession and I suddenly lose all of that, and nobody wants to know me, I will feel as if I have lost my soul and have almost died. The problem is sometimes so great that people do, literally, lose their desire to live. It happens, too, in relationships, when your partner leaves you either due to a separation, a divorce or even death - a partner in whom you have invested all your love and emotions. Or if my identity is tied to my back balance or property, and suddenly I am broke.

All of these are actually false identifications, and the crazy part of living this way is that I can never be satisfied, even if I succeed in maintaining my false identity. These kind of false identifications do not keep me placed stably on my seat of self-respect and either bring about an inferiority complex or a superiority complex - both of which are false, so both bring insecurity. Even while I am externally successful, having my identity based on that success means I am a slave to them. I've handed over my self-esteem to them. I become addicted to it.

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Message for the day 29-05-2014
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The method to stay in constant enthusiasm and to keep others enthusiastic is to see specialities in others.

Projection: Many times while I am sincerely working towards my task, I find myself losing my enthusiasm. I also might find people not very happy with me or my work. I do make an attempt to understand their feelings but fail to do so Such negative responses further reduce my enthusiasm.

Solution: I need to develop the art of looking at specialities in people. The more I am able to see their positive qualities, the more I am able to relate to them with that speciality. This encourages the other person further to use that speciality. This will naturally keep me constantly enthusiastic.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 28-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 28-05-2014
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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 28-05-2014
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The method for easy progress is to claim the blessings of all.

Projection: Sometimes we find ourselves making a lot of effort and putting in a lot of energy for getting something done. Yet we find that the results are not according to the efforts that we have put in. We then begin to wonder it happens so.

Solution: To be able to give happiness to those around is to increase the speed of my progress. For this I need to pay special attention to keep giving happiness and not giving sorrow to those around me. This brings me their blessings and these subtle wishes bring me happiness and success easily.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 27-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 27-05-2014
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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 27-05-2014
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To consider oneself to be a server means to be humble.

Expression: Each one is endowed with certain specialities and gifts. The one who is able to use these specialties for the benefit of others as a server, is able to make a contribution to better the lives of those around. But the one who only thinks of his specialities and a chance for expressing the specialities is not able to remain humble.

Experience: All the specialties that I have are there for a purpose. The more I use it to benefit others, the more I am able to use them with humility. I am also able to gather the good wishes of those around me and further increase my specialities. I have no expectations from others but am able to give unconditionally, recognizing their need.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 02-06-2014

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Soul Sustenance 02-06-2014
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A New Journey With A New Personality (Part 1)

Anyone who shows an inclination in getting to know the Supreme Being closely has a fascinating journey in front of them. Spiritual knowledge is the vehicle in which I make this extremely interesting journey full of exploration. Without sitting in the vehicle, I cannot make the journey. As I sit in this vehicle, I am introduced to this new, multi-faced, peaceful, loveful and blissful character in my life, a character who is spiritually rich with treasures of knowledge, virtues, powers, happiness and blessings, a character commonly called God, by everyone.

He is a character who introduces himself as being just a point of conscient light, a form very simple and plain. Yet, hidden beneath that simple light, incognito form is an immense volume of experience, wisdom and depth, such that even a lifetime spent in this journey, in his company, does not bring you to knowing him completely. The more you dive into the ocean of knowledge contained within the light, the more you discover and the more treasures of knowledge and experiences you receive. Every time you make contact with this new found companion called God, there is growth inside you and there is an increase of peace, love, happiness and power inside you. It's just as if after you've begun this journey, you're never quite the same again. However much time you spend in his company during the journey, whether it be in imbibing knowledge from him or remembering him during meditation or even sharing the benefits of this journey to other friends and relatives so that they can also start this journey themselves and experience what you are experiencing; whether you do either of these for a few minutes or an hour, there's always an experience of subtle growth and development inside you.

(To be continued tomorrow...)

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Message for the day 02-06-2014
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To forgive the self is to have the ability to forgive others too.

Projection: I sometimes find it very difficult to forgive the mistakes committed by others. I do try to understand but am not able to understand the other person's behaviour and so find it difficult to forgive them.

Solution: When I have love for myself and am able to learn from all that happens, I am able to forgive myself. When I know to do this, I can understand the other person too from his perspective and can easily forgive him.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 26-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 26-05-2014
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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 26-05-2014
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To be free from weaknesses is to move forward constantly.

Expression: Most of the times I do win over my weaknesses and achieve progress but sometimes I find that I am defeated at the wrong moment by my own weakness and I experience failure. So instead of finding the progress that I should I find that I am moving back.

Experience: In order to bring benefit to others and to myself, I should recognise and remove even the last trace of weakness that is working within me. For that I need to have a constant checking about the real cause of the weakness and remove it. Such checking and changing helps me to overcome my weaknesses.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 25-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 25-05-2014
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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 25-05-2014
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To serve with the heart, with love is to guarantee success.

Expression: When we have to be of help to others, we sometimes find ourselves doing it with force. We don't seem to be really interested in doing it but situations or people seem to be forcing us to do it. We, then, don't enjoy what we do and also don't find the benefit of it either to others or to ourselves.

Experience: We need to consciously make an effort to see what people are benefiting when we are helping them. With this conscious effort we are able to help others with love without feeling the heaviness of what we have to do. Thus, we find our actions to be much more fruitful.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 24-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 24-05-2014
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Positive Thinking

What Stops You from Being Positive?

There are many reasons that make it difficult to produce and hold on to positivity in your mind and attitude. The external information we receive is mainly negative, and our thoughts and conversations are based on this information. Other causes include:

* Other people's negativity rubbing off on you; Other people's criticisms influencing you;
* Self-doubt;
* Lacking clear objectives in life;
* Not having recognized your true qualities, virtues and values;
* Lacking self-confidence;
* Not believing you are a positive person;
* Keeping the past in your mind;
* Being egoistic;
* Comparing yourself with others;
* Having low self-esteem;
* Being frustrated or irritated;
* Lacking flexibility or tolerance with people or situations, etc.

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Message for the day 24-05-2014
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With the balance of love and discipline, energy can be saved while speaking.

Expression: Throughout the day we find ourselves having to give explanations or corrections to so many people. When we do this we find that we have to spend a lot of words. In the process we tend to lose a lot of our energy and find ourselves tired.

Experience: In order to save our energy and to use fewer words we need to have the balance of love and discipline. Discipline will enable us to give the right directions while love will make our directions effective. So we find that just a few words would be enough to get our message across.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 23-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 23-05-2014
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Improving The Quality Of Different Areas Of My Karmas (Part 4)

Karmas as spiritual service of others
Service of others can be seen on a very basic level as physical charity but the real service is to uplift the souls of others by inspiring them to re-claim their state of self-respect. There is the old saying that if I give others chapattis, I feed them for a day. If I teach them how to cook chapattis, I feed them for life. In a spiritual way, this refers to the fact that instead of merely performing a positive karma like the donation of money, food, clothes, etc. if one can show others the understanding of karma and how it works and also teach them the ultimate, pure karma of coming closer to the Supreme on a spiritual level, they can make efforts to change their negative karmic situation and bring happiness, peace and positivity back in their lives. When there is a change at the mental and emotional level, then changes will begin to show at the physical level too. Over a period of time, due to understanding spiritual knowledge (as a result of which the soul starts performing positive actions) and a deep connection with the Supreme (due to which negative actions or sins performed in the past are burned up), the karmic situation of the soul, which has been served, starts improving.

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Message for the day 23-05-2014
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The one who has the spirit of service is free from wasteful thinking.

Expression: It is usually thought of as an additional burden to think of serving others. The usual thought is to think of first serving oneself and when one is content to think of serving others. But this thought makes one miss out on the fact that both service to oneself and service to others are complementary to each other, one helping the other in a positive way.

Experience: When we take on the responsibility of bringing benefit to others, i.e., when we consider ourselves as a humble server we will be free from wasteful and negative thinking. We will not waste our thoughts and energy on something that is not worthwhile, something that is not going to bring benefit to anyone. So each thought, word and action of ours becomes elevated.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 22-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 22-05-2014
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Improving The Quality Of Different Areas Of My Karmas (Part 3)

Karmas performed for leisure or entertainment
When someone says they don't have time for meditation or for their spiritual development, it generally reflects an unwillingness to face the self rather than an actual lack of time. The fact that average T.V. viewing time in many countries runs to more than 15 hours a week tells its own story. To the extent that I value my time, I value my life and make myself valuable. Valuing my time, energy and money is very much a part of the whole karmic story of give and take: what they are used for, how well they are used, whether they are wasted and so on. Difficulties with time, one's own bodily energy and finances are the fruits of past indifference or wastage of these resources (either in this birth or previous births). The world financial crisis is the karmic sum total of all such individual difficulties. Am I using all that I have in a worthwhile way? Am I just wasting it or am I using it for benefit for myself and for others? These questions, answered correctly, often spell the difference between success and failure.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 22-05-2014
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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 me to be stable at that time. Because of the thoughts in my mind, Although it is in my hands to work at transforming the situation I don't make use of this opportunity but only end up adding to the negativity.

Experience: In a negative situation, it is necessary for me to maintain my own inner stability. I need to free myself from wasteful thoughts. Then the negativity in the situation will finish, first in my mind and then in the situation itself. My own internal stability will help in finishing the influence of the external situation.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 21-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 21-05-2014
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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 21-05-2014
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The one who is aware of the attainments is the one who is content.

Expression: Sometimes, there is a tendency to compare ourselves with others and find ourselevs lacking in some way. This creates unhappiness in us and we are not able to remain content. Comparing ourselves with others or having expectations makes us miss out on perceiving the attainments we have in our life. And we are not able to experience contentment.

Experience: Instead of looking at what we don't have, which is usually the practice, we need to make effort to see what we have attained or what we are attaining. Once we make this practice, we will be able to look at the positive aspect in our life, which will enable us to remain content under all circumstances, i.e., in both positive and negative situations.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 20-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 20-05-2014
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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 20-05-2014
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To share virtues along with knowledge is to encourage transformation in others.

Expression: When we have to give a suggestion/advise to someone we tend to share a lot of points of knowledge in order to make them understand. We try to prove logically why they have to change. Although the reasoning is right most of the time, the others don't seem to change either because they don't understand or because they don't want to understand.

Experience: When we want to bring transformation in others we need to make sure to share our own virtues along with the points of knowledge. To share virtues means to give them an experience of our love, peace, good wishes etc. When they experience our virtues, they'll be willing to bring about change quickly.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 19-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 19-05-2014
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Open-Eyed Meditation

One of the special characteristics of Raja Yoga meditation (as taught by the Brahma Kumaris) is that I learn to meditate with my eyes open. The training of the mind, so that it creates thoughts, to give a positive experience, helps me in facing not only my daily routine, but specifically, in dealing with unexpected practical life situations that test my real power. Mastering the art of meditating with my eyes open can be of immense value to me in my practical life.

If I restrict myself to seated meditation with my eyes closed, then I am prevented from continuing the meditative experience in the course of my normal activities i.e. walking, eating, cooking, working in the office, moving around and so on.

Meditation is at the same time an incredibly relaxing experience as well as brings about an increase of perception (judgement) powers and sharper reaction response. In this way, I can be walking along the street in a meditative state and yet have a very quick perception (judgement) and reaction response to the surrounding pedestrians and traffic.

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Message for the day 19-05-2014
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To be prepared for obstacles is to remain cheerful under all circumstances.

Expression: Generally there is always a wish not to have to face any obstacles. When we begin something new we usually have a thought to have things going perfectly well. So when obstacles do come we are not prepared and we experience dissatisfaction and sorrow.

Experience: Whenever we start something new we need to prepare our mind that we are sure to be faced with obstacles. Along with it we also need to understand that these obstacles actually teach us something new and it is only with such situations we can learn and progress. When we have such thoughts we will be able to remain cheerful under all circumstances.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 18-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 18-05-2014
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Letting Go Of The Branches Of The Life Tree

A very common habit that has become deeply embedded inside us is the habit of possessing, to which we succumb repeatedly. We come in contact with different people, material comforts, roles, positions, experiences, achievements and of course our own physical body etc. on an external level and our own thoughts, viewpoints, beliefs, memories, etc. on an internal level etc. throughout our life. All of these are like branches that make up our life tree. Possession is like clinging on to one or the other of these different branches from time to time, as we fly from one branch to another, while covering our life journey. The spiritual point of view on this habit is clear and very straight forward. It is not possible to possess anything. If we do try to do so, we lose our freedom. To experience the freedom, we need to dare to let go of the branches, which does not mean to lose or leave them because the branches are always going to be there. We can return to any of them to rest or pause whenever we want. But, it is about being aware and alert, because the moment a pause on a branch turns into a stop, the stop turns into a brake and, after that, the brake turns into a blockage. As a result, like the bird whose flying agility degrades on a physical level if it does the same; our intellectual and emotional agility starts to degrade.

When we learn to let go of one branch at a time, we are always welcoming new positive and empowering experiences in our life, one at a time. Like the birds, by letting go of one branch, we are then able to spend the rest of your lives trying and discovering many other branches, one branch at a time, and so we can enjoy the view from each new vantage point.We can choose between a life of flying and soaring or be stuck on one or the other branch, seeing others as they fly past and enjoy a life of freedom where they do visit their life tree from time to time and their life does revolve around the tree but they don't try and possess it or any of its branches.

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Message for the day 18-05-2014
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To recognize the uniqueness of one's own role is to be free from negativity.

Expression: When we find things going wrong with us, we sometimes wish for a change in our role. We begin to compare ourselves with others or wish for something better in our life, which makes us lose all our enthusiasm. We, then, make no effort to better our role.

Experience: We need to recognize the importance of our own role. Like an actor who doesn't make effort to change his role but brings perfection to his own role, we, too, need to concentrate on our own role. The recognition of the importance of our own role and the desire to bring excellence to it makes us free from negativity.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 17-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 17-05-2014
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Meditation – Experiencing My Original Home (Part 2)

Along with reading over the following words slowly and silently, make a sincere effort to create images of them in the eye of your mind:

I focus myself on the self, the soul, a golden point of light........
I stay between the eyebrows in the middle of the forehead........
I radiate golden rays of peace, purity and love in all directions........
In this awareness of I the soul, with the power of my mind I can travel beyond the limits of my physical organs........
I visualize myself gradually going out from this physical body........
I, the sparkling star like energy, fly into the night sky........
I see myself floating above thousands of buildings and lights........
Slowly I rise higher and higher to enter space........
I am surrounded by millions of stars and planets........
Slowly I see myself flying beyond the world of five elements........
I, the golden star, enter another world, a soft golden-red light world........
A world of sweet silence and peace........
full of peaceful light stretching very very far away........
I feel pure warmth here, surrounded by light........
I the point of light shine in this sixth element........
I am free of all tensions, extremely light.........
This is where I belong,
This is my home........
I recognize this place........
I had forgotten it, but now I have rediscovered it........
Spend a few minutes in this positive experience and then gradually come downwards to take your seat back in the physical body.

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Message for the day 17-05-2014
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The one who is constantly flying with zeal and enthusiasm brings progress in others too.

Expression: Whenever problems come my way, I tend to feel heavy with waste and negative thoughts. At that time I am not able to feel free and light. When there is heaviness in my mind, I can't move forward with enthusiasm and thereby find it difficult to contribute for others' progress too.

Experience: Whatever the circumstances I am faced with, I need to make special effort not to reduce my enthusiasm in any way. The more I am able to be enthusiastic, the more I am able to contribute to the progress of others too along with my own progress.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 16-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 16-05-2014
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Meditation – Experiencing My Original Home (Part 1)

In meditation, I focus my mind and intellect on that region which is called by names like soul world, paramdham, nirvandham, shantidham and so on. In fact, this is the region where the soul stays, when it has no body. Here the soul stays in the form of a star-like point of light, untouched by matter (five elements including the body). In this world, there exists neither thought, word nor action; just complete stillness, sweet silence and peace. When I first take a physical body, it is from here that I the soul come down into the material world i.e. the earth, which is the field of action.

With the practice of meditation, my third eye (eye of the mind) opens; and I see and experience my original home as an infinite (very large, unmeasurable) world of very subtle (light) golden-red light, situated beyond the physical world of five elements, beyond the sun, moon and stars.

(To be continued tomorrow .... )

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Message for the day 16-05-2014
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The one who recognises the needs of others is the one who gives real happiness.

Expression: I usually make a lot of effort to give in some way or the other to those around me. Yet I sometimes find that people are not able to be happy with me. What I give is usually based on what I feel the other person needs. I continue to give in this way and begin to expect from others too, and find myself disappointed when I am not appreciated.

Experience: I need to be a giver in the true sense. Before I think of giving, I need to recognise the needs of others. The more I keep myself tuned to this I will enjoy what I am giving and the impact of it will be there on the others too. I will then find that others are pleased with me too.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 15-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 15-05-2014
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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 15-05-2014
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To be free from waste questions is to save time.

Expression: When difficult situations come my way I usually have a lot of questions in my mind about it. I continue to ask myself why the situation has come and have no answers. These questions usually bring me no solution for the problems at hand but I continue to have waste thoughts.

Experience: I need to understand the importance of the time that is in my hands. When I recognize the value of my time I will not waste time in unnecessary thoughts but will try to find a solution for the problem. If there is no solution for the problem I at least just stop thinking unnecessarily and just accept it.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 14-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 14-05-2014
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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 14-05-2014
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When there is determination in my thoughts, the clouds of negative situations will fade away.

Expression: There are a lot of negative situations that come my way, as I am moving along. During the difficult phase I tend to experience a lot of negativity within too, either in the form of fear, anger or pain. At that time the difficulty seems very big and seems to last forever.

Experience: I need to recognize the fact that whatever difficulties I face are like passing clouds. These clouds come at their time and fade away at their time too. I need to develop the determination to work on my problems with this understanding. I will then be able to face the situation with ease.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 13-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 13-05-2014
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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 13-05-2014
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The right way of living spreads joy to others.

Expression: When people around me are not happy with me, I usually believe that I am right and they are all wrong. I then cannot check or realise my own mistake. So I rarely make an attempt to change myself and continue to wait for others to change or understand me.

Experience: If people around me are not able to get happiness from me or the way I live, I need to look at my own life in a detached way to see where I could change. Even a slightest change brought by me with sincerity will have a great effect on those around me.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 12-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 12-05-2014
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Going Beyond Others’ Perception Of Us

Watch how many things you do during the day are dependent on how you imagine the other sees you: your husband, your friend, your child, your cousin, your aunt, your boss, the secretary or whoever. You imagine how they are going to look at you and, as a result, you mould yourself accordingly. If you depend on the look of the other, inwardly you will always feel fear. You want to please the other so that they continue to see you as you want.

Because of the dependence that we have on the other to appreciate us, value us and not to reject us, we want to please them. If, in spite of doing everything possible, they do not appreciate us or are not happy, how do we feel? Cheated. After having done everything out of wanting to please them! Inside, you want to please them because you want them to keep on loving you, or you don't want them to sack you from your job, or you are afraid of being different or not being accepted. That kind of dependency takes us away from our true authenticity. If you look at yourself well, in the end, others will look at you well and the one who does not look at you well will perhaps teach you something, but your value and self-esteem do not depend on the look of the other. In this state, you are open because you trust yourself and you have personal security.

The other entity can also be the Supreme Soul (God). We are afraid that God might judge us for being sinners or not. If I think God looks at me with that vision of whether I am a sinner, whether I am this or something else, I distance myself from Him. A judge like that does not help me to live with wholeness. In general, in society, there has been a distancing from the relationship and experience with God, because we have learned that He is a strict being and a judge. Actually, God is love; God looks at me well and sees my potential and my beauty (which reflects His), God embraces me and, in this embrace, He frees me: He does not allow me to depend on Him?

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Message for the day 12-05-2014
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Where there is peace there is patience.

Expression: My usual reactions to the stimuli around me are programmed, so I tend to be impulsive or react quickly to situations, I don't give myself time to think or understand. Because of this lack of patience I lose out on many things and I don't realise that I am losing out too.

Experience: At all times I need to make a conscious effort to keep my mind peaceful and calm, more so when there is a difficult situation. With this state of mind I am able to deal with situations patiently because peace brings power which in turn brings patience.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 11-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 11-05-2014
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Awakening Your Intuition (Part 2)

Meditation purifies and sharpens our intellect which makes it broader and far-sighted and also makes it free from waste and negativity; very clean and clear, like a mirror. As a result the intellect is able to subconsciously look into the hidden aspects of any situation, sense the underlying thoughts, emotions and feelings of people involved without any of them being visible, also look into the future without it having evolved as yet and sense the right solution. Nothing can remain hidden from a mirror. Even though a mirror is not consciously aware, somehow or the other it will decide correctly. This is only the intuitive capability, the capability of becoming a 'situation doctor', hearing the mental pulse of the situation and coming up with the right cure for it, which is awakened by meditation immensely. If the intellect contains negativity or waste and is not clear, sometimes one or more than one of the many influences which we had mentioned in yesterday's message might be perceived to be the intuition and then we might fail in a particular situation. Its important to note that the intuition, if heard correctly, which is only the case when the intellect is clean, can never be wrong and will always take you in the right direction.

In the above context, for the completely analytical minded, it’s significant to understand that the intuitive perception was favoured more by old spiritual traditions and the intellectual perception, is being favoured more by modern science and medicine. Relying only on the intellectual perception is not wise. It alone cannot give us a complete idea of reality. A balance needs to be created between the two different types of perception. People with a balance will be more successful in life and victorious in difficult situations.

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Message for the day 11-05-2014
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To be flexible is to enjoy everything that life brings.

Expression: When I plan perfectly for the day ahead, I sometimes find that I am not able to implement all that I had planned for. Things seem to be coming up unexpectedly spoiling everything for me. I am then not able to be happy with what is happening and so find it difficult to do my best in the particular situation.

Experience: It is as important to be flexible in my thoughts as it is to be particular about my daily schdule. Flexibility allows me to accommodate the unforeseen situations that come up my way and enables me to make the best use of everything. And so I enjoy everything that comes my way.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 10-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 10-05-2014
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Awakening Your Intuition (Part 1)

In real life, we are faced with many situations when important decisions have to be taken, a particular path to move ahead has to chosen. At such times, our mind is filled with various different voices or influences like the influence of people surrounding us, who give their different opinions regarding the particular situation; they say something, our mental logic along with knowledge of people and things, says something else, then there is the influence or memory of our past experiences which colour our perception of the present situation differently. Also there is the influence of the outside world in general - all that we see, hear and read. There are also our attachments, selfish desires, fears, mental biases towards a particular person or situation, emotions like jealousy and hatred, beliefs etc. which influence our perception. Our mind is full of all these influences, many of them even conflicting each other, and we experience complete turmoil or indecisiveness inside ourselves, we don't know what to do.

In such cases it is sometimes extremely wise to keep all these influences aside, sit in silence and listen to what our intuition is saying to us. There are many situations, in which after the situation is over, we realize that all the influences mentioned above would have taken us on the wrong path, but it was our intuition, our inner voice of wisdom, alone which gave us the right solution and took us safely to our destination.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

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Message for the day 10-05-2014
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All desires end when there is the one desire to experience progress.

Expression: It is believed normally that in order to progress one needs to have desires. But desires are not always fulfilled and unhappiness is experienced because of it. Then I am not able to appreciate whatever comes my way.

Experience: I need to replace all my desires with one desire, i.e., the desire to experience progress. With this thought, I will be able to make the best use of what I get in the right way. When I move forward in this way making the best use of everything I will be able to experience constant progress.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 09-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 09-05-2014
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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 09-05-2014
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The power of silence makes the impossible achievable.

Expression: When I am faced with a difficult situation, my mind is flooded with thoughts. I also begin to talk about it a lot, describing the problem to all I meet. Then the problem looks so big that I feel I could do nothing to change it.

Experience: I need learn the art of silence(mental and verbal). Internal silence brings the right solutions because my mind is calm. And when I don't describe the problem too much to people I will know there is a solution and I will be able to find it too.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 08-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 08-05-2014
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Soul Maintenance

In order to take care of the physical body, we give importance to diet, exercise and to proper rest or sleep.

In order to take care of the non-physical self or soul, we need to make sure that we feed our intellect with positive thoughts. Attention needs to be kept on the diet of the intellect. If we keep feeding it with positive thoughts, then automatically it will make us free from any heaviness and we will feel the lightness of our own mind.

The regular practice of meditation for 5-10 minutes every morning is the exercise for the soul. Meditation will help us master our sense organs, think more peacefully and powerfully, maintain our focus of inner attention and therefore remain undisturbed by external events (at the workplace or at home).

The third important thing is to give enough rest to the soul. We sleep to energize the body. We need to give rest to the soul in the form of silence in the mind. Refuse to do anything in this one minute. Just one minute of silence and calmness every hour gives rest to our mind and will empower (strengthen) us for the rest of the hour. So we are able to do our work more efficiently and effectively.

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Message for the day 08-05-2014
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To serve with the heart, with love is to guarantee success.

Expression: When I have to be of help to others, I sometimes find myself doing it with force. I don't seem to be really interested in doing it but situations or people seem to be forcing me to do it. I then don't enjoy what I do and also don't find the benefit of it either to others or to myself.

Experience: I need to consciously make an effort to see what people are benefitting when I am helping them. With this conscious effort I am able to help others with love without feeling the heaviness of what I have to do. Thus I find my actions to be much more fruitful.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 07-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 07-05-2014
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The Inner Awakening Wave

Our beliefs either put us to sleep or cause us to remain awake. Even if are awake on a physical level, when we are asleep internally, without even realizing most of the time; we don't see others, situations and the world as a whole in their true light. We see, perceive and interpret reality incorrectly, which causes us pain. We perceive any sort of pain on the mental or emotional level to be normal and think that others and circumstances are responsible for the pain. All this, because of the incorrect beliefs that we carry inside us, the most important one being that we are physical bodies and not spiritual energies or souls. Only when the subtle pain becomes intolerable, do we look for a remedy for the same, or think we have to do something about it. Most of us go through life asleep and hence in pain. An inner awakening is one in which we realize the incorrect beliefs and are not scared to challenge them. Once we do that, our pain starts receding. We then very naturally look to wake up others, so that they are relieved from their pain.

The present time in the history of humanity is such that while the sleep of some souls is getting more and more sound and pain increases in the world, on the other hand, an inner awakening wave is taking many souls in its tide as more and more souls are waking up from their deep slumber and waking up others. This is the time when late night and early morning exist side by side. It is the same time, but late night for most and early morning, a time of getting up, for a few. This is happening due to a consciousness shift or shifting of beliefs inside many through spiritual knowledge. Such souls, whose number keeps increasing everyday, are experiencing more and more happiness in their lives. Both these groups of souls have similar circumstances and people in their life but the shifting or correction of beliefs inside the second group is causing souls in the group to remain stable amidst these circumstances, free from spiritual pain, depending on how much the shift is.

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Message for the day 07-05-2014
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Inner satisfaction brings creativity.

Expression: Quite often I find myself trying to keep pace with the things that I have always been doing. I seem to be caught up in the routine to the extent that I experience monotony. I then cannot think of any newness that I can bring in my life.

Experience: It is only with my inner satisfaction that can I bring creativity in my life. For this, while doing the routine jobs that I am involved in throughout the day, I need to make special effort to keep myself content with the things that are going on and also think of new ways of doing what I am already doing. Then I will never experience boredom in my life.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 06-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 06-05-2014
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Going Beyond …

If the quality of my thoughts can influence my physical health, the atmosphere around me and my relationships, it will definitely affect my relationship with God. Unlike physics in which dissimilar forces (positive and negative) attract each other, the basic principle of spirituality is that similar forces attract each other.If my mind is caught up in cycles of negativity, the dissimilarity between me and God will create distance between me and Him. With the awareness of being a soul, a being of spiritual energy, spiritual light, I begin to have a certain amount of mastery over my own thoughts and their quality. Also, the process of finishing negativity is accelerated. Just stepping away from the limited consciousness of the body and bodily connections (not leaving them) stops negative thinking in the same way as by just putting a switch on, a light is turned on and darkness finishes.

If explorers had never ventured beyond their home countries, they would have remained firm in the belief that the rest of the world simply didn't exist. In the same way, if I allow myself to stay only within the physical and limited sphere of thinking, then I would declare that there is nothing beyond. It is when I make the effort to go outside the boundaries of my previous thinking, that I have the chance of discovering more. The quest for a source of love, truth and beauty – the Supreme eventually brings me to the necessity of looking beyond not only my own body, but also other human beings and matter itself. Through the practice of seeing the self as an eternal soul and disciplining my mind I create the possibility of discovering the existence and nature of God and having a deep relationship with that One.

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Message for the day 06-05-2014
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With the balance of love and discipline, energy can be saved while speaking.

Expression: Throughout the day I find myself having to give explanations or corrections to so many people. When I do this I find that I have to spend a lot of words. In the process I tend to lose a lot of my energy and find myself tired.

Experience: In order to save my energy and to use fewer words I need to have the balance of love and discipline. Discipline will enable me to give the right directions while love will make my directions effective. So I find that just a few words would be enough to get my message across.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 05-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 05-05-2014
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Maintaining Your Self-Esteem In Relationships

When a person is in love with another human, the marvelous thing about being in love is that it is a totally positive projection. There is a person who projects on to you all that is positive: you are marvelous, you are unique, you are indispensable, you are a treasure. That positive projection generates a euphoric state, of bliss, of wellbeing, whereby you are flying. You feel loved, cared for, needed and valued. That positive projection lasts for a time until, with the dependencies and expectations, the negative projection begins. "You should have called me, you should have told me, you should have come at this time, you should be more like this, you should be less like that, you should have done this or that."

With these expectations, demands and dependencies, that positive projection and flying state disappear. The other has started interfering in your personal space and the harmony that was there previously is lost. One needs to learn to have a positive vision of oneself. You are marvelous, you are unique; don't depend on them telling you so. This does not mean you need to feed your ego, but that you need to make the most positive emerge from within you. Resort to all your creative, positive, spiritual capacity, so that you do not depend on others having to project positive things onto you in order to feel good. On feeling good in an independent and autonomous way, you will be able to share with others peace, love and positivism. You won't be in the state of a victim but will be true rulers and controllers of your own life with solid self-esteem.

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Message for the day 05-05-2014
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The one who is a giver, has attention constantly on giving fully.

Expression: When the system that I am working in doesn't let me give maximum benefit to the people around me or deprives them of their natural right, I tend to react negatively. I tend to become upset which doesn't help either of us in anyway.

Experience: When I remember and maintain the awareness that I am a giver, instead of complaining about the restrictions that society or people around me impose I continue to give those around me something that will make them happy. This could be in the form of kind and supportive words or at least an understanding smile. When I give in this way, it will make others too free from negative thoughts.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 04-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 04-05-2014
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Self Empowerment

To fill your self with a quality or power, which you feel you do not have or one, which is lacking inside you, try the following exercise. Suppose you feel that you lack contentment (satisfaction). To increase this quality inside you, sit comfortably in a pleasant room with your eyes open.

Withdraw (remove) energy mentally from everything around you – turn your attention inward. You might think of how a tortoise withdraws into its shell to detach itself from the outside world, but carrying the experience of the world with it inside its shelter.

Create a point of consciousness. Focus on the centre of your forehead. Think of this point as a bright star, a sparkling jewel, a flame or a being of light. This will radiate positive energy, making you feel good about yourself.

Affirm (strengthen) this positive energy through positive thoughts and images about yourself such as * I am a contented soul, I shower everyone whom I meet with the quality of contentment, * I am a jewel of contentment, or * I am the child of the Supreme Soul, the Ocean of Contentment.

Focus your energy on contentment, and let this become the object of your meditation. As you focus, you will give contentment life, turning a thought into a feeling.

Experience this feeling by giving your conscious attention to it.

During the entire day, you could visualize yourself performing each action in the canopy (shelter) of the Ocean of Contentment.

Now perform this exercise for different virtues like cheerfulness, courage, humility (egolessness), tolerance, forgiveness, determination, etc. especially for the ones you think are lacking inside you. For the qualities already existing inside you, you could use this exercise to strengthen those features of your personality and bring them more into your actions and interactions.

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Message for the day 04-05-2014
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To live in the present is to be free from the influence of the past.

Expression: Many times the past keeps coming back again and again in the mind, influencing the present too. The present is lost in thinking about the past. So there can be nothing done to enjoy the present. All words and actions then are totally coloured by the past. Instead the one who is able to free himself from the influence of the past is able to move positively towards the future.

Experience: To be free from the influence of the past it is important to have a powerful consciousness of the present. To be able to be free from the influence of the past is to forget the past. Because there is the understanding that it is gone. Also there is no worry about the future. When I am able to learn to live in the present I am able to discover how full it is of peaceful moments.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 03-05-2014

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Soul Sustenance 03-05-2014
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Transforming The Other’s Anger

In meditation, when I connect with God, I absorb His spiritual love and peace, which causes my own original qualities, which are present in me, the soul, in my pure state when I begin the playing of roles through physical bodies on the world stage, to come to the forefront or to the surface, to emerge in the conscious from the sub-conscious. As a result, now, where previously there would have been conflict, I have a greater capacity to remain peaceful when another person behaves in an unpleasant way with me. I have the power to stay mentally and emotionally stable when someone provokes or insults me. This power is enormously valuable in life, enabling me to cool heated situations, and even remove another person's anger altogether.

Instead of focusing on the anger on a person's face, I focus my attention to the non-physical, star-like being or soul within the person, which was peaceful and loveful in its original, pure state. This increases my tolerance and acceptance power. Also, through my meditation, I am actively aware of the spiritual bond all human beings share, as souls who have a common home of peace, the incorporeal (non-physical) home, from where all of souls come and a common connection with the One Supreme Father, the Supreme Soul. Through this knowledge, I connect with the goodness in the other soul and my love for the soul is maintained. I realize that this goodness is a deeper reality than the anger. The truth is that if I can hold this soul-conscious vision steady for long enough, I radiate positive energy to the other soul, which works like magic and awakens the goodness within the other person. Then, my tolerance bears fruit and peace really does prevail between the two of us.

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Message for the day 03-05-2014
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To bring in light is to finish darkness.

Expression: Usually when there is any negativity seen, there is a lot of attention paid to it. All the positivity remains hidden and only the negativity is highlighted. So the one who is caught up with a negative attitude colours all his words and actions too with this negativity and will naturally create a world of negativity for himself.

Experience: When I am able to see the positivity even in both positive situations and negative situations, I am able to influence others with my positivity. Others' negativity will not influence me in a negative way, but I will be able to remain powerful in all situations. I will experience inner growth constantly.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris