Brahma Kumaris: April 2017

Sunday, April 30, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 30-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 30-04-2017
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At Peace With Time - The Key To Relaxed Living (Part 4)

You choose whether, each morning, you want to get up and begin with watching television, reading the newspaper over a cup of tea, or you want to get up and meditate, listen to peaceful music, read a couple of pages of spiritual knowledge that inspire you and you begin the day with enthusiasm and by visualizing it positively: today will be a marvelous day, I shall enjoy it … yes!! Such meditative and spiritual practice will give you a feel of time being elastic. In such a consciousness, a minute will seem eternal i.e. time can seem to come to a standstill (if I am surrounded by a positive set of circumstances which are spiritually uplifting) or can seem an instant, i.e. I get a feeling of time passing very fast (if in a negative set of circumstances). Thus, I learn to be a creator of time; living in time without being a slave to it. True freedom lies in being content now. You can be content in the present moment by resolving the inner dialogue that generates stress and conflict in you. When you are content, enjoying yourself and having a good time, you don't realize how time passes. This means that, if we lived in a state of constant happiness, we wouldn't realize how time passes. Time would be at our service. We would be the rulers and controllers of time and not the other way round.

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Message for the day 30-04-2017
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To see specialities in all is to become special.

Projection:Most of the time, I'm caught up in looking at people's negativity. When I see some negative quality in someone, I immediately make his specialities a background and start focusing on his negative traits. The more I think of these negative qualities, the more they occupy my conscious mind, changing my reactions too.

Solution: It is natural to be coloured or influenced by what I see. If I see specialities, I'll take on a little of that and if I see weaknesses, I'll take on a little of that too. So I need to make an attempt to look at only specialities and encourage others too to use their specialities.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 29-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 29-04-2017
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At Peace With Time - The Key To Relaxed Living (Part 3)

To live at peace with time is to live it with peace, trust and determination. It is different to living it out of conflict and forcing things. In order to live true freedom of being, we have to make friends with time and stop living stressed in time. We have to trust. Trust that you will arrive on time, that you will do it on time and, if not, that a particular problem will be solved. Don't let time be a stress factor. When we live stressed because of time, we lose the best of life. We stop living what is essential and important, and we get lost in the details: I have to go here, I have to finish this, I have to call up someone, and endless amounts of I have tos that consume our mental energy and make us get lost in the details of the trivial (ordinary). As well, in hurrying, we lose quality. You can do everything, but without losing what is essential; do it with love, with care, with interest, with enthusiasm, with motivation and with focus. That way every small action that you take will have a greater impact, will be more fulfilling and will bear a more positive fruit.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 29-04-2017
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To be free from the burden of responsibility is to fulfill the responsibility well.

Projection:When I am responsible for something or people expect me to be answerable for something, I tend to feel heavy because of these responsibilities. With the such a feeling of having a burden, I'm not able to fulfill my responsibilities to the best of my ability.

Solution: Whatever responsibilities are given to me are according to my capabilities. When I remind myself of this I'll be able to be light and give my best to fulfill all my responsibilities.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Friday, April 28, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 28-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 28-04-2017
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At Peace With Time - The Key To Relaxed Living (Part 2)

Not only is your strength reduced by the way that you live the past and project onto the future, but also how you live in this moment. When, for example, you oppose the present and have resistances, these consume your energy and cause you stress. If you accept the present you can flow flexibly without wasting your energy. Accepting does not mean submitting yourself or feeling a victim of what is happening now. From acceptance, you confront and transform. If we learn to live the dimensions of time in a healthy way we will keep up our vitality, we will heal the past and we will feel at peace with it. Accepting the present and trusting in the future helps us to be well.

Accepting the present means stopping comparing yourself with others; you want what the other has, their money, their talents, their beauty, their personality, their achievements, their virtues, etc. So, instead of being grateful for what you have and accepting yourself as you are, you try to have and be like the other. In this way, you are never satisfied. The dissatisfaction causes you a constant unhappiness that reduces your vitality. When you feel happy and satisfied your energy flows more easily. The most important thing that you should do in this moment is to feel content. Next, what is the most important thing? To be content. Therefore, the priority, and what is essential, is that whatever happens in the moment, the most important thing is to be content. So, tell your mind - Oh, mind, be quiet and don't think so much. Oh, mind, kindly trust that everything is and will be fine. Give your mind the basic instructions and the key thoughts with which to be content. Don't let your own mind create the thoughts that trap you. It is we ourselves who create our emotional cages.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 28-04-2017
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The one who is free from bondage is the one who can be a support for others.

Projection:Sometimes I find myself not being able to be of help or unable to provide support to others as much as I would like to. This is because of the weaknesses working within me which make me look for support from others, thereby making me unavailable for others.

Solution: I need to work at checking and removing my own weaknesses. When I recognise and work at removing my weaknesses, I'll become a source of strength and support for others. I'll not look for support from others but will be able to allow people to rely on me.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 27-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 27-04-2017
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At Peace With Time - The Key To Relaxed Living (Part 1)

To live in freedom you have to live at peace (harmony) with time; live the dimension of time as a creator of time and not a slave of time; live without being either a prisoner or victim of time. To live at peace with time is to live in harmony with nature, beginning with your inner nature. When you plant a sapling today, you cannot accelerate the process so that the next day you have a tree. When it is summer, you cannot make the earth revolve around the sun quicker or slower for winter to arrive before or later. Everything has its rhythm in nature. We have distanced ourselves from the natural rhythm and our accelerated mind exercises pressure, creates stress and causes anxiety. We plan the future, we are stuck in the past and the present escapes us.

Many worries have to do with how we live time: the past, the present and the future. Worrying about what might happen (future), when the moment has not yet come for it to happen, takes away from us the necessary energy to deal with it when it finally arrives. Living in memories drains our energy; the past already happened and no longer exists, except in our memory. We feed memories, not realizing that emerging the memory in our mind distracts us from the present and weakens us. It is like being a plug that connects to a socket with no current passing through. We lose our energy. We want to relive an experience that already happened, and in the end we feel disappointed, feeling a mental and emotional waste.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 27-04-2017
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To have focus on the self is to become praise-worthy.

Projection:I normally try to do things for others - to seek their recognition or appreciation. So I am busy trying to prove myself to others as being special and different. I then am not able to appreciate my own inner qualities.

Solution: Instead of trying to prove things to others and trying to get their appreciation (which I don't always get anyway), I need to focus on myself. I need to make my actions such that I am proud of myself. This will automatically bring speciality in my actions and I become praise-worthy.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 26-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 26-04-2017
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The Invisible Support System Of Life (Part 3)

The most important and primary influence on our relationships and making them full of love and happiness is of our own mental state. Very often, we talk very positively with people or act very sweetly with people but our mind is full of emotions like jealousy, revenge, hatred and even doubt, suspicion and insecurity. This can harm our relationships immensely and make them internally weak. Sometimes the effects of these hidden emotions don’t show up very soon but they keep harming the relationships internally, without us realizing it. So, a mind which is always light and transmitting the energy of sweetness as a form of love, contentment as a form of joy and calmness as a form of peace, gets the same energy back in all its relationships. This makes relationships full of success and free of obstacles that arise primarily from different personalities and different view-points.

Lastly, all of us live our life in this world and we play different roles. One person will play different roles of father, son, husband, brother, engineer etc. in one’s life and all these roles require different qualities and powers as well as skills and attitudes. The more the mind is calm and stable and an embodiment of the three primary virtues of peace, love and joy, the more it is focused and positive. As a result, it can not only choose the right qualities for every role but also implement them in action. Also, the mind saves a lot of its energy and can remain powerful in every situation when it is charged with positive thoughts full of these three virtues. The more powerful the mind is, the more it can take right decisions and discriminate between right and wrong easily, which is the primary key to success. So, roles benefit immensely, under the influence of the mind.

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Message for the day 26-04-2017
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To be powerful means to be stable and unchanging inspite of the changing situations.

Projection:My moods and feelings normally change according to the changing times. If things are going on well, I have a positive state of mind, or else I am not able to maintain my own positivity. So I am actually dependent on the environment for my own state of mind and so I sometimes tend to feel powerless.

Solution: I need to remind myself that I am the master of my own thoughts. I definitely have no control over the situation, but I do have control over my own thoughts. The more I am able to maintain my own positivity, the more it is easy for me, with my positive state of mind, to change the situation to a positive direction.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 25-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 25-04-2017
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The Invisible Support System Of Life (Part 2)

The mind is the basis of all existence. Nature, which is made up of five elements is eternal, but it undergoes change from good to bad, from positive to negative. The mind possesses the power to transform nature positively and also can negatively influence nature if it is negative. Every cell of the body is influenced by each and every thought that we create. It is said that our mind is constantly talking to each cell of our body. We are, at every moment, giving a positive or negative message, through our thoughts, to our body and all its systems which are made up of these billions of cells. The message is positive if our mind is full of peace, love and happiness and the message is negative if it’s the opposite. The mind possesses immense power to heal the body just by creating good thoughts and it can also increase the intensity of physical illnesses or create illnesses by creating negative and toxic thoughts.

Also, the more the mind always radiates peace, love and joy to everyone around, the more the different mediums in your life which are responsible to bring you physical wealth, become positive. E.g. a positive mind will attract positive circumstances and appropriate people, which will help you in earning more money. Many a times it’s about the right opportunities and they need to come to you at the right time, from the right people. Sometimes people call it luck, but it’s more a direct result of the energy we radiate to the universe and the more positive this energy is, the more the universe will give back to you in many positive ways. So, always think, speak and act positive and you will create positive circumstances in your life, of gaining financially.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 25-04-2017
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Constant effort gives an experience of constant success.

Projection:I usually expect the same kind of results constantly. Although the effort that I put in is not so constant, I expect good results always. Yet I do not find it happening all the time. When I do not get the desired results, at that time I don't remember that it is my lack of effort which brought me poor results.

Solution: The only way to experience constant good results is to put in effort constantly. Whether the situations are bad, or even if I do not get any encouragement from others, I need to go on giving my best. Only with this will I be able to experience constant success.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Monday, April 24, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 24-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 24-04-2017
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The Invisible Support System Of Life (Part 1)

Our lives on a physical level, at every step, are based on an invisible spiritual support system. Can you imagine life without peace, love and happiness? These are our basic spiritual qualities of the soul. Once upon a time, a king of a little kingdom was asked, how fulfilled is your kingdom? He thought of the different aspects of life and how fulfilled they were, like health, wealth, relationships and roles. He was asked, how healthy is your kingdom? He thought of physical health and the magnitude of illnesses in the people of his kingdom and replied that all was not well. Then, he thought about how financially well-off his kingdom was and replied there was a little poverty existing in the kingdom. He also thought of relationships and roles, and realized that there was sorrow in relationships and some people were not satisfied with their roles and jobs they had. The king realized soon that to make his kingdom, healthy, wealthy and happy in all respects, was a difficult task but did not know where to start.

Just like the king and his kingdom, health, wealth, relationships and roles in the whole world are all physical aspects but to make each of them positive and free of obstacles, we need to look at the invisible spiritual support system of peace, love and happiness. The more all of us become full of these three qualities by making ourselves full of positivity and strength, the more the different aspects of life will be full of success. We know the mind’s health influences physical health and the mind’s fulfillment attracts physical wealth. Also, the mind’s goodness makes relationships beautiful and the mind’s focus and clarity makes our roles free from problems.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 24-04-2017
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Sweet words are those that bring only benefit.

Projection:When I hear something interesting or unusual, I tend to repeat it to others. I repeat it to a lot of people who have no concern with it. I also add up a lot of things and make it an interesting story for others. But, in reality, these words bring no benefit for others.

Solution: Whatever words I speak, I need to check if they are bringing benefit to anyone. I need to speak only if there is likely to be any benefit. When I have attention on this aspect, others will experience sweetness through my words.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 23-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 23-04-2017
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Bringing The Consciousness Back In Shape

If we try and find the root causes of all forms of stress, we would find that both lazy and wrong thinking lie behind various stressful emotions. No one right from our childhood to when we are grown-ups puts this into our heads that we are each responsible for our own thoughts and feelings. Instead we are taught that others are responsible for what we think and feel. No one teaches us how to think. We are taught what to think in terms of knowledge of the world, but not how to shape our own thoughts and feelings.

In spirituality the self gets the required training to create positive and powerful thoughts, thoughts:

1. which are connected to true spiritual knowledge of the self, 2. which are beneficial to your own spiritual well-being, 3. that inject positive energy in the form of happiness, love and enthusiasm to those around you, 4. which are absolutely necessary in the context in which you find yourself, 5. which use all your subtle energies in an economical way, 6. which ensure that the result of any response you may create does not result in stress.

When no one teaches us that any mental or emotional discomfort comes from within our own consciousness, we also do not ever realize that any negative state of being is unnatural and a sign that our consciousness is out of shape. The above thought training helps us to return our consciousness to its true, natural and original shape.

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Message for the day 23-04-2017
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To constantly think of benefit is to be carefree.

Projection:When something goes wrong, it is very natural for me to think of the negative aspect. I experience negative feelings and as I continue think about it, I tend to feel more and more heavy in my mind. This does not let me be light either in my daily activities or in my interactions with others.

Solution: There is surely something positive in everything that happens. I need to make conscious effort to see positivity in everything that happens. This habit helps me be carefree even when something unexpected or unwanted happens. Even if I cannot see the positive aspect at that moment, I need to maintain the faith that whatever has happened is for the best.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 22-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 22-04-2017
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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 22-04-2017
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The art of listening enables me to become a support for those around me.

Projection:When I hear something negative about someone, I usually get influenced by it. Inspite of the fact that I may not have had any negative experience myself, I still tend to get influenced negatively. This brings about a change in my attitude and behaviour towards that person.

Solution: I need to learn the art of listening which enables me to respond in the right way. When someone describes something which involves the negativity of another person, instead of getting influenced by it, I need to understand his feelings and emotions at that time. When I do this I will be able to provide support to him without adding my own negativity to it.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Friday, April 21, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 21-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 21-04-2017
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Understanding The Process Of Birth And Death

When the body has become unserviceable due to age or disease, or it suffers a fatal injury, the soul leaves the body. At the moment of death, the soul withdraws its energy from the organs of the body and vacates its seat in the middle of the forehead. Like a bird, it leaves the cage made of skin and bones, and taking its sanskaras, it enters into another, a new body, in the womb of the new mother. From the very birth, the sanskaras of a soul are apparent (visible); whether the new-born baby is happy, unbothered, sad, shy, mischievous, quiet, violent or agitated.

Death occurs at the precise moment when the account of giving and taking with other souls through a particular body is finished. The new birth is determined by the soul's account of karmas with another set of souls. One may be born into a cultured, wealthy family, another as a beggar, one may be born deaf, dumb, blind or crippled, another with a strong supple body. The type of body and the conditions of birth are determined by the thoughts and actions performed in the previous births.

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Message for the day 21-04-2017
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The importance of work is by its quality and not by its quantity.

Projection:When I want to work well I think of putting in a lot of effort in terms of quantity. I try and fit in as much as possible in one day, yet I do not find as much satisfaction as I should by the end of the day.

Solution: I need to concentrate more on the quality of work I do rather than thinking about how much I do. Each action of mine should be with a value and should never be just ordinary. When I concentrate on this, I can contribute for quality work.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 20-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 20-04-2017
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Self Empowerment

Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses. Now make up a series of questions, which will judge how effectively you are using these strengths to improve your personal and professional life, and what negative effects are your weaknesses (shortcomings) having on the same. These are some of the questions that you can ask yourself at the end of each week to monitor your self-progress:

e.g. Which strengths if acquired would help me improve my worth (value) at the workplace? Is any weakness of mine proving to be an obstacle (barrier) in maintaining a healthy relationship with my family? Am I using my strengths in empowering (strengthening) others? Does any weakness exist inside me, which if removed would improve my level of contentment (satisfaction) and lead to greater peace of mind?

Note down three main strengths and three important roles that you play in your life. Now check if your strengths properly match the roles. If they do not match, think if there is a new personality characteristic you need to develop. If a particular role is self-selected, if it does not match your strengths, is it a good role for you to be playing?

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Message for the day 20-04-2017
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The one who has the power of truth is the one who can tolerate.

Projection:When someone disbelieves me I usually tend to argue back and try to prove my point to the others but find that I am not able to convince them. Yet I find that the more I talk the less I am listened to. And I only end up getting frustrated.

Solution: When someone challenges the truth of my words, I need to check within myself if there is something that I can correct or learn. When I learn to do this, instead of being stubborn with what I have to say or blaming others, I find it easy to tolerate.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 19-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 19-04-2017
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On A Spiritual Joyride (Part 6)

When we begin our spiritual journey, we should ensure that we don’t work on ourselves strictly. On the other hand, we should change ourselves with ease and lightness which gives us an experience of joy and does not let us get tired while making the effort to change ourselves. While looking at your weaknesses, do not feel disheartened that why they exist. Bringing about changes in your behavior and thinking is important but not at the cost of losing your happiness while doing that. Happiness is lost when there is sometimes loss of hope and doubts whether we will be able to succeed in changing ourselves or not, exist. In such cases, it is wise to be extremely patient and keep traveling on the path of self-change with determination and happiness, without getting tired.

Also, a spiritual path is one in which there are different types of negative scenes in the form of difficult situations. These situations try to prevent us from experiencing fulfillment and even try to prevent us from fulfilling our life’s aim of making ourselves perfect. Even in such cases, a spiritual joyride is one we have to experience because we have to accept that spirituality does not mean that there will be no difficult problems on our path. Only the power to cross the problems will increase inside us, which will make it easier for us as compared to before. Also, stress which is a common response to a difficult situation will be changed to contentment and life will no longer seem as difficult as before inspite of all the negative scenes. This in short is a description of how living a spiritual life is the easiest and most enjoyable type of journey one could undertake for shaping up a new you and also inspiring others with that inner change.

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Message for the day 19-04-2017
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To understand others is to harmonize well with them.

Projection:Usually I expect others to have the same level of qualities or understanding as I have. I am not able to accept or understand the other person's behaviour or words if they are different. I thus form an attitude towards the person and am not able to get along well with him.

Solution: I need to recognize the fact that like the notes of music we are all different. Only when we can harmonize together can we create a beautiful tune. When I remember this I will not expect the other person to change according to me but will learn to understand and blend my personality with his.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 18-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 18-04-2017
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On A Spiritual Joyride (Part 5)

Life without the love of God is like a tree without leaves. Love fills our life with enthusiasm and a lot of energy and we feel motivated to achieve in every sphere of life on a spiritual and emotional level also, and not only on a physical level. Spirituality is itself an independent segment of life with its own challenges both in the field of self progress and in the field of giving all that you possess to others. Giving is called spiritual service at the Brahma Kumaris. So, everything you do from the morning to night is filled with love and you do it with lot of power and dedication and without getting bored. So, experiencing enjoyment while working in your workplace or while dealing with people in your family, becomes extremely easy.

Also, the way of loving each one in a pure manner and without any expectations comes in every relationship. There are people in the world who are very good at dealing with people with a lot of love and are well known for this specialty. Such people, when asked about their secret of success, will commonly tell you that they are very good at thinking correctly and manage their thoughts well. Such people can deal with people of different personalities and even manage them positively. This is something that becomes easy to do after taking a spiritual birth or being a student of spirituality. Spirituality fills you with the power to think only what is necessary and as per the requirements of a particular situation and not create any negative and unnecessary thoughts.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 18-04-2017
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True progress comes with an experience of one's own fortune.

Projection:When something goes wrong in my life, I usually tend to have negative feelings. At that time I am not able to perceive the positive aspects of my life but continue to feel sorry for all the negative things feeling that I am not so fortunate.

Solution: Even in the most difficult times I need to make conscious effort to see the positive aspects in my life. I need to understand that circumstances will come and go but my fortune will remain unbroken. This awareness will keep me happy and make me work harder in the worst conditions.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 17-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 17-04-2017
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On A Spiritual Joyride (Part 4)

A spiritual childhood begins with a birth in the lap of God, in which the soul goes through a transformation or change and experiences a new turning point in its life. After that, life starts giving you beautiful rewards. Rewards like an increase in levels of happiness, a mind filled with peace, lots of spiritual strength, purity in thoughts, words and actions and also change in one’s personality. Life starts changing as situations no longer hurt your consciousness and give you sorrow as before. Also, the ability to give different shapes or mindsets to your consciousness when faced with different types of challenges in life and overcoming them is something we learn when we take this new birth. The birth is as a spiritual child of the Supreme Father and Mother, whom we commonly call God.

Spirituality means a life filled with God’s love and at the same time a pure consciousness which means a spiritual love for others, which becomes a source of happiness and also brings about lightness. Pure love shared with others, also brings freedom from an unstable life in which sometimes you experience joy, but the joy many times brings with it sorrow. Also, life stops being a roller coaster ride in which there is always insecurity about what will happen next. Also, the different relationships with the one Father of the soul or God fills the self with different types of spiritual attainments. At the same time these different experiences with God give you a lot of fulfillment. Also, you like sharing these attainments with others and also bringing others on the spiritual joyride with you.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 17-04-2017
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Contentment brings greater achievement.

Projection:It is usually believed that when we are content we finish the desire to achieve and so we find no improvement in our lives. On the contrary , we also find that where there is no contentment the mind is disturbed and we are not able to give our best to whatever we do.

Solution: Whatever happens I need to retain the happiness within me. This comes only when I am content with whatever is happening in my life. When I create such an internal environment, I will be able to have the enthusiasm to achieve more and more.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 16-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 16-04-2017
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On A Spiritual Joyride (Part 3)

Spirituality is a beautiful and fulfilling life which everyone in the world needs to adopt and it is not only for people who have an interest in religion or are spiritually inclined already. Spirituality gives the power of relieving yourself of all mental pressures and it also teaches us the way of keeping our thoughts, words and actions in check. Both of these are necessary for being successful. Also, spirituality does not mean leaving material comforts of life and lead a life which is away from the world. On the other hand, it changes our relationship with material comforts and makes us less attached to them. This helps us experience permanent joy. On the other hand an attachment to material comforts can give sorrow also at times. So, never hesitate to sit on the joyride of spirituality, as we call it, because life and the relationships and roles that we play and the way we play them changes after doing that. Ask someone who is spiritual and loves leading a life according to spiritual principles. Such a person will tell you how lightness and contentment along with the power to handle situations and also the ability to change your thinking from negative to positive, are some of the benefits of a spiritual life.

Also, talking about relationships; there are people, whose relationships were disturbed. A spiritual life gave them the method of living their life with love, immense happiness and power and they overcome the problems in their relationships easily. This is because of their change in ways of thinking and as a result they could resolve the difficult situations in relationships because of ego clashes and differences of opinions.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 16-04-2017
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The nectar of sweetness spreads happiness and increases success.

Projection:We are usually task oriented and are focused on the task at hand. We don't pay that kind of attention to relationships too. This attitude creates an environment which doesn't allow us to increase the efficiency of our work.

Solution: I need to pay special attention to maintain relationships also, along with the work that I get done. The sweetness within me spreads around positive vibrations to those around and creates a conducive environment which increases efficiency of the task.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 15-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 15-04-2017
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On A Spiritual Joyride (Part 2)

Variety in life is an important way to sustain a spiritual journey which many of us are on. Meditation is a technique which is being practiced by millions of people all over the world. At the Brahma Kumaris, people from many countries practice meditation in their daily lives. At the same time, as per the knowledge shared by God, they take care that meditation does not become just like a daily routine. Everyday meditation is done with different types of positive thoughts. In this way, spirituality is like a fun filled joyride in which different experiences become a daily part of your life. Also everyone at the Brahma Kumaris will not study spiritual knowledge only when they are alone or at home. They will also visit one of the centres of the Brahma Kumaris daily for an hour, wherever they are. And they will listen to spiritual knowledge in a gathering. The intention behind this type of practice, besides better understanding of the knowledge, is an increase in enthusiasm by sitting with people of the same mindset. Also, you gain from their spiritual power, which is called the power of the gathering.

Spirituality also brings with it the duty of sharing all that you listen and learn, with others, which also increases your enthusiasm. Along with sharing, which we call service at the Brahma Kumaris, there is great importance given to changing oneself positively. This is a way of going ahead in life on an emotional level. This is because changing oneself automatically causes a positive energy of change to flow in my words and actions, which further flows to others causing an increase in enthusiasm in oneself. This is the spiritual joyride on which we sit everyday and wait for the next day with a lot of interest.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 15-04-2017
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Where there is knowledge energy is saved.

Projection:I put in a lot of effort to deal with the situations I am faced with. But sometimes I do not find the success that I should. I then put in more energies to bring about the desired change, but without any positive result.

Solution: In order to deal effectively with the situations, I need to understand the situation accurately. If I don't succeed once, I need to check if I have understood the situation accurately or not. With understanding, my energies don't get wasted away, but get focused accordingly.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Friday, April 14, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 14-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 14-04-2017
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On A Spiritual Joyride (Part 1)

A very important aspect of our lives is variety. Variety means doing a lot of different things in life which increase our enthusiasm and joy. It means loving every moment of the day by making it different. Whenever you have spent many days in your life doing one particular thing or working on one particular task, ask yourself am I becoming single task oriented? Or do I, while performing the task, also take care that my work is accompanied by periods of creative activities like reading, meditating, interacting and spreading all that I know, to others and learning more than I know now?

There was once a king who loved the role he was playing and also gave a lot of love to the people he ruled. There was no one in his kingdom who did not like him or respect him but yet boredom was something he had to face repeatedly. The same routine was something he experienced everyday and he did not know how to overcome that. So, one day, he decided to spend a fixed time everyday talking to people in his kingdom discussing the problems that they were facing. And also, he started fixing small targets in his life, like ensuring that by this particular day, this particular work will get done which can also be termed as goal setting. He realized soon that by filling his life with the flavor of ambition, which in small amounts, is extremely useful for progress, his life was no longer repetitive. In fact, life became something he enjoyed, as long as the ambition was kept in limits and he did not overcome over-ambitious, which could lead to stress. Love for each task you perform and at the same time different tasks during the day is the secret to a happiness filled life. A spiritual perspective to variety in life is filling your mind with new thoughts everyday and maintaining a pure and positive mindset. At the same time, let this positive mindset or consciousness be differently positive everyday, by giving the mind new instructions everyday.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 14-04-2017
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Generosity brings success.

Projection:I have a lot of treasures-treasures of virtues, powers, knowledge etc., which I usually don't put into use. When they are out of use for a long time, they get wasted away and are not available to me at the right time.

Solution: The more generously I use the treasures that I have with me for the benefit of others and myself too, the more these treasures are available for me at the right time. Also, for being generous with my treasures I find myself moving easily towards success with the blessings that I get in return.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 13-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 13-04-2017
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The Soul Realized (Part 3)

Whenever you get up in the morning, say to yourself that I am a spiritual energy which is completely different from the physical body i.e. it is not made up of the 5 physical elements. The physical body is made up of these elements. The words human being literally mean human + being where human means humus or soil, which is non-living and being means spiritual energy, which is living. This is called soul realization or true self realization. This is also called - soul consciousness. This means that I am a soul and I emerge the consciousness of being that in my day to day routine and also while meditating. This does not mean that I stop performing actions and taking care of my work and other responsibilities. But I perform all those duties and while performing them I realize that I am a soul and that means experiencing the form and qualities of the soul. The form of the soul is not a physical form, because the soul is a non-physical energy or light. Here, light does not mean that it can be seen by the physical eyes. Also, it is a light, which is minuscule in size or of a very small size and cannot be seen even under a physical magnifying glass or microscope, because it is non-physical in nature.

To make visualization easy, we at the Brahma Kumaris, experience the soul to be a star of subtle light at the centre of the forehead, just above the eyebrows, in meditation. The actual location of the soul is inside the brain, as explained in yesterday’s message. The soul looks at the world outside, through the eyes, listens through the ears and speaks through the mouth, which are the main actions performed by the soul. Also, the other senses of touch, smell and taste are performed by the soul while sitting in its position. Lastly, the qualities of the soul are peace, joy, love, bliss, purity, power and wisdom, which undergo change depending on the actions performed by the soul. If the soul performs positive actions, these qualities increase and if the actions performed are negative, they decrease.

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Message for the day 13-04-2017
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Faith bring determination.

Projection:When we are trying for something we find ourselves losing hope and giving up. Although we feel that we are trying till the end, it is usually not so. Sometimes we find ourselves giving up just before we could have succeeded.

Solution: Determination to succeed comes with faith - faith in myself and the faith that things will work out fine. This faith doesn't let me give up mid-way but gives me determination that makes me put in efforts till I achieve success.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 12-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 12-04-2017
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The Soul Realized (Part 2)

The soul is a non-physical energy which runs the physical body in a manner which can be compared to how electrical energy runs a television set. If there is no electricity, inspite of a complex machine which a television set is and with all its parts, big or small, it will not be able to show us images of the world. It will not be able to keep us updated about the world’s events. In the same manner, the physical body with its various parts and different systems cannot function without the existence of the soul inside it. As soon as the soul leaves the body, the heart and other organs stop working, even the brain does not function. The soul is a prime mover of the body. The soul is located inside the brain near the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which are parts of the brain. It controls the five sense organs – eyes, nose, ears, tongue and hands through the brain and with the help of the nervous and hormonal systems. The brain functions as a bridge between the soul and the different body parts.

The brain’s activity detected by various sensitive instruments that science has given is caused due to the existence of the soul. If there is no non-physical soul which actually thinks, inside the body, then there will be no activity detected inside the physical brain i.e. the brain will be silent. It’s the mind which actually thinks and not the brain. The mind is non-physical and is a part of the non-physical soul. We can also compare the soul and physical body relationship with a computer. The brain is like a CPU or central processing unit of the computer, whereas the soul is like a programmer of the computer. The brain expresses all thought, word and action programs received from the soul, through the body. The body is like the monitor of the computer which displays the final version of what has been processed by the brain. As we think, the brain, which is a physical organ of the body, picks up these signals from the non-physical soul. The signals or orders which the brain has detected are then converted into various actions performed by the body. Non-physical instructions of the soul are given a physical form by the brain and brought into action.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 12-04-2017
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To accept responsibility is to accept challenge.

Projection:In many situations that life brings our way we have two choices - either we meet it bravely and take up responsibility for our own lives and the choices we make or we just try to escape. Many times we find ourselves taking the second way, which brings no internal satisfaction.

Solution: Internal satisfaction lies more in accepting challenges than in trying to escape them. I need to remain on the field in the game of life instead of just being a spectator. The more I play the more expertise I gain. This thought enables me to accept the different challenges that life brings.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 11-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 11-04-2017
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The Soul Realized (Part 1)

Have you ever wondered what your past is i.e. do you ever believe that life is eternal or in other words life is not only a one birth reality? We all know about what the soul is and hear about it but do we apply the knowledge that we hear in our personal life? Everything that we do, every action that we perform through the physical body, it is actually the spiritual energy or soul performing the action or speaking the words or even thinking about something. But, because the soul cannot be seen, we think it is me, the physical form, which is doing everything. Even science today has started considering the immortality (beyond life and death) of the self. Also, people have started believing how an invisible and non-physical source of peace, love and joy exists which is me, the soul, and this source consists of the mind which thinks. On the other hand, the brain is just a physical medium through which the soul functions. It is a medium which contains chemical and electrical activity corresponding to the entire thought activity of the mind, inside it. The thought activity is inside the mind and is non-physical and the chemical and electrical activity, which is caused due to the thought activity, is inside the brain and is physical. Do you know that every time you create a thought inside your mind, your brain produces weak but clear electrical signals corresponding to that particular thought? The method of recording and understanding these electrical signals is called EEG (Electroencephalography), which also gives us an idea of the thought activity that exists inside the mind. This is similar to the method of ECG (Electrocardiography) which records the electrical activity of the heart.

There is also a group of respected people around the world who are offering their services to spiritual organizations. There are many people from different fields of life like engineering, medicine, business, education etc. who have dedicated their lives to the spiritual upliftment of people. They are serving in their respective fields, along with performing spiritual service. All these people from various backgrounds have recognized and experienced that they are energies of consciousness or souls, who are running their physical bodies, which is the most basic principle of spirituality. Also, there are people in the world who have experienced themselves as separate from their physical body and brain in meditation and also through near death and out of body experiences.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 11-04-2017
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True victory is to have internal stability.

Projection:Whenever the situation is good and I am experiencing success, my internal state of mind is good too. But when something challenging happens, I begin to experience fear or anxiety. More than the situation going wrong, it is in fact my reaction that goes wrong.

Solution: In order to experience success or to feel victorious, I need to change the way I respond to situations. Even in the most negative situations I need to remind myself that the situation itself is not in my hands but how I choose to respond is surely in my hands. So I naturally make the best choice.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Monday, April 10, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 10-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 10-04-2017
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Positive Consciousness While Performing Actions

1. The seeds, the inspirations, planted in sitting meditation should be carried into action. Powerful thoughts carried straight away into action always yield powerful results.

2. The remembrance should be that the soul is the child and student of the Supreme Being (Supreme Soul) and should reflect the father and teacher through its actions.

3. The remembrance of the Supreme Soul as a constant companion sustains an internal relationship with Him whilst performing actions.

4. Churn (think deeply) over points of spiritual knowledge by relating them to your immediate karmas (actions).

5. Practice going beyond sound in one second. At different times during the day, stop, pack up all worldly thoughts and spend a few minutes in meditation. This is a really powerful way to strengthen the intellect. After a few minutes, return to the world of sound with the reinforced awareness of being an actor.

6. Practice seeing all those who come into contact with you as souls, tiny points of conscient (living energy) light situated at the centre of the forehead. In this way we will not be pulled into body consciousness, and will avoid negative interactions with others.

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Message for the day 10-04-2017
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To be free from negativity is to be truly free.

Projection:All of us like freedom and we expect that others should give us the chance or opportunity to express ourselves as we like to. But sometimes this type of freedom is misused and I am not able to do the right thing. Such actions based on false freedom are harmful to others and myself too.

Solution: True freedom is to be totally free from negativity. When I can free myself from the negative influences I will be able to take up responsibility for my actions and everything I do will be right. This will automatically give me the freedom to do what I want to do without misusing it.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Sunday, April 09, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 09-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 09-04-2017
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Do Love And Suffering Go Hand-In-Hand (Part 3)?

When there is too much pain we cannot lean back into our true power and experience our energy of love. Only the power of pure love, unconditional love or love of God, can help us to get rid of the suppressed pain inside the subconscious. When you live through a situation that causes pain in you, you have to love yourself, stabilize yourself and enter into silence. Observe that pain without being afraid of it. Observe it to let go of it and understand what it is that it brings about in you.

The answer, generally, is connected with others: He/she doesn't love me anymore and that's why I feel pain, Things are not like they were before, The company of this loved one doesn't give me the benefits it was giving me before.

If a person loved you and now has stopped loving you, does that make you feel pain? Or is it your own expectation and your desire for that person to keep on valuing you or loving you like before that trap you in pain? Is it that you don't accept change? The truth is, we bring on suffering ourselves. If you don't want to make yourself suffer, starting from now you do not have to bear any more suffering. Nobody can wound you or can cause you pain, except if you allow it. So how do you allow it? By being a vacuum that sucks in everything of the other, the good and the bad, and you suffer. It is expectations from our loved one that make us vulnerable to the experience of suffering.

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Message for the day 09-04-2017
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To give regard to all is to have control.

Projection:I usually want to control people and want regard from all. In the process I show my authority to those around me and try to get things done. Yet I find that when I do this I am not able to have anycontrol others or their behaviour.

Solution: The best way to get things done is by giving regard to all. When I have true regard for them, I am also able to receive regard from them. It is this regard that will make others understand and behave according to my needs.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Saturday, April 08, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 08-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 08-04-2017
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Do Love And Suffering Go Hand-In-Hand (Part 2)?

We have the inner belief that love, worry, fear and suffering go together. It is difficult to transform (change) fear until we eliminate that belief. You are love and you need to share that love. Life is a sharing of love, it is loving the body, loving oneself, loving others, loving God, loving nature, loving work. That energy of love in the end purifies us and helps us to go forward. But while the belief exists that love has to be linked to fear and suffering, we will be blocked and will put a brake to the flow of pure love. In the name of love, we worry, we suffer and we are afraid. Instead of helping from a place of freedom in love, we help out of worry and fear, and in doing so we stifle, control, depend, and the other person feels their inner freedom restricted. We do not let them be.

If we review our personal life and see the moments when we have experienced most pain in our lives, we realize that it is with the people we have most loved, and that have most loved us that we have suffered most. We experience pain in any relationship with a loved one, where there is possession, control, submission and dependence. Other times the pain is caused by a loss that generates an inner emptiness. That person filled me, they gave me wholeness, they were the reason for my existence and now they have either left me or they have gone. In the second case, we wouldn't say that they have died, but rather that they have gone to another level of existence i.e. the soul has taken a new physical costume.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 08-04-2017
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To have hope in the hopeless is real service.

Projection:When we see someone behaving very negatively, we tend to react negatively too. We think and speak about his negative qualities and further increase his negativity in our minds. This creates a negative environment which doesn't allow him to change for the better.

Solution: When I come across someone who is using his negative qualities, I need to make special effort to give him that positive environment where he can get encouraged to use his positive qualities. Only then can I do the special service of bringing about a positive change in him.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Friday, April 07, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 07-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 07-04-2017
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Do Love And Suffering Go Hand-In-Hand (Part 1)?

There are two things that touch or move us in life: pain and pleasure. Both create addiction. We feel pain in the body, and sometimes it is even emotional. But suffering arises in the mind. The suffering in the mind arises from thinking negatively towards the self, towards others, looking at them with a vision or attitude that causes grief, sorrow and suffering. Both extremes, pain and pleasure, can create addiction. On creating addiction it can start to form part of someone's identity. Later if one tries to stop the addiction of pain or suffering, it can almost feel like a threat towards the self, and towards one's own identity as one perceives it, because suffering is identified with. It is too hard to see oneself as no longer suffering.

An e.g. in this regard is that of a mother, with three children, who was undergoing a meditation course at one of the Brahma Kumaris centers. Her daughter had learned to meditate and became very happy and joyful. Seeing her happiness the mother came to learn to meditate. With a few sessions she felt much more at peace and had very good experiences, but all of a sudden she decided to stop the meditation practice and leave the course because she was starting experiencing a positive detachment, which she perceived as negative. Now, she was no longer feeling afraid of what might happen to her children. The meditation was awakening in her a love free from fears, but it brought on in her an inner clash of beliefs between the old and new beliefs. Her old belief was that to love someone is to suffer about them or create pain related to them.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 07-04-2017
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To admire or to praise is to imbibe those virtues too.

Projection:When I notice someone's specialities, I begin to admire them and describe them to others too. I really like those virtues in the other person, but rarely do I make effort to imbibe them in myself too.

Solution: I need to understand that I like these particular virtues in the other person because they are subtly working within me too. When I work on them more consciously, I will be able to emerge them easily.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Thursday, April 06, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 06-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 06-04-2017
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Living Happiness The Right Way (Part 3)!

Happiness is a state of mind and not something based on external influences. E.g. you hear a great piece of news – you have got a promotion in your office. That feels very nice to hear and it gives you happiness. There is nothing wrong with that, but when our happiness starts becoming dependent on such events, that’s when the foundation of our happiness is a wrong one. After hearing a positive piece of news, after one day you are told that your favourite sports team has lost the final of a very famous tournament. You see your team losing and suddenly your happiness is lost. So, enjoy the positive events but don’t think that life will not have its negative events ready to reduce your happiness, if your happiness stands on the wrong foundation.

So what is the right way to be happy? Enjoy everything that life has to offer – all the good things but don’t make your happiness dependent on them. Also, if you are truly and internally happy in this way, as per spiritual principles, then that once in a while negative event or that shocking accident on the road or a sudden loss of wealth will not disturb you either. Constant happiness comes by increasing one’s inner spiritual treasures like peace, love, wisdom and power and not from outside events. That does not mean outside events will not make you happy. They will, but your rule over those events and not get ruled by their influence. Also, by increasing your treasures, you remain happy even when there is a negative situation in your life. That is living happiness the right way!

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Message for the day 06-04-2017
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Determination breaks the barriers that difficulties create.

Projection:Difficulties do come in my life and I cannot avoid them. When they come I find that they create barriers in my way. When such barriers come my way I am not able to experience progress in anyway and I find myself losing interest in doing things.

Solution: Whenever difficult situations come my way, I need to remind myself that such situations come my way in order to help me move forward. When I remind myself of this I find that I get the determination to work on them. Only with determination will I be able to work on them to overcome them.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Wednesday, April 05, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 05-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 05-04-2017
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Living Happiness The Right Way (Part 2)!

Happiness for some people today is based more on materialism and enjoying different mediums of science and technology in every sphere of life. Do you know that there are two sides to this type of happiness. When the going is good in life i.e. when there are no negative situations in your life, you feel you are on top of the world. Also, when there is even a little negative event like a disturbance at home or a little change in your health or if a friend no longer co-operates and talks well with you, then the same material mediums of science and technology can no longer support you. You feel empty inside. This is a wrong foundation of happiness. On the other hand, true happiness is one which is based on your strengths and qualities and is permanent, even if life presents to you negative events once in a while, which is very common in our present day lives. Try finding one person who has only positive events in their life and you will not find a single person without some problem or the other.

Also, the world is in a way living on a false belief that happiness is increasing because of scientific advancement or because of better medical facilities or because of more wealth. It seems it is but it is temporary. Aren’t there so many people, in fact most people, who are not admitting to the world that they are in pain and unhappy? The richest of people, the most famous of people, the most educated people and the most advanced people are today looking to spiritual wisdom and meditation to get relief from life’s problems. They also want to be free from the pressure that comes in many cases, with being rich and famous and also successful.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 05-04-2017
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To forgive means to forget the mistakes of the past.

Projection:When someone does something wrong to me, I keep holding on to it. I continue to keep it in my mind, which influences all my future interactions with that person. Even if he has changed, I remind him of it with my own attitude and thus he finds it difficult to sustain his change.

Solution: I need to develop the power to forget the other person's mistakes and remember his positive actions. When I give such a conducive and positive environment, I make it easier for him to realise and I inspire him to bring about a change by overcoming his weakness.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Tuesday, April 04, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 04-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 04-04-2017
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Living Happiness The Right Way (Part 1)!

A very important and influential aspect of our life which defines our way of living is hope and determination. Success in life is largely defined by these two powers. Very often we see a difficult situation effect people so much that after that they no longer believe they can succeed. E.g. a very successful person suddenly falls ill or loses an important relative or experiences sudden financial losses at work. Such type of events or similar to these ones can weaken the enthusiasm of many people and affect their confidence for future actions. Also, there are many different cases in the world when lives of many people have changed after a particular negative event in their life, which they found difficult to face. It is very true that most people in the world are today facing some negative situation or the other. These negative situations are either with the mind or with their physical body or in their role or very importantly in their different personal and professional relationships.

Hope and determination are two powers which we all require to face these different situations and presently the world has seen a decrease in these two powers in many people. Although the world is advancing in many different ways, at the same time people are no longer as internally powerful to face life’s different negative events, which are on the rise. Also, the power to control your thoughts, feelings and emotions is reducing and keeping them positive is becoming difficult for many. Of course, there are some who believe that life is all about ups and downs and also happiness and sorrow both are part of life. But, according to spiritual wisdom, experiencing sorrow is a sign of lack of inner strength and stability. Also, happiness is our natural state of mind, which we like and should experience all the time.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

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Message for the day 04-04-2017
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To control oneself is to have everything in control.

Projection:When things go wrong, the first thought is to control the situations or the people involved. But since neither the situations nor the people are in my hands, I am not able to succeed in controlling them.

Solution: Instead of trying to control something that I have no control upon, I need to start with myself. The more I am able to keep a control on myself with constant attention, checking and changing, the more I will be able to have everything in control.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Monday, April 03, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 03-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 03-04-2017
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What Should We Value More - The Soul Or The Body?

When the soul leaves the body, it's not just the body that dies but it's as if all the connections with the world of that individual are simply switched off. Not only the relationships but all specific plans, projects and desires suddenly have no further means (medium) through which they can be expressed or put into practice. The powers of thinking, deciding and the personality traits (sanskaras) connected with the life that is being left behind, stop and get hidden momentarily to emerge again in a new body, a new life. All the material things that belonged to that particular individual are passed on to others.

It's interesting to note that even when the body is sick it can only be treated when the soul is still present. If we take out the soul no one remains to look after the body.

On the other hand, the body is a truly marvelous vehicle for the soul to express itself through. No manufactured machine could hope to compete. For example, it is calculated that in just one day, the brain is able to complete a hundred times more connections than the entire telecommunications system of the planet. Or compare the human eye with any manufactured camera or the heart with any manufactured pump. The body's importance cannot be played down or not taken into account.

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Message for the day 03-04-2017
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The power to listen brings inner peace.

Projection:Sometimes I find myself hurt even though the other person did not mean anything. This is because I am hearing the words but not able to understand the meaning behind it. This brings misunderstanding and conflicts and even spoils relationships.

Solution: When someone is telling me something I need to listen to the other person rather than merely hearing to his words. When I am able to understand the intentions behind his words I am able to take something from them instead of just creating conflicts in relationships.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Sunday, April 02, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 02-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 02-04-2017
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The Four Pillars Of A Spiritual Lifestyle - Achieving A Balance

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

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

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

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

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

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Message for the day 02-04-2017
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Openness to learn brings progress.

Projection:When someone corrects me or gives me any advice or suggestion, I am usually not willing to listen to them. After putting in a lot of effort, I normally feel I have done the task to the utmost perfection and so am not able to listen to any suggestions from anyone. But with this kind of attitude I am not able to learn and progress.

Solution: I need to keep my mind constantly open to learning in order to experience progress. With this attitude I can learn from everything that happens. And thus I will be able to bring improvement in each and every task that I do.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Saturday, April 01, 2017

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 01-04-2017

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Soul Sustenance 01-04-2017
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A Powerful Consciousness Of Faith In Critical Situations (Part 3)

In the latter part of the birth-rebirth cycle, as our accounts of negative karma increased, we have experienced large number of ups and downs in the four parameters explained in the last two days messages – mind, body, wealth (or profession) and relationships. All these bitter experiences, which we obviously do not remember today, have weakened us and left deep scars on our subconscious mind and are in fact the main cause of the creation of sanskaras of fear, uncertainty, doubt, pessimism, etc. which we find in ourselves today. Repeated experiences cause the formation of similar sanskaras. If we experience peace repeatedly i.e. we think about peace, visualize peace, make peaceful conversations repeatedly, sanskaras of peace are created inside us. In the same way each time something went wrong with any of the four parameters (mentioned above) in the past births; due to a lack of spiritual awareness and power, we experienced sorrow, pain, peacelessness, anxiety etc. and that caused the creation of similar sanskaras inside us. This is the main reason why today we find ourselves in a situation, when faced with a problem, we are not being able to have the faith in ourselves, that we can emerge victorious in the situation.

We have experienced failure in the past births at different points of time and many times and that is why each time something goes wrong, although we emerge thoughts of victory we dilute these thoughts with a large number of weak thoughts, of possible failure. This kind of a weak consciousness during problems is not only prolonging the time period of our problems but is also keeping the solution away much longer. Today, with the help of spirituality, we need to inject the power of faith in our thoughts, words and actions. For that, we need to increase our thought power tremendously, which will have an effect on our words and actions automatically. The food of powerful thoughts through listening to or reading spiritual knowledge and the experience of emotional power through meditation given to the mind only can heal the emotional scars inside us over a period of time, the result of which we can become full of fierce determination and will-power so as to weaken negative situations and not let situations weaken us.

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Message for the day 01-04-2017
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To remain cheerful is to simplify all problems.

Projection:When faced with problems it seems very difficult to maintain the inner cheer and the mind is caught up with more and more negativity, either fear or worry. Because of this, firstly, the problem looks bigger than it is and secondly, I am not able to find solutions and work constructively to solve the problem.

Solution: The first step I need to take when I recognise that there is a problem, is to smile to myself. When I make sure I am happy within knowing that every situation will pass away and it surely has something to teach me, I will find solutions quicker and easier.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

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