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Positive Reflections messages from Awakening consciousness
A Moment Of Solitude
When I start the day with a moment of solitude and contemplation, even the most crowded schedule runs more smoothly.
Awakening Self-Awareness
The foundation of all spiritual growth and personal development is the awakening of self-awareness. Most people however are not yet self-aware, and the majority of those, are not aware that they are not aware.
Self-awareness is easy and begins with simply taking a mental step back, and observing your thoughts, feelings, attitudes and actions. Whenever you do, you learn about your ‘self’ and the basis of personal change and growth is always learning.
Step back, what do you see, what enters your awareness? What does it tell you? What does it show you about yourself? Don’t judge it, just see it. Don’t run away from what you see just watch it. Accept it. Allow whatever is happening within your thoughts and feelings just to be. And suddenly you will find that inner peace which surpasses all pleasure.
"Your vision shapes your reality.
See the good and you begin to become the good."
Cooking And Eating In A Spiritual Consciousness (Part 3)
The low subtle energy of certain tamsic foods like non-vegetarian food, alcohol, tobacco and also onion and garlic is an obstacle in the purification of the soul, which is our life objective and they also affect the body negatively on an energy level. So consumption of such foods should be avoided.
This is because these foods cause the minds to become agitated and aggressive and even bring the mind under the influence of other negative emotions like lust, greed, attachment, ego, jealousy and hatred.
You might say why not purify these foods by meditation and then consume them. But giving these foods pure spiritual energy does not transform their inherent tamsic nature and does not prevent them from having a negative effect on the mind and the body on an energy level, although some of them may be known to have some positive effects on the body on a physical level, according to medical science.
Also, along with being selective about your meal menu ingredients and using the right recipes, it’s important to maintain a higher spiritual consciousness while cooking and eating meals. This can be done by creating positive and peaceful thoughts or by playing a few peaceful spiritual songs or even playing soothing meditation tunes while cooking and eating food. This will remind everyone of their connection with God and pure spiritual love for their family members.
Food should not be eaten while watching television, while reading the newspaper or while using the mobile phone.
Also, before consuming any food item or even water, spend a few seconds in creating a powerful thought of spiritual self-respect and focus your vision or drishti on the item. In this way, the food or liquid item will be charged with positive spiritual energy through your eyes and its negative nature, both on a physical as well as spiritual level, will be destroyed. Remember you are what you eat. Your thoughts are a direct reflection of the kind of energy filled food you eat.
Cooking And Eating In A Spiritual Consciousness (Part 2)
When cooking a meal, switch on the role of a beautiful creator of pure energy filled food, which is the divine sustenance for the mind and body. Switch off the role of a hard-working mother, which makes cooking food a boring and difficult task to be done everyday. Create the following affirmation in your mind while cooking the food and bring it into practice,
I love making a meal using the creations of nature, the ingredients that are given to me by the elements of nature. With my beautiful inner state of mind and by being connected with the Supreme Being of pure spiritual energy or God, I shall pass on this pure energy to the food I am cooking. By doing this, all those who eat the food, will be benefitted spiritually and physically. So cooking a meal is respecting and loving these elements to the fullest. Also, although physical nature’s elements are eternal, it is important to know that when nature loses its purity, it’s God who purifies it and returns it to its original state.
That is why God is incorrectly called the creator of nature, which he is not exactly, although he is a transformer of nature from impure to pure.
So the nature’s elements also, when in their purest state, give pure energy to the soul and the physical body. But, today as we all know, these elements have lost their purity on a physical level. This is because of causes like vehicle pollution, emission of poisonous gases from factories, deforestation, depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, etc. This is also because of the use of improper materials to grow vegetables and fruits that are harmful to the physical body. The elements have also deteriorated on a subtle energy level, the spiritual energy level. This is because of the impure and peaceless emotions in the minds of human beings, which travel to the elements and make them impure and full of negative spiritual energy. So it’s important to purify your meal ingredients before their consumption.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
A Higher Purpose At Every Step (Part 3)
A very important aspect of a higher purpose in our lives is making every moment of our lives so beautiful and positive that it is remembered by each and every person interacting with us, in our homes, at our workplace or in any other sphere of life. Suppose you have to give a speech to a large number of people. You prepare immensely to ensure that your speech delivery is good, the content you share is appreciated and also everyone likes listening to your words. Don’t you think more than just once about how you present yourself in front of many people? Why? Because it matters to you how people see and perceive you. In the same manner, when we perform some other actions in the whole day, take care and ensure that everything you do is of a higher quality and not just ordinary.
Make every action so special and so full of good qualities that others like every moment of being with you and not only feel happy in your company but also full of peace, love and power and also truth. Some people are very pure and truthful and just being with them is a beautiful experience. What makes them different from others? They carry treasures of beautiful personality characteristics like humility, love and care as well as concern for others which are unmatched. Also, they have an awakened inner spirit that wants to serve everyone and ignite the lamp of goodness in everyone, through spiritual knowledge and the knowledge of how to be a nice person and how to perform only good and pure actions. So, make your life special by being such a special and shining living star, who lives life with a higher purpose and spreads the light of that purpose through every action, in the lives of others.
A Vision Of Goodness For Everyone (Part 1)
We all live our lives from morning to night, performing actions and speaking words with others along with creating thoughts. The more all our thoughts, words and actions are full of the colour of different qualities, the more our life is an inspiration to all those whom we interact with and share many experiences of goodness with. Once a young boy was visiting a market and as he met a shopkeeper to buy a few items for his home, he found some money fallen on the floor, which did not belong to him. As he picked up the money and inquired with the shopkeeper about it, he was incorrectly told that it is the shopkeeper’s money, which he needed to return. As he returned the money, the real owner of the money turned up in the shop to collect it back. The innocent boy was surprised and questioned the shopkeeper about it, but he got only false answers back. He realized, as his parents had told him that the world is not a place completely full of virtues, but people can be false and pretend to be good at times.
Just like the little boy, sometimes we find ourselves surrounded by lots of false people possessing imperfect characteristics and sometimes some of us also get disheartened that does goodness exist in this world or not? Even God sees the world from above and sees the growing imperfections in this world. As a parent of the whole of humanity, He has this pure and sweet wish to change the world and not worry about the negative imperfection that exists. Also, God possesses the knowledge, love and power to transform the bitterness, the untruthfulness, the ego and the jealousy and hatred that exists in the world into goodness, sweetness, good wishes and love. Let’s discover His point of view in this message.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
The Journey Of Purpose
All of us, at some point of time, in fact almost right through our life, keep different types of long term or short term goals - personal goals, professional, financial, social, relationship goals; goals related to physical well being and health, spiritual goals etc. Sometimes we are not even aware ourselves, but we are passing through the journey of life with some purpose or the other at all times, the purpose may be a higher purpose or something connected to our day-to-day living.
Whatever actions we perform then, our aimed at fulfilling this purpose. Also these actions are full of lots of expectations, the expectations of achieving some results. These results which we desire or expect arrive at times and sometimes they don't. If they don't, which is a very common aspect of any such journey of purpose; they generate emotions of worry inside us. Even if the results are achieved, the nature of journey, prior to those results is stressful as compared to a journey which is purpose filled but expectation free, which some might argue is not possible. Worry and stress not only harm the spiritual and emotional self but even our physical body and relationships, making the journey difficult and tiring. It is not incorrect to be action oriented and having some clear objectives in progressing towards our purpose, but we need to be capable of aiming ourselves at our dreams without becoming date conscious and the expectation of them being fulfilled now, or on a specific date, in a particular way or form. If not, we live in a tomorrow consciousness and tend to get upset or discouraged easily and we don't enjoy today. It is not incorrect to be happy when we achieve something, but if our happiness is dependent on our achievements, we will always delay it. Happiness is not later, it is always now. It is commonly said - Happiness is a journey, not a destination. Here we say – Happiness is not only in reaching your purpose, your destination, but also in the journey of purpose. Also, it’s important to note that a carefree and detached intellect will always attract positive circumstances which serve as bridges in reaching one's purpose, much more, as compared to a worried intellect.
8 Powers To Experience Success
(Part 6)
In yesterday’s message, we had explained how spiritual wisdom is the key to using spiritual strength in a particular situation which is required to use a certain power out of the eight main powers. In this message, which is the last part of this message series, we explain how we fill ourselves with spiritual strength because only wisdom is not enough to experience success in a particular situation. Spiritual wisdom will be incomplete without spiritual strength and will be like an axe without a sharp edge.
Spiritual strength is filled in the soul over a long period of time. It requires the practice of meditation, which is the only way a soul can empower itself after it has lost most of its powers in the cycle of birth and rebirth. Meditation, as taught at the Brahma Kumaris, is a technique of connecting the mind using thought power and intellect using visualization power, together with God. God is the Supreme Source of spiritual strength. In meditation, we take little steps of creating thoughts in the mind and creating mental images in the intellect. As a result, in a few minutes we reach a stage of higher consciousness of the realization of the soul and then God, the Supreme Soul which is the final step. Of course, after reaching an experience of a realization of the Supreme Soul, one needs to remain in that experience, which is a face-to-face deep connection with God. In this His power enters the soul and the soul is strengthened. So, this taking in of power or absorption of spiritual strength over a period of time naturally fills the soul with the eight powers. The 8 powers are the power to tolerate, power to accommodate, power to face, power to pack up, power to discriminate, power to judge, power to withdraw and power to co-operate. It is important to note that in meditation we use the mind and intellect of the soul to connect with the Almighty source. As a result, spiritual power gets filled in the sanskaras of the soul. In this way, we become a master almighty or a spiritually powerful child of God, full of all the eight powers.
8 Powers To Experience Success (Part 5)
In yesterday's message, we had explained the importance of the first step of the day as a step of determination and the effect it has on the entire day after that. But it is important to note that along with determination we also need spiritual strength and wisdom to bring the eight powers into practice. Strength is the inner ability of the soul to emerge and bring these powers into action. Wisdom on the other hand is to know which power is required and when and is the key to making the strength work i.e. bringing the power into actual action. Both wisdom and strength are of equal importance.
Wisdom is learnt through the medium of spirituality. It includes the complete knowledge of the soul and how it works. Along with that the knowledge of karma which in short is the law of action and reaction. This means every good or bad karma causes a similar result, which the soul has to experience in the form of joy and sorrow. Also, a relationship with God and the knowledge of that as well as the knowledge of who is God and how we can connect with Him and fill ourselves with the eight powers. Along with that the knowledge of the world drama and how we come into the cycle of birth and rebirth and lose our eight powers and how we can regain them. Of course, lastly the knowledge of the eight powers and their practical use in day-to-day life. All these aspects of spirituality and their complete knowledge is spiritual wisdom. To attain wisdom, you do not need to leave your day-to-day life routine or your homes. It can be done while being a professional. On the other hand, the wisdom is required more if you are living a life in which you meet different types of people with different natures. This is only possible if you are living a life full of different relationships at the personal and professional levels. So, live in a family, go to office, run a business but do not forget to listen or read spiritual knowledge along with that. This is because without wisdom, you will not know how to use the eight powers and will not know how to be emotionally successful.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
8 Powers To Experience Success (Part 4)
When starting a day, talk to yourself that from the first moment till the end of the day I will remain stable and not be lacking any of the 8 powers. The 8 powers are - the power to tolerate, power to accommodate, power to face, power to pack up, power to discriminate, power to judge, power to withdraw and power to co-operate. Then, step into the day on a determined note and see what difference this first powerful thought brings to the day. It’s like getting up and saying Good Morning to everyone around you. They say by doing that, not only the morning but the complete day is spent in a positive way. In the same manner, a morning thought of determination to succeed on an emotional level is a great start of the day. This goes a long way in making us immune to the effects of the different types of problems that come our way throughout the day. It can be called a morning mantra which keeps us strong till the night.
A determined start of the day is half the work done and is the foundation of a day filled with success in keeping the mind under control and relationships successful. Also, the role in the family and at the workplace keeps running smoothly. Also, there is stability while handling wealth and lastly there is freedom from the sorrow experienced due to physical illnesses, if any. So, don’t ever be in a hurry to start the day. A hurried start to the day is a sure method of bringing about confusion and powerlessness in the complete day and is the main cause of experiencing failure repeatedly. The power to succeed does not only mean success on a physical level but also the ability to stay happy, content, peaceful and light while doing anything. So, enjoy the day on a physical level but do not forget that without the experiences of lightness and power you will not feel satisfied from inside and will not be able to enjoy life to its fullest. And for that, a morning pledge of power and determination is of utmost importance.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
8 Powers To Experience Success (Part 3)
The list of different situations that we go through in the entire day is endless. Of course, the powers required in all the different situations are different. Sometimes not just one or two but all the eight powers, to different extents, are required to experience success. We have to bring the power into action. There are three stages of bringing a power into action. The first step is realizing that in a particular situation I need a particular spiritual power and being sure as to which that power is or powers are. For this, I need a calm mind and a pure intellect and also an experience of the past of having gone through different types of situations of the mind, body, role and relationships. E.g. if someone’s behavior is not very positive towards me, in such a situation, to experience success, I need the power to tolerate and accommodate. At the same time, in such situations, it is not wise to use the power to face i.e. being bold and trying to face the other person. I need to know that I have to face the situation, not the person, which could spoil the situation. So, I need to be clear about my choices and need to be sure as to which of the eight powers I should use. A wrong choice of power can mean a negative situation becoming more negative and a right choice can lead to a solution to a problem.
Then, the second step is to emerge that power inside my consciousness. This depends on how my sanskaras have been filled with these eight powers over a long period of time. Of course, all people have all eight powers to a little extent at least, but some people’s sanskaras of the powers are deeper than the others and so they are able to emerge the powers more easily.
Also, after that, the last step is implementing the power and bringing it into action. This means that the power does not only emerge in my mind, but it shows through my thoughts, words and actions also.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
8 Powers To Experience Success (Part 2)
Whenever you start the day and you have work to do, remind yourself that I have to use the eight spiritual powers in overcoming situations of various types and experience success. Take for e.g. today I have to meet a group of executives in a company meeting and we have to take a few decisions based on everyone’s feedback. For such a situation, I need to use the power to discriminate the different opinions of people and also the power to judge and reach a final decision based on the different opinions. For this I need a clean intellect and a stable mind and also as mentioned in yesterday’s message the sanskaras of these two powers especially. Also, suddenly my close associate in the office develops a cold war with me i.e. he starts keeping a distance from me. In such a situation, to get him back on good terms with me, I need the power to co-operate and accommodate along with the other powers to a lesser extent. These are examples of two different situations at the workplace.
Then there are situations involved with the body becoming ill at times and the mind feels burdened by that and the smile on the face is replaced by discontentment and indifference. This happens for many people when faced with such physical body related problems. In such a situation the primary power required is the power to face and the power to accommodate. The other six powers also reduce when faced with an illness. There are some people who lose their temper or get angry very easily when they are not physically well i.e. their power to tolerate and power to co-operate reduces. Also, some people will find it hard to discriminate right from wrong and judge correctly when are not well, which are two important powers required to be successful in real life situations. And again, because in all illness, negative thoughts can increase, there are people who will find it extremely difficult to get sleep and remain focused. This means that their power to pack up and withdraw gets affected in such a situation.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
8 Powers To Experience Success (Part 1)
A very important measuring meter of life which we forget to use in our daily routine is the spiritual power meter. This means that in any difficult situation of life, how good I was in using a spiritual power in overcoming that situation. The eight main spiritual powers are the power to tolerate, power to accommodate, power to face, power to pack up, power to discriminate, power to judge, power to withdraw and power to co-operate.
E.g. I am driving my car on a crowded road and all of a sudden my car is banged by another driver from behind leaving a big dent on my car. Very often and a lot of people in such situations, as we see in big cities, will get out of the car and confront the opposite car driver. Then they will demand a few thousand rupees from him. Sometimes, there can be a war of words and even a fight and sometimes when the anger is at its highest, it overflows and results in an injury or even death. Another person in a similar situation, on the other hand, will remain calm and instead of becoming angry, will forgive the other driver and instead of fighting, will quietly drive away. Which power does the first person lack and the other person has because of which the reactions are so different? In this situation, the power to tolerate and the power to accommodate the other person’s actions are the two main powers out of the above mentioned eight powers, which are required. Of course, the other six powers are also required but the two mentioned are required more than the rest. This is an example of a common situation, where anger and ego are the two main negative forces. The two spiritual powers – the power to tolerate and the power to accommodate have to gain victory over these negative forces. Also, a very important point to note that all four of them - the two powers as well as the two negative forces are sanskaras inside the soul which can be changed. This means that the power can be filled or increased and the negative force can be removed or reduced.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
Breaking Down Patterns Of Negative Thoughts And Feelings
Having understood that the source of our feelings are our thoughts, we realize that right through our journey in the physical world, in many births, we have repeatedly built up enormous webs of negative and harmful thoughts and feelings, creating many unnecessary difficulties for us, internally as well as externally. The habit continues in my present life too. Meditation helps me to untangle this mess, and break the habit. It helps me come to terms with what is going on in my own inner world and understand how I create thoughts and feelings, how to take responsibility for them, and how to tap into my original, positive inner resources, which helps me displace negative patterns of thoughts and feelings. So, meditation is not merely a relaxation technique but a powerful tool for a seemingly difficult task of self-transformation.
To get the positive cycle of thoughts and feelings working in my life, the easiest place to start with is our thoughts. It's not very difficult to change our thoughts. It just requires attention. And by changing my thoughts, it becomes easy to change my feelings. In meditation, I decide that for a few minutes, each day, I am going to set aside negative thoughts which are weak or wasteful, and create pure, positive, powerful thoughts, based on the awareness of my spiritual identity. As I do this, I begin to experience the original resources or treasures of the self. As a result, positive and powerful feelings for the self and others emerge.
Contentment:
The Way to Happiness
Contentment is the quiet art of finding sufficiency in what already exists, rather than endlessly chasing what lies beyond our reach. The ancient Stoic philosopher Epictetus wisely taught, "𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨." This timeless truth reveals that happiness is not born from acquiring more, but from appreciating what we already possess. When we cultivate contentment, we liberate ourselves from the exhausting cycle of comparison and desire that modern society perpetually fuels. True contentment does not mean abandoning ambition or growth; rather, it means finding peace with our present circumstances while simultaneously working toward our aspirations. This delicate balance allows us to move through life with gratitude and inner calm, recognizing that the richest treasures—meaningful relationships, good health, personal integrity—are often invisible to those obsessed with material accumulation.
➤The path to contentment requires us to reframe our relationship with life's inevitable challenges and limitations. Seneca, the Roman Stoic philosopher, proclaimed, "𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫." This profound observation teaches us that poverty of spirit comes not from material scarcity, but from an insatiable hunger that can never be satisfied. When we embrace contentment, we develop the wisdom to distinguish between genuine needs and artificial desires manufactured by external forces. We learn to celebrate small victories, find joy in simple moments, and appreciate the present rather than perpetually deferring happiness to some future achievement. This shift in perspective transforms our daily experience from one of insufficiency to one of abundance, even when our external circumstances remain unchanged.
➤Contentment ultimately becomes the gateway to sustainable happiness because it frees us from the tyranny of unrealistic expectations and external validation. Marcus Aurelius, the great Roman emperor and philosopher, reflected, "𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚; 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛, 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜." This wisdom reminds us that contentment is fundamentally an internal state of mind rather than a reflection of our external reality. When we accept ourselves fully—with our strengths and imperfections—and appreciate the unique journey we are on, we discover a deep well of happiness that cannot be diminished by life's inevitable setbacks. Contentment invites us to live authentically, to pursue what truly matters to us rather than what others expect, and to find profound satisfaction in simply being rather than constantly becoming. In this state of peaceful acceptance, true happiness blooms naturally, creating a life of meaning, resilience, and enduring JOY.
# Brahmakumaris
Cooking And Eating In A Spiritual Consciousness (Part 1)
Mother, what are you making for dinner tonight? Please make something delicious! Children often request the menu for their meals to their mothers. Mothers are often in a hurry to finish their cooking work for the day and also eager to fulfill the tastes of their children and other family members. Often mothers relax at the end of the day after having spent their energies on the minutest details of their meals – the vegetables, the salt, the spices, the oil, the pulses, the wheat flour and the rice. They take care that food is prepared accurately, leaving no room for error. The objective – satisfying the tastes of everyone and also experiencing the blessings from the family.
How come, inspite of this positive exterior feeling to this family setting, there lie underneath negative subtle energies, which sometimes prevent the food from being spiritually energizing, although it may be very tasty to eat.
Love filled food, pure energy filled food is not only healthy, curing illnesses but also spiritually, emotionally and mentally soothing. This is because of the subtle connection that exists between the physical body and the non-physical mind causing both of them to influence each other.
You have heard of how food cooked by a mother tastes better than the food cooked by a maid. Why?
Because of the purity of purpose. The mother is absorbed in the love of her family while cooking the meals and the maid cooks because she earns from the task, which she experiences as hard at times. The mother will cook with a higher purpose which reflects in the food quality and the energy it’s every bite carries invisibly. So food should be cooked in pure love, a love without any dependencies, attachments and fear and full of positivity.
(To be continued tomorrow …)