Some
of us have a talent for melodrama. We blow things out of
proportion - creating 'dramas' out of little things. All
this can get a little too exhausting, for us and others.
Try steering your Inner Drama Queen away from
over-exaggerated emotions and over-reactions. Being a
drama queen doesn't have to be negative, we all need a
little bit of flamboyance. Use
your dramatic tendencies to share funny stories,
entertain others, to relieve stress and promote stronger
interpersonal relationships.
The
more respect is measured on the basis of something
external, the greater the desire for recognition from
others. On the other hand, true self-respect comes from
an appreciation of our inner qualities. This then keeps
us free from expectations and we will be able to provide
an environment of freedom for each one's growth. I need
to start the day with a thought that brings
self-respect. I need to tell myself that I am special
and also use this specialty throughout the
day. I will then not dominate or limit the freedom of
anyone but will naturally treat with humility.
Understanding
The Mechanism Of The Virtue Of Peace (cont.)
Yesterday
we have explained how the virtue of peace works in human
souls through the cycle of life. In today's message we
explain (with reference to yesterday's message) how we can
experience our original state of peace experienced during
the initial phases of the birth-rebirth cycle. Tomorrow we
shall explain how we can experience the eternal peace of
the soul world. To
have both these experiences, the basic principle that I
need to remember is that to experience peace, I need to
concentrate on it - concentration means creating thoughts
about it and visualizing it at the same time. Secondly to
access peace, I need to separate myself from my body and
surroundings. So how do I bring these two principles in
practice?
The first chapter of the Rajyoga meditation course as
taught by the Brahma Kumaris in each of its centers states
a simple fact and makes me realize it that I am not this
body but I am an eternal soul, a non-physical star like
spiritual energy, situated at the centre of the forehead,
just above the eyebrows, the original nature of which is
peace. The body is my vehicle. Now, to experience the
peace experienced during the initial phases of the
birth-rebirth cycle, my mind picks the above fact or
wisdom from my intellect, which is a reservoir of
spiritual knowledge and where the above fact is stored.
Then, my intellect, which possesses the decision making
ability judges the thought as to whether it is a right or
wrong one. If my intellect is convinced about the fact, it
judges the thought as right. Next, I take this process
further. Along with creating this thought I visualize this
thought on the screen of my mind i.e. see my star-like
white/golden light form just above the eyebrows radiating
white/golden rays of peace in all directions. I do this
exercise for a few minutes. This
exercise then leads me to an experience of peace, as a
result of which a sanskara of
peace is created. This
is the peace experienced whilst visualizing the spiritual
self inside the body -it is the peace experienced in
the initial phases of the birth-rebirth cycle.
Seeing
With Spiritual Eyes
My eyes are the most powerful medium through which I, the
soul, not only absorb information from the outside to the
inside but also express myself to others from the inside
to outside. All
that the soul possesses inside it or is made up of in the
form of thoughts, feelings, attitudes, positive virtues,
even weaknesses, in fact all personality traits, are
expressed through my eyes to others and shared with
others. As
I look towards others, my eyes can be used to shower
others with pure love, peace, joy, power etc. and the same
eyes, if not used appropriately, can shower others with
anger, jealousy, criticism, hatred etc. My eyes also
express whatever wisdom or knowledge I possess inside.
When I stay in the awareness that I am a soul, a spiritual
being of subtle light, situated at the center of my
forehead, my eyes are used to see others in the same way
with a spiritual vision. This leads to my spiritual
upliftment. When I stay in the awareness that I am a body,
my eyes are used to see others in the same way with a
non-spiritual or a body-conscious vision. This brings me
down on a spiritual level. A
spiritual vision helps me see others with a sense of
equality, instead of with feelings of comparison or
competitiveness. Usually,
on a physical level, I create all sorts of impressions of
another person from just one glance through my eyes, about
their age, gender, looks, position in society, job, how
rich they are, their dressing sense, caste, nationality
etc. and many a times, very commonly, I make various
assumptions about their personality or behaviour. In the
state of soul-consciousness, that changes. Looking out I
see souls, and I see them as my brothers, on exactly the
same level as me, neither higher, nor lower. A spiritual
vision reminds me of the original, positive qualities of
each soul, instead of their present personality. It also
reminds me that each
soul has incarnated from the soul world to play its
various roles through different physical costumes in this
unlimited drama on the world stage. Age, gender,
appearances, status etc. which are visible to me today are
just temporary ones. The same soul has been in the past
and will be in the future in different physical costumes
or roles, where all these have been and will be different
and the same applies to me too. This
makes me rise above comparisons and I am no longer
judgmental about the other.
To
serve with the heart, with love is to guarantee success.
Projection: When
we have to be of help to others, we sometimes find
ourselves doing it with force. We don't seem to be
really interested in doing it but situations or people
seem to be forcing us to do it. We, then, don't enjoy
what we do and also don't find the benefit of it either
to others or to ourselves.
Solution: We
need to consciously make an effort to see what people
are benefiting when we are helping them. With this
conscious effort we are able to help others with love
without feeling the heaviness of what we have to do.
Thus, we find our actions to be much more fruitful.