BRAHMA KUMARIS WORLD SPIRITUAL UNIVERSITY
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22.04.2015 Monk feeding a 3 year old 350kg male tiger The Quality of Mercy A person with the quality of mercy works on such a subtle level that the support given never demeans or implies weakness in the other person. Smile You never have to be miserable because of someone else's bad attitude. Your own attitude is yours to control, and you can do with it what you please. Others will often attempt to draw you into their negativity. They may whine, scream, glare, pout, or call you all sorts of names, but never does it mean that you must pick up on any of it. You can lovingly and politely choose to stay positive. Simply realize that another person's negative attitude is that person's problem, and does not have to dictate your behavior in any way. The most powerful response to negativity is not more negativity. The most powerful, confident, effective response is to keep yourself focused on moving positively forward. Smile, and know that you are in control of how you feel, what you think and how you act. Offer your best, most sincerely positive face to the world, no matter what kind of faces you find looking back at you. Rather than being pulled down, you'll be lifting up. And that's a powerful, effective place to be. Defining Failure Given below are some definitions of failure: * Depending on your perception: failure actually does not exist. * Staying stuck in what you could have done and haven't done. Letting your though patterns to be influence by the same. * Experiencing emotions of frustration, pain, suffering. * Losing your notion (idea) of the dream, of the ideal life you want to lead. * Not fulfilling set expectations. * Not having enough courage and bravery to walk through life. * Not being the ruler of your thoughts, feelings, actions and life in general. * Allowing yourself to be led by something negative that a particular situation causes. * Distancing yourself from your values. * Not being in harmony with your inner conscience (while performing actions). * When the self does not accept what life brings it. * Putting your life in the hands of, and blaming, others and circumstances with feelings of emptiness and confusion. * False expectations. * Excessive attachment. * Excessive materialism. Tomorrow we shall discuss some factors that bring us closer to failure. Soul Sustenance Imbibing (Absorbing) Spiritual Knowledge The first step into experience, particularly the meditation experience, is knowledge. What does it mean to 'know'? Knowing involves four steps, which ultimately give the meditator the experience of realization: The first step of knowing is information. With information, our intellect opens to new ideas and opinions. The second step of knowing is knowledge, when we begin to reflect and think on the ideas and views that we have listened to. At this point, we often have to select only a few of the ideas we have heard, as it is not always possible to reflect (think) on all the information that is fed to us. In order to deepen our understanding, we reflect on the information and sometimes discuss our findings and thoughts with others. The third step of knowing is when we move from thinking to doing, that is, from knowledge to wisdom. Wisdom is gained when we commit ourselves to doing. Knowledge translated into our everyday behaviour is called wisdom, which, in turn, is called quality life. A life of quality is where personal values are not only realised but also lived and experienced through our practical actions. Doing, or practice, naturally brings us to the fourth and final step of knowing, which is called Truth. Message for the day To be merciful means to transform the pain and sorrow of others. Expression: The one who is merciful always has the feeling of mercy and is able to help those who are in need or in distress. Such a person is able to bring about transformation in others too because of his own pure feelings. He is able to put in effort that becomes a contribution for the progress of others. Experience: When I have mercy for others, I am able to accept their feelings, emotions and behaviour and provide them with the right kind of mental support. Then I am able to give them courage without being influenced negatively with their feelings of pain and sorrow. So my mercy influences myself positively too as I am able to keep myself positive under all circumstances.