Brahma Kumaris

01.11.15 The Secret Ingredient When we're cooking, our minds are working. When we're stirring and rolling and baking, we're thinking. Thinking creates vibrations because that's what thoughts do. The vibes affect both the food and the people who eat the food. So, cook with care; watch out for what's you're thinking; and don't forget that in the best of recipes, love is the secret ingredient. To be free from desires is to be free from the burden of problems. When I chase my shadow, there is sorrow, but when I face the sun, I find my shadow following me. Unreasonable desires are like the shadow which I am trying to catch. What I need to do is, have a clear aim and work towards it. That is like facing the sun. I find more attainments when I am connected with my efforts. Today I will check my desires and ask myself if I am doing anything to earn them. I will then see what I really want, make a clear plan to achieve it and follow this plan in order to get to it. This will enable me to be connected with my efforts and the fruit of my efforts would surely come, bringing along with it a lot of other qualities in me. Living With A Purpose How can we define heaven? Heaven could simply be described as the place to experience peace, joy and happiness. So, what is our heaven in our practical life? How can we experience it? Fulfilling our dream or true purpose or experiencing it being fulfilled is our heaven. Living out our dream and purpose is to live in our personal space of heaven here and right now. If everything that we do during the day and in life is directed at fulfilling our purpose - our reason for being, for existing and for living - we will be much happier in everything we do, because everything will be channeled or focused towards what we really want. On the other hand, if we do a little bit of everything, but without knowing where we are going or what our true destination is, we will be like a ship that has lost its way in the ocean. The ship's crew steers the ship - it now goes towards the left, now to the right, goes backwards, then forwards towards the north, towards the south and in the end stays in the same place and gets nowhere, although it's crew is busy or is working all the time. The crew lets itself be carried by the currents, the tides, the waves in the ocean and the winds above the ocean. It has lost its bearings and doesn't know how to be guided by the stars, which would show the crew the right way. In our case, the stars being our intuition. Without our life's course dictated by a true purpose, we let our consciousness asleep and don't listen to our intuition, which will reveal to us our purpose. Soul Sustenance Balance Between Masculine and Feminine Qualities These are some examples of masculine and feminine qualities: Masculine Logical, Verbal, Brave, Enthusiastic, Enterprising, Flexible, Creative, Responsible, Self-confident, Jovial, Detached Feminine Intuitive, Silent, Affectionate, Serene (Peaceful), Patient, Tolerant, Inspiring, Optimistic, Resistant, Mature, Sweet Opening up to the spiritual consciousness (or the consciousness of the soul) makes the masculine and feminine qualities emerge from our inner selves. As we become more conscious and attentive, we come across a balance between masculine and feminine qualities, achieving greater harmony in our lives and in our relationships. When we are only aware of the physical form, a part of our being may remain hidden. For example, if a man only identifies with his masculine form (I am a man), his feminine qualities do not develop. In the same way, many women have not developed their masculine qualities due to the thought: "I am (only) a woman". E.g. in a family where the father is often absent and cannot provide his support for long periods of time, the role of the mother takes on another broader dimension. She can make the masculine qualities emerge, combining authority and bravery with her more feminine aspects. Addiction to relationships, in other words, the dependency on other people, is to a large extent due to an imbalance of masculine and feminine qualities in our inner selves. The main reason why this happens is that we do not develop the qualities that we are missing internally and we seek the company of others who have these qualities. We try to compensate for our weaknesses and fill our defects by taking what we are missing, from other people, thus becoming dependent on them. Message for the day The power of silence makes the impossible achievable. Expression: When I am faced with a difficult situation, my mind is flooded with thoughts. I also begin to talk about it a lot, describing the problem to all I meet. Then the problem looks so big that I feel I could do nothing to change it. Experience: I need learn the art of silence(mental and verbal). Internal silence brings the right solutions because my mind is calm. And when I don't describe the problem too much to people I will know there is a solution and I will be able to find it too.