Brahma Kumaris

27.03.17 Making Peace There is something that you can do to help create peace in the world, and that is to make yourself peaceful. The first step in this is doing some real soul-searching to find out what has made you peaceless in the first place. Turning your mind within allows you to discover, underneath the many surfaced emotions of everyday life, a deep, undisturbed pool of spiritual well-being. You need to explore that part of the self, not just to understand it, but to experience it again and again. This is a very satisfying experience, one that refreshes the soul and fills it with peace. From this vantage point, it becomes easy to recognize the kind of thoughts and feelings which are self-destructive. The power of self-realization will work wonders in transforming these destructive mental habits. You will stop blaming others for your peacelessness, and get on with the work of cultivating your truth. Breaking The Cycle Of Negative Energy Exchanges (Part 4) One of the root causes of negative energy exchanges between any two people is a clash of personalities or also called clash of sanskaras in spiritual parlance (language). This can happen between two people who are wrong or between two people, one of whom is right and the other is wrong and also not very uncommonly between two people who are both right in their own unique way. This happens simply because sometimes personalities of two people are correct, their ways of working are correct, their ways of thinking are correct but they differ. This clash of personalities causes irritation on both sides, which becomes dislike, which becomes anger, causing hurt on both sides. How does one correct this? An important method for this is the sacrifice of the ego. Very often the cause of negative energy exchanges between two people who are both right is subtle ego on both sides, which ends when one of them sacrifices his/her ego. It is often said that the one who sacrifices his/her ego, is worthy of receiving the garland of blessings in a gathering of people of varying personalities as he/she brings about harmony in relationships. The one who sacrifices the ego is mature and humble enough to realize that the responsibility to bring to an end negative energy exchanges with a particular person lies with him. Such a person has a soft intellect and realizes the significance of moulding or adjusting himself as the situation demands and how that can bring to an end the exchange. Such a person is like an ocean of good wishes. He will sacrifice his own interest, sacrifice the - I am right consciousness, sacrifice the - Things should be done the way I like consciousness and put the interest of the other first; he will renounce his own name and glorify the name of the other. Such a person will very commonly praise the other and his way of working as well as his personality either individually or in a gathering. Such a person becomes a teacher and friend for the person with whom he was exchanging negative vibes prior to that, becoming an instrument to bring to an end the negative exchange of energy. (To be continued tomorrow …) The 3 R's of Relationships. Here are the 3 R's to make the relationships that matter most, easier: Roles, Rules, and Rituals. Roles clarify what is expected of you. Otherwise there's frustration and confusion when roles are unclear. Know your specific role in each relationship and play your part well. Rules are boundaries that outline what your limits are and where you stand. For healthy relationships, it's good to discuss and review your rules regularly, and know when to compromise. Rituals are simple things that build meaningful connections, such as making eye contact as you say 'good morning' and 'goodbye'. Make up and keep up with rituals that work for you. Message for the day To learn the art of controlling is to steer through life's situations easily. Thought to Ponder: When I am driving, the road is not always straight. Yet, I know when to apply a brake or when to turn the steering wheel. In the same way, in life's situations I need to understand that everything will not go as I plan. Instead, I need to learn the art of knowing when to stop (apply brakes) and when to turn my thinking in a direction which is more constructive. Point to Practice: Today I will have a mental traffic control system for myself. From time to time, I will have a signal for myself to stop and check if I am going in the right direction. If I find myself in the wrong way, I will immediately change my thoughts in the right direction or just postpone the thoughts.