Brahma Kumaris

25.06.17 Freedom, the Intention of Life; By Nancy Oakes Near to contentment When you can think of yesterday without regret and tomorrow without fear, you are near contentment. Connecting To The Qualities Of Others Meditation adds immense value and depth to my relationships. It also brings closeness in them. Many obstacles and barriers, both on a physical as well as a subtle level, come between me and others when my consciousness and as a result, my perception are struck primarily in the physical dimension. If I hardly know five to ten per cent of myself, and that too mostly on the surface, my relationships are going to be similarly superficial. With my self-respect built on very weak foundations, it will tend to be delicate and I'll be prone to trying to maintain it by thinking about and focusing my energies on others' weaknesses, sometimes real and sometimes even imagined. I'll also find it hard to realize and appreciate their qualities. Such is the state of so many human relationships today. In meditation, I go into the depths of myself, and deep within my inner being, I find the beauty of peace, love and happiness that is there inside me. I also realize that this same beauty lies inside each soul. Then naturally and very easily, without any effort, I get connected to the same qualities in others. I also find the strength to do the same. I am no longer judgmental seeing others’ temporary sanskaras of negativity. I find qualities that are basically there inside every soul: the original qualities or sanskaras of each spiritual being. It’s like a basic prototype for the whole of humanity, which I deeply see and realize. Passing Clouds Determined thoughts disperse the clouds of negative situations. A lot of negative situations are bound to come our way, resulting in grief, pain and disappointment. At the time, such difficulties feel insurmountable and seem to last forever. I need to recognize that the difficulties I face are like passing clouds. These clouds gather around me at times, are only temporary - sooner or later they will fade away. Understanding that no problem lasts forever will help me develop the determination I need to work on my problems. I will then be able to face any situation with ease. Message for the day To have the right intention while performing actions is to bring success. Though to Ponder: When the heart recognizes the need to do something, there has to be reasoning in the intellect, why I want to do it and with what intention. Without the right intention, feelings can make me get carried away, not able to contribute my best. For example, if I want someone to change (feeling) because I want to be more comfortable, it will not work. But, if I bring the thought that I want them to change, because they would be happier. This is the right intention, which would bring success to my feeling. Point to Practice: Today I will do actions with the right intention. All the major tasks that I do, I will first take a thought about why I am doing it. I will then do that action. This will enable me to bring quality to the actions that I do. So, whatever I do, I will be successful in that.