Wednesday 5 August 2015

The principle lessons



 Collection of Golden Pieces

The principle lessons :
1. Master Your Mind
a. The Wisdom
i. Cultivate your mind – it will blossom beyond your expectation;
ii. The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thoughts;
iii. There are no mistakes – only lessons. See setbacks as opportunity for personal expansion and growth.
b. The Techniques
i. The Heart of the Rose
You need a fresh rose and a silent place to perform this. Start to stare at the center of the rose, its heart. Notice its color, texture and design. Savor its fragrance and think only about the wonderful object in front of you. At first, your mind will wander away. This is the sign of an untrained mind. However, you need not worry. Return your mind to the object of your focus. It gets better with daily practice. Soon your mind will grow strong and disciplined. Spend 10, 15 or even 20 minutes daily to perform this technique.
ii. Opposition Thinking
When an undesirable thought occupies the focal point of your mind, immediately replace it with a uplifting one. It's as if your mind is a giant slide projector, with every thought in your mind being a slide. Whenever a negative slide comes up on the screen, take swift action to replace it with a positive one.
iii. The Secret of the Lake
This technique was applied by the sages. The sages would look into the waters of the still lake and envision their dreams becoming reality. It is also similar to visualization. Everything is created twice, first in the mind, and then it is realized in a physical form. We can visualize everything that we want to be, do, or have.
c. Quote
The secret of happiness is simple: find out what you truly love to do and then direct all of your energy towards doing it. Once you do this, abundance flows into your life and all your desires are filled with ease and grace.
  2. Follow Your Purpose
a. The Wisdom
i. The purpose of life is a life of purpose;
ii. Discovering and then realizing your lifework brings lasting fulfillment;
iii. Set clearly defined personal, professional and spiritual goals, and then have the courage to act on them;
b. The Techniques
i. The Power of Self-Examination
Know your goals. Write it down on paper. Goals that are not written down are not goals at all.
ii. The 5 Step Method for Attaining Goals
Step one is to have a clear vision of your outcome. Step two is to create positive pressure to keep you inspired. The third step is a simple one: never set a goal without attaching a timeline to it. Step four is to staying with your goal for 21 days. After you do your daily activities for 21 days nonstop, then it will become your habit. Step five is to enjoy the process.
c. Quote
Never forget the importance of living with unbridled exhilaration. Never neglect to see the exquisite beauty in all living things. Today, and this very moment, is a gift. Stay focused on your purpose. The Universe will take care of everything else.
3. Practice Kaizen
a. The Wisdom
i. Self-Mastery is the DNA of life mastery;
ii. Success on the outside begins within;
iii. Enlightenment comes through the consistent cultivation of your mind, body and soul.
b. The Techniques
i. Do the things you fear
Do the things you fear, and the death of fear is certain.
ii. The 10 Ancient Rituals for Radiant Living
(a) Ritual of Solitude, spends 15 to 50 minutes daily for a time of silence and peace to know who you really are;
(b) Ritual of Physicality, as you care for the body so you care for the mind. As you prepare your body, so you prepare your mind. As you train your body, so you train your mind. Take some time every single day to nourish the temple of your body through vigorous exercise.
(c) Ritual of Live Nourishment, fill your plate with fresh vegetables, fruits and grains.
(d) Ritual of Abundant Knowledge, read regularly. Reading for thirty minutes a day will do wonders for you. But do not read any subject matters. Be specific and focus.
(e) Ritual of Personal Reflection, review all you have done during the day, find the wrong action that you have committed and find a way to solve it and not to repeat the next day. Find the right action during the day and savor it more.
(f) Ritual of Early Awakening, rise from your bed as the sun is rising. You do not need to sleep 8 hours a day. The key thing is to improve the quality of your sleep and get up early every day.
(g) Ritual of Music, never forget the power of music. Spend a little time with it every day, even if it is listening to a soft piece on a cassette while you drive to work. When you feel down or weary, play some music. It is one of the finest motivators.
(h) Ritual of the Spoken Word, develop a positive self-talk. Use it anytime you want for any purpose you want to achieve. Words transform your life.
(i) Ritual of Congruent Character, take daily, incremental action to build your character. Strengthening your character affects the way you see yourself and the actions you take. The actions you take come together to form your habits and, this is important, your habits lead you to your destiny. 'You sow a thought, you reap an action. Reap an action, you sow a habit. Sow a habit, you reap a character. Sow a character, you reap your destiny.'
(j) Ritual of Simplicity, live a simple life. Reduce your needs and be content with less.
c. Quote
The Universe favors the brave. When you resolve to lift your life to its highest level, the strength of your soul will guide you to a magical place with magnificent treasures.
4. Live with Discipline
a. The Wisdom
i. Discipline is built by consistently performing small acts of courage;
ii. The more you nurture the embryo of self-discipline, the more it will mature;
iii. Willpower is the essential virtue of a fully actualized life.
b. The Techniques
i. Mantras/Creative Envisioning
Repeat this at least thirty times a day: 'I am more than I appear to be, all the world's strength and power rests inside me.' See yourself as a disciplined, firm person, fully in control of your mind, your body and your spirit. Picture yourself acting as Gandhi or Mother Teresa might act in a challenging situation.
ii. The Vow of Silence
Spend some time or a full day in silence, except to answer a direct question. When you can hold your tongue, you can increase the control of your body.
c. Quote
Wage war against the weaker thoughts that have crept into the palace of your mind. They will see that they are unwanted and leave like unwelcome visitors.
5. Respect Your Time
a. The Wisdom
i. Time is your most precious commodity and it is nonrenewable;
ii. Focus on your priorities and maintain balance;
iii. Simplify your life;
iv. The Ancient Rule of 20.
This ancient rule is similar to the 80/20 concept that says our 20% activities give 80% of the result. Furthermore, 80% of our activities only give 20% of the result. Accordingly, we have to focus on which 20% of our activities that give 80% result in our life.
b. The Techniques
i. Have the Courage to Say "NO"
ii. The Deathbed Mentality
Live every day as if it was your last. Imagine waking up every day and asking yourself the simple question: 'What would I do today if it was my last?' Then think about how you would treat your family, your colleagues and even those who you don't know.
c. Quote
Time slips through our hands like grains of sand, never to return again. Those who use time wisely from an early age are rewarded with rich, productive and satisfying lives.
6. Selflessly Serve Others
a. The Wisdom
i. The quality of your life ultimately comes down to the quality of your contribution;
ii. To cultivate the sacredness of each day, live to give;
iii. By elevating the lives of others, your life reaches its highest dimensions;
iv. Practice Daily Acts of Kindness.
b. The Techniques
i. Give to Those Who Ask
ii. Cultivate Richer Relationships
c. Quote
The noblest thing you can do is to give to others. Start focusing on your higher purpose.
  
7. Embrace the Present
a. The Wisdom
i. Live in the "now". Savor the gift of the present;
ii. Never sacrifice happiness for achievement;
iii. Savor the journey and live each day as your last.
b. The Techniques
i. Live Your Children’s' Childhood
Take the time to watch them grow and flourish. The best gift you could ever give your children is your love. Get to know your children. Show them that they are far more important to you than the fleeting rewards of your professional career. Pretty soon they will be off, building lives and families of their own. If you do not you’re your children’s childhood, then it will be too late, the time will be gone.
ii. Practice Gratitude
Count your blessings every time you wake up and before you go to bed.
iii. Grow Your Destiny
We all have something that we are meant to do. Your genius will shine through, and happiness will fill your life, the instant you discover your higher purpose and then direct all your energies towards it. Once you are connected to this mission, whether it is being a great teacher of children or an inspired artist, all your desires will be fulfilled effortlessly. Simply follow the path of your dreams, in full expectation of the bounty that is certain to flow. This will bring you to your divine destination.
c. Quote
We are all here for some special reason. Stop being a prisoner of your past. Become the architect of your future.

Saturday 1 August 2015

Sometimes there’s a happy ending - sometimes not. But, as with all deep wounds, sometimes not. First I manage the wounds, and then return , where, when, why the lights went out, before the wandering began.



What spirituality tells about  Relationship 

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on "The Perfect Relationship"
If you know how to row a boat, you can row any boat. But if you don’t know how to row, changing boats isn’t going to help.
Similarly, changing a relationship does not solve the issue. Sooner or later, you will be in the same situation in any other relationship.
Most people look elsewhere for a perfect relationship, but few look within themselves; at the place from where we relate. What is your relationship with yourself? Who are you to yourself?

People think, ‘Oh, I’m single. I’m so bored being by myself. I need a companion. I need a relationship.’ If you are so bored by your own company, think how much more boring you must be for someone else. And two people bored with themselves getting together, will completely bore each other!

If your relationship is based on personal need it may not last that long. Once the need is fulfilled, on a physical or on an emotional level, the mind will look for something else and go somewhere else. If your relationship is from a level of sharing, then it can last longer.
When you’re looking for security, love, and comfort from your partner, you become weak. When you are weak, all the negative emotions come up and you become demanding. Demand destroys love. If we just know this one thing, we can save our love from getting rotten.

It’s the limited awareness of yourself and the limited experience of love that encapsulates you in a tiny compartment where you start suffocating. We can’t even handle the love we are asking for because we have never probed into the depth of our own mind; our own consciousness.



Q: How to deal with rude behavior?
Sri Sri: What do you do when someone behaves very rudely to you?
- Get upset
- React rudely back
- Get frustrated
- Run-away and avoid the person or the situation
- Blame the person
- Preach to the person
None of these will in any way strengthen you.
Then what are the options? See rude behavior in this light:
- It indicates the intensity of their commitment
- It indicates the amount of stress and insensitivity
- It projects the up-bringing of the person
- It indicates a behavioral pattern
- It shows lack of knowledge
- It shows lack of observation of one's own mind and its sensations
- It shows you behavior to avoid
- It is an opportunity for you to welcome and absorb the rudeness
- It strengthens your mind
- It unconditional the love that you are
The next time when someone is rude to you, make sure you don't get upset. Just give back a broad smile. If you can digest the rudeness, nothing whatsoever can shake you.



Experience infinity with Love

According to Sri Sri it is possible through love. In love one keeps on repeating same things again and again. When we think of love you are in love. Person in love really don't need any subject to talk, they discuss silly things.

If you are falling in love with someone actually you start loving yourself. It is very tough to realize this. We think we are in love with someone & we name them as someone. Love is formless. It is infinite energy.

Surrender

This is very interesting that Whomsoever you love, you surrender to them. Word surrender is generally considered as action taken after being defeated by someone but in actual it is not submission. Only the brave, the knowledgeable and the wise can surrender.

The definition of surrender is little deeper that surrender is realizing everything belongs to the divine or to the God. We think everything happens on its own. Whatever actions we do it happens on its own. Nature is taking care of whatever is happening. This is what we believe in. We are relax because of this realization that everything is taken care by some energy or force or The God. This is surrender.
Our love towards all this creation makes us believe in these things. We feel we are the part of this creation. We surrender to the nature for taking care.

Obstacles in way

There comes some hindrances like lust and attachments in love. We feel emotions through sex. One enjoys the sex but it never leads one to anywhere at the end it brings inertia more indulgence and love decreases it goes down.

It becomes difficult for one to win over lust. Whenever desire arises in you, if you are aware then you worship it, recognize it and offer that desire to divine.

Some people try to behave in different ways. They are very nice outside but inside something else goes on. It is not about how other people see you it is all about how do you feel inside. Sometimes be rough outside if needed but be soft and gentle inside. Avoid to hate anyone or getting angry at people.

 Spiritual Sex: Beyond the Physical

Spiritual Union

The energy generated by this level of sexuality is ecstasy. The meaning of Spiritual Union is enhanced awareness, inspiration and merging with the Life Force. The purpose for sexuality at this level is to unite with the Source. The energy received at this level is inspiration/illumination that can be translated into divine guidance or simply experienced as pure bliss. Cosmic orgasm is a completely unique experience because it is multi-dimensional and has an infinite variety of patterns. Genital Pleasuring and Conscious Loving are not separate from this experience but incorporated as an integral part of it. If you choose to practice spiritual sex with a partner, you will need to communicate clearly with one another about your expectations. It is important to recognize that your experiences of transcendence will be unique from your partner's; however, it is very helpful to feel a conscious bond with your partner.
Developing Compassion

Sexually, the heart is a source of healing for the self and one's partner. The shift from personal attachment desire into selfless love for another is facilitated through communion with the partner. Whereas personal desire generates sexual attachment-the feeling of "this one is mine"-loving communion extends beyond personal attachment. The partner is no longer perceived as "mine," but as a beloved gift of the Divine. To cultivate this perception, you will need to foster the psychological mindset of healing and mutual empowerment in a setting that honors the other as divine God/Goddess. It may help to use the following exercise to connect deeply with the divine essence of your partner.

Knowledge Sheet: You are complete
There are two basic instincts in human beings, one is food, the other is sex. These you have been doing in all the lifetimes, when you were an animal and now as a human being. You are born out of these two - food and sex.
 
It is so beautiful that in this country (India) they connected both these with Divinity. Food is connected with God. In the Upanishads, it is said ‘Food is God’. When you consider food as God you will not over eat. You don’t simply stuff food but you eat food with so much honour. No festival in India goes without food. And when you go to temple the first thing they give is some Prasad. Prasad is just a little bit of food that is given. Without Prasad there is no pilgrimage, no festival. Food is connected with God.
Similarly, sex is also connected with God. Otherwise you keep sex separate and think this is my material life and think of God as different. But here the ancient people, they linked that to God so that no aspect in you remains away from God. A basic instinct doesn’t remain away from God. That is why they put Radha Krishna and Shiva Parvathi. Shiv Ling is a symbol of that. So when you honour sex and consider it as part of Divinity, then your obsession disappears, lust disappears and sacredness dawns.
And the basic instinct from being an aggressive lust gets transformed into a submissive love. This is the ancient thought. But some people are misusing yoga for their enjoyment of the carnal instincts, this is wrong. This is a blunder. It should be the other way around. Whenever there is a carnal instinct transform that into a Divine inner experience. There is a beautiful word in Sanskrit called Atma Rati, union with one’s being, oneself. Rejoicing in one’s own self.
There are two things, Prakriti (nature) and Purusha (consciousness). Nature and consciousness inter play all the time. Your body and soul. Your body is female and your soul is male. So their coupling is happening all the time. And seeing that union within oneself is Samadhi.
That is why Samadhi is considered to be a thousand times more joyful than the carnal instincts. Whatever joy sex gives, Samadhi is thousand times more joyful because there is no effort, there is no action there. It is only Being and just Being. So just the Being consciousness, the play and display of consciousness comes to one’s awareness, comes to one’s experience. This is very beautiful.
Don’t keep any corner of your existence away from Divinity. The Divine should be interwoven into every aspect of your life and this is called Brahmacharya, which means moving in the infinity, uniting with the infinity.
Isn’t that so beautiful?! It is very deep and very high knowledge. If you don’t get it in one time, never mind, keep listening and keep understanding and one day you will say, ‘Ah! That is what Guruji was talking about.’
So here (in India) when you go to any temple anywhere, you find both the aspects, Shiva and Parvathi, Prakrathi Purusha. Consciousness and matter. This is to first recognize the duality and then see the unity. They are not two, they are not different, they are two sides of the same coin. You are complete.
What does this mean? You are both man and woman. Coming out of this label, ‘I am man’, ‘I am woman’ - Getting out of your identity. This is Vedanta, the highest philosophy of the universe.
We keep identifying ourselves, ‘I am a man’, ‘I am a woman’, ‘I am old’, ‘I am young’, ‘I am educated’, ‘I am illiterate’. Throw away all these labels. What remains is pure consciousness. Do not even say I am consciousness. Just know I am consciousness and not even say it. Don’t go around saying I am nothing.
Adi Shankar once said, ‘One who labels themselves as something is a fool and one who labels themselves as nothing is a bigger fool.’ One who is nothing does not talk, so just keep quiet. How can you say I am nothing when you are saying something?! There cannot be somebody there saying I am nothing. So keep quiet, shut up. If you are nothing then shut up. Be quiet.
When you consider the basic instincts of food and sex as sacred then the aggression in you disappears and surrender dawns in you. Gratefulness and love dawn in you.
That is when it is said the devotee and the Divine have become One. They have merged into One!
It is so fascinating, isn’t it?