The Art Of Forgetting In Relationships

Sometimes, someone says something in two minutes that makes you feel really
bad - they said it in two minutes but it is still there inside the register
of your mind two months or even two years later. How could they! Who do
they think they are! Something happened in two minutes and you remember it,
you repeat it again in your mind and in your words during interactions with
others. You keep replaying the scene repeatedly in your mind. Just like an
action replay of a cricket match, you see the replays from different angles
and judge the scene in many different and negative ways and come to
different conclusions, most of which are negative in nature. With this you
strengthen that experience in your mental register. Memories and the
experiences associated with the memories replayed continuously in the
conscious mind enter your sub-conscious, so that even after a long period
of time you remember what they said to you. The other person unburdened
themselves and forgot it straightaway.

It's like your neighbour who takes out rubbish, throws it outside his
house, into your compound and forgets about it and you allow that rubbish
to remain there, without thinking of getting it cleaned. Someone throws a
few words at you and they forget, but not only do you not forget but you
repeat them in your mind to such a point that at times these action replays
do not even let you sleep. *We need to learn the art of forgetting memories
that generate shadows of hurt or pain in our present.* The past has already
gone and what you have now is the present moment.

Effects Of Anger On The Human Body

In numerous studies, anger has been found to have a completely negative
effect on our physical well-being. In one such study, reported at a recent
conference on forgiveness and peace in the US, it was demonstrated that
letting go of negative feelings that we have for someone due to his/her
negative actions relieved and reduced chronic back pain.

It seems we have been conditioned to treat any tension-triggering event, be
it a small accident or a conflict with a partner or colleague, as a big
problem or crisis. At these moments our bodies generate and release the
stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Our heart accelerates, our breath
quickens and our mind races. It's all harmless if the tension or fright is
brief and once in a while, like a near miss while driving, but the
emotional disturbances of anger and hatred are like accidents that don't
end, and hormones turn into toxins. The depressive effect of cortisol upon
the immune system has been linked to serious diseases and disorders.
According to a recent medical research - Cortisol wears down the brain,
leading to cell degeneration and memory loss. It also raises blood pressure
and blood sugar, hardening the arteries, leading to heart disease.

The Two Companions Of Happiness - Peace And Love (A Meditation)

Sit comfortably and relax... Remind yourself of your spiritual form as a
soul - a point of subtle light (non-physical light), a sparkling star,
situated between the two eyebrows...

Now visualize your star-like form and emerge the feelings of
*peace*looking at this form... experience stability in this inner
value of
*peace*, peace is your own treasure... Fully release all your concerns,
tensions and worries and allow all of yourself to become deeply peaceful...

Now, feel the vibrations (energy waves) of your peaceful light form
radiating outwards into the world... First into your body... then into the
room... then into your neighbourhood... and then into the outside world...

Be aware that the vibration of your peaceful form is like a gift...
Consciously give this gift of *peace* with the intention of calming and
relieving the peacelessness of others...

As you radiate the power of your peace into the world you do so with great *
love*... As you give the gift of *peace*, with *love*, you are aware that
you are able to serve others, help others, in this subtle but extremely
important way...

This awareness invokes a new sense of meaning in your life and you
experience deeper feelings of *happiness* within your heart... It is a *
happiness* which takes the form of contentment... This contentment of the
heart flows through your whole being...

You realize that your happiness does not live alone...* True happiness
always has with it two of its closest companions... an experience of peace
and an intention of pure love...*

Our basic spiritual attributes of peace, love and happiness are values that
can be compared to the primary colors of the soul.   While the soul can
experience these values, it is only when they are mixed together (to give
different shades) that they emerge though our attitudes and behaviors as
virtue.  Virtuous thoughts, words and actions restore balance and harmony
to our inner life and to our external relationships.

The Limitless Mind

If we compare the two entities - *mind* and *matter* - the most obvious
difference between the two that comes to the forefront is that one is
non-physical and the other is physical. Another very important difference
between the two is that whereas on one hand, *matter has limits*, in the
sense, that's *its fixed in time and space*. *The mind, on the other hand,
is beyond limits, in terms of physical parameters. It's not fixed in time
and space.*

When we take a close look at what is going on in our mind, its power
becomes visible to us. Since its not fixed in space, it can link me to a
friend in, as far as, Washington or Singapore in less than a second. My
mind can even move in many different directions at once. Since the mind is
not fixed in time, I can think about yesterday, or about fifteen years ago;
about tonight, or the next three years. That's the reason we can say that
the mind is limitless, hence powerful.

*Thoughts also have different levels of power.* Sometimes they fly past the
mind leaving hardly any impact on us. At other times, they are accompanied
by such feelings so as to influence our entire perception, even our
complete inner mental state. Thinking about a visit to Kashmir I made last
year, for e.g., I could find myself carried back mentally into the
beautiful experience and its attached emotions. Filled with happiness, I
will even radiate this happiness to others nearby, through my thoughts,
facial expressions, words and actions. On the other hand, thoughts about
the death of my close relative a few years ago will have an opposite impact
on me in the present moment.

Creating A Positive Atmosphere

Without a powerful intellect, a weak soul is at the mercy of the
surrounding atmosphere whether at the workplace or at home or at any other
place. Whatever the atmosphere, so will be the emotions and thoughts in the
mind, whether the person enjoys them or not. At such times it is impossible
to escape from the effect of the atmosphere. When a soul is so dependant it
is unable to choose its thoughts or remain in any desired positive
experience.

To be detached from a negative atmosphere and to be instrumental in
creating a powerful, positive atmosphere, the soul must:

* have powerful attention to its own true nature.

* use the intellect to clear the mind at that moment.

* look deep into the self and choose the purer, more elevated human
emotions of peace, power, contentment, or whatever quality is needed in
that particular situation, and retain that in the mind.

Meditation helps us in achieving all of the above.

The Power To Transform Emotions (cont.)

*Thoughts* may be temporary. *Feelings* (either positive or negative),
accompanying repeated thought-patterns, stay a bit longer inside us. But
when a soul suffers a major setback, loss or failure in life that it is not
able to deal with, it becomes *emotionally* damaged and the results of that
can be extreme.

Suppose I lose a loved one all of a sudden. If the feelings that come to me
because of this loss can be taken care of at that time, through any means
like the remembrance of God, meditation, developing a positive hobby to
divert my mind, spending more time in the positive company of other family
members, etc.; I will deal with the feelings and move on. If however, I am
unable to deal with my feelings through any of the means mentioned, the
experience of loss I feel is going to cause a lot of deep damage on the
emotional level. Then it will not just be a feeling of loss, but it will
actually have wounded the soul emotionally. Until that wound has healed,
I'll carry it with me long after the loss has suffered. The emotions linked
to it will come to the surface repeatedly, though I may have no idea where
my sorrow is coming from. Due to the emotional wound, I'll be unable to
stay happy, no matter how positive my circumstances may be today.

Meditation does not require me to go into the subconscious roots of my
pain. Instead, through thought, *meditation enables me to take conscious
control of my feelings and emotions, so as to displace the negative, which
brings sorrow; with positive, which brings happiness. * It helps me
experience pure, powerful emotions and loveful feelings to such an extent
that the wounds left by past experiences are healed. Raja Yoga means royal
union - it means having a loveful relationship with God. The experience of
God's love is a soothing balm for my emotions, and a remedy for the
emotional pain the soul feels.

The Power To Transform Emotions

As with feelings, *when emotions are aroused, there are physical changes
inside the body in the form of chemical and electrical activity.* In
fact, *strong
emotions don't just affect the body; they also have an impact on the
soul.*When the soul suffers emotional trauma, from which there is
lasting impact,
the emotional trauma brings about an immense strain on the brain and body.
Brain chemical production is likely to be affected, and there may also be
feelings of depression and tiredness. But the real trauma at the root of
these physical effects is at a deeper level within the soul itself, and the
resulting emotional sensitivity will also arise from the soul.

e.g. I suffer a series of losses or setbacks in my business that causes a
lack of confidence and self-respect inside me. A sanskara of low
self-esteem is created inside. As a result I become emotionally unstable
and sensitive. I'll show a tendency to react emotionally with extreme
sorrow (may be in the form of depression) or extreme anger (sometimes in
the form of an outburst) whenever there is a similar setback that touches
this sensitivity. A person who has not suffered similarly in the past and
does not have a sanskara of low self esteem, and as a result does not have
this tendency, will not react in a similar fashion under similar
circumstances.




(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Experiencing A Spiritual Lifestyle Without Renouncing (Leaving) Society

A good meditator is one who has a mental link or union with the internal
self and the Supreme Soul or God who is the source of all goodness. This,
along with an understanding of the laws of action or the laws of karma,
which govern the behavior of souls, means that one does not have to
renounce or leave society in order to achieve enlightenment. Rather,* the
soul filled with spiritual illumination faces society directly with
understanding and the generosity to serve it and to elevate (improve) it.
*
The soul becomes elevated not by the renunciation of responsibilities or
worldly duties but by a *renunciation of the negativity that exists within
the role being played by it in society.* A good meditator does not try to
escape social obligations (duties) but rather *purifies those duties* by
becoming filled with light, love, peace and happiness. *The stage of
self-awareness and God-communication injects a subtle richness into one's
life-patterns.*

There are those who believe that the elevated state is beyond society and
its duties. They find a quiet spot in the jungle or an ashram and
contemplate (think about) deeper things. There are others who are stuck in
the quicksand of their problems, and believe that those who leave society
and take up a spiritual lifestyle are saints. However, *holiness and virtue
are qualities attained in one's life situations,* not in running away from
them. The elevated state is not merely a matter of elevated thoughts (which
can be experienced in a sanyas), but elevated actions also, for the benefit
of the self and the world. We are what we do and not so much what we
imagine ourselves to be.

Thought Energy

Our thoughts are always there, whatever age we are. Their content may
change but our ability to think does not. First of all, I am a thinking,
experiencing being or soul. Thoughts are not something physical which l can
experience with the physical sense organs. I cannot see, taste or touch a
thought. Thoughts are not made up of matter or even brain cells. I am a
non-physical or spiritual being (soul), which creates thoughts. My form, a
point of energy, situated in the centre of the forehead is the only form
that cannot be destroyed. It is something so small that it cannot be
divided. My identity is a soul, and all the other identities - teacher,
student, man, woman, father, mother, friend, relation and so on - are
simply different roles which I, the soul, play.

Overcoming Frustration In Relationships

*There are two things in life that we can never change:

* the past and

* other people*

This often brings us one frustration after the other, especially when we do
not get the results that we want. *Frustration is also a sign of failure,
and every time that you fail in getting what you want from the other, your
self-esteem and self-confidence are reduced.*

*Frustration is a form of anger.* You allow the negative emotion to control
you, and therefore you lose control. Most times situations will not be as
you want them to be and neither will people behave as you want them to.
Therefore, you can decide now if you want to continue allowing the other to
dictate your reactions according to how they behave, which results in the
loss of your rule, control and personal power, or you can decide that no
matter how the other behaves, you rule over your responses; you decide what
you want to think and feel.

When another tries to control you and then gets frustrated because you
don't do what he or she wants or you aren't who he or she expects you to
be, they get in a bad mood with you; they look at you with anger and what
do you do? You then place an invisible barrier between you and him or her.
In such a way that they cannot 'enter' into your world and you do not leave
yours either, they lose their influence over you. In the same way, *when
you try to control people you lose your influence over them and distance is
generated.*

Stepping Inside ... (cont.)

*When we learn to become silent we become more compassionate (generous) in
our outlook and start accepting others for who they are.

*The more we are able to accept, the sooner we find that there is harmony
(peacefulness) in our relationships. We start saving energy, sparing or
reducing our thoughts and our words. This is accompanied by more patience,
tolerance, flexibility, easiness and lightness. Silence teaches us the art
of living. Silence can be misused to isolate oneself and go into
loneliness, but *true, positive silence gives us a balance between our
inner and outer worlds.* Having explored our inner self we collect our
positive energy, become aware of our qualities, and then very naturally
these are expressed externally. *We move our concentration to the inner
self and then to the external world. Then we go inwards again. It is a
circular movement.* As we go into silence, we recharge our inner energies,
become one with the self, heal our self, relax and release our self from
negativity. There are so many benefits by simply stepping inside to meet
our true self. As we draw out our internal riches and resources, what do we
do with them? We share them and give them out and in doing this we receive
and we learn.

Stepping Inside ...

*One aspect of meditation is that it teaches us to face life from the
inside.

*It takes us to that point of stillness where we find the strength to
change and heal the inner self. In that silence, we are able to find
perspective and insight. In a deep state of introspection, we clearly
observe our thoughts, seeing our true motives and intentions behind our
words and actions; when we understand that our intentions are perhaps not
quite right, then we are in a position to say to ourselves, 'Hold on a
minute!' When we use silence to check our thoughts at that level, then we
begin to realize that many of the things we are thinking about are not
really worth thinking about. At this point, we become spiritually
economical, which in fact leads us to becoming very generous. A lot of
precious energy is lost, both mentally and emotionally, on wasteful and
negative thinking. Ninety-five percent of our time is wasted on thinking
about others; we go on and on with a string of expectations from others,
which becomes like a hammer of demand on other people's heads.* Take a
combination of expectations and demand, and what does it equal? Conflict!
*
*When we learn to become silent and to reflect on our inner self, we start
feeling satisfied with what we find inside, expectations from others
gradually come down and there is a deep sense of contentment.*

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Letting Go Of The Strings (Meditation)

I sit down comfortably and I begin to relax my body taking advantage of the
relaxed rhythm of my breathing... I feel my calmed breathing...

I listen to the sounds of the space and objects that surround me... In this
moment I decide to separate (detach) my attention from them... The world
follows its rhythm, its movement, but I do not need to involve myself in
it...

*I let go of the strings that pull my mind, the strings that pull my
intellect... I let go of the strings of my responsibilities... I let go of
the strings of my relationships... I let go of the strings of the different
roles that I play throughout the day...* This moment is only for me, to be
in my own company...

I concentrate all my attention, all my energy, gently, without forcing, on
a point at the centre of my forehead... The energy concentrates itself. I
have let go of the strings that tie me down... From that place I can
experience true freedom...

I free myself of any limited awareness of myself... I free myself of any
label of myself... I go beyond my limited roles, beyond this physical
world...

I am a spiritual being; I am a point of light, a spark of spiritual energy;
aware, calm and loving... I feel the true freedom of experiencing my
authentic identity and genuine... I don't have to prove anything; simply be
what I am in a natural way... A peaceful and living being...

From this state of being I prepare myself to enter into action. I listen
again to the sounds of my surroundings, aware that I choose at each moment
what it is that is going to influence me and how I am going to respond...

The Cyclic Functioning Of The Three Faculties Of The Soul

The soul consists of three faculties - the mind, intellect and sanskaras.
They work together in a cyclic fashion. How they work together can be
illustrated by looking at how habits or sanskaras are formed e.g. if you
are used to scolding your children to get them to do their homework, here
is what happens when you visit a friend's place and watch, for the first
time, how your friend is doing the same to his/her child, you might think
(done by the *mind*): 'I should adopt the same method to discipline my
children, they never listen to me'. Your *intellect* discriminates and
judges whether that thought is right or not. Seeing others using the same
method, and also seeing that the children are not being affected in any
negative way (at least in the short term, not realizing the long term harm)
and also seeing them get the desired result, you make a decision to do the
same, which leads to the action of scolding your children.  This creates an
impression or memory within the soul, somewhat like cutting a groove in a
piece of wood.  This groove in the soul becomes a characteristic of your
personality and is known as a *sanskara*.  Within the groove is recorded
the memory of, firstly, the action of scolding the children and, secondly,
the desired result from the action. Now, whenever your child disobeys you
even a little bit, this sanskara is activated and the memory of the action
and result associated with it emerge in the mind triggering a thought: 'Let
me scold my child, that's the best way to get him to do things'.  The
intellect judges the thought, remembering the proof of the scolding, based
on past experience, and then makes the decision that it is alright to using
anger as a weapon to discipline the child. In this way, the sanskara keeps
getting deeper and deeper. The cyclic process explained above, applies to
all habits, whether physical or non-physical.

The Lamp Of Hope

You create the future basing yourself on what you think, feel and do in the
present. If you act according to your values, it is easy for you to trust
in your destiny. That strengthens your hope that all will go well, and, if
it doesn't, you know and trust your inner resources or treasures to be able
to deal with things and change. That trust feeds the enthusiasm, the motor
energy that, along with motivation and passion, helps us to advance.

When you lose courage and you feel weak, when you feel insecure and do not
see with clarity where to go towards, hope lights the way for you to carry
on going forward. If you fall, get up again and carry on looking ahead.
Don't look back. Don't let your past be a burden that is too heavy and
prevents you from advancing. Focus your vision on your objective and on all
your potential to achieve it.

Whatever happens, keep the lamp of hope lit. You can. You will achieve it.
Change will become reality. You will free yourself from the shadows of
fears, blockages and the other limitations that weaken you.

Live each situation as an opportunity. Learn from criticism and failures.
On living life as a constant opportunity for personal growth and learning,
you keep hope always alive.

*Give yourself moments of silence on beginning each day, during the day and
on finishing the day, to connect with your inner self.* That way your
awareness stays awake, the lamp of your hope, your motivation and your
values remains lit.

Simple Exercise To Identify Your Hidden Fears

If you want to overcome and overpower fears that exist inside you, you have
to first take a look at your feelings and hidden emotions. After realizing
your feelings and emotions, you have to know how to manage them and finally
correct or overcome them. Given below is a simple exercise that will help
you to achieve that.  This exercise will help you identify the conscious
and sometimes sub-conscious (very subtle) fears that lie inside you.

Choose an area of your life that you feel is negative and needs some
improvement. Now, ask yourself these three questions:
1. What do I really want, what is my aim and objective?
2. What obstacle/obstacles are stopping me from achieving my objectives?
3. What prevents me from dealing with or overcoming that obstacle?

*For each fear that comes to you in response to the question no. 3, ask
yourself the following questions:*
A. What is the worst that can happen, if what I fear occurs?
B. What is the best possible result for me and for others, if I do it even
though I feel afraid of doing it?
C. Keeping in front of you the answer to question B and comparing it with
the answer to question A will inspire you to overcome the fears that lie
inside you.

Understanding The Quality of Peace (cont.)

To experience true inner peace take the following thoughts into your  mind.
Then experience each thought by holding it in your awareness.

Let us now move away from the demands and the needs of our noisy world, and
slip into our inner world, into the quiet, still room of the mind........
It is a place, a space of calm, stillness and peace........
Here, I can let go of my concerns, worries and constant fears........
In this dimension of silence, in this plain of peace, voices grow distant
(faraway) and quiet........
And in this  arena (space) of inner calm and soft peacefulness, my racing
thoughts begin to slow down, begin to lose momentum and are absorbed into
that inner peace........
I am surrounded by silence, by peace........
And that soft vibration soothes (relaxes) my mind and calms my thoughts and
I am held in that spell of tranquility (peacefulness)........
I bath in the inner light of the inner self........
And I float and drift in this sea of silence, in this sea of peace........
For here the waves of the world cannot come and I feel light and free and
calm........

Understanding The Quality of Peace

Inner peace is inner power. But before you start walking the path of
relaxation and meditation to create a life, which is free from anger, and
based on peaceful living, it is important to clear some misunderstandings
we hold in our mind about mental peace.

*1. Peace means nothing is happening; it's a state of inaction.
Fact: *By practicing meditation for a few minutes everyday, very soon you
can experience a stage in which you are physically active yet mentally
peaceful, when the mind is active but nothing negative happens inside it.
Nothing and no one can irritate or upset you, irrespective of what they say
or do.

*2. Living a peaceful life is being submissive (bowing down) or defensive.
Fact:* Inner peace is not submissiveness or defensiveness. The power of
peace that you acquire through the practice of meditation makes you
assertive and confident. Emotions like anger and fear show in our behaviour
in the form of aggression and defensiveness respectively and make you
emotionally weak. Peace is strength.

*3. To remain in an inner peace experience, you have to disconnect yourself
from the world.
Fact:* For a long time you have used the world to stimulate (energize)
yourself mentally and emotionally. If at the beginning of your meditation
practice, you suddenly disconnect yourself from the world you will
experience an increase in your attractions towards it. Thus, initially it
is wiser to include only short spells of meditation in your daily routine,
otherwise the meditation practice can do more harm than benefit.


(To be continued tomorrow....)

The Source Of Pure Love

The highest love is the Supreme Being's (Supreme Soul's) love. This is the
love of the perfect spiritual being (soul), the perfect parent towards the
imperfect child where the parent does not see the child's weaknesses. Just
as the flower turns each morning to absorb the light and warmth of the sun
we too need to turn each day to absorb the light of truth and warmth of
pure love from the Supreme Being, from the Source. This is not the God of a
religious belief system, but the personal god that we all share, the one
parent and friend that we all share. This is not a God as a concept, nor is
God a belief. If we hold God just as a concept or belief in our minds,
which is perhaps what we learned as children, we will never know him, never
experience the greatest and deepest love. We cannot receive love from a
belief just and we cannot have a real relationship with a concept. Instead,
it is necessary to establish a personal relationship with God through a
silent conversation of thoughts and feelings (to begin with). Hence the
need to practice quietening a busy mind, the need to free our feelings from
emotional disturbance. The Supreme Being is available to everyone but few
of us know how or where to direct our attention. The connecting and
absorbing of the love of God is a personal process called meditation, that
never costs anything and can finally become a natural part of living each
day

Innate (Basic) And Acquired Value

Everything we see has what can be called its* acquired value* and
its*innate or basic value
*. *The acquired value is that which it has picked up by coming into
contact with external objects throughout its existence or life. The innate
value is what it always is irrespective of its external interactions.* For
example, the acquired value of gold changes with the fluctuations of its
price in the market. Its innate or real value is that it's one of the most
beautiful metals; very ductile, malleable, etc.

If we were asked about the qualities of any good, peaceful relationship
with someone, we would quickly reply: love, trust, patience, respect,
honesty, sincerity, tolerance, humility, sympathy, etc. How do we know
this? Is it purely from experience? Can we remember having really
experienced any of these qualities in any relationship completely and
constantly? Probably no. Then how can we say it is from experience? In such
a case, where does this urge for rightness come from? Our heart tells us it
comes from a basic, inherent sense of what is true and good, of our innate
value. Though these qualities are what we see as our ideal qualities; when
I am in a weakened state, I'm unable to bring them into practice, when I
want, according to the needs of the moment. They need to be strengthened
inside. One of the most immediate benefits of the practice of meditation
then, is to bring about this internal strengthening. My basic qualities are
just waiting for a chance to emerge out in the open. *Like a light bulb
without current, possibility of lighting up my qualities exists, but they
need to be connected to a source of power, which is exactly what meditation
gives us.*

Limiting Ourselves In Comfort Zones

We are basically unlimited beings. But we limit ourselves in many comfort
zones. We have a lot of conditionings which, in reality, are mental.

Some mosquitoes were put in a box and they kept jumping a lot. The box was
covered from the top and each time they jumped they hit the top of the box,
and when they jumped too close to the right or the left they hit the sides
of the box. Slowly, to avoid harming themselves, they learned to jump just
under the cover and without reaching the sides of the box. One day all the
four sides of the box were opened. The mosquitoes were free, but they kept
on jumping as far as the limit they had learned. The physical limits were
no longer there. But they had become conditioned mentally. The same thing
happens to us. We have to open the sides of the box and take off the top,
or we can continue to live inside the box created by our own mind.

Given below are some conditionings under which we work, because of which we
do not experience complete freedom.

* *Beliefs*, acquired since our childhood, which limit us.
* The *negative images of low self esteem* that we have created of
ourselves.
* The damaging *thoughts of doubt*, which does not let the highway of trust
to build up inside ourselves and does not allow the creative energy of
positivity to flow from inside us to the outside.
* The *fear of failure* or not being to able to succeed completely. A lot
of times the fear exists due to past experiences of failure or not having
succeeded as much as you would have liked.

We need to become aware of what our pattern of thoughts is, which brings us
under the negative influence of mental conditionings. When that happens, we
will be able to become free of these conditionings. While we do not become
aware, we will continue to remain under its influence.

Benefits Of Realizing The Law of Cause and Effect

Suppose a person from India goes to America for the first time and rents a
car over there. He then parks his rented car on the wrong side of the road.
He will be charged a fine because parking laws are different in both
countries. He cannot simply say 'I didn't know, I am ignorant'. It should
have been his responsibility, if driving, to find out the laws of the new
country but he didn't take enough care.

In ignorance, we have done many things against the universal laws of
creation - especially the Law of Karma. *We did not have the complete
knowledge of what are good/bad karmas, what are right/wrong karmas; what
different types of effects different karmas would have on me, others and
nature.* But we cannot just say 'I didn't know'. It was our responsibility
to know. If we look at the state of the world now, there may be a few
sparks of light or spiritual enlightenment but, generally, there is a great
amount of darkness. That gives us an indication of the sorts of karmas the
vast majority of us have been performing, due to ignorance, to have
produced the situations or circumstances in the world.

*The complete knowledge of the karmic process, which focuses primarily on
the Law of Cause and Effect (explained yesterday), which we learn when we
are introduced to spirituality, helps us:*

* reduce the burden of the past
* remove any type of suffering or sorrow in our present life
* change our future as well as that of the world, to make it better and
more positive
* experience a positive return from our spiritual efforts
* understand all the why's, how's, what's and when's which surround our life

The Law of Cause and Effect

To imagine how the law of karma works, consider what happens when we throw
a stone into a lake: it causes ripples that spread out towards the
shoreline, before returning to the centre point.

Human beings constantly emit energy. We create thoughts, emotions and
feelings that transmit vibrations. There are people who tend to radiate
energy and others who tend to absorb it. The energy we give off hits other
people and rebounds back to us. From this law we should understand that if
people send us energy that is not very pleasant, perhaps it is because on
another occasion we sent out this type of energy, although it may have
taken a long time to come back to us.

If we make an effort to give off positive energy, with love and respect for
others, this energy will also come back to us. Positive energy creates a
higher vibration than negative energy. Radiating positive energy produces
an aura around us that protects us from negativity or from feeling hurt or
humiliated. Our ego, which causes the radiation of negative energy, makes
us susceptible to criticism, lack of respect and slander. If our ego does
not take over, the negativity will not touch our inner selves.

*Tomorrow we shall explain the benefits of realizing this law.*

Creating Positive Circumstances

Why do we find it so hard to create positive circumstances, a positive
future in our life? One reason is we all have the tendency to spend most of
our time in the past, reliving and replaying our memories. Look back on
your average day and you may find that more than 3/4ths of your time is
spent in the past (a lot of times without you realizing it). Not only do we
try to relive the past, but we also attempt to change it! We attempt the
impossible and, in so doing, *we live in very small cycles where tomorrow
tends to turn out similar to yesterday, and then we wonder why we do not
have the power to change our lives. It feels like we do not have the
will-power, we do not have the ability to change the circumstances in our
lives, our destiny.*

The past cannot be relived; it cannot be changed. The past is like a
cupboard of old files.  When you arrive at work every day, do you step into
such a cupboard and spend the day there?  The past is a great resource for
learning and sometimes, a resource for useful information, but it is not a
place to live.  We can build on the old, but we cannot rewrite it. *The
future is the result of what we think, feel and do today. If today is the
same as yesterday (because of constantly thinking about yesterday) then
tomorrow will look and feel like yesterday and in this way we feel we are
stuck in a web and we get frustrated. *We need to let go of the past if we
want the future to shape up positively, different from yesterday, which is
negative at times! The past is past. Drop it and keep dropping it.

Adding A Spiritual Vibration To My Actions

My quality of yoga or meditation is reflected through the karmas or actions
that I perform. If I add meditation in my daily routine, *whatever actions
I perform, start carrying a different quality or vibration to them.* Work
itself (whether at home or in the office), far from being a routine affair
and just a medium of survival, becomes the basis of real transformation or
change. After all,* it was through actions that the soul came down from its
original, pure, positive state. It is through actions that it can return
back to the same state.*

It's not just action for the self but action or karma becomes the means
through which I can share the experience I have in meditation, with others
- be it family members, my colleagues in the office, at the city mall, in
the vegetable market, on the street etc. - just about anywhere and
everywhere. My meditation isn't an incognito (invisible) process but a very
visible one. I can see the results of yoga through my karmas. If my actions
are filled with irritation and anger, or are motivated by emotions such as
ego, greed, attachment, jealousy, hatred, etc, or if I do not experience
constant happiness or my mind still has a high percentage of waste
thoughts, these are indicators that my meditation is inaccurate or
insufficient. If there is the experience of a link with the Supreme, his
peace, purity, love, joy and power will manifest themselves and be visible
to others through my actions.

Communication (cont.)

Here are some more *common reasons for blocks to communication:*

** Lack of sincerity.* When our thoughts and feelings are honest and
respectful, then the hearts of others will open to us. A positive highway
of trust is built and communication flows positively.

** Creating negative perceptions (understandings) and emotions about
others*i.e. how we visualize or label them. Such emotions, no matter
how well
hidden, are finally always communicated to others on a subtle
(non-physical), non-verbal level, and create an atmosphere of tension and
unease.

** Not letting go of negative perceptions (understandings) and
emotions.*The only method to revive our relationship with others is to
let go of
negativity on a daily basis, to prevent it from building up. Far too often,
the build-up happens without us even noticing it and, we wonder why
positive feedback is not coming from the other side.

** Lack of silence.* To go deep into the self and put our thoughts and
feelings into silence enables them to become positive. The silent
relaxation defuses (reduces) anger and the blame and complaints that often
go with it.

Communication

A great deal of our communication is non-verbal and we rarely realize the
effect that it has on others. Our tone of voice, our body language
(particularly our eyes and face), our attitudes and our feelings, are
constantly in communication with others, expressing anger, fear, love,
trust, rejection - in fact, all our feelings and emotions. We cannot hide
what we mean; we may do so for a while, but finally the truth emerges.

Communication is not just with others, but also with the self, with the
Supreme Being and even nature. Being still, focused and open enables us to
tune in to others so that we can respond in an appropriate and meaningful
way, not simply in a mechanical way.

Here are some *common reasons for blocks to communication:*

** Too many thoughts, and an overload of words and actions*, results in us
being unable to think clearly. We lose the essence of what is trying to be
conveyed (transmitted) by the other.

** Being lost in our own feelings or ideas.* In such a state we do not
listen attentively to others.

** Remembering the past in a negative way.* This does not allow us to tune
in properly to our present and future. When we do not communicate properly
with the needs of the present time, we loose opportunities.
 (To be continued tomorrow....)

Principle Behind Meditation

"Yoga" in a general sense means a mental connection or union, achieved
through remembrance. Whenever someone or something is remembered, then the
soul is having yoga with that person or thing. At any moment, we are
remembering people, places and things of the past or present, or we are
imagining future events. We are continually using this power within, trying
to find and maintain peace and happiness. We like to remember pleasant
experiences and to entertain them as thoughts. We become "lost" in thought,
detached from our immediate surroundings and problems. It is a natural
ability of the soul to withdraw into itself in the face of external
difficulties.

The same ability is used in Rajyoga meditation. The intellect, full of
knowledge, is that which understands and remembers also. As long as the
intellect remains fixed on the person or thing, the soul experiences its
qualities. For example, when we remember a beautiful summer experience of
relative peace and quiet, we re-experience the scenes, forget our problems
and drift away. If we remember something painful or unpleasant, or
someone's faults, the mind is disturbed. The mind experiences different
states according to the type of thoughts that arise. The thoughts depend on
where the intellect is focused. In short, as is the consciousness so is the
experience.

Raja Yoga, the highest yoga, or remembrance, works entirely on the level of
mind, intellect and "sanskaras", rather than focusing on bodily forms,
postures or rituals. The first stage in Raja Yoga is to stabilize the self
in the pure experience of the inner tranquility of the soul. At first,
distracting thoughts may come to the mind. To be free from these, do not
become involved in a struggle to contain or eradicate these wasteful
thoughts, but merely step away from them. The next step is to stabilize the
self on the form and qualities of the Supreme Being (God).

The Power Of The Imagination

The power of the imagination is extraordinary. The imagination is one of
our greatest resources. It offers us many options and, with the clarity of
our intuition and the power of our intention, we can use it to bring about
abundance and success in our lives.

It is a matter of using the art of the imagination in a constructive way so
that it does not betray us. The imagination should be used for our more
healthy and positive intentions.

When the imagination is influenced by our limiting fears and beliefs, our
mind begins to imagine the worst; it creates fearful scenes that end up
generating phobias and blocking us. Then we turn the imagination into an
instrument to create negative fantasies that distance us from what is real.
We believe in the fantasies that we have imagined.

The imagination has to used to help us overcome our limitations and not the
other way round, which would be when the imagination is influenced by our
limiting beliefs and our fears, with which it weakens us and keeps us
locked into the cages created by our own mind. From a grain of sand it
imagines and creates a great mountain that prevents it from advancing, and
this mountain only exists in its own mind.

When the imagination is used in a positive way, it is capable of turning a
great mountain, a difficult situation, into a grain of sand.

There is nothing too big that the human being cannot overcome.

The Search For Peace, Love and Happiness

We are constantly searching for true values. In consciousness we mistakenly
think that the physical world and physical relations can provide us peace,
love and happiness. However peace, love and happiness are not the
properties of matter, nor of the physical identity, but the true properties
or characteristics of the soul. This has to be realized.

Imagine a scene in which you are surrounded by all your favourite things;
food, music, fragrance, scenery and companions. Just about to enjoy your
meal, the telephone rings and you are told that a person close to you has
just died. Instantly, that scene of "favourites" melts into a distasteful
and superficial experience. Something has happened that shakes the soul and
it can no longer enjoy those things. At the same time it finds itself
powerless in the face of the bad news as understanding and power are
missing. Life is full of experiences such as this and it becomes clear that
physical things are not the sources of peace, love and happiness, but that
understanding and inner strength are.

One of the basic facts of human psychology is that we do not seek or desire
something that has not been experienced previously. For example, if one has
never tasted a mango, there cannot be a burning desire to have a mango.
This suggests that desires might be arising from previous life experiences.
In fact, it is impossible for a human being to act or desire outside the
field of his or her own experience. The search for peace, love and
happiness is so fundamental to the human spirit because these are the
original and true qualities of the soul itself.