Explore the path of spiritual living (2 of 2)

We try to protect ourselves from fear through the influences of worldly life…by acquiring more money and more power. But spiritually we can insulate ourselves from fear, only if we have trust.

We were secure in our mother’s womb. At term when we were pushed out into the world, it was as though we were facing death. We experienced tremendous fear.

After being born, is it death or birth that marks our lives?

Trust that when one door closes, another door opens. Such trust insulates us from fear. The spiritual way of seeing is, if there is an impression or a negative impression of fear in the mind, one has to de-identify with it. This detachment or de-identification is the insulation that i am talking of. In yoga, it is called atma smaranam, self-remembrance.

What happens when we insulate ourselves from negative impressions?

Worldly influences do not touch us. Instead, we would be in touch with higher vibrations and open ourselves for higher influences. The higher centres in us are constantly communicating something profound to us, but we close ourselves to them. It is like a cup turned upside down. No amount of rainwater can fill the cup. The moment we are available for higher vibrations, we attract nobler aspects of life. Lower states attract lower aspects of life while the higher states attract higher aspects of life. This is the law of attraction.

Why is devotion necessary?

Devotion activates our higher centres. Devotion purifies our emotions. Devotion allows the finer vibrations to flow into our lives. With devotion, your third eye or intuitive eye opens, and you would see many meaningful coincidences occurring in your life. You will see the mysterious hand of God blessing you. – The Times of India

Two-hour interactive sessions and modules of meditation will be conducted by trained teachers every Sunday. Contact: Noida: 9312939812, 9810472906. Dabri-Palam road: 9868503034. For details visit: www.prasannatrust.org

Money creates a false sense of independence (2 of 2)

On the other hand, some people blame money for all the ills in society. There are others who even consider it an evil. Just as possessing money brings arrogance, rejecting it too makes one arrogant. Some people who renounce money take pride in their poverty to draw attention and sympathy.

However, ancient sages honored money or maya as a part of the divine and transcended the grip of its illusion. They knew that when we reject or hate something, we can never transcend it.

They honored wealth as Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Narayana. She is born out of yoga. It is yoga that transforms the bad karma and brings out latent skills and talents. It also brings up ashtasiddhis, the eight perfections and nav nidhis, the nine wealth.

Yoga helps one move from arrogance to self-confidence, meekness to humility, dependence to interdependence, from craving for freedom to the recognition of unboundedness and from a limited ownership to oneness with the whole.

\When people lack faith in the Divine or in their own abilities or in the goodness of society they suffer from a deep sense of insecurity. As a result all that appears to provide security is money. They rely on something that is not certain, and end up getting upset. Uncertainty causes craving for stability.

The world is of change; the Self is of non-change. We have to rely on the non-change and accept the change. This is like perceiving the real as unreal and unreal as real. In fact, all miseries are unreal. A wise man knows that happiness is real, as it is our very nature. Unhappiness is unreal because it is inflicted by memory. When we see everything as a dream, then we abide in our true nature — love, joy and peace. We then understand that money is not all-important. Values, sense of belonging, love and care are more important. – The Times of India

Website: www.artofliving.org.

Money creates a false sense of independence (1 of 2)

Good morning friends.  Some people, money is their God.  Money is everything.  Money creates a false sense of independence.  They said . . . money is the root of all evil.  But we should always remember that It must be use in a right way. 

Money gives one a sense of freedom and ownership. We believe that with money we can own anything, that we can put a price tag on anybody’s services. 

Ownership of something means total control of its existence. When we buy a piece of land, we feel that we own it, although the land continues to exist even after the owner is no more. How can we own something that outlives us?

Money also gives the idea that we are powerful and independent, blinding us to the fact that we live in a world of interdependence. We depend on farmers, cooks, drivers and the services of so many people around us. Even an expert surgeon cannot operate by herself. She depends on others. Because we pay for their services, we overlook the fact that we depend on them.

If we look at why most people with money are arrogant we will find it is because of the feeling of independence that money brings. The awareness of dependence on the other hand makes one humble. The basic human quality of humility is taken away by a false feeling of independence.

Can money really reflect the worth of a person? We cannot put a value to human life. Wealth can be attained through one’s skills, abilities, inheritance, or through corrupt means. The means of attaining wealth brings its own consequences. The very motive for corruption is peace and happiness. Yet peace and happiness remain elusive when the means are corrupt.

As possession of money creates the illusion of independence, money is often referred to as maya. A Sanskrit phrase sums it up: Miyate anaya iti maya – That which can be measured is maya.

Virtue is timeless

Good morning  friends.  Virtue is timeless.  Yes I believe in that.  We should be always positive in a good quality of something.  We should have good quality of life and that should endless.  I want to share with you what I have read.  It’s good and many of you will get good idea which can apply in real life. 

They said spirituality visualize our life. 

Spirituality can exist in affluence as well as in poverty, says Milind Deora.

For me, spirituality is about finding your own God, and happiness is about being content. Spirituality and affluence are not inter-related. Spirituality can be there everywhere, both in affluence and poverty. For me, spirituality means looking for attaining bliss in knowing who you are.

Virtue is timeless. So, even in today’s time where money, gloss and glamour get a premium in everyday life and its portrayal in the media, the winner is always the person who lives by some values. Be it business, politics, sports wherever you may glance.

A person looked up as a national icon is not because he/she represents a certain lifestyle, but more because of a set of values he/she represents. So yes, honesty, integrity, loyalty, perseverance and hard work still matter and work.

Even in my personal life, I have seen its relevance, may be because we were taught the importance of ideology, compassion and empathy. At the end of the day, what matters is not how powerful you are or how much you have in your bank account. Rather, the values you live your life with.

When I look around, I see signs of awakening among the upper middle class who used to lie low earlier. It was the underprivileged section who would come out on the street rallying for a cause. But today, be it a public interest litigation or a protest movement, the upper middle class is also showing their support.

My only worry is the urban English-speaking youth. They lack the sense of empathy that they can only inculcate from their parents. The onus lies on their parents and school teachers. They must appreciate Bill Gates and Warren Buffet not because they are rich but because they are great philanthropists.  – The Times of India

How you can go for it!

♥  USE YOUR FEAR.  Often, being afraid of failure or of looking like a fool holds us back from pursuing our dreams.  But fear can be a great motivator, too.  Imagine yourself ten years from now, still totally stuck and afraid.  How would it feel to still be letting fear keep you from achieving your dream?  Use the rear of that to motivate you to take action.

♥  START A DREAM JOURNAL.  Dedicate one to your goal—write about your thoughts and plans, jot down facts and phone numbers, and paste in pictures that inspire you.  Getting everything down on paper gives you momentum.  It makes your dream real before you even get started. 

♥  MAKE A TIMELINE.  Write down when you’d like your dream to come true, and give yourself a deadline for each step that has to happen along the way.  For example, if you want to take a big trip abroad with your kids,  decide when you want to go, then figure out when you’ll need to make reservations, earn money to pay for it, and so on.  Make a poster of your timeline and keep it where you can see it every single day.  You may not hit each deadline exactly on time, but having a time frame helps you keep your dream high on your priority list.

♥  DO ONE THING EVERY DAY.  No matter how busy you are, set aside five minutes each day to take one small step toward your goal.  Whether it’s a phone call or doing research on the Internet, take daily action so you don’t look up and realize another six months have gone by and you didn’t even try to make your dream come true.  Plus doing something, even if it’s small, is what will give you that sense of accomplishment that pushes you to do even more.