FOCUS

Mental Clarity Or Focus

To strengthen yourself you need to have mental clarity or focus. That is possible if there is not so much of excessive thought, so as to generate clouds of unhappiness, suffering, grief, indecision, doubts and negativity - thoughts that your mind produces, thoughts that are weak, useless or wasteful. All of these thoughts cloud your own clarity. Mental focus means to think less, think concretely, concentrate, think in an elevated way, and your thought will have an energy of clarity and inner strength that will help you to put it into practice with greater success. You should strengthen yourself to achieve a state of self-control. For this, you need to study yourself, know yourself and understand yourself. You need inner silence, for there not to be so much mental chatter (noise) from thinking, thinking, thinking and thinking.

On top of that, other people influence you and so you generate even more thoughts. There are so many influences and inner voices that speak to you. With all of that there cannot be clarity. There is the voice of your fears, of your ego, that of desires and greed, there are influences of the past, thoughts emerging from your values, influences of your neighbors, your children, your husband or wife, your mother or father, the influence of your office colleague's opinion, or your best friend, your doctor, your guru, etc. You can listen to many inner and outer voices and, if you are not strong, your mind weakens under so many influences, which has negative effects on your clarity of mind. Because of all of this you have to strengthen your mind, which means, think less; think slower, concentrated and clear thought; with sense and meaning; of quality, based on a healthy and positive motivation. These thoughts are then like arrows, which have positive strength and clarity.

-------

(Brahma Kumaris - Positive Reflections) 

संगति

एक विद्वान ने कहा है, “जल जैसी जमीन पर बहता है, उसका गुण वैसा ही बदल जाता है। मनुष्य का स्वभाव भी अच्छे-बुरे विचारों के लोगों की संगति के अनुसार बदल जाता है। इसलिए चतुर मनुष्य बुरे लोगों का साथ करने से डरते हैं, लेकिन मूर्ख व्यक्ति बुरे आदमियों के साथ घुल-मिल जाते हैं और उनके संपर्क से अपने आपको भी दुष्ट बना लेते हैं। मनुष्य की बुद्धि तो मस्तिष्क में रहती है, किंतु कीर्ति उस स्थान पर निर्भर रहती है जहां वह उठता-बैठता है और जिन लोगों या विचारों की सोहबत उसे पसंद है। आत्मा की पवित्रता मनुष्य के कार्यों पर निर्भर है और उसके कार्य संगति पर निर्भर हैं। बुरे लोगों के साथ रहने वाला अच्छे काम करे यह बहुत कठिन है। धर्म से स्वर्ग की प्राप्ति होती है, किंतु धर्माचरण करने की बुद्धि सत्संग या सदुपदेशों से ही प्राप्त होती है। स्मरण रखिए कुसंग से बढ़कर कोई हानिकर वस्तु नहीं है तथा संगति से बढ़कर कोई लाभ नहीं है।”

पं. श्रीराम शर्मा आचार्य,  

आत्मज्ञान और आत्मकल्याण, पृ. १२

Companionship

A learned man has said: “Water acquires the quality of land upon which it flows”. The same way, the nature of man too, changes according to the company of people having good or bad thoughts. Therefore, wise men avoid contacts with bad people but foolish persons mingle with bad people and spoil themselves. A man’s wisdom depends on his brain, but his prestige and status usually depend upon his surrounding and choice of people. The sanctity of the soul is derived from a man’s deeds which are ultimately induced by the company he keeps. A person doing good in spite of bad company is very rare and difficult. Religion can take you to heaven, but wisdom for practicing religion is obtained from good company and sermons of learned men only. Please remember that nothing is more harmful than bad company and nothing is more beneficial than a good generous companionship.

ATMNIRIKSHAN

 आत्मनिरीक्षण की आवश्यकता

आत्मकल्याण के मार्ग पर चलने वाले को आत्मनिरीक्षण की प्रवृत्ति अत्यावश्यक है। इसका आशय यह है कि हमको विवेक के प्रकाश में अपने दोषों पर विचार करना और उनको दूर करने का प्रयत्न निरंतर करते रहना चाहिए। इस प्रकार के आत्मनिरीक्षण बिना निर्दोषता की प्राप्ति हो सकना बहुत कठिन है।

- पं. श्रीराम शर्मा आचार्य, 

आत्मज्ञान और आत्मकल्याण, पृ. १४

Self-introspection: A necessity

Continual self introspection is necessary for anyone who wishes to be on the path of self-development.  This means that we must objectively examine our weaknesses and we must persevere in our efforts to mitigate them. Without such self-introspection, it is near impossible to rid ourselves of our weaknesses.

-Pt. Shri Ram Sharma Aacharya,          

Aatmagyaan aur Atmakalyaan (Self-realization and Self-benefit), Pg- 14

BRAHMAKUMARIS

Going Beyond The Perception Of Others

Watch how many things you do during the day are dependent on how you imagine the other sees you: your husband, your friend, your child, your cousin, your aunt, your boss, the secretary or whoever. You imagine how they are going to look at you and, as a result, you mould yourself accordingly. If you depend on the look of the other, inwardly you will always feel fear. You want to please the other so that they continue to see you as you want.

Because of the dependence that we have on the other to appreciate us, value us and not to reject us, we want to please them. If, in spite of doing everything possible, they do not appreciate us or are not happy, how do we feel? Cheated. After having done everything out of wanting to please them! Inside, you want to please them because you want them to keep on loving you, or you don't want them to sack you from your job, or you are afraid of being different or not being accepted. That kind of dependency takes us away from our true authenticity. If you look at yourself well, in the end, others will look at you well and the one who does not look at you well will perhaps teach you something, but your value and self-esteem do not depend on the look of the other. In this state, you are open because you trust yourself and you have personal security.

The other entity can also be the Supreme Soul (God). We are afraid that God might judge us for being sinners or not. If I think God looks at me with that vision of whether I am a sinner, whether I am this or something else, I distance myself from Him. A judge like that does not help me to live with wholeness. In general, in society, there has been a distancing from the relationship and experience with God, because we have learned that He is a strict being and a judge. Actually, God is love; God looks at me well and sees my potential and my beauty (which reflects His), God embraces me and, in this embrace, He frees me: He does not allow me to depend on Him?

-------

(Positive Reflections)

GAYATRI CHINTAN

आत्मोन्नति के लिए आवश्यक गुण

अपने जीवन को सेवामय बना दो, सेवा के लिए अपने हृदय में चाव तथा उत्साह भर लो । दूसरों के लिए प्रसाद बनकर रहो । यदि ऐसा करना चाहते हो, तो आपको अपने मन को निर्मल बनाना होगा । अपने आचरण को दिव्य तथा आदर्श बनाना होगा । सहानुभूति, प्रेम, उदारता, सहनशीलता और नम्रता बढ़ानी होगी ।

-पं श्रीराम शर्मा आचार्य,

आत्मज्ञान और आत्मकल्याण, पृ. ५

Essential Qualities for Self-Development

Devote your life to serving humanity and develop great enthusiasm and passion for it. Always be useful to others. If you really aspire to serve people, you will have to become an honest, truthful, virtuous and morally good person and, make your character absolutely spotless and conforming to high standards. You will also need to improve on your qualities of empathy, love, generosity, tolerance and politeness.

-Pt. Shriram Sharma Aacharya,      

Aatmagyaan aur Atmakalyaan (Self-realization and Self-benefit), Pg- 5

The Law of Surrender

According to what or whom your mind thinks consistently of, you will take on the form of the object or the person to which you have surrendered. We can see this in children, when they transfer their minds to actors they see on television, and then begin to behave like them.

What is the highest form to which we can surrender our self? There may be several answers to this question in our mind. Choose the truth from among them. So what is the truth?

Spirituality gives us answers to questions like: Who am I? Who is the Supreme Being? What is my relationship with him? Where do I come from? Where am I going? What is the purpose of my existence? What is the importance of the present time? How can the Supreme Being empower me at the present time?

The answers to these questions show us the way to surrendering our mind to the Supreme Being, which is the highest entity to which we can surrender. When we do that, gradually we get colored by his knowledge, virtues and powers.

---------

(Brahma Kumaris - Positive Reflections)

REINCARNATION

Important Understandings On Reincarnation

1. The soul has a separate identity from any of the bodies it adopts.

2. The various lives or births of a soul are like different episodes of a television serial, all different, yet connected with each other. 

3. The human soul does not take a birth/body of any animal species, just as a lemon seed does not grow into a mango tree. The human soul always takes a human body e.g. if the soul of a cow was to take the birth of a human, wouldn't it carry sanskars of performing all actions like a cow into its human birth - how would it then function through the human body.

4. The cycle of action and reaction is never-ending. The soul must continue to play its entire role until all it has received the fruits for all its actions. This may require more than one body.

5. Each time a soul leaves an old body and takes a new birth, it carries its sanskars from the old birth into the new one. Other sanskars that can be present in the new body (apart from the ones from the previous birth) are: 
* sanskars from parents
* sanskars accumulated during the new birth e.g. from siblings (brothers or sisters) or from friends, also those picked up during education and more
* sanskars of will power (the ability to bring about changes in the self using will power)
* original sanskars of peace, love, purity, bliss, joy and power (the ones that were present in the soul when it first came down from the soul world into the physical world to play its part)

Out of these five types of sanskars, in each soul, the sanskars that are visible at different stages of life are varied e.g. in some soul, sanskars may be completely different from the ones the parents possess, because the sanskars from the previous birth are more visible; in another soul, sanskars of will power may be intense, the soul may have brought about a lot of transformation in its personality since the time it was born; in a third soul sanskars from parents and friends may be most visible; in another soul, practicing meditation, original sanskars may be more visible, etc.

6. The world's population is increasing at such a rapid rate, indicating that the souls already here are taking rebirth and also that there are new ones coming down continuously from the soul world.

7. If one believed that one will receive the fruit of one's actions, if not in this birth, but in another one, a person would surely feel less inclined to perform negative actions.

8. Without reincarnation, it is impossible to explain how every soul has reached its present peaceless state. Thousands of sins have been performed by each soul in its past births under the influence of the five vices - lust, anger, greed, ego and attachment. Due to this, sanskars of those vices have accumulated over the soul. The burden of these sanskars weighs heavily on the soul and causes it unhappiness in the present. The present cycle of birth and rebirth is fast approaching its end. It is precisely at this time that the Supreme Soul can relieve us from this burden.

-------

(Brahma Kumaris - Positive Reflections)

GAYATRI CHINTAN

    परिस्थितियों का रोना न रोयें

लंबी-चौड़ी योजनाएँ बनाने की अपेक्षा अपने पास मौजूद साधनों को लेकर ही छोटे-मोटे कार्यों में जुट जाया जाए तो भी प्रगति का सशक्त आधार बन सकता है । परिस्थितियाँ अनुकूल होंगी - साधनों का बाहुल्य होगा, तब व्यवसाय आरंभ करेंगे, यह सोचते रहने की तुलना में अपने अल्प साधनों को लेकर काम में जुट जाना कहीं अधिक श्रेयस्कर है । काम छोटा हो अथवा बड़ा उसमें सफलता के कारण, साधन नहीं, अथक पुरुषार्थ, लगन एवं प्रामाणिकता बनते हैं । देखा जाए तो विश्व के सभी मूर्धन्य संपन्न सामान्य स्थिति से उठकर असामान्य तक पहुँचे । साधन एवं परिस्थितियाँ तो प्रतिकूल ही थीं, पर अपनी श्रमनिष्ठा एवं मनोयोग के सहारे सफलता के शिखर पर जा चढ़े । वे यदि परिस्थितियों का रोना रोते रहते तो अन्य व्यक्तियों के समान ही हाथ पर हाथ धरे बैठे रहते और संपन्न बनने की कल्पना में मन बहलाते रहते ।

पं. श्रीराम शर्मा आचार्य, बड़े आदमी नहीं महामानव बनें, पृ. १३"

 

Avoid Wailing Over Circumstances

Instead of making big plans, the utilization of available tools and working on whatever small tasks are on our hands, can provide a sound footing for progress. It is far better to plunge into work with minimum available resources, rather than waiting for comfortable situation and abundance of instruments. For any task, small or big, success does not depend on tools and resources, but untiring efforts, perseverance and honesty are the roots for success. If we see, all noble rich people of the world have risen from a very ordinary situation to the amazing level. Situations were always unfavorable and tools were limited, but with their sincere efforts and right attitude, they reached the pinnacle of success. Had they kept wailing over circumstances, they would have been sitting idle even today, pampering the mind in imagination of illusive riches. 

Pt. Shriram Sharma Aacharya, Not a Big-Shot, Be Super-Human, Page 13.

 

Seeds of Thought

 

ije iwT; ia Jhjke 'kekZ vkpk;Z ds Økafrdkjh fopkj i<+us ds fy, fuEu fyad ns[kssa

www.rishichintan.org

 

HAAR BADI MAZEDAR HOTI HAI

gkj cM+h et+snkj gkssrh gS

ft+anxh esa ,sls fdrus ekSds vkrs gSa tc ge gkj dk lkeuk djrs gSaA gkj ;kfu D;k\ gkj ;kfu tc dksbZ dke gekjs euekfQ+d ugha gks ik,A vthc&lh ckr gS uA eu dh u gqbZ] rks mldks gkj eku fy;k vkSj vga dk loky cuk fy;k] eqag Qqyk fy;k] ckr djuh can dj nhA vkSj dHkh&dHkh rks yM+ rd cSBssA

ckr pkgs dksbzZ Hkh gks] mls rQ+lhy ls le>uk ;k le>kus dks dguk] nsf[k, fdrus jkt+ [kksy nsrk gSA dfg, mlls] tks gkj dk x+e euk jgk gks] fd viuh gkj dk flyflyk c;ku djsA crkrs&crkrs [kqn&c&[kqn tku tk,xk fd eqn~nk xqLlk djus dk gS fd vkuafnr gksus dkA

dksbZ njokt+k ;k jkLrk can feys] rks [kM+s gksdj nq[k D;ksa euk;k tk,\ u, jkLrs dh ryk’k djuk dqfir gksus dk ugha] [kq’kh eukus dk oD+r gksrk gSSA balku Hkh gesa fujk’k dj tkrs gSaA fj’rs ml rjg ls vkxs ugha c<+rs] ftl rjg ge lksprs gSa ;k tSlh jkg geus muds fy, r; dh gksrh gSA rks D;k gqvk\ fujk’kk dk va/ksjk Ásfjr djrk gS fd jks’kuh dks <wa<k tk,A /kwi dk NksVk lk VqdM+k pedrk gh lk, ds igyw esa gSA

ikuh ds /kkjs ls lhf[k,A ,d jkLrs dks can ikrk gS] rks D;k flj iVddj gkj tkrk gS\ ughaA ubZ jkg ij eqM+dj] flyflys dks vkxs c<+krk gSA mEehn dk otwn rks ges’kk jgrk gSA

& jpuk leanj

¼e/kqfjek 10 vDrwcj 2012 ls lHkkj½

DETACHED OBSERVER

The Two Dimensions Of Being A Detached Observer

There are two dimensions of being a detached observer - the inner dimension and the outer one. 

Let us look at the inner dimension of detached observation. It is the ability or the technique to stand back from or observe in a detached way our own thoughts, feelings, emotions, attitudes and behavior.  We are creators and our thoughts, feelings, emotions and attitudes are our creation.  In fact, this is the first step to becoming a ruler of the self and making the self powerful. If we fail to detach from our thoughts and emotions then they will be our masters, they will go out of control and will, as a result, leak away or waste our energy.  Practice simply being the witness of whatever you are thinking and feeling. This is an important aspect of any good spiritual practice and after a while you will find it an experience that both, frees you and empowers you.

The external dimension of detached observation is the technique of being a witness to or an observer of the scenes, of the world around us.  As we stand back and watch the scenes of life being played, on the world stage around us, without being actively involved, we can see the 'big picture' more clearly. This makes it easier to judge clearly what is the most suitable contribution that we can make and the most suitable role we can play - through our thoughts, words and actions.

(Positive Reflections)

GIVE AND TAKE

                                

The Energy Of Give And Take

In Relationships

                                                                      

Love, more than any other virtue, is an extremely positive energy; it is an invisible prime mover and foundation of each one of our lives, a source of motivation and inspiration. People lacking love in their lives are normally lesser motivated and happier than those who have positive and healthy relationships full of love and an immense amount of love in their lives. But when the same energy of love, possessing immense positive potential, is negatively focused and is not used correctly, it leads to many dependencies which are negative in nature. How?

When you love someone, that could be your parents, your spouse, your children, your siblings, your friends, any relationship for that matter; there is a invisible and positive emotional and mental attraction between you and that person which keeps you connected to him/her, but the moment the love turns into attachment and becomes a dependency, that person starts dominating and controlling your inner world of thoughts, feelings and emotions and your mental and emotional freedom is lost. It is as if your inner world succumbs to the influence of the other person and you are no longer yourself. Everything that goes on inside you and that comes out of you has an impression of the other. This kind of love is not empowering, energizing and healing, because in this kind of love, over a period of time, desires, wants and expectations from the other start emerging. All these emotions place you in a mental mode of taking instead of giving.  Also in such a kind of love, where love is mixed with a desire to possess, over a period of time you start wanting to control the other. From this control, you start exercising a power to influence the other. At first you are under their influence. As more attachment builds up, this is followed shortly by your desire to bring them under your submission and influence them. That way, you feel that you have them and that they belong to you. This is love that wants to take and not give. In this kind of relationship of love, there is suffering and sorrow.  Even if joy exists, it is extremely short lived. Unconditional love or love that only wants to give and not take or expect, strengthens and is healing, it never hurts or inflicts pain on the other.

(Positive Reflections)