A sacred bond

A wonderful festival is being celebrated: Raksha bandhan. In the world, thousands, maybe millions of sisters are meeting their brothers and tying the sacred bond to them; at Brahma Kumaris, millions will be tied a rakhi by the sisters, creating a sacred bond between them and God, the Protector. Here is a fictional story based on true events that shows the importance of this festival.

 

She was lost. She was fearful. She looked at her children and her heart hurt by thinking what would happen to them.

Her husband, the king, was dead and very soon the enemies will be at the gate of the palace. The things they will do to her and others are unspeakable.

She then decided. She called a faithful servant and asked her to cover herself as if she was part of their religion and penetrate the lines of the enemy. The queen could see the fear in her eyes and she felt horrible to do this, but there was no other way.

Very quickly she wrote a letter to the invader king, put it in a very beautiful envelope made of the fine fabric and added a bond. A simple and yet elegant bond.

She gave the young woman clear instructions about what to do and she saw her leaving her chamber, the palace and the lands that saw the beautiful love she experienced.

Tears came to her eyes, but this was not time for tears. She took her children and went along with the rest of the workers in the palace to the temple. To pray. To pledge. To hope.

It took a day or two, but eventually they came and she heard the soldiers fighting and trying to protect the palace, honorably but unsuccessfully. All this time they have been at the temple and when the battle ended, she realized all was over.

Some time passed by – hours, maybe? – and she heard very strong steps. Initially, many people, probably soldiers, were walking towards the temple, towards her and her family. Then she heard the steps of just one person who slowly and with determination walked towards the temple.

And the steps stopped. With dignity, the queen looked at the tall man at the threshold of the temple; he was still dirty by the battle, she could see the tiredness in his eyes and…

… The beautiful envelope in his hands…

… And the bond in his right wrist.

She prevented herself to smile, she just kept looking at him, as per protocol he was the new king and he was the one who should speak.

“My queen”, said the new king, “my sister.”

Her heart beat was so fast she was afraid it will be listened; she tightened her hand around her children, but the rest of people were puzzled.

Slowly and gracefully, she got up from her worshipping position. She approached the new king greeting him according to his religion and also her own religion. She and her family, and the workers of the palace – including the courageous young woman who took the letter and the bond to the king – would live the rest of their lives peacefully. The new king adopted the old queen as his own family, respecting her religion.

All because of that letter…

Dear King, I greet you from the depth of my heart at this time of sadness. As you are entering my home, I want to give you this gift, a bond, because from now on, you are my brother. And every year I will tie that same bond to you, to remind us both of this sacred relationship.

I was never granted a brother, so I am glad I have this opportunity. King, oh my King, if you accept this pledge, tie the bond on your wrist and save the life of this brave young lady who took this message to you.

Yours, the Queen.

 

HAPPY RAKSHA BANDHAN!

Profit and loss in the business of life

Profit and loss are part of business life and a good businessman or businesswoman know how to manage them. Now, if we consider for the sake of reflection that life itself is a business, let’s ask ourselves: what is going on with THAT business?

First, your PROFIT means all that you think, speak or do that gives something valuable to your life. REFLECTION makes you understand the real value of everything, small or big. That means it is not only the big charitable acts; for instance, when you smile at someone and make their lives better, the value of your own life increases.

But LOSSES also give you something valuable because when there is a loss what remains is what you really are… In fact, the main subproduct of a failure is the recognition of the real self. So, whenever you stumble in life, focus on the self: your own peace, the love that is inside, all your virtues and inner powers.

Then, check that your profit is big and your losses are being seen with the right perspective. You will feel you are the best in the business of life.

A scholarship in the University of Life

A scholarship is given according to a set of criteria, like merit, diversity or inclusion, athletic skill and financial need[1].

Now, many people consider life as a university – I am included in it. So, what are the criteria in this University so anyone get a scholarship?

Probably the main criterion is effort and endeavor. In my experience, life does reward when someone goes beyond their limitations.

The second criterion is their contribution to the community. I feel EVERYONE contributes something to their community – family, neighborhood, city, country and the whole world. According to that, a reward is waiting for them.

A third criterion is their energy and vibration. Seriously, it is extremely important what others spread around, even though it is invisible.

And the scholarship? A few examples:

• Help will come when the need is there.
• Basic needs will be fulfilled.
• There will be an abundance of opportunities.
• Angels will come on the way, that is, people who will extend a hand or will teach an important lesson.

What are you waiting for? Inscriptions for a scholarship in this unlimited university are open.

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[1] According to a definition in Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholarship

 

If you are not meditating, do it now!

There used to be a time that people could choose if they wanted to meditate or not. Not anymore.

I am a meditator for the past 40 years and I have seen the effects of meditation in my life, and they are exactly what people needs right now. Let’ prepare a small list…

You are feeling sad because of what someone told you. By meditating, you experience the best of yourself, you set in your self-esteem and you go beyond sorrow.

You just lost your job! And look at the Economy!!! Calm comes through the experience of meditation and then, new ideas come up to your mind… possibly a solution.

Your partner left you… for NO REASON! Your best friend is your mind, just feel the positive comforting energy that comes from your thoughts.

You have a PROBLEM! Meditation can help you finding a solution to overcome it.

Yes, other paths could help you, if you are having just one problem at a time – great, right? “Problem # 2, wait your turn!”

Meditation and its related processes, like prayer or contemplation, are the only methods that can compensate the present complexity in a successful way.

If more problems come, new ways of meditating will help the self to manage them. And meditation never tires you.

Try it.

Right now!

The sunset of a life

We all know when sunset is coming… The Sun is above us, but it is a certainty that it will set. The same is for life.

At some point, we all reach our sunset point and it comes in this way:

We first realize life is on the other side. The mid-life crisis or just a complex series of changes in our lives, sometimes our bodies, makes us realize things are changing and fast. The best thing to do is to check our dreams and work on them very fast.

When we count years by Christmas and New Year… Well, I wouldn’t be so dramatic, but there is a point during or after the life on the other side period that we start to realize time differently. In fact, many of the things we used to love, we just appreciate now, and life is balancing in the rope of a routine. It is time to find something new, like being a volunteer.

And then, retirement! It should be a time for rest, but it represents an end for a big part of our lives. Ironically, at this era, less and less people are really retiring, but the mentality of this is the end is still around. So, what to do, living in pajamas from now on? Volunteer is a wonderful opportunity, with no limit in terms of age, but this is also the time to go back to your old dreams and live them, finally.

Then, it comes that point, that moment in which the car is not working anymore. It is that time when even to get up is a huge effort and it seems at last sunset has come. It is the time for packing up, forgive and rest deeply; but, more than everything, admires the beauty of the sunset of the great sun of your life.

Discovering that part of yourself that is hidden from you and others

Johari Window: exploring the hidden parts…

 

You have a secret! And it is so deep that not even you know it!

There is a game that can be useful. It is imperative that everyone knows each other.

• Create a table of qualities and talents. Cut them and give the cut table to each person, that is, each person should have many pieces of paper! The important thing is that everyone has the same thing.
• In front of each person, there are four boxes. 1) OTHERS & I; 2) OTHERS, NOT ME; 3) I, NOT OTHERS; 4) NEITHER I NOR OTHERS. There should be a space BEFORE the boxes in such a way that you are sitting, then there are the boxes and the empty space.
• The game starts by rounds in this way:
1. First round. Choose the qualities that apply to you (I). Put those littler papers in front of you, before the boxes in such a way that anyone can read. Keep the papers you are not using by your side somewhere.
2. Second round. Walk around the room and read the papers others chose; the ones you agree that person has it, pick them up and put in their box #1 (OTHERS & I). The ones YOU DON’T AGREE or you DON’T KNOW it, pick them up and put in their box #3 (I, NOT OTHERS).
3. Third round. Go back to your seat and pick the papers you didn’t use. Now, go around and distribute ALL the little papers by identifying those people who have that quality; put them in their box #2 (OTHERS, NOT ME). Some little papers will remain, I am sure.
4. Fourth round. This is a bit of a guess: the qualities that remained, just put them in your own box #4 (NEITHER ME NOR OTHERS).
5. To finish the game, check the boxes for repetitions and reflect on them, understanding where those qualities should be and eliminating the extra; the idea is that no quality shows in more than one box.

Well, this game is funny and I am sure you will enjoy it, but let me focus on the box # 4: NEITHER ME NOR OTHERS.

Those qualities are extremely important because you are not sure about them and others can’t help you either. However, there is the possibility part of your potential is in that box.

It is possible that thing you feel is missing in your life is in that box.

Maybe the solution for part of your problems is in that box.

Check those qualities and work on them, systematically. Maybe you will realize some of those are just pieces of paper.

But if even one is more than a paper and it will contribute in your life, it is worthwhile to check that mysterious box.

Discovering that part of yourself that is hidden from others

Johari Window: exploring the hidden parts…

 

You have a secret!

Maybe the reason you have it is because you consider it so valuable, you don’t want to share, at least not to everyone and not until this moment; which is OK, after all, treasures are to be kept. They are an object of legend! Right?

I give you an alternative. Find the right moment (soon, please!) and show that talent you have, what you have been studying or the wonderful discovery you are not revealing to others.

In fact, the more you expose your treasures, the more you will develop them.

However, there are secrets you don’t tell others because of some type of fear. What are they going to tell me if they know this?

If you really want to develop a good relationship with other people, those secrets can turn into an obstacle. There are a few options for you:

• Find the RIGHT MOMENT, that instant people will value what you have. It is true particularly in relation to talents or skills.
• Generate a space of dialogue and talk to those people, open your heart. Before doing that, take some mercy balm in the form of a nice book with encouraging words or a song that will remind you how great you are. This is specially for those secrets that can harm a relationship.
• In both cases, I suggest you to meditate before doing any of those things. Meditation will empower you.
• If people hurt you because what you have shown or told them, don’t cry. The meditation will help you to not get into despair and something good you can do is to remind yourself THAT IS MY TREASURE. As they didn’t recognize its value, it is time to look for other people who will value it as much as you do.

There may be many more reasons for you to keep things hidden from others, but I would like to highlight two more:

• Self-doubt. Yes, you have that treasure, but you are not sure it is so interesting or others need it. The best thing for that is to talk with someone you trust and work on what to do about it.
• Maybe OTHERS haven’t acknowledged you have that treasure. Well, that hurts! You have already shown them, you have talked to them and you have posted it everywhere, but people seem to ignore it or at least they don’t give the value you think it should receive. Well, in that case, a talk with experts in the area of your treasure will clear your mind in relation to others’ reasons. After that, you can plan what to do to make others appreciate that wonderful treasure.