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Lessons to mankind

It is not a coincidence that nature was created. It was to give lessons to mankind. . Look at a tree. The deeper its roots, the more tall and sturdy it stands. And the more it becomes an umbrella to provide shade. It is the same with us. The stronger we have our roots in spirituality, the more meaning our life has. And the more we can expand ourselves into the Universe to be of help.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Intention of people

Have we ever thought that if we never accepted the dishonorable intentions of people, how untouched by negativity we would be! Imagine, if someone wanted to deliberately humiliate you, for example, but you just didn't react to the intention and instead, continued to maintain your politeness and dignity, how foolish that person might end up feeling?

Try it, not once, but again and again, through life.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Quote of the day

Perceive love

Paramahansa Yogananda says: "Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another".

Such wisdom! We tend to expect that love should automatically come to us from certain people, like parents, siblings, spouses etc. Not only expect it but we would like to determine the quality, extent and intensity, too. It is all about personal needs whereas love is a fountain from the heart. If that fountain is minimized or shut down at will, or through traumatic circumstances, it will not be forthcoming.

I know of a case where this person felt so unloved that she neglected an obvious ailment just so that she would get attention. And later, when she regretted the neglect, it was too late and she passed on, a sheer case of expecting love from a source that had none to give.

Yes, our hearts need to be open to love and to receive it as well. And love cannot be demanded. It has to be a gift given willingly and out of love.

I have been told, "I am very loving but I don't know why I never get it". These are perspectives. Love is given in different ways by different people and not exactly the way we want it. Some love silently and are not demonstrative. Some love less but show more though there IS love here too. Some show their caring by making life easier for their near and dear ones but never say, "I love you".

We have to have eyes in our hearts as it were, to see, to perceive love in its multiple forms and formats.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Ignorance

To bless everyone who hurts you wittingly or unwittingly is the soul purification exercise we need most in our journey. The older you get, the more the realization dawns that everything was meant to be. All your efforts come to naught if your destiny lies elsewhere. From

The moment of this realization, a burden seems to fall off. All the guilt, the disappointments, the anger and self criticism for taking wrong decisions just dissolve into nothingness. We thought we were in charge. But we could have been channels with awareness rather than without.

So, we need to become light and actually feel amazed at our beautiful journey which is guided and where each moment is designed towards building strength and wisdom by the unseen hands of compassionate kindness which is within us and all around us, which we unnecessarily look everywhere for , out of our own innocence and / or ignorance.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

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Quote of the day

Child depression

Child depression has become a huge issue in the world of today. There were unwanted children, neglected children even earlier in time. However, the sole reason for stress in as young as school children today is the paucity of love, lack of opportunity, devaluation of merit and a desperate run towards. Just to name a few. There is much depression in children, visible and subtle, and it runs deep.

The new and upcoming affluence can demonstrate cluelessness. Some may be struggling to keep abreast of the rapid changes and not being too successful in giving a comprehensive education.

The thumb rule is, we give what we have. Rich parents give material things for the asking. They have money to burn. And thus, their kids burn their lives in it. The educated class ensures the education of their kids. The middle class has motivation and ambition to give their children because they have to and need to teach their kids to become earning citizens. There is not much to fall back on. Lower income groups struggle to give to their children period.

There is so much available out there that much of the depression comes from complete deprivation, the inability to procure what others seem to have. The pressure just to BE is unbelievable.

Somehow, in life, these are the things that matter. You tend to see only that. You seldom focus on those who give or want to give you happiness because they have it and know the value. Ironically, everyone wants it but no one wants to learn about how it can become a part of you. The more they run, the more elusive it becomes.

And when you don't look for the right ingredients, automatically, you fail to draw the attention of your children to the meaningful achievements. And children learn by example.

Unfortunately, parents very often live through their children. This is yet another big source of depression in children today. Fulfilling the ambition of their parents. Being pushed where they don't want to be. Bearing burdens they are too young to shoulder. Growing up before they have enjoyed childhood. Also, misusing childhood because they either have not been taught better or are swayed by the blinding light of parties and temptations, failing to see the darkness behind that blinding light...and everything blind needs eyes of wisdom.

We have much work to dispel that darkness within innocent minds and give them love, hope and a direction , not missing out the most important one: the spiritual one : the way back to their real source.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Quote of the day

Physical level

All our lives we try and try and try...to grow and grow and grow...

We run to every opportunity there is...for healing. Different methods, a rehash of similar methods, meditation camps, workshops, tarot cards, astrology, angels, pranayama, pranic healing, reiki, hypnotherapy...etc....

And once you have been everywhere, you realize that nothing really changes if you don't change yourself through self practice. At that stage, you feel you have read enough, listened enough, imbibed enough. And now it is time to experience. This is perhaps the starting point for change. And this is what is the most significant landmark in your life. Whatever else you may do with your life on the physical level.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Forgive and Forget

With most people, I see a struggle in the understanding of the "forgive and forget" principle. First, it seems hard, even impossible to forgive someone who has hurt you. Second, there seems to be an issue about erasing those memories. Somewhere within, when we are broken, we suffer and automatically, the grouse is with the person who caused the grief, the pain. Naturally, no one wants pain.

But it is equally true that without pain, growth is a distant dream. If we did not know what the opposite of light is, we would not recognize light. A vision impaired has no way of seeing day and night. Similarly, symbolically, despite having eyes, we either can't, don't or refuse to "see". But we need to see. To see what the truth is about why the pain .

See what? The root cause of the pain. Our pain is due to our own inability to tolerate the darkness in others. And that is natural because, basically, we are beings of light. But that darkness is not only in others but reflected within us, too. And when this happens, the cognizance of this inner darkness decreases our tolerance levels of ourselves. That gets reflected in the opposite person. And the pain keeps adding on.

Imagine, if we refused to take the pain within us. What would happen? It would bounce off you and be returned to the sender. But we don't know how to do that. Or, the little devil sitting inside, the ego, won't let us. So, we deliberately start taking hurtful actions in retaliation. Any escalation takes two people. Like you need two hands to clap. You can choose not to clap.

So, pain is a choice we make. The pain of rejection, hate, jealousy, revenge, injustice, betrayal, cruelty etc. These are powerful energies and, when directed towards anyone, would take a very strong person to deflect them...a person who makes a conscious choice to remain untouched by these energies.

I cannot express in words how elevating this exercise can be and how beautifully energizing.

Even if one does not want to go deep into this, a simple thumb rule to follow is to block negative energy by giving it a positive connotation. And find it in your heart to feel sad for those who are still living in the low vibration field. You will see then it becomes easier to forgive. You will also decide that such memories are also not worth keeping.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Challenges

I always say expectations, like comparisons, can turn out to be odious. But my experience has shown that presumptions are a shade worse because they anticipate an experience that may or may not happen.

So, what happens here? Suppose there is something I need to do. That action will definitely have a consequence like all actions do. But, because I might be having several mindsets or belief systems, I start to imagine the consequences of that act before the act itself is done. Actually, the consequence may have played out very differently in reality. But I don't give it a chance. I want just the desired result of that act.

This is a typical case of wanting to control your environment. And playing out the consequences in your mind gives you some comfort, perhaps, that you will manage to achieve somewhat the desired result. A probability only. Not a certainty.

So many times, I have heard the line "if I do this that will happen." "And happen for sure" is added. An over-the-top reaction of this kind may demonstrate an innate fear. Fear of something being taken away from you or letting things go from your hands into an unknown and non confirmative space which you are uncomfortable with. . People who steer actions with careful rigidity might be prone to such thought processes.

Actually, these are blocks which prevent expansive experiences. Like, I take a flight everywhere and hence, miss out on the beautiful countryside which I would have experienced had I motored up to my destination. But because I don't know the roads and might have an accident, it is safe to take a flight.

So, I am already anticipating an accident that may or may not happen. Presumption that an aircraft is safer!! I have no way of knowing it IS safe, before I fly out. A presumption again!

Friends, we really miss out on so much of life by controlling our environment. And if we have family around us, we end up doing the same to them as well. I understand that everyone wants to be safe and away from harm. But to close yourself on the basis of presumptions is also not a healthy trait or practice.

Later, as adults, you see people who grow up in such conditions shrinking their minds to respond more rigidly than freely. Challenges are very essential for out -of -the - box thinking and living.

So, try new environments even for your children. Challenge them and observe their responses. Life is the biggest teacher. If you grow, the environment and people around you also grow.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Quote of the day

Karma Theory

When Lord Krishna returned home after the battle of Mahabharata, his wife Rukmani confronted him “How could you be party to the killing of Guru Drona and Bheeshma, who were such righteous people and had a lifetime of righteousness behind them.”

Initially Lord Krishna avoided her questions but when she did not relent, he replied “No doubt they had a lifetime of rightousness behind them but they both had committed one single sin that destroyed all their lifetime of righteousness”

Rukmani asked “And what was that sin?”

Lord Krishna replied “They were both present in the court when a lady (Draupadi) was being disrobed and being elders they had the authority to stop it but they did not. This single crime is enough to destroy all righteousness of this world”

Rukmani asked “But what about Karna? He was known for his charity. No one went emptyhanded from his doorstep. Why did you have him killed?”

Lord Krishna said “No doubt Karna was known for his charity. He never said ‘No’ to anyone who asked him for anything. But when Abhimanyu fell after successfully fighting an army of the greatest warriors and he lay dying, he asked for water from Karna who stood nearby. There was a puddle of clean water where Karna stood but not wanting to annoy his friend Duryodhan, Karna did not give water to a dying man. In doing so his charity of a lifetime was destroyed. Later in battle, it was the same puddle of water in which the wheel of his chariot got stuck and he was killed.”

Understand that your one act of injustice can destroy your whole life of honesty.This story is great example of Karma Theory in Path to Prosperity. So let’s create any Karma with Awareness what is righteous.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Liberating

When we go out to a restaurant, there is a huge menu we choose from. These are items we love and want to indulge in. But they are not necessarily good for our health. We still bypass that thought and make the choice. We tell ourselves, it is only for that meal. So, we end up eating that food and develop indigestion or food poisoning.

Now, similarly, when damaging feelings enter us, we again must choose either to let them in and adopt them as ours or let them go immediately as being wrong for us. Knowing that this may start a pattern, we still accept these feelings because we want to retaliate.

The main cause is that we have not been able to separate ourselves from our egos. So, who gets hurt? Who wants to retaliate? It is the ego. If we learn to make a choice against the ego and in favor of ourselves, we can avert any illness of the mind.

If you want freedom from the ego, the most effective way is to simply acknowledge the undesirable thoughts and emotions that came in and the actions they set off. To say, "I was wrong" is really liberating. To say, "I am sorry" and MEAN it is even more liberating. It just clears the air within us and between two people also. Not that you mean to, but this rattles the opposite person and generally forces him or her to introspect.

Ultimately, our purpose is to work with love, not anger, resentment, feared or hatred isn't it?

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

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