Ajay0

Listen to the conscience: Once you understand what is right nobody can influence you to do anything that is not right. ~ Dadi Jank, Brahmakumaris Your conscience is your core, innately pure and divine. It is always there to guide your actions but its voice is unheard by the noise of your waste thoughts. Your only effort is to silence your mind by the tool of awareness and your peace will emerge. ~ Brahmakumaris Conscience will guide and align you with truth when you learn to relax and silence your mind. ~ Brahmakumaris

Insightful article by Sadhvi Amba on problem solving through change of perception. https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/ministers-message-living-in-the-moment/

Not true. You can meet them if you have made the efforts for it. There are fraudsters and genuine enlightened sages. Like anything in life, you need to do your research to distinguish between the two so as to benefit from the latter. The only guru who comes to mind in this regard is Sadhguru, who was already a successful businessman in the construction industry and had other revenue streams as well. He earned a good living for himself with his hard work even before he was a Guru so it is not correct to harbor envy against him, imho. As a Guru he continues to drive motorbikes as he used to in his youth to show that spirituality and materialism should complement each other. He rides helicopters after getting a licence in it, so as to reach venues faster and due to reasons of better logistics. That is your loss. Krishna and Buddha were similarly reviled in their time as fraudsters but now people are advocating their scriptures and path. You must exercise your intelligence and judgement and not get carried away by superficial opinions of some.

Talk on prana by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar... https://wisdomfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/2010/01/

Having basic human ethics is the root of Dharma. If one does not have even worldly level morality, It is absolutely impossible to ever uphold The way of Dharma. ~ Mipham Rinpoche If a person has self-control, even if he has nothing else, This suffices for a hundred other good qualities. This is the root of human values. Without it, There is no hope for other qualities [to blossom]. ~ Mipham Rinpoche

If the master is enlightened, you can benefit just by being in his or her presence. There is no need to listen or learn anything. The prana/chi levels within oneself increases, and there will be meditation happening spontaneously. The rising chi levels is a reason why there are physical and mental healing experiences around enlightened sages. This can be amplified by being in the presence of a master in the proper frame of mind, positive and equanimous.

Yes, as Ayya Khema stated, "The more we abandon ill-will and hatred, the easier it will be to meditate. " Practice of virtuous conduct and morality helps to develop the faculties of the mind such as mental equanimity, critical thinking and a positive frame of mind that makes meditation easier. The nature of vices like hatred, lust, greed is to agitate the mind, making it unfit for meditation. I have noticed that people with positive behavioral characteristics seems to go deeper and faster in meditation than those who lack the same.

This is a very beautiful and important concept and point. Often the right teacher could be there, but because of lack of right mindset and other qualities, the student will lose the opportunity to learn and improve. Even if the teacher may be deficient in teaching skills, the student with the right mindset and qualities can learn optimally all that is to be learnt from the teacher.

'The first kind of protection – inner protection – is to defend oneself against lobha (desire, selfishness), dosa (anger, cruelty, hatred) and moha (delusion, stupidity). These arise within one’s being. If one gives in to these, under their influence one no longer behaves like a true human being. One cannot keep one’s mentality humane. And although human, one loses one’s basic human intelligence. ' ~ Sayadaw U Pandita The mind controlled and trained is better equipped to help us in all professions, in all situations. The disciplined mind will keep our lives balanced, make work easier and develop and nurture reason to govern our actions. In the end our happiness will increase accordingly as we follow the proper mind training. ~ Ajahn Chah

Insightful article on Sila... https://www.serenecolombo.org/pali-word-of-the-day-sila/

A mountain is composed of tiny grains of earth. The ocean is made up of tiny drops of water. Even so, life is but an endless series of little details, actions, speeches, and thoughts. ~ Swami Sivananda Do not ignore the effect of right action saying, "This will come to nothing." Just as by the gradual fall of raindrops the water jar is filled, so in time the wise become replete with good.~ Buddha, Dhammapada Verse 122 'The transformation, though overnight, was never an overnight process. In Chemistry classes we do the acid-base titration experiments. The final drop from the pipette changes the colour of the solution in the beaker. But were not the earlier drops significant? Similarly, righteous living all through life purified me and enabled the overnight transformation.' ~ Rajini Menon

As per eastern philosophy, the nature of the mind is to tend to vice and negativity. We would rather be lazy and enjoying pleasures unrestrainedly for the sensual stimulation, go by our likes and dislikes indiscriminately, rather than engaging in virtuous conduct and duty. So it takes effort and austerity to make the mind incline to virtue and positivity instead. Vices results in temporary pleasure followed by unhappiness and misery. Virtue on the other hand results in temporary pain followed by joy and peace. This joy and peace actually stems from the Self or Buddha nature within ourselves. An ethical life as in right speech and effort has been emphasized in Buddhism for attaining enlightenment. Buddhist and Hindu saints and sages, had stated that ethical discipline is a necessary pre-requisite for philosophical enquiry, self-control and Self-realisation. Ethical discipline leads to restraint of the lower self leading to mental equanimity and calmness. Mental equanimity is a necessary element in meditation and Self-knowledge. Hence lack of ethical discipline would lead to lack of meditation, mental training and concentration, mental equanimity and consequent lack of wisdom. Virtuous conduct has also been considered to be synonymous with meditation. Rajini Menon is a modern enlightened sage who attained enlightenment by adhering to virtuous conduct and following her conscience. I have created a thread on her in this regard... https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/52451-female-enlightened-master-rajini-menon-on-attaining-enlightenment-by-virtuous-conduct/

Sister Shivani, a Brahmakumari spiritual teacher, advises taking a 5-second pause before drinking water or eating food to say positive affirmations. She believes this simple practice can lead to inner peace and prosperity by allowing the water to absorb and reflect positive intentions, fostering a healthier mindset and overall well-being. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/soul-search/sister-shivanis-5-second-rule-before-drinking-water-can-help-achieve-your-goals/articleshow/113211086.cms

A Lebanese-American lady's account of her sister Heba's past life memories ... https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/well/family/sisters-past-life.html

Articles on twin sisters Gillian and Jennifer Pollock, whose family were convinced were the reincarnation of tragic siblings Joanna and Jacqueline who had died in a car crash a year back. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/twin-sisters-who-family-were-27568945 https://www.newsbreak.com/nik-1590556/2837260208621