Ajay0

Positive emotions like enthusiasm, optimism and cheerfulness are taken for granted as they are considered as part of virtuous conduct in Hinduism, and ensure relationship building as well as problem solving. I would say Sadhvi was talking about negative emotions here that may amplify the problem like regret, bitterness, reactivity, despair, anger, pessimism and frustration. Bertrand Russell has also correlated negative emotions with ignorance and had stated in this regard, "The degree of one's emotion varies inversely with one's knowledge of the facts-the less you know the hotter you get."

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

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

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.

Prana means life-force in sanskrit and is an integral element of eastern medical arts like Ayurveda, Tibetan medicine, acupuncture, reiki, pranic healing as well as martial arts. It is known as Chi in Chinese and Ki in Japanese. Every sentient being possess a certain amount of prana, and low prana levels are supposed to correspond with poor physiological and psychological health. High levels of prana is associated with good physiological and psychological health, faster healing, youthfulness and being mindful or aware without much effort. Eastern religious and medical philosophies thus focus on increasing and stabilising prana for human betterment and well-being. Here is an insightful article by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on the nature of prana, and ways to increase it. https://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/knowledge-sheets/yagna

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/

Ethical conduct in the form of right speech, right livelihood and right effort are considered to be vital practices leading to enlightenment in Buddhism or Buddhahood. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path https://studybuddhism.com/en/tibetan-buddhism/about-buddhism/buddha-s-basic-message/a-full-buddhist-life-the-eightfold-path/the-three-trainings Ethical conduct is also emphasized in the religious philosophies of Hinduism, Jainism and Sufism for attaining enlightenment. This itself is a refutation of the nihilist and existentialist premise that life is meaningless and all values and virtues are but abstract mental contrivances without any relevance of their own.

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

With everyone's blessings and guidance, I would like to create a thread dedicated to showcasing articles and books on reincarnation/rebirth case studies so that people can judge for themselves whether reincarnation has a basis in fact or not. In India I have come across a couple of reincarnation case studies in newspapers and acquaintances, which helped to keep an interest in this subject. After accessing the internet, I found to my surprise that there are similar cases in the West even though there are no teachings of reincarnation in its dominant religions and belief systems. Here is an insightful article about a young boy named James Leininger remembering his past life as a fighter pilot in the second world war and who died after his plane crashed into the ocean. https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/wp-content/uploads/sites/360/2017/04/REI42-Tucker-James-LeiningerPIIS1550830716000331.pdf https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1209795/Reincarnated-Our-son-World-War-II-pilot-come-life.html https://www.facts-are-facts.com/news/the-past-life-memories-of-james-leininger-

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

Without the practice of morality, there’s no enlightenment, no liberation from samsara, not even good rebirths in future lives. ~ Lama Zopa Rinpoche The more we abandon ill-will and hatred, the easier it will be to meditate. ~ Ayya Khema

Dead thirteen year old teenager comes home after eight years as an eight year old Indian boy claiming he had a rebirth... https://www.ibtimes.com/dead-teenager-returns-home-after-8-years-claims-he-had-rebirth-3277864 https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/uttar-pradesh-boy-who-died-eight-years-ago-claims-he-had-a-rebirth-1843294-2021-08-20 Rohit Kumar, the thirteen-year-old son of Pramod Kumar from Nagla Salehi village in Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri district, had died on May 4, 2013, drowning in a canal near Kanpur while taking a bath. On August 19,2021, Chandraveer alias Chotu, eight year old son of Ramnaresh Shankhwar, a resident of the nearby village, Nagla Amar Singh, came to Pramod Kumar and said he was his son Rohit in previous birth. He claimed he had a rebirth and identified Pramod and Usha Devi as his parents. On meeting his 'previous' family, Chandraveer, started narrating stories from his previous birth. He also identified his sister. Enthralled by his reincarnation stories, villagers soon gathered at Pramod's place to listen to Chandraveer's tales. Meanwhile, when Subhash Chandra Yadav, the headmaster of the village's former secondary school, stopped by, Chandraveer immediately identified him and touched his feet ( to show respect as per Indian tradition) and said, "This is Subhash, sir," . Villagers took Chandraveer to the same school where Rohit studied earlier. Teachers asked him questions that Rohit could have answered.Surprisingly, Chandraveer answered them correctly, according to the report. Chandraveer's father Shankhwar said his son would always talk about reincarnation since childhood and insisted on coming to Nagla Salehi.They feared losing him and consequently avoided bringing him to the village till then.

Below are some sayings on the nature of auspiciousness from various Hindu and Buddhist masters that I have compiled for better understanding of the subject from the perspective of eastern philosophy. So from here, we can see that it is the agitated mind that is productive of negative vibrations or inauspicious energies while the equanimious mind is productive of positive ones.The Bhagavad Gita states that mental equanimity is yoga and leads to skill in action.Awareness or mindfulness comes about in an equanimous mind.What agitates the mind is numerous strong desires in the form of cravings and aversions. In an extreme form, these cravings and aversions take on the form of vices like greed, hatred, lust, egoism, inordinate attachments which are the source of all crimes as well devoid of virtue.In the enlightened sage, the mind is equanimous at all times, and this results in undisturbed awareness or mindfulness productive of positive vibrations and energies which have a beneficial effect on those around them.In a village in my district , there lived a female enlightened master in the last century. This region, in comparison to other regions have a very low crime rate and low incidence of natural disasters which people attribute to the master's grace. Even now one can still feel the positive vibes and auspiciousness over this place and it is now a popular tourist site as well.I know of similar other regions which has an auspicious air about it due to the presence of enlightened sages. I think this is the factor that is in work at pilgrimage sites too.

10 year old boy named Ryan recalls past life as Hollywood actor and agent Marty Martyn... https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/10-year-old-boy-says-784090/ https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/boy-says-he-remembers-past-life-hollywood-agent-n327506 https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/world-news/boy-believes-reincarnated-chilling-perfect-28761843

"I Have Lived Before": The True Story of the Reincarnation of Shanti Devi. This is the first known book on reincarnation based on the recollections of a little girl named Shanti Devi (1926-1987) in Delhi, India, who claimed to remember a past life as a wife and mother in a different region of India. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanti_Devi Shanti Devi persistently pleaded to her parents to let her go to the region mentioned (Mathura) and once even ran away from home at age of six to reach Mathura. When Mahatma Gandhi heard about the case he set up a commission of 15 prominent people, including parliamentarians, national leaders, and members from the media, to study the case. He also invited Shanti Devi to his ashram. The committee was instrumental in persuading her reluctant parents to allow Shanti Devi to go to Mathura with them. Upon reaching the place she was able to remember minute details of the place and her past life family, though she was seeing the place for the first time in her young life. A brief article on her life by Dr. K.S. Rawat can be found in this below link. https://www.carolbowman.com/dr-ian-stevenson/case-shanti-devi/ Sture Lonnerstrand, a Swedish critic, came all the way from Sweden to expose the “fake,” as he thought it to be, but after investigation wrote, “This is the only fully explained and proven case of reincarnation there has been." A book about her was published by Sture Lonnerstrand in 1994, and the english translation appeared in 1998 titled, "I Have Lived Before: The True Story of the Reincarnation of Shanti Devi". She was also interviewed by Dr. Ian Stevenson who stated, “I also interviewed Shanti Devi, her father, and other pertinent witnesses, including Kedarnath, the husband claimed in her previous life. My research indicates that she made at least 24 statements of her memories that matched the verified facts.”

When we develop ethical qualities, our spiritual growth comes in leaps and bounds. ~ Sant Rajinder Singh Another helping factor to still the mind is to lead our life according to positive qualities, such as nonviolence, humility, love for all, and selfless service. We should strive to lead a life wherein our thoughts, words and deeds are nonviolent, humble and focused on God. We should treat others the way we want to be treated, in a loving, caring way.~ Sant Rajinder Singh