For Some people, even though everything in their life is going well – their finances, relationships and so on – they are still unhappy. The reason may be old hurts and painful memories they are harbouring in their mind, or the burden of karma from past lives that the soul is carrying. Removing these causes requires healing, by meditation, in which I draw the powers of purity, peace, and love from God. God is called the Ocean of Love, and I, the soul, am His child. The soul is originally pure, peaceful, loving, and truthful. When I remember who I am, whose child I am, the innate qualities of the soul are activated. And when I remember the Father, the Ocean, I can draw from Him as much love and peace as I want. This is meditation. When I practise this regularly, I find myself filling up with peace and love. I can then be naturally calm and loving at all times, regardless of my circumstances and how others behave with me.
To hold on to past hurts, repeatedly reliving unpleasant memories and suffering each time we do that, is to torment the self. Some of us remember the harsh words spoken to us by someone decades ago. That person would have changed with time, but we continue to see them through the prism of that experience and are upset whenever they come in front of us. It is like imprisoning the self in a mental cage of our own making. To break free all we need to do is let go of the past. The past is past; it is over, and my present reality is different. When we recognise this truth and instead of looking back, we focus on the present, count our blessings, and look at the opportunities in front of us, the soul is relieved of the burden it had been carrying for a long time, and becomes light.
I also have to let go of any expectations I may have of that person. If they have not changed and still behave as they did before, I need not feel bad about it. Their shortcomings are theirs. I can have the pure wish that they overcome their defects and become a better person for their own good. Understanding the law of karma helps in this. When I know that my happiness depends on the way I think and behave, and not what others do, then I start to pay attention that my thoughts, words, and actions are of a high quality. That brings instant rewards in the form of strong self-respect and satisfaction in being the best I can be.
Lack of self-respect and feelings of inferiority or superiority are a major cause of sorrow and depression today. If I am criticised, instead of being hurt or offended, I can check to see if there is any truth in the criticism, learn my lesson from it, and bring about the necessary change in myself. If the comments are merely motivated by ill will, I can sense that from the other person’s vibrations. I can choose to ignore their words because they are simply not true.
Physical ailments are another cause of sorrow. We all face health issues at some time or another, but how we respond to them makes all the difference. When I strengthen my spiritual awareness, that I am a soul, the sentient being that is master of the body, which is the physical medium through which I express myself, then I am able to see physical pain in a detached manner. Pain and discomfort then feel separate from the self – something that is going on in the body, not in me, the soul. My state of mind then remains unaffected by my physical condition. I do all that is needed to heal the body, but do not suffer because of the ailment. As a result, instead of feeling miserable, I am able to carry on with my tasks, to the extent possible, even when I am unwell.
Ultimately, not suffering depends on the way we see the situations and people we encounter. If we see everything from the spiritual perspective, with the eye of wisdom, we can recognise that each experience has some benefit. Even if there is no benefit, at least it teaches us something, making us wiser. With this positive attitude of learning and moving on, we can keep progressing in life.
B.K. Jayanti is Additional Administrative Head of the Brahma Kumaris.
