"Light and darkness can never exist together.
where there is light, there can be no darkness - and where there is darkness,
there can be no light and your mind is darkness personfied! that is why it is said you must free yourself of your mind."
Alhat Ed Din was a very famous sheikh who lived in Crimea. He had several disciples. One night, when he was sitting by a pond, a sufi named Shams Tabreez passed by. Seeing Alhat Ed Din, he wondered what he was doing sitting next to the pond at night. So he went near him and asked, “Mister, what are you doing? Who are you?” The man replied, “I am Sheikh Alhat Ed Din and I am meditating on the shadow of the moon in this water.”
Shams Tabreez asked, “Do you have a boil on your neck that you are finding it difficult to look up at the moon? The real moon is visible in the sky and you are looking for the shadow in the pond!” Alhat Ed Din raised his head - and what did he see? - the radiant face of Shams Tabreez in the moonlight. Automatically his head bowed in reverence.
If you want to achieve anything, if you want to create anything, if you want to reach somewhere, effort is needed. But if you want to relax, then definitely no effort is required. Only one thing is required to relax: Your non-doing. Don't do anything to relax. Just relax. Let go off all bondages; let go off all desires for the moment at least, then nothing can agitate you.
As you will begin to live with awareness, being in your center, only then you will taste what real relaxation is. Center of our being is ocean of stillness and joy. Be in the present, be in this Now. See the present moment which is happening around you: the blue sky, giggles of children, chirping of birds, floating clouds and if what you can hear is just noise then even noise will be rhythmic.
Don’t let mind rule you, you take the reins of life, live every moment listening to yourself.
Stop thinking about others, stop discussing others and stop talking about others. Whenever thoughts of others begin to arise in your mind, then use the sword of knowledge to chop off the heads of those thoughts, saying, "I am not going to think about others." When you quit thinking about others, when you set your mind absolutely free from others, then you become an aspirant, a discoverer, a saadhak in the real sense.
"Be a witness to your mind and then only you come to know that you and your mind are different entities."
Make a resolve, “I am not going to discuss others”. Sit with someone thinking that “I will surely talk, but today I will not talk about others.” Other means anybody other than the two of you. Even God & Guru come in the category of others. Do talk but the topic of your conversation must not be ‘others’. Then there will be nothing to talk about.
Diet and depression tend to be reciprocally linked to each other. Firstly, a deficient diet that is lacking in B-vitamins, minerals, protein and carbohydrates can either cause depression or contribute to depressive states. In addition, alcohol intake can lead to severe depression which is in part due to the lack of vital nutrients.
Digestion and the effect on the body depend upon the state of mind. A wholesome diet may be incompatible if the state of mind is not proper. Food does not come to us merely by our mouths. It comes through all our senses and through our minds.
Ayurveda believes that Body is born of the Food.
Complexion, gracefulness, good voice, long life,
understanding, happiness, growth, strength,
intelligence, are all established by food.
The real wisdom, the true help, and the final answers are always within. And each and every human being or creature in this universe has equal amount of intelligence, wisdom, love, and self healing power.
when we almost had 106 inches of snow, I was working in my driveway to remove snow. After shoveling snow for over two hours, there was severe muscle pain in both arms. I then used regular self-hypnosis to relax and go deeper into a trance. Then I started using “deepening the trance” techniques in self-hypnosis, thus going into a much deeper state. I was focusing mainly on both arms where muscle pain was very acute. At some point, the pain area felt nothing but some kind of vibration. I felt as if I am separate from pain. Under this deep trance state, without using any traditional suggestion or visualization methods of self-hypnosis, I simply let these vibrations wipe out (like cleaning the black board in the class room). To my surprise, when I came out of this deep trance state, there was no sign of muscle pain in both of my arms.
In our modern world, we often define ourselves in terms of our relationships with others but forget the relationship that we share with our inner selves. Solitude is the best way to get to know ourselves.
Does being alone sometime give you a very deep and rare sense of contentment? If yes, then consider yourself fortunate enough to enjoy such state of bliss called Solitude. There is an important distinction to be established right off the bat. There is a world of difference between solitude and loneliness, though the two terms are often used interchangeably. From the outside, solitude and loneliness look a lot alike. Both are characterized by solitariness. But all resemblance ends here.
Very often, we mistake solitude with loneliness. Its only when we experience solitude in the true sense that we discover the difference. Loneliness is marked by a sense of isolation. Solitude, on the other hand, is a state of being alone without being lonely and can lead to self-awareness.
Did you ever wonder that the congregation of people shouting and cheering in the music concerts, fashion shows, or cricket matches is chanting? Yes, it is the mass glorification of a person or team that creates an electrifying ambience, giving incredible pleasure to the large group of people. When we apply the same principle of this materialistic chanting in the spiritual realm, it evokes everlasting joy, happiness, peace and harmony.
Chanting, the glorification of God through His names, is one of the ancient and universal practices of meditation. It is an excellent way to raise body, mind and spirit towards higher self. The vibrations emanating from repeating the name of God still the mind, dissolve worries, and purify the heart; it cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years.
