Experiencing Inner Power and Protection - by Didi Nirmala

Date: 20 Aug 2009

Time: 7.30 pm

Place: Peninsula-Excelsior Hotel, Singapore

.

Speaker: Didi Nirmala, Brahma Kumaris

.

This talk is written as the first person for better readability. It is not an ad-verbatim recording of the talk.

.

When we listen to the world news today, there are a lot of sad news. So we ask ourselves, "Are we protected?". How do we fortify ourselves? How do we feel stable? How can we still feel powerful?

.

There is less safety in our life. Life has become more complicated. There are more problems in our society. We have the financial crisis, many people lose their jobs, their investments (money) and don't know what to do. We are also afraid to travel with the H1N1 epidemic. Diseases are also on the increase. There can also be accidents on the roadways. It used to be that neighbours invading one's country, but now you have terrorists inflicting damages in their own country. So, you may not be safe in your own country. There are also natural calamities. This has caused some problems for the minister in Taiwan. There are also cases of fathers abusing their children and children being kidnapped to be sold for prostitution.

.

So we don't know where we are going. Are we human beings or devilish beings? It is said that dogs only bark at other dogs, but dogs don't eat dogs.

.

We need inner power to face these difficulties. If we don't have the inner power, we get angry, because we feel powerless or helpless. So how is it that some people are more tolerant?

.

We need the inner power for inner protection. We know about external power. People with external power have trained themselves to prepare for the position. There are many courses for those.

.

Inner strength by the result of meditation and wisdom. I have to help myself. Do something about issues and challenges, and not blame. If we focus on our negative aspects and don't love ourselves, we cannot expect others to love us. So we have to develop techniques to see our positive sides. Start loving ourselves. Society puts people down and this has resulted in people having a lack of self-esteem. If you have self-esteem, it doesn't matter what others say about you.

.

Self development is as important as physical development.

.

[ 5 minute meditation break ]

.

Who am I?

How can I empower myself?

For the physical body, I know how to, but how about my mind?

Sometimes, it appears that I am not under my own control.

My sense organs are not under my control. I don't want to eat something, but I end up eating them. I don't want to get angry, worry...etc, but end up doing so.

.

How do I stay in control?

I can by connecting myself to the source of energy. Same as the cables, light bulbs, etc in this room. They need to connect to the power station.

.

Otherwise, if you are among happy people, you are happy. Then if you are among sad people, you become sad. You can't rely on others to be happy.

.

There is someone who said that he has no time to meditate. Then he said that he will give five minutes to meditate before he goes to work. Then he kept coming for more as he enjoys it. As you meditate your efficiency improves with your power to discern and you become more loving and get more cooperation. So even work becomes easier.

.

Question: When you first begin, it is very hard to control your thoughts and the mind starts to wonder. How can we avoid this wandering?

Reply: Meditation is not to stop thinking, but thinking in the correct direction. For starters, you may like to prepare to be relaxed before the meditation and use commentary CDs to guide you.

.

Question: It is said that 2012 is the end of the world. What do you of that and what do you think we should do?

Reply: Whether the world is coming to an end or not, we must all be ever-ready to die. You never know when is your time. There is no guarantee that you will live tomorrow.

.

Question: There are many techniques of meditation. Many do with eyes closed. Your technique is an open eye technique. How important is it to do it with eyes open? How important is it to keep the eyes open?

Reply: There are many techniques with different focus and philosophy. With eyes shut you are more restricted, as you need to be sitting down somewhere to meditate. With open eyes, you can meditate anytime.

.

.

Raja Yoga Intensive

26 April 2009

This are my notes of the talk on "Raja Yoga Intensive", by Sister Shivani Verna from the Brahma Kumaris at the Excelsior Hotel in Singapore, on the 26th April 2009. They are written as in the first person for easy reading, but it is not an ad verbatim recording of what Sister Shivani spoke of during the seminar.

.

The word "meditation" comes from "medivate" (to heal). 

.

[An unexpected loud screeching noise on sound systems...]

Situation comes, situation goes, what is left behind is the impact.

Was the situation worth it for us to be disturbed?

It was a trivial disturbed 30 seconds. Add the 30 seconds and one can become disturbed beings.

.

In a crisis, in order to cme up with the right solution, the mind has to be stable. If the mind is disturbed, it will not be able to see the solution. You can be stable with the earth shaking below you.

.

When we were in Pakistan, there was an earthquake, but we got together to meditate for 1 minute without the thought of the earthquake. We stayed calm, so others stayed calm.

.

Irritation. Is one born with this or is this cultivated? When a child wants something, he cries and throw tantrums to get what he wants. If he gets it, he learns that this is how he can get things. Instead, if the adult gives the child only if he asks politely, then we teach him that love, courtesy and respect is the way to get things.

.

What does "Raja Yoga" mean?

'Raja' means highest.

'Yoga' means connection, communion or link.

It is a meditation which I become the ruler of myself. A self-ruler over my mind and over my sense organs.

.

Who am I?

The consciousness which I sit brings about the next series of thoughts.

.

Ego. What is that? Anyone? (asking audience)

(Suggestions from the audience)

To protect ourselves.

Attachment to self.

Body consciousness.

I am right you are wrong.

...etc

.

These are attachments to the wrong image/belief about myself.

.

Who are you?

Are you your name, designation, qualifications,...etc. Your name is your label, not your identity. Your titles and roles are also not your identity.

.

When we hold on to something that we have to let go, there will be pain. We are then going against what we know is the truth. By doing so, we didn't enjoy the moments when we have that something. Everything is absolutely going to go one day. Fear of losing, fear of death,...etc.

.

Say "I" and some of us may picture our body. We say, my body is acheing, or I body acheing ? We don't say "I body acheing", because it is not 'I'   that is acheing, but our body.

.

One wrong consciousness can make everything go haywire.

.

Human Being.

'Human' is matter.

'Being' is energy.

.

'I' decide what to think, what to see.

The one who expresses himself through his body. I think, I create and speak through this body. My 'consciousness' or my 'body'. Any difference?

I am the 'programmer' (of my body).

The programmer has the power of the choice of instructions to feed into the computer that runs the robot.

.

In the morning, when you reach the office, you saw the security guard and you spoke to him, then you see the receptionist, and you spoke to him; then you spoke to your boss; then you spoke to the CEO.

.

Now, which of the four conversations comes from your real you?

(from audience)

The conversation with the security guard?

None?

If the conversations were made from your actual nature, it wouldn't have changed. 

.

I am a pure being walking into the office, I meet another pure being playing the role of a security guard, then another pure being playing the role of a receptionist...etc.

.

When a person got out of a car, are you speaking to the person or the car?

If you establish relationships based on what you have acquired in your lifetime would be doing it on temporary foundations.

.

It'll be more peaceful if you are the same to all four of them. Be yourself. You'll stop wearing masks and stop having to be polite. Soul consciousness helps us to connect to the other person. We seldom talk about the 'soul' in our daily life. It seems the word 'soul' only comes up in a spiritual discourse or in a funeral.

.

When you see the person as a spiritual being, that's the highest respect you can give to that person. 

.

Respect = re-spect.

.

If you live a life believing that you are a body-mother-wife, it'll be difficult to leave this body. It is akin to children who got attached to the dress.

.

What's the 'art of dying'? We speak about the 'art of living' more, but what's the 'art of dying'?

If you understand the art of dying, then death won't be painful. Detachment is living with the consciousness that you are a pure being.

.

We spend to much time on things that are not important.

At the time of dying, then do we realise that they are not taken care of. The rest which we have spent much time and taken care of, we will leave behind when we die.

.

Say if a few of us go around India in a train in our white saris. After a few days, the saris will be stained, but each sari is stained our own way. Same in life, though we started as pure beings, we developed differently and have different personalities. But the sari despite being stained, is still white. The soul despite having developed personality, is still pure. If you keep focusing on the stain, it will become worse. Focus on the white. That's the vibration we are going to send out.

.

I create thoughts which is the mind.

The mind evaluates, discriminates and decides (using the intellect). This will lead to action, and frequent actions form habits that will create personality traits.

.

Our personality traits are affected by:

Parents

Environment

Past

Own Will power

Our original nature.

.

Our original nature is peace, love, happiness, power, purity, knowledge of who I am and bliss.

Bliss is the pleasure beyond the sense organs.

.

Shift from body consciousness to soul consciousness. Try to remember who we are. After each hour, pause for one minute to remind who we are.

.

Medical science is trying to prove the presence of the soul through out-of-body, 'near death'  and past life regressions.

.

If our mind is stable (strong), we are not vulnerable and we are taken care of. Be soul conscious. Astrology...etc, doesn't have power over you. For instance, an astrologer may ask you to wear a stone, but that'll only work if you believe. So, who's doing the work? You or the stone?

.

From the audience: How about the Year 2012, Dec 23?

.

Yes, what about? Whatever that time means, what can you do about it? Just enjoy now. *laughters*

.

I can remember everyone, even people I don't like, but I can't remember Him. Why when I quieten to remember him, the mind starts to wonder?  That's because we don't know who is the Supreme Power. He himself will give his introduction which will be accurate. Others give the introduction based on their own experience. God resides in us. God is omnipresent. We are all Gods. 

.

What is said of God is heard, read and passed down from generations to generations. We have to experience it for ourselves. When was the last time you experience divinity?

.

In entropy, order will turn to chaos. There is then an external supreme intervention that is accepted by everyone.

.

From the symbol of light, we build a stone, then a temple of diety, then man worship nature and then worship human beings, like Mahatma Gandhi.

.

Therefore connect to Him as He is, not as the person I connect in the middle.

.

I am a peaceful soul. I am in an ocean of peace.

.

Brahma Kumaris talk by Sister Shivani Verna

22 April 2009

This are my notes of the talk by Sister Shivani Verna from the Brahma Kumaris in Singapore. They are written as in the first person for easy reading, but it is not an ad verbatim recording of what Sister Shivani spoke of during the seminar.

.

Clean the slate. Freshen the mind.

Be in the present. Delete what is not needed for now.

What is important now?

What we share is our way to transformation.

.

* One minute silence *

.

I am a peaceful soul. 

Here to find if problems be solved.

I am a powerful being. Do you feel it? How do I become a powerful being?

Who am I?

I am a mother.

I am an MNC professional.

I am...

In the role you play, you are powerful.

But as a being, you are powerful.

Do you know what is it to be a 'being'?

Why is it important to know who am I?

The deepest meaning - 'I' is:

Self - confidence?

Self - motivation?

Self - esteem?

Self - respect?

Self - centred?

.

So many words. I know what they are?

These are words we use everyday, and yet we are still not clear of what they are.

Self-confidence is confidence in what I do. 

.

Self-respect - not sure what it is. Is it ego?

.

It is the word 'self' that is not clear.

'I' - What do you see when you hear the word 'I'?

Do we think of a picture of ourselves?

I am a human-being. If we relate that to the body and what we do, then we have become 'human-doing' (not 'human-being').

.

(For instance) How would it be if I am this costume? (pointing to the white sari she wears).

If the costume is dirty, does it mean that 'I' am dirty?

(Clearly) There is a being underneath the costume.

So when people criticise, don't take it so personally.

.

When a person dies, who dies?

The body dies. Take a distance from the death.

.

One wrong idea (of identifying with the body) in the consciousness and one live a life of Fear.

So, when someone say something about what I am doing, I feel hurt. I get disturbed, as I always want to be perfect. But who got disturbed? If I am disturbed, that means I look at 'me' as the doing part. If I remain stable, I remain perfect.

.

How about the positive comments about what we do?

Do we do something to feel good?

Job satisfaction - does it mean to do something to feel good.

We should feel good first, then do something. Otherwise, we are looking at energy from outside to inside. That is, 'I do this, I feel happy', or 'I buy this, I feel happy'.

.

Energy is flowing from 'inside' out, because the creator is the being.

Can this flower give me happiness?

It can only give what it has. If we seek from outside, we become dependent. How about people? Can people give me happiness? Can we suck happiness out of people? This leads to 'I want'.

They will radiate only what you think you 'have not' and what 'you want'. 

.

(So) You didn't buy me a gift for my birthday meant you don't love me(?)

.

I am also a walking radiator of energy. When you are happy, you radiate the energy to another person. 

.

So from where do I get my happiness?

'I am a happy being'.

The glass is already full. Make sure it doesn't spill.

.

Homework: To cross 24 hours without getting disturbed with any situation. 

.

Where does happiness fit in your priority list? How many people get happiness from their salaries? If you do, be careful because salaries do fluctuate. For some people, their self-esteem comes from their salary - the attachment to the figure (salary). 

Is this how I feel about myself? 

How can I face society now? 

How will people treat me now?

Will the praises stop?

.

What I say about you, how I see you, how I feel today, forms the filter of my feelings when I am seeing you. 

.

Can I say something nice?

Is the food good?

.

Do not take each one to what they are saying about you. Know about yourself and not get affected by what others say. This is going to be more so when more people are in pain. Others talk about me and I am going around justifying that it doesn't work. Let people think what they want. Truth will automatically reveal itself. 

.

Remain stable. It doesn't mean no response, but a stable response. When I am stable, I have the power to change. When you are in pain, you can't change. Don't handle people. Handling one person is enough. That one person is yourself.

.

Questions from the audience:

Q: I see two persons drowning - my wife and my mother, which one should I save?

.

Reply: I can do anything to anyone when I am not sucked into something. You have a belief that you have to save one. (Typically, in a domestic problem) Let them sort out their own problems. Get both the mother and the wife to sit together to talk. If they are not sitting together, it doesn't get solved. Only speak the truth when both sides are present.

.

Note that, "My perspective to reveal" is different from "My perspective to show you are wrong". 

.

After revealing your perspective, let the other person respond. Don't interfere with his journey. We are only in-charged of our own journey. It is like the dance you watch before this. If each of the dancer is going to worry about the steps of the other dancers, she'll not be able to dance her own steps. So don't worry about the other person. We are often writing the other person's script, then while doing so, my scene has passed.

.

Keep an open mind during the talk. No verdict before the talk, otherwise you won't be listening.

.

Why am I working?

To survive?

To experience happiness?

Try giving happiness to others without feeling happy. Take 1 mintue to heal myself, then work. Take care of yourself, the rest takes care of itself. I'll take care of one person. I experience it on the way out (by giving).

.

The seminar ended here.

.

On the way out, each of us get a beautifully folded message and an Indian sweet (cookie).

It looks like this:

.

When the folds open up, it says:

.

Read about "Blissful Scripts", click here.

For more of such posts, click here.