Brahmakumari Sister Jayanti on cultivating values in everyday life

[Ajay0]

An insightful article by Sister Jayanti Kirpalani, an administrative leader of the Prajapita Brahmakumaris, on cultivating values in everyday life...

https://svbrahmakumaris.org/1859/

How to cultivate values in everyday life?

Answer:

Each morning, making time for silence to connect with the inner being gives the experience of the original qualities of the self – which are peace, love, truth, purity and happiness. As I connect with these innate qualities, and emerge them in my awareness, I remember that this is my own original, true state of being. Through the day I am then able to bring them back to my awareness and implement and experience these values in my life – in my work, with my family and friends and in the way I respond to what is happening around me.

It is still very easy to lose sight of things – even what's important to us personally – in the hurly-burly of activity throughout the day. So, taking a short pause every hour on the hour is a good way to remind the self of these inner values and connect the self with the inner core of my being. It is then possible for me, if necessary, to get myself back on track quickly and empower myself to follow these in my life.

If it's not so easy to pause every hour, then perhaps I can at least remind myself to go inwards, whenever I give water or food to my body to nourish it. During that time I can take the opportunity to nourish the soul too, and replenish the awareness of these inner values again and again.

At the end of the day it's extremely useful to do an audit for the self. I ask myself the question: Could I have done something differently? Was there something more I could have said or done to stay true to my own inner values? By the next day, we have usually forgotten everything. So to do this self-audit at night, while the day can still emerge in my awareness, means that I can learn the lessons that the drama of life has taught me today. If a mistake was made, let me take the learning from it. If I witnessed outstanding or unexpected kindness or inner strength in another, let me take that as an example for myself to follow. In this way, I am reviewing and understanding the actions and interactions of the day and at the same time actively renewing my commitment and passion for the next day.

-Sister Jayanti

Inspired Stillness (BK Publications)

The main points of the article can be summarized in sequential order as...


Morning meditation and contemplation of values .

Pausing and focusing at periodic intervals during the day to re-orient oneself in terms of these values.

Performing an audit and self-review at night to identify any shortcomings in actions on the basis of these values.

Based on self-analysis, learning and correcting oneself if needed.

Self-motivating oneself in terms of commitment and enthusiasm to the given values for the next day.

[Tak]

I loved the article! Thank you so much for sharing. It's really a great exercise and it's exactly what I've been doing lately.

Every day, after doing some stretching and breathing exercises in the morning, I take a few minutes to give thanks. I thank my body for being the vehicle of consciousness that allows me to grow. To my mind, and my spirit also, simply for being part of existence and helping me expand. I transmit love and good energy to my body and my entire being, bringing light to each of my cells.
I remember that everything is Consciousness and that nothing is outside of Consciousness. That I'm not alone, but rather part of a larger organism, of which I am an integral part.
I remind myself that every person is an aspect of God, experiencing from a new and unique perspective, and that I must respect others' paths, no matter how different they may be from mine. There's something to learn from everyone, even from the most complicated people. This develops a lot of patience and tolerance.
And most importantly, I remind myself that I never left my True Home and that I only need to learn how to access it through the veils of the physical world. In fact, I believe it's the great and final challenge.

At night, I do the same exercise of reviewing my own attitudes during the day and how many times I get lost in the labyrinths of the ego and in reactions that don't seem like mine. I don't judge myself and I wrap myself in love, trying to understand why it happened, why I reacted that way, why I said what I said. I do a self-analysis, trying to find the best solution. If I don't find it, I invoke the higher aspects of my consciousness to slowly give me the answers and show me the way.

I feel that doing all this is important and it only takes a few minutes (although I like to spend hours immersed in reflection), but it's not necessary.
A few minutes can make a big difference in life, and the world could be a better place for everyone.

[LightBeam]

These are great self focus exercises. I found that after a while doing these daily, eventually this type of focus becomes automatic and I call it meditating with my eyes open, every minute of every day no matter what am I doing. I am perceiving myself and this physical reality projection through broader lenses and I am self aware of who and what/where I am at all time. It's a pretty powerful state of mind to be in without "life" interruptions, because you understand that "life" is a part of the equation and you mobilize all your parts (consciousness/subconsciousness/ego/higher self/all that is) to work in tandem.

[Frostytraveler]

These are great self focus exercises. I found that after a while doing these daily, eventually this type of focus becomes automatic and I call it meditating with my eyes open, every minute of every day no matter what am I doing. I am perceiving myself and this physical reality projection through broader lenses and I am self aware of who and what/where I am at all time. It's a pretty powerful state of mind to be in without "life" interruptions, because you understand that "life" is a part of the equation and you mobilize all your parts (consciousness/subconsciousness/ego/higher self/all that is) to work in tandem.

I did this over the Summer with long hikes in the woods. I find it easier to meditate with eyes open in nature, vs in a city or town where cars, people and human structures are everywhere.