 The Daily Guardian

When we change our consciousness, we begin changing our karma, and our destiny.&nbsp;Imagine holding a ball in your hand. The ball is in your control. You can throw it gently or strongly, in one direction or another. In the same way, before we express a thought, feeling, word or action, we have a choice. Our thoughts, intentions, words, and behavior are karma. The moment we release this energy into the world, it is no longer in our control. It has become a cause, and eventually that cause will have a consequence. The ball we throw represents karma, while the ball returning to us represents destiny.The returning ball may appear in many forms: situations, relationships, people, circumstances, work, health or other experiences that come into our lives. We may look at something happening to us and ask, "Why is this happening to me?" From the perspective of karma, we can understand it differently. This may be a ball that we have thrown at some point and that has now returned to us. We may not remember when we threw it. It could have been years ago. Not remembering the action does not mean that the karmic account does not exist.We may have been in one body, in a past life, when we created a particular karma, and may be in a different body, in a new life, when its consequence arrives. But the soul remains the creator of karma. The body changes, while the soul continues its journey. Therefore, when a karmic consequence returns, instead of asking, "Why me?", we can say, "This is a karmic account returning to me. What matters now is what I choose to create."This understanding takes us out of victim consciousness. Life is not simply about what is coming to me. Life is about what I am creating in response to what is coming to me.There are always three dimensions: the past, the present and the future. The past is returning to us in the form of present circumstances. The present is where we are creating new karma. The future will be shaped by what we create now.Sometimes we notice the same patterns repeating in our lives: the same kind of rejection, relationship issue, disappointment at work, or the same kind of conflict. We may ask, "Why does this keep happening to me?" We can look at our own response. If I receive an unpleasant karmic ball and throw back the same energy, what have I created? Another similar karmic ball.If someone behaves aggressively toward me and I respond with anger, I have continued the energy of conflict. But what happens if I change my response? I can create the thought, “I choose to remain peaceful. I send you good wishes." The original situation may have been unpleasant, but my new response creates a different karma. I have changed the ball I am throwing, and therefore I have begun changing my future.This does not mean denying someone's behaviour or pretending that something inappropriate did not happen. It means refusing to strengthen negative energy through our own thoughts.A blessing is not merely a pleasant sentence. It is a high-vibration thought, a pure and elevated intention directed toward another soul. The first person who benefits from this blessing is the self. If I think angry thoughts, I experience anger. If I think of peace, I experience the peace. When we change our thoughts toward another person, we begin healing ourselves. And when we become peaceful, that peaceful energy can also influence the other person and the relationship.At first, changing our thoughts may feel difficult. But the mind can be trained. As children, we learned to say "thank you." Our parents repeated it until it became natural. In the same way, we can train the mind to create positive thoughts in difficult situations. With repetition, the new thought becomes easier.Karma can therefore be understood not merely as a law of reward and punishment, but as an invitation to become conscious creators. The past does not have to dictate what we create in the present.When we change our consciousness, we begin changing our karma and, consequently, our destiny. By repeatedly choosing peace, love, respect, forgiveness and good wishes, we gradually transform not only our own inner world but also the energy of our relationships and the atmosphere around us.<img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:176/198;width:8.81%;" src="https://d3dfjidmqdc9yy.cloudfront.net/images-prod/BK_Shivani_d413054e7a.png" alt="BK Shivani.png" width="176" height="198">B.K. Shivani is a well-known motivational speaker and Rajyoga teacher.

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To change your destiny, change your karma

To live as guest is to live with gratitude, responsibility, and detachment.&nbsp;Many spiritual traditions advise that we should live in the world like a guest. Living like a guest does not mean becoming cold, detached from people, or abandoning our responsibilities. It means changing our relationship with them.A guest receives everything with gratitude, uses what is needed with respect, and does not cling to or possess anything. This simple awareness can transform the way we live. When we see ourselves as guests in this world, we can appreciate people, relationships, and material things without becoming dependent on them for our happiness.Much of our sorrow, fear, and anxiety arises from attachment. We want to hold on to people, possessions, positions, and circumstances, and when we fear losing them, our peace disappears. The more we try to possess a person or object, the more afraid we become of losing them. Detachment, on the other hand, means loving and caring without the desire to possess or control.Whatever we have — our home, wealth, talents, relationships, responsibilities, and even our body — has been entrusted to us for a period of time. We can use everything wisely, care for it and appreciate it, while remembering that nothing is permanently ours.We came into this world without material possessions, and one day we will leave without taking any of them with us. Remembering this can help us reconsider what is truly valuable. Peace, love, good relationships, inner contentment and the fulfilment that comes from living a meaningful and purposeful life are treasures that cannot be measured by what we own.From a spiritual perspective, the soul's real wealth is what it develops within itself. Qualities such as purity, truth, integrity, kindness, generosity, and happiness become part of our character. When we invest our time and energy in developing these inner resources, we are enriching ourselves in a way that is far more lasting than accumulating possessions. These qualities accompany the soul beyond the present life and influence its future journey.Material possessions, titles, qualifications, and positions have their value while we are here, but they remain behind when we leave our body. What remains with the soul is the quality of consciousness we have cultivated and the actions we have performed.This awareness teaches us to live fully while holding everything lightly. We can love people without possessing them, serve without expecting something in return, and achieve success without becoming arrogant.When we understand who we truly are — a spiritual being temporarily using the body and playing our part in this world — our priorities begin to change. We become less concerned with holding on and more willing to give. Less fearful of losing and more grateful for what we have been given.To live as a guest is to live with gratitude, responsibility, and detachment. We use what has been entrusted to us well, appreciate those who share our journey, and continually invest in the one treasure that truly belongs to us: the inner qualities of the soul.When the soul learns to let go, peace becomes its natural state.<img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:214/262;width:11.32%;" src="https://d3dfjidmqdc9yy.cloudfront.net/images-prod/Dr_Savita_Didi_d2177ac711.png" alt="Dr.Savita Didi.png" width="214" height="262">B.K. Dr. Savita is a Raja yoga teacher at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Abu Road, Rajasthan.

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Live in this world as a guest

Meditation is the tool to eradicate the negative influence of the past.&nbsp;Spiritual freedom is very different from worldly freedom. There is no universal definition of worldly freedom. Everyone has their own definition of what freedom in life looks like.When it comes to spiritual freedom, there is a universal definition. Spiritual freedom means freedom from the legacy of our bondage. All our problems and issues, and not least our mental issues, have their roots in the past. It may be from the childhood, but also from earlier lives. The seeds for what we are experiencing now have been sown in the past. The issues we have reflect the accumulation of traces over time. They can also come in the form of worry or stress, or burdens of feeling sorrow or depression. It is rare for someone to have a stable mind and stay in the same mood or state all the time. The mind is subjected to all kinds of fluctuations. We have no clue as to why a feeling or mood arises, because it is buried deeply in our past. But one important teaching of spirituality is that none of this is random or without reason. It happens for a reason – there is a root cause for anything that goes on in our mind. We cannot understand it always – we cannot remember what may have influenced us in our childhood, but we carry the influences with us throughout our lives.Imagine the self without any past or history – just arriving brand new here in the world. If we had absolutely no imprints from the past, what would we be? We would be in the internal, innate light of the soul, which is peace, happiness, bliss, and contentment, and the feeling of freedom would be innate. In such a state we would not even be aware of this freedom, it would be natural for us. Freedom becomes ‘a thing’ when we do not experience it - when we feel we are held in bondage. Some bondage is very tangible and others are very subtle. It is not just mental states that are impacted but also our reaction patterns and habits; our ways of interacting with others. We have certain tendencies and habits that we would really like to change, but it is very difficult to do so, because they are being used to compensate for some deficiency within us. Being deficient in peace, security, and contentment gives birth to worry and stress. Unless and until we are able to replenish ourselves and become peaceful and secure and have a good amount of love and respect for ourselves, we will not be able to be free of these deficiency symptoms which express themselves in our mental state and in our actions, interactions, and our personality.We will need to somehow reduce or eradicate the impact of our legacy to be able to exercise our free will. The tug of war that takes place in a spiritual life is between the intellect, that holds our values, willpower and determination, and the legacy of our past. The conditioning from the past constitutes a kind of force that is opposing our intellect. The intellect wants us to rise above the conditioning from the past, and the conditioning is pulling us down repeatedly.I do not think we can accomplish this task of transformation without meditation. Meditation is really the tool to weaken or eradicate the influence of the past. However, it cannot do the whole job. The power to change comes from the cognitive level. We have to have self-realisation to see what has to be changed, and this takes great honesty and humility. Those who are stubborn and resist change cannot be changed even with the help of meditation. To fully transform, we need to make a conscious decision to live by our values.Meditation is like a complete medicine; one remedy for lots of issues – worries, waste thoughts, heaviness, resentment, and an endless list of sufferings. This does not happen overnight, but the influences will be weakened and eventually disappear. It is when they are gone that we can really say we are free. That is when we experience no more sadness, fear, or loneliness - we experience a constant stage of pleasure, contentment, and bliss. It becomes our new nature – our original nature – made up of the innate qualities of the soul, of love, peace, and security. That is the inner light that shines through when we have removed all the legacies of the past.<img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:142/155;width:8.06%;" src="https://d3dfjidmqdc9yy.cloudfront.net/images-prod/viggo_simonsen_7709905d36.jpg" alt="viggo simonsen.jpg" width="142" height="155">B.K Viggo Simonsen is an IT consultant and manages the Brahma Kumaris centre in Denmark.

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Freedom in life

Are we trapped in appearances or we recognize reality?Across time, cultures, and languages, human beings have asked the same profound questions:&nbsp;Who am I? What is the nature of reality? How can I know what is truly real? What is a good life?From the dawn of civilisation, we have looked at the world and wondered. "Is it in human capacity to awaken to a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world?”In the Western tradition, this search for truth found one of its most powerful expressions in ancient&nbsp;Greek philosophy. The word&nbsp;philosophy&nbsp;itself is Greek:&nbsp;philo =&nbsp;love, and&nbsp;sophia=&nbsp;wisdom.The&nbsp;pre-Socratic&nbsp;philosophers were mainly concerned with nature, the origin and order of the&nbsp;cosmos, and the fundamental principles underlying the physical world, moving from mythological explanations towards reason and inquiry.With&nbsp;Socrates, the emphasis shifted towards the human being: the ‘experiencer’ of the world, the one who seeks and choses to live a virtuous life. As he famously said,&nbsp;“An unexamined life is not worth living.”&nbsp;Plato, his admirer and student, carried these questions further.&nbsp;What if appearances are not reality?&nbsp;Is it possible to distinguish what is real? For Plato, education was a&nbsp;turning of the whole person towards what is real, rather than accumulating knowledge.He expressed this journey through dialogues and allegories. In his dialogue of&nbsp;‘The Republic’, through the Allegory of the Sun, the Divided Line,&nbsp;and the Allegory of the Cave, Plato presents a powerful image of the human condition and our journey towards reality.In the Allegory of the Cave, Socrates asks his student: Imagine people who have lived since childhood deep inside a cave, chained so that they cannot turn around. All they can see all their lives is the wall in front of them. Behind and above them is a fire, and between the fire and the prisoners, people carry objects whose shadows are projected onto the wall. Having known nothing else, the prisoners — who are none others than us — take these shadows for reality.This is the first level within the cave:&nbsp;a world of&nbsp;shadows and appearances, where what we experience through the senses seems to be the whole of reality. But there is another level within the cave. One prisoner is released and forced to turn around. With pain and difficulty, he discovers the fire and the objects producing the shadows. What he had believed to be reality is revealed to be only an image of something else. Yet he is still inside the cave. Plato shows us that what we take to be reality may itself be only a representation of something deeper and more real.The prisoner is then dragged out of the cave. At first, the light is painful, but gradually his vision adjusts. He can now see reflections, then the things themselves, and finally the sun, the cause of everything else. The journey is, therefore, not simply from one place to another, but from&nbsp;one way of seeing to another, from shadows to appearances, to a clearer apprehension of what truly is.Behind this journey lies Plato’s distinction between the physical world of the senses in which all things are changing and imperfect. Beyond them, Plato proposes eternal realities — such as beauty, justice and equality. A beautiful thing may change or disappear, but beauty itself does not. Ultimately, just as the sun makes seeing possible in the visible world, the Spiritual Sun — God — makes knowledge and understanding possible in the spiritual world. The journey towards truth is not simply an escape from the world, but a transformation of our vision — and ultimately a responsibility to help others. The prisoner decides to return to the cave to release the prisoners.Two and a half thousand years later, this ancient journey is still&nbsp;our story. Perhaps we can now ask:&nbsp;Where is my interest and attention? What am I looking at?If my attention, and so my awareness, is constantly fixed on the “wall” of the cave — on appearances, beliefs, stories and images — I become trapped within these interpretations of my own mind without recognizing that they are shaped by the shadows I have taken for reality.Turning inwards can be painful. Yet, when we become ready to question our assumptions about reality, a deeper clarity becomes possible. A teacher will appear through people, situations, or moments in our lives.The journey from the shadows towards reality is therefore not only Plato’s journey. It is ours.<img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:201/216;width:9.04%;" src="https://d3dfjidmqdc9yy.cloudfront.net/images-prod/Anna_Doiliani_075d32d0c5.jpg" alt="Anna Doiliani.jpg" width="201" height="216">Anna Doiliani is a teacher of Greek literature and philosophy. She spent 20 years coordinating Brahma Kumaris activities in the Middle East and is now based in Greece, her native country.

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Plato’s Cave and our search for reality

Rajyoga is a spiritual method of experiencing a living connection with god.Rajyoga is not merely a technique of meditation; it is an art of living rightly, thinking positively, and becoming empowered from within.Many people wish to remember God, but as soon as they sit down to meditate, the mind begins to wander. This does not mean that the mind cannot be concentrated. Rather, it means that we have not yet understood the method and psychology behind concentration and practised it sufficiently. Just as reading recipes for cooking does not make one a good cook, merely knowing about meditation is not enough; it has to be practised.Today, the word “yoga” is associated primarily with physical postures and breathing exercises. The word yoga essentially means union or connection. In Rajyoga, this means the union or connection between the soul and the Supreme Soul. To experience this connection, it is necessary to understand the soul, the Supreme, and the relationship between them.We often use mantra chanting, prayer beads, devotional songs or recitations as methods of remembering God. These practices are not wrong in themselves, but merely repeating words does not necessarily mean that the mind has become connected with the Divine. The mind is highly creative. While the hand may continue moving the beads and the mouth may continue repeating a mantra, the mind can wander elsewhere. Therefore, instead of merely repeating a mantra, it is more meaningful to understand its significance and enter into the feeling behind it.Rajyoga makes remembrance of God a living relationship. It is not enough simply to say that God is our Father or Mother; the relationship has to be experienced. When we regard the Supreme as our Father, Friend and well-wisher and converse with Him, remembrance becomes more natural. We do not need a mantra to remember someone we deeply love. Similarly, an intimate relationship with the Supreme can make remembrance spontaneous.This process of meditation can be understood through four stages. The first is soul-consciousness — recognising ourselves not merely as physical bodies, but as conscious, peaceful and pure souls. The body is a medium through which we function; the soul is the conscious being within it, responsible for our thoughts, feelings, and experiences. When we see ourselves as souls, it becomes easier to understand our relationship with the Supreme.The second stage is God-consciousness. Having understood the nature of the soul, we turn our attention towards the Supreme. For this, we can use the “third eye” — the faculty of understanding and visualisation. Just as we can create an inner picture of an event while listening to a story, we can visualise the Supreme as a point of divine light and as the source of peace, purity, and spiritual power.The third stage is developing a relationship with the Supreme. Rajyoga encourages us not to approach God merely as helpless seekers asking for favours, but to recognise ourselves as His children and heirs. Instead of repeatedly asking for peace, strength, or happiness, we practise experiencing ourselves as peaceful, powerful, and joyful souls. Such positive thoughts and affirmations can gradually influence our behaviour and deeply rooted patterns.The fourth stage is conversation with the Supreme. Prayer need not be limited to memorized words; it can become a heartfelt conversation filled with love, gratitude, and intimacy. The person or idea with which we constantly connect influences our thoughts and behavior. Similarly, contemplating the qualities of the Supreme can inspire us to imbibe qualities such as peace, love, tolerance, and inner strength.Thus, Rajyoga is not a practice confined to a particular religion or ritual, but a spiritual method of experiencing a living connection with the Supreme. Its essence is not merely to repeat words, but to understand, connect, experience, and ultimately bring that experience into our daily lives. With regular practice, meditation can cease to be something we simply “do” for a few minutes and become an art of living.<img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:162/205;width:11.2%;" src="https://d3dfjidmqdc9yy.cloudfront.net/images-prod/BK_Anita_6dc994e210.jpg" alt="BK Anita.jpg" width="162" height="205">B.K. Anita is a Rajyoga teacher based in Chandigarh.

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Rajyoga: The art of connecting with the Supreme

The real source of our strength and well-being lies within us.&nbsp;The soul is an eternal, spiritual being whose original nature is pure, peaceful, loving, and joyful. These qualities are not something that the soul needs to acquire from the outside. They are already present within, but as the soul increasingly identifies itself with the body, its roles, possessions, and relationships, it gradually forgets its original identity.The spiritual journey, therefore, is not so much about becoming something new as it is about remembering what we already are.When we feel disturbed, unhappy, or empty, we may believe that peace or happiness has been taken away from us. We may search for better circumstances, possessions, or relationships, hoping that these will give us what we are missing. Such searching takes us outward, while the real source of our strength and well-being lies within.In Rajyoga meditation, one of the first steps is to recognize the self as a soul rather than merely as a physical body. The body has a name, gender, age, nationality, and many social identities. These identities are necessary for functioning in the world, but they are not the deepest identity of the self.The soul is a conscious, spiritual being. It is the one who thinks, chooses, feels, experiences, and directs the body. When we consciously shift our awareness from “I am this body” to “I am a soul, a spiritual being,” a subtle transformation begins.Instead of measuring ourselves through external circumstances, we begin to connect with qualities that are deeper: peace, love, purity, and happiness.The soul's original qualities can become covered by layers of thoughts, habits, and memories. Over time, we may start to believe that stress is natural, or anger is inevitable.For example, when the mind becomes filled with unnecessary thoughts, worries, comparisons, and expectations, peace seems to disappear. Yet peace has not actually been destroyed. It has simply become obscured.Similarly, when we experience conflict in a relationship, love may seem distant. But love itself has not disappeared. It has been covered by hurt, fear, ego, or attachment.If we believe that peace has been lost, we will search for it outside. But if we understand that peace is an original quality of the soul, we can turn inward and reconnect with it.The spiritual journey is therefore a journey from forgetting to remembering.External situations may influence us, but they do not have to determine our inner state. This does not mean ignoring life’s realities or pretending that difficulties do not exist. Rather, it means developing the inner awareness and spiritual strength to respond to situations without allowing them to control our consciousness.Love, peace, and happiness can then be experienced not as the results of a successful life, but as qualities that can be awakened whenever we want, for as long as we want, through a strong and stable spiritual awareness.<img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:192/210;width:12.03%;" src="https://d3dfjidmqdc9yy.cloudfront.net/images-prod/BK_Usha_7ee3ae04c4.jpg" alt="BK Usha.jpg" width="192" height="210">B.K. Usha is a Rajyoga teacher at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Abu Road, Rajasthan.

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From forgetting to remembering

Being benevolent and loving to all is the natural state of the soul.&nbsp;There is a call of our times, to find a way to be less easily disturbed by everything that is happening around us. The world is chaotic and things are happening that we never thought possible. It is a time of great significance, and we must learn how to detach from the negative forces at play and yet hold a loving and benevolent attitude to all peoples. Charles Darwin, in his ‘On the Origin of Species’, noted that in times of chaos, and huge change, it is not the most educated or the most intelligent that survive – it is those who can adapt to change. The world is the way it is, we cannot change it, but we can change our responses to what is happening and learn to adapt.Most of us are completely at the mercy of the outside world. When we see injustice or hear criticism, or are suddenly flooded with old memories, how does our mood change? We are not in control of our minds and feelings. We can ask ourselves, “Who is running my inner kingdom, my inner world?” How does my mind work? Spirituality is the journey to reclaim my inner kingdom with love and wisdom, not force and control.The way to do this is to learn to be an observer and not an absorber; fully engaged with life and people but free from any influence they may be exerting on us. In relationships with other people, I can be a benevolent observer. This is only possible if I am detached.For myself, I must become an honest observer. We all have weaknesses that we may be in denial of, but the biggest blind spot is of being in denial of our inner beauty. So many good and lovely people cannot see their value and worth. When I become an honest observer, I see the beauty and what needs to change.To become naturally detached and loving, I need to dive deeply into my spiritual practices.<ol><li class="ck-list-marker-font-size ck-list-marker-color ck-list-marker-font-family" style="--ck-content-list-marker-color:hsl(220,9%,46%);--ck-content-list-marker-font-family:Metropolis Medium;--ck-content-list-marker-font-size:20px;font-family:Metropolis Medium;" data-list-item-id="eccdd0a1a1cc57e05d3626f8b9708c6a6">To know my true self. We do this by converting what we ‘know’ into an experience. Eighty per cent of people in the world believe they are more than the physical body, but have they experienced the truth of that? The soul is a point, having no dimensions, eternal, immortal, incorporeal. The more I am able to feel the truth of this, everything of the physical has less influence over me. It is a natural consequence.</li><li class="ck-list-marker-font-size ck-list-marker-color ck-list-marker-font-family" style="--ck-content-list-marker-color:hsl(220,9%,46%);--ck-content-list-marker-font-family:Metropolis Medium;--ck-content-list-marker-font-size:20px;font-family:Metropolis Medium;" data-list-item-id="e3702c4716f7f46ed09cbb55ce75baa92">The development of a deep and loving relationship with the Divine, God. The more I remember God, as He is, a point of pure energy of love, I begin to live stream those vibrations and feel sustained and full and thereby less influenced by anything external.</li></ol>In fact, detachment is the natural state of the soul. Being benevolent and loving to all is also the natural state of the soul. However, the more I attach my heart to things or people, the less freedom I have to remain in this natural state. Tolstoy said that freedom is the innate nature of the human spirit. When we feel empty, we will attach to anything that gives us support, but we will feel trapped at the same time, because when that support is taken away, for whatever reason, we are lost and empty once more. When we have spiritual fullness, we feel free, because we need nothing from anyone or anything. We all want to be loved and to be able to love in freedom.&nbsp; When I have full self-respect, based on the awareness of who I am, I begin to behave in the way I believe to be right and true. This increases my self-respect and enables me to love others with deep respect. The source of this spiritual love is God.The more love I am able to receive from the Divine, he more I am detached from the physical. The more I am detached, the more I can be truly loving. The more I am truly loving, the more my self-respect increases and the fuller I feel. I become naturally uninfluenced, unaffected or impacted, and yet full of benevolence and love. It is absolutely possible – it just takes practice.<img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:204/190;width:9.46%;" src="https://d3dfjidmqdc9yy.cloudfront.net/images-prod/BK_Charlie_Hogg_2bfdf163b5.png" alt="BK Charlie Hogg.png" width="204" height="190">B.K Charlie Hogg based in Sydney, is the National Coordinator, Brahma Kumaris, Australia.

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The spiritual art of living in a detached & loving way

When we are spiritually healthy, our mental and physical health naturally improve.&nbsp;The mind is one of the faculties of the soul. People say the mind is like a horse; it keeps running. We cannot stop our thoughts completely, but on the basis of knowledge, with our intellect, we can create positive thoughts, benevolent thoughts. Our thoughts arise on the basis of our ‘sanskars’, or from what we see, what we hear, and what interests us. If we give direction to our thoughts, and if our thoughts become positive and constructive, a great transformation can take place.There is a deep connection between the body and the mind. If our mind is healthy, the body will also be healthy. Through meditation we can have a disease-free body, as meditation helps us become carefree and worry-free. Worry, anxiety, and stress are major causes of illness today.Our diet is also important. Earlier, in the 1960s, people used to say, "You should have an animal-based diet." But now the world is turning to plant-based diets. We need fruits, vegetables, and sattvic food. The food we have nourishes not only the body but also the mind.We also need to be mindful. Earlier, multitasking was fashionable — people wanted to do many things at once. They would talk on the phone while listening to a devotional song, and have a newspaper in front of them at the same time. But science now says that when you are doing something, remain mindful in that moment. Stay in the moment of the activity you are performing.Even when eating, taste every bite and enjoy it. What is our state of mind while having food? If we are cheerful and light, then naturally we will eat less. Nowadays, people who are depressed or sad often try to fill their emptiness with food. If there is worry, hurry, or restlessness in the mind, we will neither have the food properly nor receive the necessary nourishment. That is why we are now advised mindful eating.And science now says that people who live with gratitude — they regularly express thankfulness — enjoy its health benefits and may live longer. While having food, there should be gratitude in the mind. If there is too much mental activity and the speed of our thoughts becomes excessive, our physiology is affected. The stress hormones that are secreted affect our digestion.Then comes our behavior, which is important for mental health. Behavior means our relationships. How well-connected are we? When there is a sense of belonging, a feeling of being connected, it protects us from many things, including stress and loneliness. One of the greatest problems today is loneliness. People feel that there is no one for them. The feeling of loneliness can become a cause of ill health because people cannot express themselves and share the burden on their minds or the difficulties they are experiencing.If the mind is heavy or confused, we do not sleep properly. Sleep is important for resetting the body. It is not only about quantity — lying in bed for a certain number of hours. What is the quality of our sleep? How deep was the sleep? And when we woke up in the morning, were we fresh? Did we feel rejuvenated?Next comes physical activity. Physical activity not only gives energy to the body but also keeps the mind cheerful. Sometimes we neglect physical activity. Walking, exercise, pranayama, yoga — all these are necessary for the body.When the soul becomes spiritually healthy, we become healthy for many lives, as the soul carries with it its healthy qualities.Spiritual health brings happiness, but we should ask ourselves: do we remain constantly happy? We should be stable in all circumstances. In the Gita, God tells Arjuna that the true yogi is unaffected by praise or criticism, gain or loss, sorrow or happiness, heat or cold. This is true spiritual health. Spiritual health is like a compass. It represents our core values and gives us direction. We have to walk in that direction and remain firm in it.When we are spiritually healthy, our mental and physical health naturally improve. Think of a pyramid. The foundation at the bottom is spiritual health. When that foundation is strong, nothing can shake us.<img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:185/196;width:6.96%;" src="https://d3dfjidmqdc9yy.cloudfront.net/images-prod/dr_pratap_midha_f62c0d3d61.jpg" alt="dr pratap midha.jpg" width="185" height="196">B.K Dr. Pratap Midha is Medical Director of the Global Hospital and Research Centre in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.

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Spiritual health is the foundation of a healthy life

When we respond peacefully to someone, we first experience that peace ourselves.&nbsp;Our inner world is constantly being shaped by what we think, feel, and express. Each thought, word, and action is an energy that first influences the self before reaching anyone else. This tells us that what we choose to share with others ultimately becomes the atmosphere we create within ourselves.Peace, love, happiness, and respect are not feelings that arise by chance. They are spiritual qualities inherent in the soul. When we consciously choose to express these virtues in our interactions, we are not giving away something that diminishes our own store. Rather, we are drawing these qualities from within and strengthening them through use. Just as a muscle becomes stronger with exercise, spiritual virtues become more powerful when they are practiced.When we respond peacefully to someone instead of reacting in anger, we first experience that peace ourselves. In this way, every positive thought we create becomes a blessing for the self before it benefits others. The energy we radiate also creates vibrations around us, contributing to a harmonious atmosphere at home, at work, and in society.We share only what we possess. If we distribute love, it is because love already exists within us. If we spread happiness, it is because happiness is our inner state.The opposite is equally true. If we repeatedly express anger, resentment, criticism, or hatred, these emotions do not begin outside us. They are first generated in our own mind. Before harsh words hurt another person, they disturb our own peace. Every negative thought leaves an imprint on our consciousness, gradually becoming a habit and eventually a personality trait. The more frequently we express such energies, the deeper they become rooted within us, diminishing our inner happiness.Positive thoughts create positive karmic accounts, while negative thoughts create inner unrest and conflict. Therefore, maintaining purity in our thoughts is not merely an ethical choice but a practical way to protect our own peace and well-being.One of the most empowering realizations is that our inner state does not depend on the behavior of others. We always have the freedom to choose the quality of energy we wish to create and share. Even in challenging situations, we can decide to respond with patience instead of irritation, and with understanding instead of judgment. Such responses are not signs of weakness; they are expressions of inner strength and spiritual maturity.Daily spiritual practice helps us maintain this elevated state. Through meditation, self-reflection, and the remembrance of our original qualities as peaceful and loving souls, we replenish our inner reservoir of spiritual energy. As our awareness deepens, expressing love, peace, and happiness becomes natural rather than forced. We no longer react automatically to external situations but respond consciously from our highest values.The greatest gift we can offer the world is the quality of our own inner state. When we become embodiments of peace, love, and happiness, we naturally inspire these same qualities in others. In this way, our life becomes a source of silent service.<img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:234/282;width:8.47%;" src="https://d3dfjidmqdc9yy.cloudfront.net/images-prod/2024_11_17_DG_Sheilu_Didi_b6e1203de8.png" alt="2024-11-17-DG-Sheilu Didi.png" width="234" height="282">B.K. Sheilu is a Raja yoga teacher at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.

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What we share is what we experience

Whatever we repeatedly see, hear, or think about become a part of our inner world.Just as our body becomes healthy when we give it pure and nourishing food, the soul is shaped by the quality of what it consumes each day. Every thought we create, every emotion we experience, and every action we perform is influenced by what we allow into our consciousness. If we wish to experience lasting peace, happiness, and inner strength, we have to take great care about our mental diet.The mind is constantly absorbing impressions. Whatever we repeatedly see, hear, read, or think about gradually becomes a part of our inner world. Images, conversations, and news reports leave subtle imprints on our consciousness. Over time, these impressions influence our thoughts, attitudes, feelings, and responses to life's situations.Every soul is originally peaceful, pure, loving, joyful, and powerful. These are not qualities we need to acquire from the outside; they are our natural state. However, when the mind is repeatedly exposed to fear, anger, conflict, violence, or negativity, these original qualities become covered by layers of emotional and mental pollution. As a result, we may begin to experience anxiety instead of peace, or insecurity instead of inner confidence.Violent video games, aggressive films, and disturbing news can repeatedly expose our mind to scenes of fear, anger, and hostility. While this does not necessarily mean that we will become violent or behave aggressively, such repeated exposure can subtly influence the quality of our thoughts. The mind becomes accustomed to processing conflict rather than peace, and fear rather than faith. This can gradually reduce our natural experience of compassion, tolerance, and emotional stability while increasing feelings of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty.The mind also begins to reproduce what we repeatedly feed it. If we constantly absorb worry, we will create worrying thoughts. If we expose ourselves to anger, the mind will tend to react with irritation. Similarly, when we nourish the mind with wisdom, silence, elevated thoughts, and spiritual understanding, those qualities naturally radiate through our thoughts, words, and actions.This is why we need to give importance to our mental nutrition. Spiritual study, meditation, positive conversations, and moments of silence provide nourishment that strengthens the soul's original qualities. This helps the mind remain stable, clear, and compassionate even in challenging situations.The early morning hours are an ideal time to set the quality of our consciousness for the entire day. Beginning the day with meditation, spiritual study, and powerful thoughts creates a foundation of peace that influences our interactions and decisions. Similarly, ending the day with gratitude and reflection allows the mind to rest free from unnecessary emotional burdens.This does not mean we must completely disconnect from the world or ignore current events. Rather, it means becoming selective and balanced in what we consume. We can remain informed without becoming emotionally overwhelmed. We can enjoy entertainment without allowing it to dominate our thinking. Every choice we make about what we watch, listen to, read, and think about shapes our personality and our destiny.The greatest gift we can give ourselves is to protect and nourish the mind with what uplifts the soul.<img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:288/348;width:11.04%;" src="https://d3dfjidmqdc9yy.cloudfront.net/images-prod/2024_11_04_DG_Atam_Prakash_Author_820e71272a.png" alt="2024-11-04-DG-Atam Prakash- Author.png" width="288" height="348">B.K. Atam Prakash, is a Rajyoga teacher at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.

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