Being true to the moment!

Can we really live in full consciousness of the happenings that belong to the here and now? Do we just race through life as if in a daze?Do we give our neighbour a warm look and offer them only words that come from deep within us? Do we mean all we say? Are the words we speak frivolous, sincere or false?

Our answers to these and similar questions will determine how we fare in our quest for happiness and true peace.It is what we do now that will pass and form our past.The same content forms the tapestry for our future.So in addition to learning from the past and looking into the future with hope, we need to live in the here and now and be true to the moment.

We need to experience the present fully,fill it with genuine content,perceive, think, say and do only what will form a guilty-free past and construct a beautiful future.It is easy and yet so difficult for many... simply to be simple and true!

Diligence

Diligence is a virtue that is worthy of our aspirations.It is easy to say that the spirit is willing but the body is weak.However it behoves us to see to it that what we feel deep inside is carried out .It is no excuse to say that our body is weak. The spirit has to take its place as leader and the flesh has to do what the spirit demands.

The spirit which has its origin in luminous regions cannot but wish that which is good and noble.The fact that there is so much ugliness in the world today only poiints to the fact that the spirit of man takes little part in world affairs.The flesh rules and alas what chaos is brought about!

Diligence must awaken the spirit to its duties and the flesh made surbodineate to the spirit.This way,progress and beauty will once more flourish in this troubled earth.

Works of the flesh.

The body is given to us as a gift and as a tool to enable us achieve our aim of development which brought us to this part of creation in the first place.Our real core is spirit.Spirit needs to develop and descends here from its spiritual home for that purpose.All that comes to the possession of the spirit needs to be mobilised to attain this one goal, the goal of spiritual development.Where the spirit does this - then progress and spiritual ascent results.

On the other hand, if the spirit yields to the its tool, the works of the flesh takes over and we find the spirit losing its influence. Drunkenness, roaming the streets at night, lust, robbery, are some of the effects. Result- retrogression, failure, pain and perpetual separation from peace.

May we be able to remain spiritually alert and refuse to yield to the domination of the flesh.

Forgive us our sins...

These words are from the Lords Prayer. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us.The Lord's hint to us here is that the forgiveness of our own sins is predicated on our forgiving others.Another significant thing to note here is that all thoughts that one can just pray for anything in accordance with ones whims and caprices cannot be correct. Conditions apply!So before we come before the Lord we need to conduct an internal check up to see whether we are truly worthy to venture an approach.Carelessness in this respect renders all subsequent activity null and void.

Let us remember at all times that the Lord is not mocked.Mockery also involves trying to approach Him in vain. Even praying without a deep inner feeling is utterly irresponsible and should not be done.

May we learnt to forgive our neighbours so that we too in reciprocity can receive true forgiveness.

What have I gained today?

What shall it profit a man who gains the whole world and loses his soul?We need to close each day by asking ourselves what profit the day has brought. Not only do we have to consider how diligent we have been in the conduct of our earthly duties, but more importantly, what benefit the day has brought to us spiritually.

We need to consider what is of benefit to our spirits.We must feed our spirit with spiritual food by experiencing everything that comes to us inwardly. The experiences include our own actions and the actions of others that come to our notice, the books we read, what we hear and all!Nothing must pass without us trying to gain from it.The things we experience deeply in this way are what we can truly call our own and which will really help us along our paths.

Mere earthly pursuits withought spiritual content counts for nothing and will all be in vain.May we continually work on matters that will lead to our spiritual growth and ascent! So, lets ask ourselves - what profit have we made today?

Whatever is of good report...

Do not miss any opportunity to do that which is good. We should appreciate that the period we spend on this planet is a brief time of learning and that we do not cease to exist after we leave the flesh.We will be called to account for every thought, word and deed.

There is therefore the need to set out now and redeem the times we have earlier on wasted on frivolities.Do the good deed, love our neighbour, show him understanding to the extent that even he will also wish to change for the better. This is the kind of love taught by Jesus.

So, let our thoughts be on things which are pure, things that are good and honourable.Let us have a moral shyness towards acts of indiscipline but engage in the words of Paul the Apostle only in things of good report.

And I will live in the House of the Lord forever...

Some of us must have read or heard these words of the Psalmist. But does it mean to say we are to stay in a particular place forever?

Can other meanings be found for these words? Today I was thinking of these words and I wish to share my thoughts with my readers. Dwelling in the House of the Lord can indeed start from the body in which our spirit now resides. By regarding our very heart and soul a temple dedicated to the Almighty then our bodies are to support this and be dedicated too. It then follows that our homes will be a sanctuary pledged to the service of the Most High. A home that provides the inspiration for members to live in accordance with their
promise to be workers in the Lord's Vineyard.

From this we radiate love to one another and influence all those who we come accross.The whole earth and its inhabitants can be infused with the love for the Will of God and become also the House of the Lord...

May we be able to live in the House of the Lord forever.

When you point one finger at another...

One saying has it that when you point one finger at another person, remember that the other fingers are pointing at you! Today at a training session, we were told to write out two questions each. One should be easy and one should be difficult. The trainer later took our questions, shuffled them up and asked each one to pick a question and attempt to answer it. One of us eventually got back one of the questions he himself had written- the difficult one. The amazing thing was that he could not answer his own question! He had intended it for others.

This struck me deeply.Indeed whatever we do unto others we actually are doing it unto ourselves, solely for ourselves for the fruit of all our actions will surely come back to us.The Laws of Nature have decreed it that one may not reap apples were one has planted corn.Same applies to our words thoughts and deeds. Whatever we do are like seeds and the fruits will soon ripen for us in the inevitable harvest.It does not matter whether the actions are directed at other people.The results of our activities will always come back to us.

May we bear this in mind everytime and engage only in activities that will yield us a harvest of true peace and happiness.

The Language of the Lord

We human beings are in this Creation to find supreme happiness!We can only obtain this by listening to our Creator, the Origin of all that exists.To listen and understand the Lord therefore becomes our goal during our journey through Creation.In Creation itself, to which we belong, lies the explanation of the purpose of our existence and the recognition of our goal!

So we need to live Creation, adjust ouselves to it lest we fall from one difficulty into another. If one is not able or remains unwilling to adjust, he will never be able to mature and work on earth, but will remain a hinderance and a burden to others.Such will have to be segregated to prevent them from causing harm .

Anyone however who wishes to be a child of God will have to learn to understand His Language which He speaks through His Creation.

We must do this and do it now!

Dealing with our weaknesses

Who can claim that he has overcome all weaknesses? How are we to react to temptations? Somebody once said he can resist everything except temptation. I have watched a film actor saying something like... the best way to overcome temptation is to fall for it!

Definitely we do not want to be in such deplorable conditions.Some may also think themselves already good because their circumstances have not permitted them to exhibit their inner weaknesses.They look down on those who make mistakes but who may have acted inadvertently without evil intentions.

In all seriousness, what we need to deal with are our propensities.Those deep rooted characteristics of ours that have more or less formed how we behave.This can be greed, and its cousin avarice.It can be sordid sensuality the lust to steal and all such things...Until these propensities leave us we are not free from them - even if we have not been able to act out such lustful desires.

A step ahead can be found in developing a moral shyness to all of these weaknesses. As for temptations, we must not give approval to which temptations can cling.We will have to keep the basis of our thoughts pure.We need to watch all the thoughts assailing us,give room only for the noble beautiful and true, then pray for help from our Maker.

May we attain to victory in this struggle.

TRUE FREEDOM

What does it mean to be free? Is it just being free from the prison,financial freedom or indeed as some would love- freedom to do whatever gratifies one's selfish desires?

True freedom transcends all of these.It means freedom from the slavery enforced by the base feelings generated by our brain and the attendant burden - the weight of sin!

We must have experienced how heavy if feels after telling a lie, speaking ill of someone who was not there to defend himself, etc.We must have experienced on the other hand how light our heart becomes when we do that which is right. We feel light and we feel free.

Continually engaging in the good deed is in all simplicity the way to true freedom.

Do you have faith?

Many think that faith is the belief in a Supreme Being who they can tell to do this and that and plead with not to do another. Some believe in the arbitrary actions of an all powerful being.

But faith in the true sense is the acknowledgement of the workings of God's Laws and acting accordingly. A person can only be said to have faith if he has made the Laws aforementioned his very life!Faith must leave the realm of conviction to visible deeds... actions. This proclaims louder than words that the person indeed has faith.Such a person will not fear the mockery of the doubters but go about his way free, courageously , bright and alert.

The Laws are to be found in God's Word and also in His Creation. So, let us embrace these, act accordingly and then we can be people who have living faith.

FORGIVENESS

It is clear that we cannot expect to reap rice where we have planted rye. When we invest kindness we reap happiness.When we help others we indeed help ourselves.What we sow , we reap many times over.Where on the other hand we have sown that which is ignoble we cannot expect joy at the harvest.That is the law and the prophets of old have said it as well.Now, where does forgiveness come in?

No doubt the fruit of every thought word or action, will arrive and meet again with the one responsible to give the person the benefit of reaping the result of his works.But what happens if the one who deserves a heavy penance has changed inwardly by harvest time? Depending on the degree of change,the fruits of his former deeds now reach him but can find little or nothing similar in the repentant man and as such cannot stick to him.That solves the riddle of forgiveness.

May we be able to turn new leaves and turn our backs to that which will only bring us disquiet but use our energies on only what will bring forth fruits of peace and joy.

EYES ON THE BALL

Learning to play table tennis was interesting.You need to concentrate, focus, plan and be ready at all times for the opponent.Your coach watches your every move and when he sees that you are not concentrating enough will shout"eyes on the ball".

In real life it is also easy to be distracted.It is easy to be discouraged.Our failings may weigh us down.The struggle may make us weary.But we still need to focus on the goal.The real goal.We need to remember always that there is a noble goal worthy of our concentration.A goal of growing from a child of this world into a child of God.

The task ahead is great and so are the distractions.Whilst attending to our challenges, we need to keep the bigger picture in view.In the midst of the storms let us look within and draw strenght from Above.Let us remain focussed and be sensitive to all impressions assailing us, not giving in to all the deceit of these times.

May we always remember the words - "Watch and pray".

Do not say...

Do not say that the stars are to blame for your situation.The enemies seen and unseen also have little to do with your condition. Do you blame your actions or inaction on your genes,"make up"or feelings? You may also blame it all on your temperament. All these may well rule over one - but if and only if they are allowed.

A lot depends on we ourselves. The stars channel only what we have sown for ourselves in the gardens of this world. The Power of the Almighty which streams through us is stronger than any evil thoughts of the enemy if only we do not colour the Power with our impure thoughts.Our genes, "make up",feelings or temperament can be brought under the firm control of the deep intuition of our spirit.

Let us threfore awake truly and let our spirit take the leading role.Fear must not also arise in us as this can attract what is not our real desire. A free and joyful spirit is the antidote to all brooding just as genuine laughter can chase away all darkness.

May we therefore begin to sow only that which will bring us true happiness, use the Power that flows through us only for the good and make sure that the tyranny of our bodies is curtailled effectively by our alert spirits.

We will succeed if we strongly wish for it and rely on the Pure Power that streams to us from on High!

Another Week

It is another week! Shall it be days spent chasing shadows? Days wasted on trivialities or vanity? Or will it be used to hunt for honours, fame and position? How about concerns for our earthly welfare? The need to pass that exam, the need to provide for dependants and the need to impress those that see us as leaders or able leuitenants? It could then be just another week of endless rush and restlessness.Days that roll into days bringing little happiness...

But the days can also be used in the inner experiencing of every moment, in deriving from them what is of real benefit to our spirits. Days dedicated to our Maker. Moments employed in the development of ourselves and our fellow travellers. Hours of pure thoughts, careful and brief words and noble deeds.

May we be able to choose rightly the way to go. May the days and weeks ahead bring us rich experiences we can truly call our own, experiences that will make us better human beings who stand bright and alert and ready always to serve in the wonderful vineyard of our Lord.

Let's give thanks...

You may feel that your problems are enormous. It may be that money is an issue. You may also consider that others are having a life of ease.Your case is the only one that is always problematic.

Think.Some other person envies your situation. He thinks you are having a good time.The grass always looks greener on the other side.Know however that you are never alone.Help is always nearest to you at the time of the greatest need!

You have to trust in the Creator of all things seen and unseen.His Wisdom rules the world.Look up therefore in calm confidence and give thanks that you are permitted to go through the experiences of the present.You will overcome!

Welcome to this site. It shall be our endeavour to bring forth for discussion matters that concern us as human beings living in this part of the wonderful Creation.