#28 (19:31 – 20:02)

“Make a daily effort to look upon others without condemnation. Every judgment takes you away from your goal of peace. Keep in mind that you do not define anyone with your judgments, but only define yourself as someone who needs to judge. Judge not, lest you too be judged.”

The message in this is very simple, yet it is the most difficult to practice. Every day, we all look at others and judge. We choose to get offended by many things, and in the interim, judge the way others talk, the way others do things, the way others dress, the way others work, the way others live their lives. We believe that others should act or do things the way we expect them to. This is our ego at work here; my way is the right way, why can’t you do things the way I want you to. You see that this is your ego wanting to control others. I believe this is the underlying factor. So, let us all make a conscious effort to pass love instead of judgment. It will take some practice, but I assure you, it is possible.

Love,

Frank

#17 (12:49 - 13:11)

"Adhere to the most important guideline ever passed on to us from the spiritual world; Love thy neighbor as thyself. Make this a daily affirmation in your life, beginning today; I will love my neighbor as I love myself."

This is said to be the most important teaching one should live by. Once this is adhered to, then we will be conscious of everyone else. Treat others as you would want to be treated; it is very simple message, yet very hard to practice. We do not see ourselves as connected to everyone else, therefore we lack the compassion we should have for others. Once we understand that human consciousness is intrinsically innocent, we view the world totally different. My goal today is to show and be compassionate to all within my presence. I would like you all to practice that as well. Life becomes a very beautiful experience once this valuable message is adhered to. Jesus Christ said it through his message of love, peace and forgiveness. Peace and love are states that prevail once we learn to forgive; they are always within us. They are merely being blocked by our egocentric positionalities.

Anytime you think negatively of someone, or find yourself saying something unkind about someone, think about it and contemplate whether or not you would like to be in that person’s position. Every time you think of saying something about someone, think whether or not it would be beneficial for the person, or if you are saying it to make fun of the person. If it is the latter, then practice refraining from saying it at all because it can only lead to someone getting hurt. There is never a need to judge. Those who judge only defines themselves as someone who needs to judge; it says nothing about the person they are judging.

Much Blessings.

Namaste.

#11 (9:04 - 9:47)

"Lighten your material load, starting today. As you do so, less energy is spent hoarding, and insuring, and moving, and polishing and so on. The less attracted you are to your possessions, and the more you are able to share them with others unconditionally, the more peaceful your life will be. See how many things you can give away that you no longer use and don't ask anything for it in return; and don't tell anyone else that you did it. Just give not to get, but just for the beautiful soulful notion of unburdening your soul with all of that material stuff that you no longer need."

"It is the space within the glass that makes it useful."

This has been a very challenging practice for me since I am one to hang on to things. I always think that I will have use for it at a later date; books, old electronic parts, old computers, boxes, clothing, shoes and so on. In a matter of time, I have realized that I accumulated so many things, that it has crowded up a lot of the free space in my rooms.

Now, it has become a lot easier for me. I give away clothing that I do not use, I sell books that, if necessary, could be purchased at a later date if I really needed them. I throw away old boxes and other unnecessary items. I do still have some old computers that are taking up free space that I want to get rid of as well. I actually have them there set aside to be thrown away right now.

Why? I feel much better when there is space around me. The 11th verse of the Tao describes this beautifully:

Though thirty spokes may form the wheel,
it is the hole within the hub
which gives the wheel utility.

It is not the clay the potter throws,
which gives the pot its usefulness,
but the space within the shape,
from which the pot is made.

Without a door, the room cannot be entered,
and without windows it is dark.

Such is the utility of non-existence.

It is the emptiness of the room that gives the room its usefulness. This is exactly how I feel. When there is space, there is clarity of thought and with clarity of thought, there is usefulness. I do intend to reduce the amount of 'things' that I hang on to. We have a way of attaching meanings to all these material things, when in reality, they really have no meaning. It does take a bit of thought changing, but I know it gets easier once you make it a habit of not clinging to possessions.

An important message from this lesson as well is the notion of giving. Most of the time, we expect something in return, but once we start giving and release all expectations, then our lives will change significantly. Not only will we feel great because we give out of joy or love, but also receive the same joy and love from others because it is one of the many laws of the Universe. We will start receiving all that we want in our lives because our givingness is being reciprocated. An amazing place this world is.

God bless.

Frank

#9 (7:42 - 8:10)

"Release anything you have been told is impossible or unrealistic, and allow yourself to make your own contract with God about what is possible for you. Examine all the doubts you have about miracles and miracle workers and replace the doubt with openness. Be open and release everything that you hate."

Surrender your positionalities and belief systems. Many things we hold to be true today were merely belief systems that were passed on through generations. Sometimes when I think about some of these thoughts or ideas, many do not make any sense. However, given how powerful the mind is, once you believe something to be true, it can actually become part of your experience and manifest. That's the way the Universe works, "whatever you hold in mind, tends to manifest"; even if the thoughts are false. We can believe ourselves to have certain illnesses and actually experience that physically, even though that is not the case.

Now, I understand how important it is to pay attention to the thoughts I hold to be true. This message of openness basically allows us to release ourselves from age old belief systems and hold true what we feel to be so. If we believe something, and when we go within, it does not bring us happiness or love, then we are free to release that idea and listen to what our inner voice tells us. It is this inner voice that is the true expression of the Self.

I posted a great video on Great Talks about the power of the mind. It relates to this post in a sense. Check it out.

Napoleon Hill | The power of the mind

God bless.

Love Frank.