22) Positive Seeds

The world each of us sees is simply a product of our own seeds, our own thoughts.

Wanting to help one person find happiness changes these seeds in our mind.

Wanting to help all beings find happiness changes these seeds in our mind massively.

Even if the wish is a feeble one at first, the seeds in our mind change. So the thoughts in our mind change drastically too.

Everything, everywhere is altered, because our world is a product of our own seeds and thoughts.

The seeds in our mind are altered in all states of wakefulness. 

Even in the dream state, we become more lucid, and we try to improve.

Thinking the four thoughts creates bliss deep inside us. We can be doing the housework, or making a cuppa, or …. anything, anywhere. Just wanting to help others makes us blissfully happy.

Focusing on the four thoughts, is hugely empowering. We start to find that we become very good at everything we do. Our natural abilities improve.

We feel that in some crazy way, we are being carried along on a tidal wave of positive energy.

We can be happy.

21) Ultimate Love

The four thoughts of kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity ultimately produce a feeling of infinite love for all beings.

They trigger total freedom from selfishness, which is the ultimate liberation.

When we have total liberation from selfishness, ultimate love explodes.

Ultimate love is total selfless.

Ultimate love, once ignited, is there for the rest of your life.

Ultimate love is being completely focused on helping every living being achieve happiness, and wishing for nothing else.

The most precious thing we can do in life is help everyone to be happy.

20) Practicing Balance, Kindness, Compassion, Joy, Equanimity

Keeping balanced keeps the mind free from turbulence. It keeps the mind bright and aware.

Regular contemplation of infinite kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity, to achieve happiness for all living beings, changes our lives in a BIG way!

Contemplation on these four gives real meaning to our lives. We know we weren’t meant to just live, consume and die. Deep inside we know we were meant for much greater things. We were meant to love, serve, help and nurture others, and to help make them happy.

This shifts our focus from selfish things such as our next holiday, house, car, to focusing on the things in life that are genuinely fulfilling, rewarding.

Selfishly focusing on ways to get bigger and better holidays, houses, cars is compulsive, exhausting and leaves us feeling empty.

Helping others find happiness helps us Be Happy! 

19) How Can We Stop The Pain?

How Do We Stop The Thoughts Which Produce Pain?

There is really only one way to achieve lasting happiness.

By using infinite kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. 

Constant use will stop the pain and create happiness.

We can do this when we can keep our feelings in balance.

We can learn this. It requires practice, practice, practice.

·         If something is enjoyable, stay balanced.

·         If something hurts, stay balanced.

·         If something is distasteful, stay balanced.

·         If something makes you feel great, stay balanced.

In order to achieve balance, we MUST really desire it. If we are not motivated, we will not succeed. If we are motivated, we will succeed.

Every second of our life, we can feel genuine love for all the life forms out there.

We need infinite kindness, a burning desire to somehow make all living beings happy, on our own if necessary.

We need infinite compassion to take away every pain of all living beings, on our own if necessary.

We need to be infinitely joyful and enthusiastic about looking after, nurturing, helping all life in all its forms, on our own if necessary.

We need to keep infinite equanimity in all situations, whether we feel well or we feel ill, still driven to help everyone everywhere, on our own if necessary.

18) The Pain Caused By Unhappy Thoughts

Unhappy thoughts produce pain.

We are like onions … lots of layers.

Each layer likes/wants to be happy.

When one layer is disturbed, it effects the other layers, either directly or indirectly.

For example, we worry about something. Which produces a headache.

The headache makes us feel miserable, and more worried. 

Which makes the headache worse, which raises our blood pressure.

Which makes the headache worse. And eczema develops. And so it goes on.

A seed of a worrying thought can germinate, grow and flourish so that it destabilises the entire body.

Not only can a seed of a thought produce visible health problems, but also rapid, shallow breath and tremors.

Lots of pain and unhappiness can be caused by one unhappy little thought.

Our whole body can very easily be disturbed and negatively affected. 

So how do we stop?

17) Obstacles To Happiness

The ultimate obstacle on the path is how we view the world. As always, this is a choice. 

Do we suffer, or do we enjoy?

True yoga works to bring everyone, all over the world, happiness.

If our view causes us pain, or other people pain, we need to work to change our view.

For example, do we judge others, and think they are not capable of making their own decisions? Do we force our opinions onto them? Doing this causes pain to others, and ultimately to ourselves too.

Or do we allow everyone to express themselves freely, without judging, without expectation?

If we cause suffering to others, karma dictates we will also suffer.

If we help people to lead fulfilled, rewarding, happy lives, we too will benefit in the same way.

As we sow, so shall we reap.

16) The Obstacles On The Path

Obstacles to our spiritual development and are also obstacles to progress on the path to true happiness. The mind can become distracted due to illness, fogginess, carelessness, laziness and doubt. All of these are obstacles on our path which we need to firstly be aware of, and then overcome, if we are to develop.

Illness can actually be beneficial to our spiritual development, because we become more aware of the suffering of others. Illness makes us humble and more sympathetic. It also makes us focus on the important things in life, rather than dwelling on the small things that really don’t matter.

Mental fogginess and sluggishness can be caused by too much sleep, not enough sleep, and too much food. Meditation done incorrectly can have the same effect.

Meditation done properly however, gives us a bright, clear head that enables us to fulfil our potential. We can do everything to the best of our ability when we practice regular quality meditation.

Careless use of alcohol and drugs will affect us negatively as they distract us outwards, away from the peace within. We need to stay aware of our actions, and how they affect ourselves and others.

When we just can’t be bothered to do those things we know are good for ourselves and others, this is simply laziness.

It is good to critically examine spiritual questions and theories. But when doubt creeps in, this can be another big obstacle.

Worse is to ignore the bigger questions of life completely, just because they are tricky and challenging.

There are many obstacles on out path … we need to keep aware!