INNER TRANSFORMATION

INNER TRANSFORMATION 6 Nov 2011

Today we shall talk about the subjects that are connected in two parts. First of all, there is a lot of talk about happiness. This is a favourite subject for the past many years. In today’s environment there is a lot talks about being happy. Now, if you look at our recipe for happiness, it tells us first decide to be happy which means you can choose, it is a choice whether you want to be happy or you want to be unhappy. So you make your decision. A lot of people say I cannot be change, “I am totally unhappy and it cannot be change”. Not true. Scientists have discovered that happiness is a learnt skill. If you have caught today’s article in the newspaper about a monk, he mentioned that scientist have found out that happiness is a learnt skill. You can learn to be happy which is what we have been telling you all along. You can learn to be happy so you cannot say I am unhappy for the rest of my life. Scientist have also found out about this meditation which the Buddhist do on loving, kindness meditation, compassion meditation, it changes your brain cells.

The scientists have also found out that, what happens to the brain is, the neurologist calls it “Neuroplasticity” the brain can change. A few Sundays ago I mentioned that as we age our brain cells degenerate so we have to exercise our brain cells. So it means to say that, along the spiritual journey we have to first decide to be happy then practice the recipe of happiness. More than that the on ladder of happiness, happiness is the lowest rung. So don’t go for happiness, you can be happy, you can also be come unhappy. So what we should aim for is Joy. Joy is something which is a continuous form of happiness but it can also break. You can be joyous for a few days but can be not joyous a few days later. Bliss is a state of mind which is peace in perpetuity and this is the topic today.

Living a life of positive total integration with yourself, others, nature and God is bliss. What is bliss? Bliss is the state of constant integrated awareness. Constant integrated awareness is to live a life of positive integration with yourself, others, God and nature. So remember, happiness is the lowest, move a level to joy. All the talks that have been given are teaching you to move up. To be joyous, you must give joy to others. What goes around comes around. You cannot say I am joyous and keep it to yourself. Give joy to others, make others happy, make others joyous, and smile.

A few Sundays ago we spoke about an action plan, say tomorrow you want to be happy. Make that decision when you wake up say that you want to be happy, that is your plan, and then put it to action. Whatever comes your way, maintain a state of happiness. Then you have applied the teachings into real action. Then you experience the result. You cannot say I want to be happy, joyous but you don’t have an action plan. If you do not have an action plan, for the rest of your you can prayer, you read the prayers, you go Sunday prayers, Bhajans, nothing happens to you. You are still the same, no change in you. Today we are talking about transformation, we are talking about change within yourself you must have an action plan. For any change you want to make, you must have an action plan. If not, nothing changes. So if you wish to be happy tomorrow make someone happy. I want to make someone joyous. Another day you want to make sure that nothing will disturb me no matter how irritating someone is. I will not be irritated. I will maintain a state of calmness. This is a choice. You can be irritated by someone or not be irritated by someone, it is a choice you make. Don’t blame anyone else. If tomorrow someone tells you something and you become unhappy, blame yourself that you have allow someone else to make you unhappy.

So come back to the next part of this talk which is how to live a positive integrated life with another person? With your friends it is easy. With members of public is easy but with a relative, this is where I say it is not impossible, but I would say it is a challenge. How to lead a total integrated life. When I say total integrated life, it means you can live with someone of your family that annoys you and yet you can accept. This is a learning process. Come back to what we have mentioned the last Sunday. You have three choices, in any given situation. One you accept. One you change. The other one is you move away. You cannot change that person. Don’t believe you can change that person. No matter what you do that person cannot change but you can change. You can change the way you look at the other person. The way you perceive the person. Maybe that person have some irritating habits, don’t look at it but look at the positive side of him, so you begin to change you mindset. As you begin to change, your perception of that person, slowly begin to change and accept. Family members you cannot change. No choice but to accept.

Don’t think because you are in the spiritual line, that person is in spiritual line, that he understands you. No. Doesn’t matter what line he is in. You don’t bother. You yourself make that conscious choice to change, how to accept that person and that is one way to lead an integrated life with someone else.

The reason why we are emphasising a lot on this is because ultimately to live that positive integrated live will lead to bliss. This is positive integrated awareness. Awareness of everything. Awareness of the surrounding you are in, awareness of this irritating character that lives with you, to be aware of this and change within yourself so you can accept. Once you accept, there is no more separation but integration. We all want to be happy. We all want joy. We all want to experience bliss. That is the process. Bliss is automatic, you don’t have to work for bliss, you work for joy, and bliss is automatic. As long as you practice this, be constantly positive integration with yourself, others, God and nature you will get bliss. But knowing it is one thing, applying it is another thing and then you experience for yourself. The change is not outside you, the change is inside you and then you will move forward. You can live your life which no one can disturb you. The sky can fall and you not affected. Not that you don’t care, but you learn to accept, through understanding you accept. Because you understand why this has to happen and then you accept.

That is that state of bliss we all strive for, that is liberation.