I’m back in Manila.On the plane back home, everything somehow gelled.While reading Anthony Strano’s book on angels, I realized that the call for me now is not to simply be a yogi but to be an angel- one who has constant connection with The One that she can be an instrument to spread God’s light and love to many.
“Heroes aren’t born, but they are created in times of strife and struggle. Everyone is capable of being a hero in their own way, often without even knowing it, they are a hero to those around them.” ~ Unknown
Meet Eugene
Eugene bikes for 25 to 29 kilometres 4 times a week- given it doesn’t rain. He hauls his bike from Imus Cavite to Makati City and back twice a week and from Imus to a hospital in Dasmarinas Cavite twice a week.
“How long does it take you to reach your destination?”, I asked.
“Around an hour”, he nonchalantly replied as though moving through Manila’s and Cavite's traffic in 2 wheels is the easiest thing in the world.
He confided that at the start, he was merely traversing a distance of 700 meters ( which took him around 2 minutes) and then he gradually increased this distance. Now, he could easily manage 60 kilometres in a day ( 3-5 hours including the rest time ).
Why did you start biking?, I continued to inquire.
“Initially, it was for health reasons. I used to jog and thought of trying out biking. Also, I wanted to avoid the traffic and decrease my transportation cost”, he said.
“Then, I heard of the climate change issue and I included it in my reasons.”
“How did you make shift?”, I prodded.
“It was hard to adjust my routine initially
(I used to drive around the metro.) but I saw benefits- improved health, less expense and help to the environment.”
Like a staunch advocate that he is, he raised both hands, stomped his feet and bellowed, “Bike is life!”
Meet Marra
“I became more open to a lifestyle change because of yoga. It taught me how to live simply.”, confided Marra a 1 year old pescetarian.
“How did you start?,” I asked.
“I started letting go of meat when I attended a yoga retreat for a weekend where we were only served vegan food.”
“Initially, I was wary of the diet because of my active lifestyle. I run marathons and I thought I need meat to sustain my fitness regimen.”
“Actually, I feel lighter now. In fact, my performance improved after
I changed my diet.”
“Why are you still at it?”, I queried.
“For good health. Then, I became more conscious when I watched the 'Cowspiracy' documentary. I was shocked to know that our food supply is responsible for a big percentage of carbon emission which causes climate change."
According to the documentary, animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the combined exhaust from all transportation.
“What’s your understanding of climate change?”, I followed up.
“Climate change is the end of the world.” (if we don’t do anything about it)
The Hotseat
Whether you admit it or not, you have the capacity to be a hero too. The question is, “Are you willing to change so that you can save the world?”.
I know CHANGE is a big word. Just as Eugene and Marra attest- it’s not easy but if your why is bigger than your excuses then it can be done.
How about starting with a step? Just think of 1 thing you can do to better yourself and the world and then start it this very second.
P.S. I would love to hear how it goes for you.
P.P.S. When I say you, I’m addressing myself as well.
"I am now more accepting of myself and others… open to the flow… responding to what emerges… excited about revelations and delighted about love.”, shared Tina, a 3-month-old meditation student from Bicol.
I asked her about how meditation has helped her and that was her poetic response.
“Wow, you unblocked me!”, she exclaimed when I read back her answer.
“Well, you unblocked yourself”, I told her.
“That was your experience. I simply asked a question.”, I said.
I asked the same question to Sister Becky, a student of meditation for 30 years.
She told me, “I got interested in meditation because of an ad that says, ‘Regain Your Creativity. Try Meditation.’ I was writing modules for programs at that time and my boss was always pressuring me to produce. I was so stressed.”
“When I started meditating, I learn not to take sorrow. There was no longer any burden of relationship. Then because I wasn't bothered, I think better.”
“So, you didn't get hurt when your boss gives you negative feedback?”, I queried.
“Well, I felt I can handle getting hurt.”
These two meditators taught me 2 invaluable lessons: to be delighted about love and to learn to handle the hurt.
What stood out for you in their sharing?
If you want to learn to meditate, please click this link so you can look for a meditation center near you (available in 110 countries).
If you are in Makati, you are warmly invited to this event with BK Judy Johnson- author, facilitator and coordinator at Brahma Kumaris Halifax, Canada.
Once upon a time when the world was new, we are 100% aware of our truth. We knew that the body is simply the container of our true selves. We fully understood that the body is the box and we are the precious diamond inside it.
In that state of pure awareness, we expressed the beauty of the soul naturally. There was only giving and receiving of peace, love and happiness. There was harmony and unity in the self and consequently in the world.
As time passed by, the light of the soul gradually decreased to 75%. It wasn’t perfect but the balance was still tilted to the beautiful side. We were still aware that we are beings of peace and we need not go the mountains to find it. We knew that we were love and we don’t look for someone to complete us. We understood that we are happiness and we don’t need anything or anyone to make us happy.
Then, a shift occurred. We forgot that we are diamonds and we began to identify with the boxes. The soul’s light dimmed at 50% capacity. We started comparing boxes (appraising which one is better) and collecting stickers (recognitions), hats (positions), and trophies (possessions) to decorate our dispensable boxes.
As we identified more and more with the body, the dimmer the light became. At 25% capacity, we began giving and taking sorrow. We thought we are better than others while at times we put ourselves down (ego). We resorted to anger to control people and situations. We gave in to desires (lust) and we were never satisfied (greed). We refused to let go of people or possessions (attachment).
In this state of amnesia- confusion, chaos and division arised. We became like beasts and started taking, fighting and killing. The world turned ugly.
At present, the light of most souls are flickering. Most of us have forgotten who we truly are. We need to remember. We are not merely specks of dust. We are more than flesh and bones. We are spirits- beings of peace, love and happiness. We are souls and we need to start to connect to The Source of all that is good before our light dies out. Then, we can be beautiful once again and the world will be renewed.
It’s new year once again! If you’ve broken the resolutions you made on January 1. Then, you can start anew.
Kung hei fat choi!!!
Kudos to you for making a resolution and wanting to change. It’s easier to stay in the comfort of the easy and familiar. So know that the first few attempts to shift will be painful. Your old habits will pull you back to your normal routine. It’s going to be a tug of war between your determination and your old pattern (Patterns may be beneficial or not. Please know that we are talking about those patterns we need to change in this post.).
In Hindi, the term for habits or patterns is sanskara. It is something which is deeply rooted in the soul because the action has been used over and over for years- for several lifetimes even. So, its foundation is very strong- so strong that you do it without thinking. It has become your natural tendency- your default setting.
A sanskara (pattern) grows like a tree. A one week old tree can be easily plucked without a fuss while you need a shovel to take out a one year old tree. On the other hand, you need a team or a machine to dig out a 5 year old tree. Imagine what it will take to uproot a 100 year old tree.
I just want you to understand that when you change, you are also fighting a formidable force. It is something that has grown larger than life because you built it gradually over a long period of time. So know that you need everything in your arsenal to defeat it.
Here are the things which worked for me.
1. Know your strengths
Can you identify your top 3 strengths? These are the qualities which helped you accomplish things, feel good about yourself and allow you to move forward in your path. These are your ultimate weapons in this tug of war. Hold these close to your heart at all times.
2. Identify your weaknesses
Do you know what’s holding you back? Don’t merely look at surface behaviors. Ask yourself, “Why do I keep on doing this over and over again.” Do you love yourself enough? Do you seek recognition from others? Do you feel empty? Are you never satisfied? Are you angry? Identify the root of your negative habits so you can strike it at the core.
3. Determination is key
The adage if there’s a will there’s a way is so true. I’ve seen how a strong will moves mountains countless times. At the heart of determination is a clear vision of why you are doing it and where you see yourself heading.
4. If all else fails begin again
Again, let me remind you that when you decide to change you are banging against a powerful force. It will not crumble in a day. Don’t give up if you don't get it right immediately. Just keep on pounding consistently.
5. After you’ve done everything you can, take support from The One.
There is a Being who is the Source of all that is true, good and beautiful. Take power and support from That One. Do whatever works for you- pray, chant a mantra, meditate.
The message of the new year is one of hope. You can begin again!
“You should not burn wastes”, says my 9 year old friend Brie. “It will emit carbon in the air and it will damage our climate.” I couldn’t quite understand carbon footprint and this simple explanation suits me well. “Plants eat carbon but less plants mean more carbon in the atmosphere which is bad for the earth.”, she continues to lecture. To further my studies, I consulted youtube. This is the simplest explanation I got as explained by yet another child.
Malcolm Gladwell says in his book The Tipping Point that “a small but precisely targeted push” can create big change. Can you join me and give your own pledge? Will you help save the world?
I’ve always been haunted by that line from the tv series “Heroes”. “Is it possible for an ordinary person to really change the world?”, I often ask myself. BK Jayanti Kirpalani, UE-Middle East Director of Brahma Kumaris explains in this interview at COP21, Paris that it is indeed possible.
She asserts that everything starts with the individual. She links what’s happening in the world to an internal dissonance in human beings.
At the moment, the consumerism we are seeing even in the developing world sometimes is really as if there’s hundreds of planets that we can take from and we can’t- there’s a limit. And so when you turn inwards and connect with the happiness and joy that’s within, then your lifestyle becomes a very simple one and so you don’t need so much from outside but there’s a spirit of generosity and care which you share with others.
The interviewer, surprise with Kirpalani’s stand asks, “Is that the message that you bring to COP21 which is actually a negotiation between governments of states. So, you are trying to give a novel message which is more about personal evolution right?"
Definitely, because we believe that everything starts with the individual and if even a minority group has a powerful voice then they are able to impact the leaders and the majority and so there can then be worldwide change.
"You are speaking about the personal development and the personal action on our self. In just one sentence, what would you recommend to any human being on earth?"
“Make a conscious choice knowing that your decision about what you buy, what you eat, what you wear, what you do is going to have an impact on your carbon footprint and is going to set a trend and an example for others to follow also.”
If you want to hear more from BK Jayanti, you are warmly invited to this event.
Kobe, Japan- January 17, 1995, Amidst the rubble, the Indian community huddled together in an evacuation center. They were thirsty, hungry and afraid. The Situation At 5:46 in the morning, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the city. Kobe was in shambles- 150,000 buildings were ruined, 1 km of the Hanshin Expressway collapsed, 120 of the 150 quays in the port were destroyed, and fires raged. It was difficult for help to come in immediately because of the massive destruction. (In fact, the 45 minute car ride to Kobe from Osaka became a 12 hour journey.)
Moreover, there were no electricity and drinking water. Every hour, aftershocks could be felt. Every aftershock, there were loud screaming, dogs barking and people running out from their makeshift shelter to the devasted streets covered in their quilts and blankets. The whole day, the people of Kobe froze in the middle of winter- uncertain of their fate. Calm amidst the quake Inside the evacuation center, there was an Indian lady in white sari who kept her calm in the midst of the turbulence. Rajni Daulatram, Brahma Kumaris coordinator for Philippines and Japan was simply observing the situation and meditating. "Why are you so calm?", asked some people in the community.
"My consciousness is I am an eternal soul. The soul doesn't die. If anything happens- only this body dies.", she answered.
"How can you be so stable?", they prodded. "I have been practicing meditation everyday for 20 years. I have trained my mind to be calm." "What is meditation?", they continued to query.
"Meditation is the practice of being the king of the mind. It also allows one to declutter all the wastes so the mind can think clearly. Like right now, it is not necessary to worry or question why this is happening. Of what use is that?"
"Can you teach us how to meditate?", they asked. "I've been inviting you to come to our center for years and it's only now that you want to learn? Meditation is not a pill that you can take which will instantly make you feel good. It requires practice.", she gently explained. "Please teach us", they pleaded.
So, she did. How to meditate "First, stop complaining in your mind. Put a halt to all your questions." "Then, remember who you are. I am a peaceful soul and experience that peace." "Finally, send good wishes to nature because nature helped us survive this calamity." So, on that fateday day of January 17,1995 the Indian lady in white sari taught meditation to the community in the middle of the rubble and the aftershocks. The Invitation Manila, Philippines- June 2016, 21 years after the Kobe earthquake, amidst preparations for an impending earthquake in Manila, Daulatram invites the public to learn and experience meditation on July 20, Wednesday, 2:30-5:00pm at SMX Convention Center, SM Aura. She advises, "It is good that the Philippine government released earthquake safety tips and reminded the citizens to be prepared. However, preparation for such a calamity must be two-fold: spiritual and physical."
She explains, "Earthquakes happen unexpectedly, you only have some few seconds to respond. If you are not spritually prepared, you will be scared and confused. However, if you can keep your mind calm and alert, you will be able to do what is necessary at the right time."
"A daily meditation practice allows one to accumulate peaceful energy which is very useful in times of crisis", she stressed. Do you want to learn how to be spiritually prepared? *This is a repost from this blog.
Do you get out of the busyness of the city once in awhile?
If you answer no to any of the questions above, I would like to invite you to unplug for awhile and join me and renowned journalist Emmie Velarde to "Silent Conversations with the One" on June 16, Thursday 6:30 p.m. at the Brahma Kumaris Makati Center. It will be an evening of guided meditations and quiet reflection.
P.S. This event is especially for social media practitioners (like you and me) who acknowledge the need to take a break from technology and get in touch with their inner selves.
P.S.S. Please disregard the questions above, just wanna know if there are 'antisocial' social media practitioners out there (like me). Hope to see you there! For other events around the globe, please check this link.
