Ways to create abundance.

Sharing a humble review of how to manage life

“So many people are living at the edge of their income”.

Our whole system seems to be built not on fulfilling our needs, but on creating wants, desires and convincing us that they are needs.

Just look at the size of houses of 20 and 30 years ago and the size they are today.

Marketing people know that humankind wants to be happy.

They try to tell us, that to be happy we need to buy into the latest fashions, buy the sexiest car and so it continues.

This creates demand, but does all this bring happiness? Look at the price we pay, our national, provincial and personal debt load and you get an entirely different picture.

We mortgage away our freedom, our independence, we are in constant fear of, the what if something goes wrong.

What if I lose my job, what if my wife gets pregnant and can’t work what if my mortgage interest goes up by 2 or 3%.

Just talking about it creates anxiety. It certainly does not provide a feeling of happiness as the marketing people claim

We need I to keep my financial house in order in order to have peace. We should not buy what we cannot afford. It is better to do without. This is not a popular view, but it gives us freedom from financial worries.

There are still people at an advanced age who have mortgages or other outstanding debts. The average household debt in Canada excluding mortgages is $20,759.

Money does not buy happiness but we can’t do without it. What we need to do is to live our lives in a responsible manner.

We need to ask, do we live the way you want to live, do we have the financial resources to fulfil your legitimate needs and have some money left over for rainy days?

If yes, we have to count your blessings, if not, we have to examine our thoughts, feelings, spending habits and dreams?

From a practical viewpoint, if we don’t have enough money there are only two things we can do.

a)     We either earn more, or

b)     We spend less.

But is this the answer to financial well being? It is an answer, but the real answer lies deeper.

Let’s explore Dreams and Vision.

Our Dreams and Visions create our future. If we want to create a future with purpose, we need a vision, we need to be goal oriented, and we must think and act right. We must nurture our creative process.

Here I like to take the example of a farmer.

Before the farmer plants his fields he sees in his mind’s eye a plentiful harvest of a healthy, diversified crop. He sees the ripe, golden grain sifting through his hands and is filled with great joy. He gives thanks. (This is Vision).

He plans where he wants to plant, what he wants to plant, and estimates the harvest he will have. (The goal).

He calculates how much seed he needs, which and how much fertilizer to use, he does all the things that need to be done in the right way.

When the soil dries and warms sufficiently, he prepares the soil, he plants the seed and fertilizes at the appropriate time and cultivates where and when necessary.( This is Nurturing).

After that he does very little in the field, he knows that the rest is up to the universe. The saying is, let the work do the work. He waits for the harvest.

He trusts that the harvest will be plentiful, he has done all he could do.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart….In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path.”

                                                                                    Proverbs 3:5-6

Many people find it difficult to dream big dreams, to embrace a great Vision. They are afraid to engage in the process of creation for it requires skill, effort, perseverance and faith.

I am convinced that in most instances successful futures are not the result of programmed, memory based thinking but are traced to the silence within.

When we are quiet, still and calm, we know exactly what to do. Being silent does not shut down our mind; it only activates a deeper type of intelligence. What shuts down the mind is unresolved anger and frustration.

When we are in silence, it is as if we tap into Universal wisdom, it is as if our thinking comes to us rather then for us activating our thoughts.

We learn to trust in silence because through this process we experience spectacular results.

If you aren’t already doing it, the next time you need an answer, rather than racking your brain over it, sit in silence, let the problem go and have faith that you will receive the answer. An answer which may come to you in the least expected way. An answer that is so different from what you had expected.

We must also pray correctly, we must pray for our spiritual awakening in God.

This reminds me of Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.

The greatest Vision, the highest ideal, the most perfect state of consciousness is expressed in Matthew 6:33

‘Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness and all things will be given unto you’.

We must express the ideal in all things we do, we must do the right things at all times. This applies also to the way we earn and use our money.

How important are our thoughts and feelings about money and its use?

In order to have resources, to be affluent, to be in the flow of things, to have money, we have to think right; we have to have the right consciousness.

Ask yourself:

Do you view money for what it is, a symbolic representation of value to be used for specific purposes.

Do you feel comfortable about your money management skills?

For couples, do you pool your earnings and agree on how money is used? Do you harmonize your resources?

Do you manage money effectively?

Who in your family is better able to handle the household expenses, let him/her look after the money. When there ismoney disagreement between the couple, there is problem.

Do you have meaningful goals?

Do you live with purpose (know why you do what you do)?

Or,

Are you afraid that thinking about money or attracting it, will cause you to become materialistic and unspiritual?

Do you think that money is the cause of all evil?

Are you resisting financial prosperity?

Are you afraid about attracting money, or about using money effectively?

Remember, our thoughts are like seeds. Seeds sprout and so do thoughts. Be aware of what you want you may end up getting it.Monitor you thoughts (seeds).

 Take control of your situation; do not let the situation control you.

               

After all this, how do you rate your outlook on money on a scale of 1 to 5?

KNOWLEDGE - of how to earn sufficient money to accomplish your worthwhile goals.

ATTITUDE - about the use of money, prosperity or poverty consciousness,

SKILL - in the effective use of money, (budget, sales, bulk purchase, thrift store, large purchases),

HABITS - of paying your bills on time to save on interest charges, saving and investing some money regularly.

This can be a simple model for anyone to use.

By now, you already know that Money is an emotionally charged subject.

Many of these emotions can often be traced back to our childhood and the way our caregivers handled money. Were they wasteful, did they use money selfishly, was there never enough?

I’m certain you all had your experiences in this regard.

We are not her to blame, but rather to point out that when we know the source of a problem, we can alter our perception about it, altering our perception helps us to think about issues in a different way.

Many of our money problems stem from our own consciousness. We cannot attract things from the Universe if what we want it is not part of our consciousness.

All people like money, but just to think about money, does not create a continuous flow of it. We all heard about prosperity consciousness, but what is it, what does it do?

Prosperity consciousness – aligns our thoughts, feelings and attitudes with abundance, confidence and optimism.

If we don’t have already what we need, we first visualize it as being already in our possession and make a plan and then act accordingly.

Poverty thinking – align our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes with scarcity, fear, pessimism and doubt.

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubt of today.

If the subject of money is important to you, please write down your own reaction to Money:

Give yourself a 1 for a positive response, a minus 1 for a negative response.

Example: power +1, control +1, security +1, concern – 1, problem –1

Let’s review what we already said earlier about Vision, Purpose and Goals.

The process of Self Exploration and the setting of personal goals are vital to our success, no matter what our age.

Goal Setting: can be defined as the process of creating and selecting viable ways to accomplish a worthwhile purpose.

Goals without purpose are shallow. Our purpose for doing things must embrace our Vision.

To accomplish our goals, we need to focus on results, have commitment discipline and perseverance.

Self exploration – is the process of examining and sorting out our thoughts and feelings about what we want to accomplish. This leads to self understanding, or the process of getting insight, or the “Aha” experience, when constructive ideas fall into place. This is to be followed by: constructive Action - by aligning our activities with our Vision.

What can be such a Vision for us?

It is the picture we have in mind about what our life should be all about.

Dream a big dream. Include everyone in your environment, in your dream with love.

See them successful. Above all, share your dream with your family members so they too can buy into it.

This is what motivates us to think about our goals in a constructive way, as to the resource we need to accomplish our dream and the dream of our loved ones.

Real, authentic, genuine, sustained financial well being can be experienced when our awareness is clarified, when our thoughts are rational and goal oriented, when our emotions are grounded in love and our behaviors are constructive and purposeful.

When we do what needs to be done, when we learn the necessary skills that are in demand, when we see purpose in what we do. We will be blessed with success.

A success picture could look something like this.

We earn money, we spend within our means, we look at how we spend our money, we pay our bills on time and keep credit to a minimum.

If we finance large assets such as a house or a car arrange, we arrange our payment schedule to reduce our obligations as best as we can.

Saving money, for some it is easy, for others tough. Even those who have money today may not always have had it. Saving money provides us with the opportunity to take chances which we normally could not take, for example, changing a job that we don’t like.

When we have saved, we can invest in accordance to our tolerance of risk.

Life Cycle planning

We are dependent on our family while we are growing up. We should be taught to save part of the money we receive as gifts.

We start to work. We should be encouraged to pay ourselves 10 cents of every dollar we earn.

We get married and have a family. This is where we protect the well being of our family with life insurance. Every responsible thinking person must have life insurance.

Education of children, today more than ever parents need to encourage male and female children alike to get a good education.

Retirement, the time where we depend on the money we have saved during our earnings years. We are often so busy with raising our children that we forget about our later years. There are many elderly people out there who live only on CPP and OAS and still have a mortgage. What happens to them, if when one of them dies?

 I am convinced that we live in a benevolent universe.

That God is source of all there is and that as children of God we too have access to abundance.

Jesus reminded us of this fact in Matthew 6:25, 26

“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not; neither do they reap; nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly father feedeth them”.

Yes, we are here on this plane of duality for a purpose. This purpose includes for us to work for our needs and wants, to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done, and whatever needs to be done, must be done the right way. We must love (serve our brothers and sisters).

We must live righteously to fulfill our higher purpose. Above all we must learn not just to love the gifts of God but to love the Giver of gifts above all things. Live in Faith, embrace life to the fullest, and love God.

To love God is to know God, for we cannot love that which we do not know and always remember:

All things will be given unto us when we first seek the kingdom of God and its righteousness.

Let there be peace and love in our hearts.

Witnessing of our thoughts

Witnessing the flow of our thoughts, our feeling and activities and asking ourselves, who is this Witness, is a very useful aspect of expanding our consciousness.

Witnessing the thought process means to be able to observe the natural flow of the mind, while not being disturbed by, distracted or attached to the incoming flow of thoughts. In other words, rather than seeing ourselves as the object of our inner and outer experiences, we see ourselves as the impartial Witness.

This process can also be combined with meditation for those who endeavor to go even deeper into the higher states of awareness and finally transcending all thoughts, in Samadhi (Oneness) or Union with the Infinite.

This simple formula can be a helpful guide:

Witnessing = observing and non attachment

Witnessing starts with a simple process of

1) Observing individual thoughts and or activities,

2) Just letting the mental impressions go.

3) We may want to discriminate which of the thoughts are useful.

Calming the mind

This practice is quite insightful and useful in calming the mind.

It is easy witnessing thoughts, provided we spend some time doing it, in our daily life and at our spiritual practice times.

Weakening of habit patterns

The practice gradually weakens the deep habit patterns, which are not favorable to our growth, and are blocking spiritual realization.

Increase freedom

Realizing that we are the Witness of our thoughts, rather than identifying with them, results in the thoughts losing control over us.

The more we can become a witness to our thoughts, the less control will those thoughts have over us.

Preparation for advanced meditation

Witnessing prepares us for advanced meditation and samadhi.

Practice patience

We need to be patient with ourselves while learning this method of observation.

Both in daily life, and during meditation:

It is extremely important to know that we can practice much of the witnessing in daily life. We can do it while we are in the middle of our other activities.

Normally we do this witnessing while meditating, but tremendous progress can be made without having to set aside a single minute of extra time while doing our other activities.

Witnessing of thoughts does not mean a psychological suppression or repression of thoughts and emotions, we simply observe, and let go.

What about the positive thoughts?

When positive, helpful thoughts arise that lead us in the direction of growth and spiritual truths or enlightenment, we can remind ourselves, "This is Useful,” then we can allow those useful thoughts to move into actions.

Practice makes perfect. Very funny Ha, Ha wise guy.

Awakening or Spiritual Enlightenment

A definition of spiritual enlightenment or spiritual awakening is hard to establish. This is, in part, because spiritual enlightenment and "spiritual awakening have been used in so many ways to describe so many things, similar to the way love is used to describe everything from a preference for a certain meal to divine love. And it is also because spiritual enlightenment and spiritual awakening are such rich and complex experiences that they are innately hard to define.

Some definitions are very specific and narrow. One such definition for spiritual enlightenment is the dissolution of one's identity as a separate self with no trace of the egoism remaining. This sets the stage very high and means that not all people are ready to embrace such a path to full enlightenment.

The opposite approach is to say that everyone is enlightened, and that one needs only to awaken from his/her state of unknowingness. In this view, it's only a question of whether this natural awareness has been recognized in oneself or not.

Combining perspectives on spiritual enlightenment

Perhaps there's a definition that includes both of these perspectives, which recognizes that consciousness is always awake, but the degree of wakefulness, or aware consciousness, that is present in any moment, can vary.

This definition acknowledges that there's a difference in the degree of wakefulness, or enlightened consciousness, that different people experience at different times. Enlightenment comes with soul or Self realization, with knowing who and what we are. At times we have glimpses into our intrinsic nature, but at other times our vision is obscured by attachment to the pleasures of the outer world.   

In our innermost being we are pure consciousness, or enlightened. We are infinite potential, but that potential needs to be released. Nature does its part in this release, but the process is slow. We can speed up this process by engaging in an enlightenment path, such as the philosophy of Yoga, Vedanta, Sankhya or Buddhism. These schools are available to anyone who is interested in the subject.

Defining enlightenment in many ways should makes sense, depending on what our intention is. One may use the word enlightenment to point to the state of self-realization beyond the ego or to point to the innate potential for this realization which resides in all of us.

As for differentiating between the words enlightenment and awakening, enlightenment implies a more complete and constant state of realization, while awakening has more of the active quality and therefore suggests a movement or shift in consciousness.

Awakening may be defined as a sudden increase in the overall amount of consciousness an individual is experiencing. There can be small awakenings and bigger awakenings. Not only does consciousness have unlimited potential for the amount of awareness, but it also has an unlimited potential to shift in any direction, at any moment.

Consciousness can and sometimes does shift from contracted states of fear, anger, or hurt to expanded states of peace and joy in an instant. Unfortunately, it can also shift in the other direction. Consciousness has no fixed state.

The key is, to maintain a constant state of wakefulness by internalizing ones attention. A practical way is to maintain a detached witness consciousness of inner and outer experiences and in this process realizing, that we are not the object of the experience, but the subject (soul) observing the event, the witness.

This approach takes some practice. The beauty is that this witness state can be practiced at any time and by anyone and through this practice we recognize the gradual shifts that take place in our consciousness.

Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, or insight

In Yoga meditation the subject is Spirit or the Self, mind is the object.

The process is Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (Absorption) wherein only the essence shines forth in the mind, as if the mind were devoid even of its own form.

In Vipassana, the subject is the mind; the object is the paying of attention to the experience of the senses.

The objective of Vipassana then is to purify the mind. It is said, that all human actions emanate from the mind, and a pure mind by nature reflects love and compassion. Sustained practice of Vipassana can bring about a complete transformation of one’s human personality.

In the Kriya yoga meditation the human personality is dissolved into the Self. The Self is the subject, the personality the object.

In Vipassana with its origin in Buddhism, the core focus is on concentration, virtue and wisdom.

An example is focusing and directing the mind, with the primary intention on concentration and the letting go of thoughts, i.e. practicing non attachment.

Thoughts have no power of their own; they only have the power we give them. In this way they create our world.

Categories of thoughts are of two kids, desire and good will. The objective is to create good will.

Desires are difficult to uproot and can lead to addiction.

Renunciation of selfish desires is a primary objective.

Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation. It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body.

It is through observation-based exploration of mind and body that the common roots of mental and physical impurities can be dissolved, so as to obtain a balanced mind full of love and compassion.

Through direct experience, the nature of how one grows or regresses, how one produces suffering or frees oneself from suffering is understood through the practice of Vipassana,

Life then becomes characterized by increased awareness, non-delusion, self-control and peace.

Vipassana teaches to see things in their true perspective, in their true nature. It is, in essence, a technique of self-observation and self-exploration. Self here is referring to one’s personality.

Vipassana especially the observing of the mind can be practiced by anyone and under all circumstances.

Vipassana will appeal to those who do not belief in one’s spiritual nature.

Vision of Yoga – Samadhi – Inner Freedom

‘Now’ an explanation of Yoga begins.

Now means freedom from the past, freedom from the known. It implies that we have to unburden ourselves from the past or our personal history and change our ways. But what will take its place?

Ridding ourselves of past mental impressions and established behavior patterns suggests living in the here and now. Yet in practice we habitually cling to the past for support of the present and future.

This is where illusion begins. Nothing in the phenomenal world remains the same forever, even our personality changes. We live in a constant flux of change. When we can accept that our personality represents, at this moment, the sum total of all our past experiences, we are greatly empowered, since this affords us the opportunity the make adjustments to our lives and correct false assumptions.

What is required is for us to take responsibility for our lives by asking: am I prepared to free myself from my attachment to the past, am I prepared to think about life in a different new way?

We all can relate to examples where we or others look to the past to justify their present situation. Examples are: I suffer of .... it runs in the family; I have never been good at this, I am like my ...we always have done it this way. Whether it is a question of health or competence, we have that tendency to look at the past to justify the present.

We also make projections into the future. We wonder what may happen. We compare the known of the past and the present and link it to the future. But we really don’t know the future, and this provides anxiety and creates a disturbed mind.

How then is it possible for us to embrace the unknown, without creating anxiety in the mind? It is by living consciously in the here and Now, in the present eternal moment, for what we think and do now, determines to a large degree, individually or collectively, our future. Patanjali states: ‘Forget about the past, hold on to yoga, samadhi.

Patanjali states in sutra 2 states:” Yoga-chitta-vṛitti-nirodhaḥ.”

When we are in a state of yoga, all fluctuations (vrittis) which normally occur in the mind (chitta) disappear. Being in yoga means living in freedom, in harmony and peace where consciousness flourishes and harmony nourishes our body, mind and soul.

Present Moment, a Spiritual Perspective.

What a beautiful gift one shares when living in the present moment. When not thinking of the struggles from the past, nor thinking with anxiety about the future, but always living in the here and now.

When we choose to live in the present moment, we live by the Spirit that is beyond past and future.

It is in Divine moments that we are open to the inner light of Grace.

Whether we live in regrets of our past or in fears of the future, nothing prevents us from connecting with the present moment, where we can let go of past struggles and anxieties.

Let us not look for lasting happiness outside of ourselves, for we won’t find it there, because it is within us at all times.

It is the ego that hides our true nature, which is of joy, pure potentiality and unconditional love.

We need to realize, that Spirit flows through us only in the present moment, only in the here and now. So let us walk in Spirit and let it express through us in service and in love.

When we remember our Divine nature, the “I Am”, we realize that living in the present moment opens us to freedom, harmony and peace.

The present moment connects us with being, not with doing; it is being that leads to the path of enlightenment and wisdom.

How glorious it is to know, that within us resides that which cannot be threatened by any outside influences or circumstances. That something is our eternal Self.

We will need to trust; when we are anchored in the Infinite, life will take care of us. All our legitimate needs, as they arise, will be satisfied, but we must do our part.

With this understanding we will live every moment of our life as it is meant to be, in inner peace and freedom. 

Universal Christ Love

O Lord, when I resided in the house of mortal consciousness, I thought I loved my parents and my friends; I loved birds, animals, possessions. But now … I have moved into the mansion of omnipresence, I know it is thee alone I love, manifested as parent, friend, all creatures and all things. By loving thee alone, my heart expands to love the many. By being loyal in my love to thee, I am loyal to all I love. May I love all beings forever.

                                                                      

                                                           Paramahansa Yogananda

Vibration Energy

All things are created of vibration energy. What we receive depends on the level of vibration that we give off. We vibrate based upon the thoughts we hold about ourselves and our environment. If we think negative thoughts about ourselves and the things that surround us, then we attract negative people, events and circumstances into our environment.

We need to be clear, that our vibration rate is in sync with our emotional state. There are two rates of vibration, negative and positive. Positive emotions feel good, when we are in a positive rate of vibration, we harness our energy while focusing on our goals. We must remain on this frequency to ensure the future success of our visions.

We need to do whatever we can in life to feel these positive emotions of love, joy, appreciation, happiness, laughter and peace. It is necessary to develop a healthy rate of vibration in order to make our dreams come true. The way to successfully adapt to the frequency in which we can manifest our dreams is to change our thought process. We must connect with our greater Self to display this positive rate of vibration.

We need to use our emotions as a guide. When we begin to notice negative feelings of anger, guilt and frustration, we need to change our mood immediately. We can do this by thinking happy thoughts, listening to upbeat music, watch a funny movie. We need to do whatever we have to do to make our self feel good.

When we change our field of vibration from negative to positive we will begin to notice a change in the circumstances that surround you. The people around us will become pleasant; opportunities will appear that we never noticed before. The things that we manifest will be from our deliberate creation and we will feel magnificent!

Let us be aware of our vibration energy at all times.

Understanding our world

Understanding our world, we must understand ourselves.

When you look at your life today, how do you feel?

Are you satisfied, are you calm most of the time, do you feel joy.

Are you silently inward looking – soul directed?

Do you believe that you will receive answers to our questions in silent contemplation?

Is our mind constantly outward rushing?

Why the question?

I general terms what we experience and how we see the world is a reflection of our spiritual development.

What are the indicators?

Are you searching for meaning in life?

Are you drawn toward Holy Scriptures?

Are you yearning for Truth?

For those on the path of devotion

Do you feel joy?

Surrendered love?

Compassion?

Call for service?

How can this be felt?

When you see the spirit of God in every one and in everywhere where there is life, then

pray for God to reveal Himself to you, and then pay attention.

How do we perceive our world?

We perceive the world through our senses – our senses send a signal to the brain – the mind interprets – in this process we employ logic.

What if our perceptions are faulty?

What did the sages and seers do?

They turned inward – they found not a world of solid separate objects, but a ceaseless process of matter coming together, dissolving and coming together again in different forms

Yet below this, they found something changeless, which they called Brahman – the divine ground of existence.

The world is always changing, but Brahman (God beyond creation) never changes

How do we turn inward? Be still, Reflect, contemplate Being, Repent (change your ways).

Contemporary physics states, that ultimately things are not separate from each other and from us, we perceive them as separate because of the limitations of our sense.

If our eyes were more sensitive to a finer spectrum, we would perceive the world as a continuous spectrum of matter and energy. Nothing would resemble a solid object.

Sages, examining themselves, instead of finding a single personality, they discovered different components such as senses, emotions, will, intellect, ego all being in constant flux at different times and when in company of different people.

They found that by withdrawing consciousness from the senses, emotions, mind through meditation, the idea of ego or separate existence disappears into a state beyond time and space in which all is one. They called this the Self.

For many people devotion, bhakti, love, service is a powerful spiritual way to embrace. 

Universal Christ Love.

O Lord, when I resided in the house of mortal consciousness, I thought I loved my parents and my friends; I loved birds, animals, possessions. But now … I have moved into the mansion of omnipresence, I know it is thee alone I love, manifested as parent, friend, all creatures and all things. By loving thee alone, my heart expands to love the many. By being loyal in my love to thee, I am loyal to all I love. May I love all beings forever.

                                                                      

                                                           Paramahansa Yogananda

Transcending body identification

Most people identify themselves with their bodies and activities. The thought of transcending identification with the body in favour of spirit is a concept not easily embraced nor understood. There looms however the danger that when attaching oneself totally to the flesh, it will make it very difficult to ascend to higher states of consciousness.

Yet everyone eventually has to ascend, to free the soul into the divine realm, of the Infinite Spirit after death.

From the perspective of yoga, this requires both, the esoteric meditation method of transcendence and the application of the Christ like principles of moral and spiritual behaviour.

All emissaries of God speak with a united voice that the way to ascension is to love all, forgetting oneself in selfless service and the uplifting of others; to disengage oneself from attachment to the senses, to possessions, and the emotions that keep one body and ego bound (anger, fear, lust, and greed); and to love God supremely.

The Commandments

The Ten Commandments are considered by many old-fashioned and out-dated; even some theologians support this view. There is a fundamental flaw in this sort of thinking as it can only lead to a lawless society. Perhaps, this is the reason the world is in the state of chaos, as we experience it today.

Can we in our current era have freedom without rules, joy without living responsibly?

All major religions tell us of the need for rules as a foundation of a sound society, and the discovering of our spiritual nature.

The Ten Commandments might have been more correctly named the Ten Eternal Rules of Happiness.

The Ten Commandments

    I am the Lord, your God.

    Thou shall bring no false idols before me.

    Do not take the name of the Lord in vain.

    Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

    Honor thy father and thy mother.

    Thou shall not kill/murder†.

    Thou shall not commit adultery.

    Thou shall not steal††.

    Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Thou shall not covet‡ your neighbor's wife (or anything that belongs to your      neighbor).

Commandments of Jesus

Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind and with all thy strength.

Love thy neighbour as thyself.

      As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in and my love.

      If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love just as I have kept my 

      Father's commandments and abide in His love.

     These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may 

     be full.

     This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

                                                                       John 15: 9-12

 

"The Golden Rule"

So in everything, do unto others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up 

the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

		Precepts of  the   Yogis Yama and Niyama is the first and second limb of the eightfold path of yoga as outlined in the Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.                                                        Yama:   Precepts of Social Discipline Ahimsa - Non-violence Not harming other people or other sentient beings. Not harming one-self. Not harming the environment. Tolerance even for that which we dislike.   Not speaking that which, even though truthful, would injure others. Satya -- Truthfulness.   Note that sometimes we may know our words are literally true, but do not convey what we know to be truthful.  Satya means not intending to deceive others in our thoughts, as well as our words and actions. Asteya -- Non-stealing - Not taking that which is not given. Brahmacarya -- Sexual responsibility regarding others as human beings rather than as male and female bodies.   The spirit of this precept is conservation of vital energy for the purpose of spiritual practice. This includes not only sexual restraint, but conserving our energy by avoiding endless chattering with no clear purpose. Aparigraha -- Abstention from greed.     Not coveting that which is not one’s own.   Avoidance of acquisition of objects not essential to maintaining life or spiritual study. Niyama:   Precepts of Individual Discipline Sauca - Cleanliness. Not only external cleanliness of the body, but attending to internal cleanliness such as avoiding the impurities of the mind, such as anger, lust, greed and egoism.   Moderation in diet Santosa -- Contentment. Not spiritual complacency, but acceptance of the external situation we are allotted in this life. Tapas – Austerity, with deep commitment to spiritual yoga practice.                                  Svadhyaya --Study. Spiritual self-education.   Contemplation and application of the scriptures or sacred texts of our chosen path Isvara pranidhana -- Surrender of the self or ego to God.   Acknowledgement that there is a higher principle in the universe than one's own small self. Modesty and Humility.                                    The Ten Commandments of Buddhism Do not destroy life. Do not take what is not given you. Do not commit adultery. Tell no lies and deceive no one. Do not become intoxicated. Eat temperately and not at all in the afternoons. Accept no gold or silver. Do not watch dancing, nor listen to singing or plays. Wear no garlands, perfumes or any adornments. Sleep not in luxurious beds.