TERESA OF JESUS: THE EXAMPLE OF A DEVOTED SAINT - TERESA DE JESUS: EL EJEMPLO DE UNA SANTA DEVOTA (Birth aniversary/ Aniversario de su nacimiento: 28/03/1515)

TERESA OF AVILA: THE EXAMPLE OF A DEVOTED SAINT

There is something special about the lives of the saints that is so inspiring to all of us.

Their attitude of surrender and compromise, living a life of service as examples of divine love, is acting as a motivational force, an incentive to improve our own lifes.  

Teresa of Jesus, born in Avila (Spain) in 1515, comes to us after 5 centuries as a messenger of an incredible love story with God, a precious gift given to her in the realm of her intimacy, which is now sharing with all of us .

Teresa is prayer. That is the key point of her life, a loving prayer that friendly rises and adresses us within, to that world so close to us and yet so unknown, where our greatness and divinity exist; A prayer that is placed in the center of her existance, mixed up with the “pots” of the daily life.

She said:

“Mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us”

It is a humble itinerary within, to recognise our own reality and to discover the loving gaze of God in all things.

“We are not hollow” God dwells within, and speak to us, with a different and unique voice.

Teresa wrote many books and inspirational letters throughout her whole life.

Through her prolific work, she describes us her intimate relation with God, giving us valuable clues to go over our own spiritual path. Sharing the precious guide of her experiences, she invite us to walk by her side in our personal relation with the divine.

It does not matter our creed or religion.

The truths she is talking about are universal, intemporal, eternal…like Sanatana Dharma (The eternal truth), the sacred hindu teachings.

Teresa of Avila is Teresa of Jesus. Her magic, her love, her strenght… all come from her intimate relation with Jesus Christ, of her loving relationship with God. The experience of this loving God of Teresa, a God aiming to communicate with us..and love us, can lead us to permanent joy and plenitude.

There are different paths for reaching the same goal. Teresa followed the Christian mysticism, surrendering, through the figure of Jesus, to her own Christ consciousness within… and she motivates us to do the same, thanks to her ability of communicating the most profound aspirations of the soul.

"Christ has no body now, but yours.
No hands, no feet on earth, but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which
Christ looks compassion into the world.
Yours are the feet
with which Christ walks to do good.
Yours are the hands
with which Christ blesses the world."

- Teresa of Avila

In one of her books, “The interior castle”, or so called “The mansions”, she compares the soul with a castle, with many mansions through which we are progressively crossing, from the outside to the inside, along the different stages of our spiritual path.

“It is foolish to think that we will enter heaven without entering into ourselves.” She affirms, “I began to think of the soul as if it were a castle made of a single diamond or of very crystal in which there are many rooms just as in Heaven there are many mansions”

When quoting the Christian gospel and referring to the “Mansions in Heaven”, she is alluding also to the different worlds or planes of existance: physical, astral and causal, as they are known in the Vedic scriptures.

She insists that, as we Grow in our Spiritual Life, we are able to maintain our Focus in Love:

“I only want you to be warned that, if you would progress a long way on this road and ascent to the Mansions of your desire, the important things is not to think much, but to love much; do, then, whatever most arouses you to love. Perhaps we do not know what love is: it would not surprise me a great deal to learn this, for love consists, not in the extent of our happiness, but in the firmness of our determination to try to please God in everything, and to endeavor, in all possible ways, not to offend Him, and to pray Him ever to advance the honor and glory of His Son”

In her literature, In the book of her “Life” she also refers to our mind as a garden that needs to be watered, describing the different ways for watering this garden mainly through prayer, right action and meditation.

From constant effort at the very begginging of our spiritual practices we move through different stages, till actually having mystical experiences. At that point, our effort is not needed that much, but the “watering” is done efficiently by the grace of God.

One of her most famous quotes is a summary of her teachings about focusing our mind in God:

“Let nothing disturb thee;
 Let nothing dismay thee:
 All thing pass;
 God never changes.
 Patience attains
 All that it strives for.
 He who has God
 Finds he lacks nothing:
 God alone suffices.”

-Teresa of Avila

Teresa wrote: “This Beloved of ours is merciful and good. Besides, he so deeply longs for our love that he keeps calling us to come closer. This voice of his is so sweet that the poor soul falls apart in the face of her own inability to instantly do whatever he asks of her. And so you can see, hearing him hurts much more than not being able to hear him… For now, his voice reaches us through words spoken by good people, through listening to spiritual talks, and reading sacred literature. God calls to us in countless little ways all the time. Through illnesses and suffering and through sorrow he calls to us. Through a truth glimpsed fleetingly in a state of prayer he calls to us. No matter how halfhearted such insights may be, God rejoices whenever we learn what He is trying to teach us.”

In her words we can find the similarity with the different paths of Yoga: Bhakti, Jnana, Karma and Raja Yoga. We are talking about the same thing, but expresing it with different words. She was also fond of singing the glories of God, as the hindus sing bhajan or kirtam to praise Him.

As an expression of her Bhakti or devotion, she stated:

“All things fail; but Thou, Lord of all, never failest! They who love Thee, oh, how little they have to suffer! oh, how gently, how tenderly, how sweetly Thou, O my Lord, dealest with them! Oh, that no one had ever been occupied with any other love than Thine! It seems as if Thou didst subject those who love Thee to a severe trial: but it is in order that they may learn, in the depths of that trial, the depths of Thy love”

The motherly love showed by Teresa reminds me in many aspects to our most beloved Amma, the indian saint of Kerala. Their message is made of the same substance, of the same essence.

Amma says her religion is love. Teresa says it is love alone that gives worth to all things.

 “Accustom yourself continually to make many acts of love, for they enkindle and melt the soul.” said Teresa.

Amma is devoted to Her children, to the spiritual growth and welfare of humanity, and serves them with love and affection. “Selfless service is the soap that purifies the mind”, she insists, ans also says, "One should see any opportunity to serve as a rare and precious gift...and never waste such an opportunity.”

In the words of Teresa :“ Always think of yourself as everyone's servant; look for Christ Our Lord in everyone and you will then have respect and reverence for them all.”

Both mothers find humility as the essential way to holyness.

Amma says:

“Only humility will help us grow. The feeling of I and mine obstructs any possibility of inner growth.”

"In a cyclone, large trees and buildings are uprooted, but no matter how strong the cyclone is, it cannot harm the grass - that is the greatness of humility."

“A true devotee or disciple will have great humility and, because of this, will also possess a certain spiritual beauty. The beauty of spirituality lies in humility.”

In the words of Teresa: “Humility must always be doing its work like a bee making its honey in the hive: without humility all will be lost […] As I see it, we shall never succeed in knowing ourselves unless we seek to know God: let us think of His greatness and then come back to our own baseness; by looking at His purity we shall see our foulness; by meditating upon His humility, we shall see how far we are from being humble. There are two advantages to this. First, it is clear that anything white looks very much whiter against something black, just as the black looks blacker against the white. Secondly, if we turn from self toward God, our understanding and our will become nobler and readier to embrace all that is good: if we never rise above the slough our own miseries we do ourselves a great disservice.”

Dettachment is another virtue praised by both of them.

Dettachment is one of the main topics in the life of Teresa, as she was having in mind that everything is a gift of God, accepting with grattitude what may come or go.

Amma says"Live in this world like butter floating on the surface of water. Though it is in the water, it remains separate - detached" “The people and objects that we are attached to must leave us one day. They cannot be with us forever. In due course they will disappear from our life. Our wife and children, our home and car, and everything that we are attached to will change or disappear. And when each thing or person disappears we are again overcome by agony and fear. This will continue until we surrender to God and develop faith in the eternal nature of our real Self.”

Amma’s devotion was exalted by association by an avatar, Lord Krishna, as well as the Divine Mother, and in the same way as Teresa was devoted to Lord Jesus Christ.

Personally, getting closer to Teresa, has given me many insights in my spiritual journey. It has also made me closer to the figure of Christ, to Whom she is so devoted.

The year 2015, the 500 aniversary of her birth, I made a pilgrimage to her hometown, Avila. I visited the main places where she used to be, including a church constructed in the place where she was born and lived as a child and “ La encarnación”, the monastery of the order of carmelites where she was living her religious life around 30 years, before starting her foundations of the reformed femenine order around the spanish territory. She was a contemporary of Saint John of the Cross, being himself appointed by her to be the leader of the same reformation of the masculine carmelite order.  The reformation implied a more austere religious life, centered mostly in contemplation.

Quoting Teresa: “Our body has this defect that, the more it is provided care and comforts, the more needs and desires it finds.”

During my visit, I could feel the sacred energy of these places, impregnated by her mysticism: Her cell in the monastery, the chapel where she prayed during so many years, the confesional where she used to talk with Saint John of the Cross, etc… Even the city of Avila, with an ashtonishing battlement sourrounding it all, felt like a magical place, transporting me to ancient times.

In summary, I may say that approaching the life and works of Saint Teresa has been very enriching for my soul and my spiritual path. I have and I am still learning a lot from her, taking her life and message as an ideal example of a devoted life to God, serving others and praying with the clear goal of merging with Him.

“May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.” –Teresa of Jesus

May the message from Teresa of Jesus accompany us through all our lifes, as an expression of an incarnation of motherly love.

May all of us be able to live, like Teresa, a love story with God.

Daya

Link: http://amritayoga.com/yoga-talks/bhakti-devotional-talks/teresa-of-avila-the-example-of-a-devoted-saint/

LONGING FOR GOD LIKE A DOG FOR HIS OWNER - ANHELAR A DIOS COMO UN PERRO ANHELA A SU DUEÑO

LONGING FOR GOD LIKE A DOG FOR HIS OWNER

My personal adventure with my dog started after my first visit to an astrologer in Amma´s ashram (Amritapuri, Kerala, India).

He told me many interesting things about my life, past, present and future, and many issues about myself that were so personal that I would say it have taken me a lifetime to realize from myself most of the things he said to me in barely an hour.

I apparently had some karma related with animals, which is congruent with my feelings and love towards them since childhood. When he suggested it was positive for me to feed animals, specially dogs, I made a decision to have a dog myself, a decision that had been always present but has been postponed. I thought: “How could I find a better way to feed a dog than having one myself?” I started to pray Amma so that the situation became suitable to have it by my side. The image of a white dog of small size came to me.

Soon after this, I went to the animal shelter in my place and adopted a loving small white dog and I named her Kali. I just knew it was her since I saw her, looking at me, calm and serene- no barking at all- with her small dark eyes. At the beginning I felt like an astronaut, not knowing what to do with that living creature at home, but soon we were getting used one to another and a nice relationship was getting stablished.

I live near the countryside, and the best moments of the day are the long walks with her in the nature, surrounded by trees, mountains, birds, astonishing views of the sea and the mountains, that make me feel so connected with God and creation.

She is a wonderful and loving dog, obedient, always ready to do what I ask her, always wanting to be by my side, close to me, longing for my presence, my care and attention, at any time, any moment, no matter what.

I feel she is a very pure soul, a real angel by my side.

I cannot express with words how grateful I feel for all the love and valuable teachings I have received through her: Patience, discipline, perseverance, detachment, responsibility… and most importantly: unconditional love.

After observing her carefully, I started to consider that many of these attributes are also desirable in the spiritual path.

Sometimes we experience ups and downs; we are not always “connected” with the same intensity.

The feeling of being less “connected” makes me suffer. I say to myself: “how could I let this happen? How could I lose my connection? What did I do wrong?” And I start praying and praying and longing for God so badly, so the equilibrium may be restored in my mind with the help of deeper meditation. This yearning, this desire is present in many moments in my life, but it appears to be stronger when I feel I am a “prodigal son”. This distance from God is just apparent, because He is already by our side. It is us who are not able to notice Him. And we yearn for something that we already have in our essence…but we have forgotten it. We have a veil in front of us that blinds our senses… and we keep longing so that again we are One with the Divine, our true nature, our birth right.

When observing my dog, I notice that she always has that yearning towards me. I can see it in her eyes looking at me with a craving urge, a first order necessity. She can sit for hours, patiently waiting for me.

 I take her as my example of an ideal longing. What a grace if we could feel that enormous longing for God in our lives every day! Make Him the unique and most important goal of our lives! And not get lost into the senses and the distractions of Maya (the cosmic illusion).

It does not matter if we live in the world or in an ashram. The distraction is in our mind. We can live surrounded by monks and monastic life and yet have a restless mind. We can live in the roaring noise of a city and have an altar of peace installed in our hearts.

If we have God in our mind, no matter what we do, we will succeed.

There are many distractions around us, but the main challenge is cultivating that presence of God inside us, that immense love of the Divine Mother permeating all our accomplishments.

Let`s love God for the sake of it, without expectations of visions, miracles or special treatments.

Let`s love Him for the sake of Love itself, because that is the thing we most importantly can feel in our hearts: a sincere, unconditional love for God.

May all can have this real longing for God… like a dog for his owner.

Daya

 

ANHELAR A DIOS COMO UN PERRO ANHELA A SU DUEÑO

Mi aventura personal con mi perro empezó después de mi primera visita a un astrólogo en el ashram de Amma (Amritapuri, Kerala, India).

El me contó muchas cosas interesantes de mi vida, pasado, presente y futuro, y muchas cuestiones acerca de mí misma que era tan personales que podría decirse que me ha llevado una vida darme cuenta por mí misma de la mayoría de las cosas que él me dijo en apenas una hora.

Al parecer, yo tenia un karma muy relacionado con los animales, lo cual es congruente con mis sentimientos y amor hacia ellos desde la infancia. Cuando sugirió que era positivo para mí para alimentar a los animales, especialmente a los perros, tome la decisión de tener un perro yo misma, una decisión que había estado siempre presente, pero habia sido pospuesta. Pensé: "¿Qué mejor manera de alimentar a un perro que tener uno yo misma?" Empecé a rezar Amma para que la situación fuera la adecuada para tenerlo a mi lado. La imagen de un perro blanco de tamaño pequeño vino a mi mente.

Poco después de esto, fui al refugio de animales en mi lugar de residencia, adopté un perro blanco pequeño y le llamé Kali. Supe que era ella desde que la vi, mirandome a través de los barrotes, tranquila y serena- sin ladrar en absoluto- con sus pequeños ojos oscuros. Al principio me sentí como una astronauta, sin saber qué hacer con esa criatura viva en mi casa, pero pronto nos habíamos acostumbrando la una a la otra y una bonita relación comenzó a establecerse.

Yo vivo cerca del campo, y los mejores momentos del día son los largos paseos con ella en la naturaleza, rodeada de árboles, montañas, aves, vistas impresionantes del mar y las montañas, que me hacen sentir muy conectada con Dios y la creación.

Ella es una perra maravillosa y cariñosa, obediente, siempre dispuesta a hacer lo que le pido, siempre con ganas de estar a mi lado, cerca de mí, anhelando mi presencia, mi cuidado y atención, en cualquier momento, a cualquier hora, no importa qué ocurra alrededor.

Siento que ella es un alma muy pura, un verdadero ángel a mi lado.

No puedo expresar con palabras lo agradecida que me siento por todo el amor y las enseñanzas valiosas que he recibido a través de ella: La paciencia, la disciplina, la perseverancia, el desprendimiento, la responsabilidad ... y lo más importante: el amor incondicional.

Después de observar con atención, empecé a considerar que muchos de estos atributos también son deseables en el camino espiritual.

A veces experimentamos altibajos; No siempre estamos "conectados" con la misma intensidad.

La sensación de estar menos "conectada" me hace sufrir. Me digo a mí misma: "¿cómo he podido permitir que esto suceda? ¿Cómo he podido perder mi conexión? ¿Qué hice mal? "Y comienzo orar y orar y a anhelar a Dios con tanta intensidad, que el equilibrio puede ser restaurado en mi mente con la ayuda de la meditación  profunda. Este anhelo, este deseo está presente en muchos momentos de mi vida, pero parece ser más fuerte cuando siento que soy una "hija pródiga".

Sin embargo, este alejamiento de Dios es sólo aparente, porque El ya está a nuestro lado. Somos nosotros los que no somos capaces de darnos cuenta de que está ahi. Y anhelamos algo que ya tenemos en nuestra esencia ... pero que hemos olvidado. Tenemos un velo delante de nosotros que nos ciega los sentidos ... y seguimos anhelando algo que en ocasiones parece incierto, y que en realidad es volver a ser uno con lo Divino, nuestra verdadera naturaleza, nuestro derecho de nacimiento.

Al observar a mi perra, me doy cuenta de que ella siempre tiene ese anhelo hacia mí. Puedo verlo en sus ojos mirándome con un fuerte impulso, una necesidad de primer orden. Ella puede sentarse durante horas, esperando pacientemente por mí.

 Yo la tomo como mi ejemplo de un anhelo ideal. ¡Qué gracia si pudieramos sentir ese enorme deseo de Dios en nuestras vidas todos los días! ¡Hacer de El la meta única y más importante de nuestras vidas! Y no perdernos en los sentidos y las distracciones de Maya (la ilusión cósmica).

No importa si vivimos en el mundo o en un ashram (monasterio). La distracción está en nuestra mente. Podemos vivir rodeados de monjes y vida monástica y sin embargo tener una mente inquieta. Podemos vivir en el rugido de una ciudad y poseer un altar de paz instalado en nuestra mente y nuestros corazones.

Si tenemos a Dios en nuestra mente, no importa lo que hagamos, tendremos éxito.

Hay muchas distracciones que nos rodean, pero el reto principal es cultivar la presencia de Dios dentro de nosotros, ese inmenso amor de la Madre Divina que impregna todos nuestros logros.

Que seamos todos capaces de amar a Dios, sin expectativas de visiones, milagros o tratamientos especiales.

Que seamos todos capaces de amar, porque el Amor es un fin en si mismo, porque eso es lo que más importante que podemos sentir en nuestros corazones: un amor sincero, incondicional a Dios.

Que todos podamos tener este verdadero anhelo hacia Dios ... como un perro anhela a su dueño.

Daya

LINK:
 http://amritayoga.com/yoga-talks/bhakti-devotional-talks/longing-for-god-like-a-dog-for-his-owner/

BE A LOVING EXAMPLE - SÉ UN EJEMPLO DE AMOR PARA TODOS

 
BE A LOVING EXAMPLE

When we find a treasure, there is a tendency in us to share our discovery.

At the beginning of my spiritual path, I felt very enthusiastic about sharing the truths I was experiencing with others, specially my dear ones. But soon I discovered that apparently they were not receiving this information with the same intensity as I was doing. I also noticed that I was using lots of effort and energy trying the difficult task of changing their points of view and widen their minds.

 I realized that this effort was in vain: it is necessary an inner longing, an internal desire and deep interest to really accept, assimilate and live according to the spiritual truths. This can never be forced from outside, but has to be an inner call. I remember a saying: “Only when the pupil is ready, the master appears”. I believe it is the same for everybody: Only when we are ready to listen, we will able to listen.. and we will grasp the truth that lies beyond. We, as individual souls, are progressing in different ways at different speeds in our trip towards eternity, and we may respect other people´s processes and not interfere too much in their lives.

Turning the perspective to the opposite way, I started thinking: “Maybe it is not me who is meant to teach them…what can I learn from them?” And my attitude towards them shifted from trying to indoctrinate them to just being there by their sides, listening to them, making them feel loved and really worrying and caring for them. I gradually felt less moved by the interest and more by the sincere desire to help and serve them in the best way I could, being really rewarded by the joy and happiness they could experience. I started praying to God that all of us could be receptive to His grace and our hearts be opened to a greater understanding, learning one from another. 

The spiritual devotees have got the gift of valuable teachings, which lead the soul in the right direction. We are learning to deal with the Truth and we thus have a responsibility. We may be an example for our dear ones, allowing that our attitude, our love and tenderness may gradually melt their hearts and start changing them from within.

Coming to personal relations, it is very helpful for me to see myself as if I was surrounded by “masters” who teach me in different ways. The teachings may come as words or deeds, and these may be perceived as good or bad... but yet they simply.. ARE. 
In the school of life, we are sourrounded by situations that are meant to teach us. The important thing is how we react towards them and how we solve these situations to be able to move on. Life is a continuous unfolding of "situations" and when we apparently solve one, another will come... 
What I am trying to say is that it is senseless to wait till a moment of no "situations"... this will only come when we have learnt all that we came here to learn... and this is such a great task! so in the meanwhile, we better enjoy our way through life doing everything the best we can!

 We often find people that really inspire and uplift us and there are other people who do the opposite. It is our task to select our right companions and be as much as possible surrounded by kind, God-seeking souls if we want to achieve greater results in our spiritual path. When dealing with others, we may use our awareness and keep our mind focused in the lessons we are learning from them.

Some of the experiences we go through are painful, others are blissful. What we are experiencing now is related with our past deeds and, furthermore, it is possible that we are bounded by karma to many of these “masters” around us and we have “unfinished issues” to be solved.

It is said that in the subsequent incarnations, we may be placed nearer and nearer from our difficult relationships, in order to finally allow us to solve these “unfinished issues”. Some of these close relationships may teach us great lessons, even “master degrees” in different subjects as patience, love and understanding!

 I try each time to see more beyond the physical appearance of the person and get in touch with the inner being inside, realizing that the  divinity is also shining inside that being and trying to be conscious of the situation and see what I can learn from it. Sometimes it is not easy, but it is an interesting challenge.

In my opinion, controlling not only our actions, but also our thoughts and emotions is of great importance. I observe that, the better my feelings and emotions are, the better I manage the different situations taking place around me: I get to know the right persons, spiritually inclined; I am treated with more love and dignity, as I always try to treat others, and it appears I flow magically along my spiritual path.

I find that the attitude of surrender gives me an immanent sense of tranquility, which helps me to accept peacefully the challenges of my life and learn from them. Any time a difficulty arises, I surrender it at the feet of the divine, and this takes the burden out of me and really helps me to move on.

We are children of God, brothers and sisters brought up together in the arms of the Divine.
I am consciouss that we, as spiritual beings, are not walking an easy path, but one thing is for sure: It is the right one! So we are very lucky just being here, as human beings, even if we have to struggle a bit.

I pray we become able to see everything as it really is: a cosmic movie, a leela- the divine play of God- and that we play our roles with love and dignity, evolving and directing ourselves towards God, the source of everything.
The reality around us depends upon our perception. There are as many realities as points of view about them.

The important things are not the circumstances we are living, but our thoughts and emotions arising from them...this is why a possitive attitude is of great importance in dealing with the challenges of life.

Cultivate love in the garden of your mind.

Be a loving example for everyone.

We are ONE.

Daya

SÉ UN EJEMPLO DE AMOR PARA TODOS

Cuando encontramos un tesoro, hay una tendencia en nosotros que nos anima a compartir nuestro descubrimiento.

Al comienzo de mi camino espiritual, sentía muchas ganas de compartir con los demás las verdades que estaba experimentando, especialmente con mis seres queridos. Pero pronto descubrí que aparentemente no recibían esta información con la misma intensidad con que yo lo estaba haciendo. También me di cuenta de que estaba usando mucho esfuerzo y energía en tratar de conseguir la difícil tarea de cambiar sus puntos de vista y ampliar el espacio de sus mentes.

Llegué a la conclusion de que este esfuerzo era en vano: es necesario una fuerza motivadora, un deseo interno y un profundo interés para aceptar realmente, asimilar y vivir de acuerdo con las verdades espirituales. Esto solo puede surgir del interior y no puede forzarse desde fuera. Recuerdo un dicho que me resulta muy apropiado: "Sólo cuando el alumno está listo, aparece el maestro". Creo que es lo mismo para todo el mundo: Sólo cuando estemos preparados para escuchar es cuando seremos capaces de hacerlo… y comenzaremos a percibir la verdad que subyace a todo. Nosotros, como almas individuales, vamos progresando de diferente manera, a distintas velocidades, en nuestro viaje hacia la eternidad.

Con respecto a otras personas, lo mejor que podemos hacer es respetarles y permitir sus procesos sin interferir demasiado en sus vidas.

Al tratar de ver este asunto desde otro punto de vista, empecé a pensar: "Tal vez no sea yo la que está destinada a enseñarles... ¿qué puedo aprender yo de ellos?" Entonces mi actitud cambió de tratar de adoctrinarles a simplemente estar ahí a su lado, escuchando, haciendo que se sintieran queridos, cuidándolos y preocupándome por ellos. Poco a poco me sentí menos movida por el interés personal y más por el deseo sincero de ayudar y servir de la mejor manera possible, siendo para mí una verdadera recompensa la alegría y la felicidad que ellos pudieran experimentar. Comencé a orar a Dios para que todos pudiéramos ser receptivos a su gracia y para que nuestros corazones estuvieran abiertos a una mayor comprensión, aprendiendo también los unos de los otros.

Los devotos espirituales tienen el don de estar en contacto con enseñanzas valiosas, que conducen el alma en la dirección correcta. Estamos aprendiendo a interpretar la Verdad y por lo tanto tenemos una responsabilidad contraida. Podemos ser un ejemplo para nuestros seres queridos, permitiendo así que nuestra actitud, nuestro amor y nuestra ternura puedan ir gradualmente derritiendo sus corazones, permitiéndoles comenzar a cambiar desde dentro.

En lo concerniente a las relaciones personales, es muy útil para mí visualizarme como si estuviera rodeada de "maestros" que me enseñan de diferentes maneras. Las enseñanzas pueden provenir de sus palabras o sus acciones, ya sean estas percibidas como agradables o desagradables…pero que en el fondo simplemente…SON.

En la escuela de la vida, estamos rodeados de situaciones de las que podemos aprender. Lo importante es cómo reaccionamos ante esas situaciones y cómo las resolvemos, para poder continuar nuestro camino. La vida es una continua sucesión de “situaciones”…al solucionar una siempre aparecerá otra…Con esto quiero decir que es inútil esperar a que llegue el momento en el que no tendremos ninguna “situación” a resolver... esto sólo tendrá lugar cuando hayamos aprendido todo lo que hemos venido a aprender aqui ... ¡y esa es una tarea tan grande! Así que mientras la llevamos a cabo, es mejor disfrutar de nuestro paso por la vida haciendolo todo lo mejor que podamos.
 

 A menudo nos encontramos con personas que realmente nos inspiran y nos elevan y hay otras personas que hacen lo contrario. Es nuestra tarea seleccionar nuestros compañeros adecuados y buscar, en la medida de lo posible, estar rodeado de almas amables, a ser posible buscadores de Dios, si queremos lograr mayores resultados en nuestro camino espiritual. Para tratar con otro tipo de personas, podemos utilizar nuestra atención plena y mantener nuestra mente enfocada en las lecciones que estamos aprendiendo de ellos.

Algunas de las experiencias que atravesamos son dolorosas, otras son felices. Lo que estamos experimentando ahora está relacionado con nuestras acciones pasadas y, por otra parte, es posible que estemos relacionados a través del karma con muchos de estos "maestros" que nos rodean y existan situaciones "no concluidas" que hay que resolver.

Se dice que en los futuros nacimientos, pudiéramos estar cada vez más cerca de nuestros relaciones difíciles, con el fin de facilitarnos finalmente resolver estos problemas "sin concluir". Algunas de estas relaciones cercanas nos puede enseñar grandes lecciones, incluso "maestrias" en diferentes temas como la paciencia, el amor y la comprensión.

Es importante tratar de ver cada vez más allá de la apariencia física de la persona y entrar en contacto con su ser interior, dándonos cuenta de que la divinidad también está brillando dentro de ese ser y tratando de ser conscientes de la situación y ver qué podemos aprender de ella . A veces no es fácil, pero es un reto interesante.

En mi opinión, es de gran importancia el control no sólo de nuestras acciones, sino también de nuestros pensamientos y emociones. Puedo observar que, cuanto mejores son mis sentimientos y emociones, mejor puedo gestionar las diferentes situaciones que ocurren a mi alrededor. Ocurre entonces que llegan a mi vida las personas adecuadas, con gran inclinación espiritual; Soy tratada con más amor y dignidad, de la misma manera que yo intento tratar a los demás, y parece que mi vida fluye mágicamente a lo largo de mi camino espiritual.

La actitud de fe, de entrega, es algo que me da una gran tranquilidad, que me ayuda a aceptar pacíficamente los retos de mi vida y aprender de ellos. Cuando surge una dificultad, me rindo a los pies de la divinidad, y esto realmente me libera de un gran peso y me ayuda a seguir adelante.

Somos hijos de Dios, hermanos y hermanas enviados juntos a relacionarnos en la creación divina.

Cuando pienso en la espiritualidad, en el crecimiento interior, soy consciente de que no se trata de un camino fácil, pero una cosa es segura: ¡es el más adecuado! Por esa razón creo que somos muy afortunados sólo por estar aquí, como seres humanos, incluso si tenemos que sufrir un poco.

Dedico mis oraciones para que seamos capaces de ver la “realidad” como lo que es realmente: Una película cósmica, un “leela”- la obra divina de Dios; que juguemos nuestro papel con amor y dignidad, evolucionando y dirigiendonos cada vez más hacia Dios, que es la fuente de todo.
La realidad que nos rodea depende de nuestra percepción. Hay tantas realidades como puntos de vista sobre ella. Lo importante no son las circunstancias que estamos viviendo, sino los pensamientos y emociones que surgen de ellas ... esa es la razón por la que una actitud positiva es de gran importancia para hacer frente a los desafíos de la vida.

Cultiva el amor en el jardín de tu mente.

Sé un ejemplo de amor para todos.

Somos uno.

Daya

Link to this and other articles in Amma Yoga´s web page/ Enlace a este articulo y muchos otros en la pagina web de Yoga de Amma:
http://amritayoga.com/yoga-talks/bhakti-devotional-talks/let-us-be-a-loving-example/

WE ARE JUST WHERE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE - NOS ENCONTRAMOS EN EL LUGAR EXACTO DONDE DEBEMOS ESTAR

WE ARE JUST WHERE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE

All of us experience struggles in our lives, in a lesser or greater degree.

Some of these struggles may be physical: the lack of basic necessities, health problems…or mental: depression, anxiety, difficult relationships…among others. No matter what our struggles may be, behind them there´s a message, an emerging spiritual need that is being manifested to make us understand and learn. We may experience certain pain in order to learn some lessons that need to be learned in our evolution as individual souls coming from the Divine.

Talking about myself, although I did not have real physical necessities, my life was not precisely easy. I remember myself as always being tormented internally, as having an urgency of something not yet clear and usually feeling out of place and time. There was a growing desire for “something” inside of me, which was more intense in some periods of my life...

When people asked me: “What do you want to do when you get older?” The answer that came to me invariably was: “Be happy”.

Real happiness, coming from within, was something so mysterious for me and I could not see it any further from myself! I did not have any idea where to start in this journey towards happiness…and life went on.

Being immersed in the midst of Maya (the cosmic illusion), I guess I missed some opportunities during the way. Eventually, I had to learn through intense suffering: physical disease, depression, pain…and a profound existential crisis…the so-called ”dark night of the soul”. Just in the moment where apparently everything was fine in my outside world, the inner call came again, so loud that this time it was not possible to escape from it! I could not feel more lost or desperate or helpless… From the bottom of a dark and profound well I cried out loudly for help. It seemed that nobody was able to listen to me or help me out. Finally, after a while, things started to slowly work out. One thing was leading me to another, till I found myself immersed in the spiritual path, and finally, I came to know Amma…and after some time… I discovered Yogananda, and both of them formed the feminine and masculine forces that came to join my spirituality together.

At the beginning I thought the world was so unjust with me. I did not know whom to blame...so I blamed everybody.

After some time I started to understand many things about my life and the moment came when I took my own responsibility for it, realizing how suffering had been acting as a real master and shifting the direction of my life. Now I know why I felt out of place...because I don´t belong here!

My realm, our realm, is in the Infinite, where we can experience God and become One with Him. My life started to change when I realized this truth, and accepted that everything around me is fine and that my place in this world is the best for assuring my soul’s learning process. In this precise moment, I started to LIVE. Not just a grey existence, as before, but beginning to be aware of my true potential and my link to all beings and the whole of the creation. I started, for the first time in my life, to feel that I was in my place. Like a train on the railway, I only had to follow the rails before me. It was the end of “the search” and the starting of the “real work”.

Thus, there is a key point in our lives when we stop blaming others for our struggles and we start taking responsibility for our own lives. We may start, at that point, to see everything from a new perspective and act accordingly, accepting everything that happens to us as a lesson and not identifying ourselves with the ego. From that moment on, with the necessary effort and perseverance, we can create the life we really want for ourselves.

We are the result of our past deeds and our future depends on what we do in the present. As Amma says, “We may lose millions of dollars and yet we can recover them. But if we lose a second, we will not recover it!” So…Let´s start now! Let´s make great efforts to achieve greater results. Let´s be conscious, aware, cheerful and hopeful...because there is much more benefit for us being that way.

It is important to work hard to cultivate our faith and our devotion, which are precious gifts for our soul. God does not give us greater tasks that the ones we are able to accomplish. Therefore...let´s learn and evolve so that we will not have to experience the same lessons again in future births. Let´s keep God as our clear goal and go for it! “Don´t stop till the goal is reached”.

I would add that the devotees from different paths, are blessed to be on the spiritual path and to have the guidance of loving realized masters (as AMMA , Yogananda are…) and to have the teachings available for them. It is said that it is extremely difficult to be born not only as a human being, but also as a being with spiritual inclinations and the desire to feel God´s longing in our hearts. May we never forget this and may we always remember how lucky we are just to have reached this point. From here, we continue our journey, each of us at our own and personal rhythm.

In the end, we are here to renounce our ego and achieve greatness. Let´s accomplish our task, each of us from our own place and situation, whatever it may be, because this is the chosen place for us to grow.

It doesn´t matter if you are married, single or you have renounced the world…Offer everything to the feet of the Divinity, your chosen one, as the Cosmic Energy, the Divine Mother, your inner guide, the guide of a true guru… and from there, you will get the necessary strength and will power to keep on going in your quest for God, in your quest towards your true essence.

You are not alone. We are not alone. We are ONE.

Daya

 

NOS ENCONTRAMOS EN EL LUGAR EXACTO DONDE DEBEMOS ESTAR

Todos experimentamos dificultades en nuestras vidas, en un mayor o menor grado.

Algunas de estas dificultades pueden ser físicas: la falta de necesidades básicas, problemas de salud ... o mentales: depresión, ansiedad, relaciones difíciles ... entre otras. No importa la clase de dificultades que sean, detrás de ellas hay un mensaje, una necesidad espiritual emergente que se está manifestando para hacernos entender y aprender. Podemos llegar a experimentar cierto dolor con el fin de aprender algunas lecciones que deben ser aprendidas en nuestra evolución como almas individuales procedentes de la Divinidad.

En mi caso personal, aunque no he tenido carencias físicas importantes, mi vida no ha sido precisamente fácil. Recuerso haber estado siempre atormentada internamente, como teniendo una urgencia de algo que no podia definer ni concretar y me sentia generalmente fuera de tiempo y de lugar. Había un creciente deseo de "algo" dentro de mí, que fue más intenso en algunos períodos de mi vida ...

Cuando la gente me preguntaba: "¿Qué es lo que quieres hacer cuando seas mayor?" La respuesta que venia a mi mente siempre era: "Ser feliz".

La verdadera felicidad, cuyo origen está en el interior, era algo muy misterioso para mí y siempre la veia muy lejos, más allá de mi alcance. Yo no tenía ni idea de por dónde empezar en este camino hacia la felicidad ... y la vida continuaba.

Inmersa en el influjo de Maya (la ilusión cósmica), supongo que me perdí algunas oportunidades durante el camino. Con el tiempo, he tenido que aprender a través de un intenso sufrimiento: la enfermedad física, la depresión, el dolor ... y una profunda crisis existencial ... la llamada "noche oscura del alma". Justo en el momento en que aparentemente todo estaba bien en mi mundo exterior, la llamada interior volvió de nuevo, ¡tan fuerte que esta vez no fue posible escapar de ella! No podía sentirse más perdida o desesperada o indefensa ... Desde el fondo del pozo mas oscuro y profundo grité muy alto en busca de ayuda. Parecía que nadie podía escucharme. Finalmente, después de un tiempo, las cosas empezaron lentamente a funcionar. Una cosa me iba conduciendo a otra, hasta que me encontré inmersa en el camino espiritual, y, finalmente, llegué a conocer a Amma ... y después de algún tiempo ... descubrí a Yogananda, y ambos formaron las fuerzas femenina y masculina que mantienen unida mi espiritualidad.

Al principio pensé que el mundo era muy injusto conmigo. No sabía a quién culpar ... así que culpaba a todo el mundo.

Después de un tiempo empecé a entender muchas cosas de mi vida y llegó el momento en que tomé mi propia responsabilidad en ella, dándome cuenta de cómo el sufrimiento había estado actuando como un verdadero maestro y dando una nueva orientación a mi vida. Ahora sé por qué me sentía fuera de lugar ... porque yo no pertenezco a este lugar.

Mi reino, nuestro reino, está en el infinito, en el que podemos experimentar a Dios y llegar a ser uno con él. Mi vida comenzó a cambiar cuando me di cuenta de esta verdad, y acepté que todo está bien a mi alrededor y que mi lugar en este mundo es el mejor para asegurar el proceso de aprendizaje de mi alma. En este preciso momento, empecé a VIVIR. No sólo una existencia gris, como anteriormente, sino empezando a ser consciente de mi verdadero potencial y mi conexión con todos los seres y el conjunto de la creación. Por primera vez en mi vida, comence a sentir que ESTABA EN  MI LUGAR. Como un tren en el ferrocarril, sólo tenía que seguir las vias delante de mí. Se trataba del fin de "la búsqueda" y la puesta en marcha del "trabajo real".

Por lo tanto, hay un punto clave en nuestra vida cuando dejamos de culpar a otros por nuestras dificultades y empezamos a tomar la responsabilidad de nuestras propias vidas. En ese momento, podemos empezar a ver todo desde una nueva perspectiva y actuar en consecuencia, aceptando todo lo que nos sucede como una lección a aprender y no identificandonos con nuestro ego. A partir de entonces, con el esfuerzo y la perseverancia necesarios, podemos crear la vida que realmente queremos para nosotros mismos.

Somos el resultado de nuestras acciones pasadas y nuestro futuro depende de lo que hacemos en el presente. Como dice Amma, "Podemos perder millones de dólares y, sin embargo podemos recuperarlos. Pero si perdemos un segundo, no vamos a recuperarlo! " Así que ... ¡Vamos a empezar ahora! Vamos a hacer grandes esfuerzos para lograr aun mayores resultados. Vamos a tartar de ser conscientes, atentos, alegres y lleno de esperanza ... porque hay mucho más beneficio para nosotros siendo de esa manera.

Es importante trabajar duro para cultivar nuestra fe y nuestra devoción, que son preciosos regalos para nuestro alma. Dios no nos da mayores tareas que las que somos capaces de lograr . Por lo tanto ... Vamos a aprender y a evolucionar de manera que no tengamos que experimentar las mismas lecciones de nuevo en futuros nacimientos. Vamos a mantener a Dios como nuestro claro objetivo "¡Sin parar hasta que se alcance la meta".

Me gustaria añadir que los devotos, practicantes de las diferentes vías, estan bendecidos por estar en el camino espiritual y tener la orientación amorosa de maestros realizados (como son AMMA, Yogananda ...), asi como las enseñanzas disponibles para ellos. Se dice que es extremadamente difícil nacer no sólo como un ser humano, sino también como un ser humano con inclinaciones espirituales y el deseo de sentir el anhelo de Dios en el corazon. Que nunca olvidemos esto y que siempre podamos recordar lo afortunados que somos sólo por haber llegado a este punto. Desde aquí, continuamos nuestro viaje, cada uno de nosotros a nuestro propio ritmo personal.

Al fin y al cabo, estamos aquí para ser capaces en un momento dado de renunciar a nuestro ego y alcanzar la grandeza. Vamos a cumplir con nuestra tarea, cada uno de nosotros desde nuestro propio lugar y situación, sea la que sea, porque este es el lugar elegido para que crezcamos.

No importa si estás casado, soltero o si has renunciado al mundo dedicando tu vida a Dios... ofrece todos tus actos a los pies de la Divinidad, la que hayas elegido, la energía cósmica, santos de todas las religiones, la Madre Divina, tu guía interior, la guía de un verdadero guru,... y de ahí, obtendrás la fuerza necesaria y la fuerza de voluntad para seguir adelante en tu búsqueda de Dios, en tu búsqueda hacia tu verdadera esencia.

No estas solo. No estamos solos. Somos uno.

Daya

__

Link to this and other articles published in Amma's Yoga web page: 

http://amritayoga.com/yoga-talks/bhakti-devotional-talks/we-are-just-where-we-are-supposed-to-be/