The power of contentment

When we do not want anything for ourselves, a unique power awakens within us — we become capable of giving blessings. Only those who are content themselves are capable of giving blessings and these will manifest. Ideally, our contentment should increase with age. 

There are two kinds of joy: one of receiving and the other of giving. In our childhood, we experienced the joy of receiving and as we grow older, we experience the joy in giving. For example, a grandmother prepares different kinds of dishes when children or guests come. There is a mature joy in giving which we often lose sight of and keep looking to receive all our lives. 

In order to receive blessings, one should be deserving. For this, one should keep their  mind pure and clean. For this, we first need to have faith. Second, perform seva (service) in the society. As human beings, we all have some responsibilities. If our responsibilities are more and our needs less, then in life we remain peaceful and content. Third, meditate and do pranayama for short periods of time, and a new wave of contentment and joy will arise in life. If you practice these three things, you will see that whatever work you desire will begin to get done effortlessly. 

Stay in the present. Put aside all matters of the past and meditate. ‘In this present moment I am pure, I am enlightened consciousness’, awaken this confidence within yourself. We have a traditional belief that one dip in the Ganga will wash all our sins away. Why? Because sin is not our nature. Sin is something that can be washed out. If sin was your very nature, you could never get rid of it.

In India we consider sin a superimposition. There are three things in yoga - malah, avarna and vikshepa. Malah is impurities in the body, vikshepa is impurity, restlessness and disturbances in the mind and avarana is the sheath which covers the spirit, which is the ego. Yoga loosens up all three sheaths and then the true spirit, which is a part of divinity, shines through. Don’t consider sin to be your nature. It is something acquired by you due to ignorance. It disappears with knowledge. 

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