Thought for the day Thursday 30th of October 2008

"‘Know thyself’… Self-knowledge is a requisite of human evolution. But exploration of the inner world is difficult and doesn’t take place without risks. This is where initiatic Science is so necessary, for it teaches us that before reaching the clear, luminous regions of consciousness – the causal, buddhic and atmic planes – we must cross the dark regions of the lower astral and mental planes, where we are continually at threat from illusions and distractions. These regions can be likened to areas of fog and dust. The crude emotions of the heart correspond to fog and the distractions of the mind to dust. The danger, of course, lies in remaining there, for both dust and fog impede clear vision. So if we are to truly know ourselves, we must make every effort to cross these murky regions, with a view to reaching the spiritual summit, our higher Self."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

Thought for the day  Wednesday 29th of October 2008

"After death, when human beings have left their physical body, they enter the lower astral plane, where they are subjected to all the injustice and suffering they have inflicted on others. You will say, ‘But what if they have done wrong involuntarily without realizing it?’ In the eyes of cosmic Intelligence, ignorance is also unacceptable. But the aim of cosmic Intelligence is not revenge, nor even punishment; above all it wants humans to become conscious, and so it makes them experience the suffering they have inflicted on others, so that they can learn, understand and become perfect.
Some creatures cross this lower astral region very quickly, as they have not committed very serious faults; others remain there a long time, suffering. When this stage is over, they enter the higher astral region, where they feel joy and happiness proportionate to the good they have done, for they must also become aware of their good actions. If they have given others courage, hope and light, if they have awakened faith and love, they live these same states."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

WORD FOR THE DAY
Wednesday, Oct. 29

Truth has all the benefits of

sham without the

disadvantages.

Dutch proverb

Thought for the day  Tuesday 28th of October 2008

"Those who succeed in elevating their consciousness to such a degree that they comprehend the works of God are able to discover the quintessence of all sacred books, for the truths these books contain are inscribed in the life of the universe and in their own life.
God himself is inaccessible, unfathomable, beyond all understanding, but he placed within us and within his created universe all the elements which would allow us to move closer to him and decipher some of his messages. The first of these messages is light, since it is by means of light that he manifested himself at the beginning of the world, when he said, ‘Let there be light!’ So if we wish to hear God ‘speak’ to us, we must seek light, for it is through light that he speaks to all creatures."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

WORD FOR THE DAY
Tuesday, Oct. 28

Try pausing right before and right

after undertaking a new action,

even something simple like putting

a key in a lock to open a door.

Such pauses take a brief moment,

yet they have the effect of

decompressing time and

centering you.

A life practice from Br. David Steindl-Rast

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

WORD FOR THE DAY
Saturday, Oct. 25

Don't be afraid to take a big

step if one is indicated.

You can't cross a chasm in

two small jumps.

David Lloyd George

Thought for the day Saturday 25th of October 2008

"To be born means to become subject to the law of blessing. Birth gives human beings the opportunity to correct their past mistakes and develop the luminous powers latent within them.
A child only comes into the world because a man and a woman have united to love each other; it is their love which calls the child into life. At the moment of their birth, each human being receives a visit from God. I know full well that many children are not really children of love, but I’m speaking in general terms, dealing with principles. When men and women meet and think of becoming fathers and mothers, they don’t begin by imagining their child will be the fruit of chance or the result of violence, or that they will have recourse to artificial means of reproduction. Deep down in their heart and soul, everyone understands birth to be the natural fruit of love."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

Thought for the day Friday 24th of October 2008

"Humans began by living isolated from one another, with each family defending its little territory. Later they formed tribes, then nations, and societies functioned like living organisms; you could say they reached the physiological stage. So humanity became an immense organism, one in which each individual works for the good of the whole and the whole works for the individual. We call this ‘trade’, and of course it is progress of a sort.
But now it’s necessary to go further and work for a human brotherhood: that implies love and an awareness of the deep connection that exists between people. This is the psychological stage. As long as human relationships are based on self-interest, in spite of everything humans stand to gain from it being this way they will feel that something is missing; their life will remain meaningless. They will only find this meaning if they succeed in cultivating a brotherly attitude, in other words if they come to understand that they must share their very best with others."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

WORD FOR THE DAY
Friday, Oct. 24

People say, "What is the sense

of our small effort?" They

cannot see that we must lay one

brick at a time, take one step at

a time.

Dorothy Day

WORD FOR THE DAY
Thursday, Oct. 23

While you are proclaiming

peace with your lips, be

careful to have it even more

fully in your heart.

St. Francis of Assisi

Thought for the day Thursday 23rd of October 2008

"When your personal interests are threatened, in other words your comfort, well-being or reputation, you must be patient; and not just be patient, but thank heaven for the opportunity to show how intelligent you are.
But, what do people do instead? They watch unmoved as the forces of evil carry out their work of destruction on others, but they mobilize a whole army when their own interests are threatened. For this, they will one day be severely judged. Divine Justice will reproach them: ‘You protested against the slightest injustice done to yourself, and yet at the same time you remained impassive before the humiliations inflicted on others, so in some way you contributed to them.’ And it won’t do them any good trying to justify themselves by saying, ‘I didn’t know.’ They should have known."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

Thought for the day Wednesday 22nd of October 2008

"Some people, when they feel tense or about to lose patience, leave the house saying they are ‘going for a walk’ or ‘getting some air’. Something warns them that, if they don’t go elsewhere, the situation will become explosive. Sometimes, just drinking a glass of water or eating a piece of fruit is enough to change one’s inner state. Yes, knowing how to make a shift is a whole science in itself.
How often you allow yourself to get disturbed by trivial inconveniences! It would be easy to rid yourself of these states through a shift in consciousness. And there are so many ways of doing this! You can also alter your inner state if you wash your hands consciously while concentrating on a word: light… harmony… beauty… love… Next, you pass your hands over your head and ears, and then wash them once more. Begin again several times if necessary. You will feel lighter, for everything that’s weighing you down will leave through your fingertips."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

WORD FOR THE DAY
Wednesday, Oct. 22

We can't control our destiny,

but we can control who we

become.

Thought for the day Tuesday 21st of October 2008

"How many monks, ascetics or even simple believers have willingly inflicted all sorts of torments on themselves… ‘to please God’, as they thought! As if God took pleasure in seeing a human creature wounded and bleeding! Very few religions have not recommended this sort of practice, and some still do today. But it is time to understand that the Lord does not need human suffering. The age of flagellation, torment and martyrdom is over. Mistreating and mutilating one’s body and risking one’s life – these ways of sacrificing oneself to the Divine are unproductive.
True sacrifice lies in fraternal, disinterested love for all humans. Those who have understood the meaning and power of love do not need to inflict suffering on themselves: they will have plenty of that, sharing the suffering of all those who are unhappy! And the obstacles they will meet in their efforts to help them will provide even more opportunities for suffering! But faced with this suffering, they must not recoil: it is what will make them greater and nobler."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

WORD FOR THE DAY
Monday, Oct. 20

In ordinary life we hardly realize

that we receive a great deal

more than we give, and that it is

 only with gratitude that life

becomes rich.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Thought for the day Monday 20th of October 2008

"Shooting an enemy with a revolver or pouring a few drops of poison into their glass, placing explosives or turning on the gas to blow up their house – that’s easy. There’s nothing to be proud of or boast about in that sort of victory.
True victory does not mean annihilating enemies. True victory means successfully turning enemies into friends. Be very clear about that. For then, instead of being surrounded by people who seek only to harm you, you’ll be surrounded by those whose only thought is to help you. It’s difficult, of course; not only does it require great work on yourself, which is the first difficulty, but then there is the even greater difficulty, the work you have to do on the other person to convince them you could be friends. But if you gain this kind of victory, it proves you live in the truth."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

Thought for the day 19th of October 2008

"A man and woman often decide to live together when they believe they’ve discovered a certain affinity between them. Unfortunately, getting together sometimes shows them how far apart they are in reality, strangers even. In contrast a man and woman may feel they are always together even when a great physical distance separates them. So, which is more important: to feel the presence of someone who is not there or to be physically close and yet feel apart?
Humans would undoubtedly feel happier if they learned to live more in their inner world. When you really love someone, they are constantly with you inside, and you are with them in peace. When you absolutely insist on being with them physically, you run the constant risk of arguments and misunderstandings. Don’t, of course, give up all meetings and contact on the physical plane, but give preference to cultivating the possibilities of your inner world."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

WORD FOR THE DAY
Sunday, Oct. 19

God is the mirror of silence

in which all creation is reflected.

Paramahansa Yogananda

Thought for the day Saturday 18th of October 2008

"What power cosmic Intelligence has placed in the human hand! It is thanks to their hands that men and women have acquired everything they possess today. What would they have created without them? For the moment, of course, they use their hands to act only on the physical plane, which is not very much. There are many things to be achieved on planes they know nothing about. Cosmic Intelligence has created the human hand as a living being with its own brain, nervous system and stomach. And since each part of the cosmos corresponds to a part of our body, our hand is linked to the whole cosmos. Yes, just as our body is a reflection of the universe, our hand is a reflection of our body, so it too is related to the whole universe."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov