Total Thoughts (May 9, 2010) - (Tattva Bodha) The Six-Fold Wealth (Liberation)

Total Thoughts:

Total Thoughts, Liberation (pages 30-33): 

• Achieving a peaceful state is key - once you a in a peaceful state, you won't be affected by the inevitable change that comes in the form of situations, things and people
• We can cultivate the desire for peace - this is obtained through intelligent living which means that we should always be aware and continue to build our knowledge
• We are 'clinically depressed' based on our potential - this notion of being 'clinically depressed' should help us see that we can always push ourselves further along the spiritual journey towards enlightenment and give us perspective so that we remember to avoid becoming complacent, even if we feel comfortable in our situations
• Awareness can aid in avoiding complacency - if we continue to pay attention to our lives, experiment and engage, this will help us avoid falling into a state of complacency
• Faith can be shaken and strengthened - faith is shaken when we find ourselves in uncomfortable situations, in some cases because we have no knowledge of self. However through studying the scriptures, gaining knowledge and experience, faith can be strengthened
• Introspection is a powerful tool - it helps us absorb all the knowledge we gain from experience and the discussions and helps make the learning more potent

"You must be the change you want to see in the world" - Gandhi

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Total Thoughts (May 3, 2010) - (Tattva Bodha) The Six-Fold Wealth (Faith and Focus)

Total Thoughts:

Total Thoughts, Faith and Focus (pages 27-30): 

• Find the ability to prolong your happiness - If we are able to be happy for an hour at a time, why can't we become aware of this state and extend it for two, three hours or more?
• Enjoy each moment and have single-pointed focus - it is not the destination but the journey that matters and maintaining single-pointed focus will guide us towards our goals
• Distinguishing between faith and belief is relevant - faith requires enquiry and knowledge, but belief is just belief and can change. Faith is a higher order and should be considered as such in order to apply it correctly to our lives
• Be flexible in your goal - if we are able to surrender to faith, we can still have a goal but will be at peace understanding that change is inevitable and our goals should be flexible
• Reflect upon the scriptures and what the Guru says - having faith will allow us to be open to receiving the knowledge and diligence will help us absorb and understand it

"Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting" - Edmund Burke

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Total Thoughts (April 18, 2010) - The Six-Fold Wealth

Total Thoughts:

• If I am, then I can think - if we have existence, then we have awareness. Most of our perceptions are incorrect but we believe them to be true because most things are subjective and relative. Therefore, we should spend more time reflecting and being aware so we can be better judges of our own perceptions
  
• So much is unknown - we should question why we are sometimes so attached to outcomes and focus on what we do know and practice titiksha when we face inevitable change
  
• Existence/awareness/infinity is a subjective science - all we can do is to "be it"
  
• Question the scientist and question yourself - we are accustomed to questioning one or the other, but if we are perceptive to the oneness then we can be begin to understand that everything is connected, therefore we should either question both or don't question either
  
• We should experiment with life - we should practice stepping outside of our comfort zone. This can benefit us by helping us avoid complacency and continue to expose ourselves to the changing universe. Therefore, finding experiences that help us grow
  

"There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self" -Aldous Huxley

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Total Thoughts (April 11, 2010) - The Six-Fold Wealth (Titiksha)

Total Thoughts:

Total Thoughts, Titiksha (pages 25-27):

• We have the luxury of thinking about our duty - if we can appreciate this, then we can also respect those that don't. Our minds can also change once we realize that what one's duty is, is what we make of it
  
• Perspective is important - we should seek to understand that there are different perspectives to every situation and this leads some to complain and others to celebrate. We should also begin to understand what drives us towards each reaction and make conscious effort to see the positive opportunity in each challenge
  
• Choice is a blessing and a curse - sometimes we are lost because we are faced with too much choice (i.e. blue jean dilemma) but we should continue to reflect to inform our decisions
  
• Practice endurance - we should push ourselves towards cheerful acceptance as acceptance itself is positive but we can achieve more peace if we can experience it cheerfully
  
• Everything is changing - we should not chase what is good and complain about what is bad but recognize that everything is ever changing
  
• Joy is tangible in Satsanga -  this is such a beneficial practice as everyone is a teacher and a student
  

"The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice" - George Eliot

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Total Thoughts (March 28, 2010) - "Why are we here?"

Total Thoughts:

• Try to be the best and leave the rest - This phrase can help inform how we approach our everyday lives. It will help remind us that we should be, rather than become
  
• Discussions are important - Often we underestimate the amount of growth we experience when we talk to one another and expose ourselves to different ways of thinking and experiences. Our discussions can help motivate us to the practice of meditation and inspire us
  
• We should continue to study - There is a ritual of studying and if we immerse ourselves in the material, we will be on the right track to moving forward on our path of discovery
  
• Try not to be shaken inside - The ability to master this is empowering. If we are able to achieve this with regularity, it will allow us the right focus to continue on our spiritual journey
  
• We learn from others - Our parents are insightful because they have life experience. We have learned that we never need to talk about ourselves. We have also learned the important lesson of organization. In the example of time management, we should all take the time to think about what it means to arrive early to a meeting vs. late and whether our time is more valuable than someone else's
  

"Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?" - Winnie the Pooh



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Total Thoughts (March 21, 2010) - Tattva Bodha The Six-Fold Wealth

Total Thoughts:

Total Thoughts, The Six-Fold Wealth (pages 20-23)

• Keep focused on the goal - we can achieve the end results through different paths, but we should think about what the ultimate goal is in order to forge our own pathway towards it
• There is merit in 'out of sight, out of mind' - we can decide whether avoidance should be part of the path to ultimately facing the 'temptation'
• You mind can be your best friend or worst enemy - we should continue to distinguish between the pure intellect and sense/pleasure to help develop a stronger mind and not allow it to become agitated
  
• You can't be the thing that controls the mind - we should reflect upon the situation when we have control over the mind, as we cannot be the thing who controls the mind
• Clarity of intellect is powerful - if we are able to achieve this, we will realize the power of one consistent thought. This will allow us to develop a good intellect, which in turn helps us control the senses and the mind
  

"The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking." - Albert Einstein

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Total Thoughts (March 14, 2010) - Tattva Bodha Dispassion (cont'd)

Total Thoughts:

Total Thoughts, Dispassion (pages 17-18)

• There are different paths to God - For the same reason that different masters say different things, we should realize that there is a different target audience for different messages. What we should work towards is reflecting and we will be able to see that the essence of the message is always the same
• Objects do not have anything - Once we begin to understand and practice detachment, we will understand that it is the emotion that objects stir up that affect's one's happiness. We should reflect on this more and realize that objects are not the source of happiness
• Take little steps - We will achieve a greater sense of peace if we can see that the path doesn't matter as much as the goal Eg. Bakti vs. Gyana.
  
• Dispassion is not something that is forced upon us - It is something we should gain knowledge on and practice so that we can begin to live it effortlessly

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Seuss

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