Om
We all want to live with peace and happiness, away from struggles of any kind. How can we bring contentment into our lives?
There is a story from the ancient Vedic scriptures that guides us. Once upon a time, the devas (gods), demons and humans were fighting amongst themselves. The world was falling into chaos. Finally, a group went to seek the help of Brahma. the Creator. As he awoke from his deep meditation, Brahma uttered the sound:
Daaaa
From this sound, the overindulgent Gods understood: Daman – restraint (of the senses and desires). The cruel demons understood: Daya – compassion. The greedy humans understood: Daan – giving … and peace prevailed.
If we apply this story to ourselves, we can see that the personalities of god, demon and human all reside within us. When we connect with our own inner wisdom we can find peace by remembering daman, daya and daan.
Restraining ourselves from overindulgence and practicing compassion, can we live in the world with an attitude of “what can I give?” instead of a preoccupation with “what do I want?”. Can we give a smile? Can we give our attention? Can we give kindness, acceptance, love and forgiveness?
Let our word for the new year be: daan – giving.
Let us seek out ways to give and, in doing so, be of true service to the world. It is only through selfless service that we can experience true peace and happiness in our lives.
I send my Blessings to you for a wonderful year ahead filled with good health, happiness and a meaningful engagement in the world.
Love and Peace,
baba