Gratitude and Generosity are Inter-Dependent
Gratitude and generosity are inter-dependent. Giving through constant acts of generosity is an integral part of the expression of gratitude made manifest. I find that at times the belief that gratitude just saying, “Thank you” is enough. But actually if we are to truly experience more abundance of whatever it is we want in life there is a need for taking some form of action. Gratitude in words is just the first step.
The essence of gratitude acknowledges the kindness of others, then opens the door of our hearts to extend this same gift back to the one who helped us, as well as others. For example, as a child my mother would make delicious meals for us. In turn we would often help with the meal clean up or washing the dishes. When service is extended to those who serve us, we are made full because the cycle of giving and receiving has been completed.
I love what author Michael Bechwith shares in the audio series Living from the Overflow, an attitude he calls “Practicing the Law of Circulation.” In Living from the Overflow he describes exercises for breaking down your inhibitions to money and clearing the way for prosperity. This work helps me be mindful that if we are to be prosperous in living a life of abundance, being generous with others is an essential step.
I am reminded that in the words of many spiritual teachers they always state that it is in giving that we receive more of all blessings. The bottom line is this, if we want to receive more money, a better job, more friends, more love, we must give more of all of these life enriching blessings to others. That is how we attract more of what we desire. Gratitude and generosity are how positive karma is awakened. Make it a daily practice.
I recommend Living from the Overflow as a primer to help develop these practice more fully in your life.
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Wishes for more of what you’d like out of life for you and your loved ones,
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How an Angel Protected Me from an Arizona Rattle Snake
People often ask how angels help us in times of greatest need? Or, do angels protect us at all, in other words, maybe we just imagine angels by projecting our own needs and wishes onto them? If angels are present helping through daily crisis or challenges, how does the Angelic Kingdom perform their work with human beings?
Some may argue the belief in the Angelic Kingdom is just a happy fantasy we invent. Others like this author have many experiences confirming the angels are here with us. If you believe either scenario, this story may provide some mind boggling insights about how simple and direct angelic presences are in life.
The answer to the question of how angels help us is most often through your own thoughts or by listening to your intuition as a pre-cognitive flash of information. In this case I was given a strong, precautionary warning early morning in the Spring of 2011. As I headed out the front door to check on an event taking place on the south side of my home, a voice came into my thoughts warning to watch for a rattle snake. Was this my imagination? Or, was it just a fear of snakes?
I am not afraid of the rattle snakes. They are common in our high desert part of central Arizona where the Diamond back rattle snake and highly venomous Mojave rattle snake often can be found roaming looking for a meal. The rattle snakes are my friends because they keep down the vermin, like the prolific pack rats, mice, squirrels and other destructive critters that live in my neck of the woods. I value their place in the balance of nature.
I’ll leave the rest of the story for you to watch on this video. Click here to see for yourself how angels are there to protect you and I every day. All you need to do is listen, listen to those inner prompting.
If you want to see how an angelic presence protected me from an Arizona Rattle snake, then Click here and watch my YouTube Video.
May you find comfort as well as affirmation that the angels are protecting you. Develop your intuition, and then listen to angelic guidance.
Be sure to book mark our website and visit often. If you have articles you’d like to see about subjects of interest, please send us a note.
Blessings and much love,
Christopher Lee May
Author ~ Public Speaker ~ Transitional Life Coach
How to Select the Best Meditation Cushion
When teaching meditation instruction I am often asked what is the best meditation cushion for me?
The answer on how to selection the best support for your spiritual practice depends largely on the way you tend to sit on a chair. If you often place your body on the middle, the flat portion of the chair, select a full sized, round meditation cushion. If the zafu is full, you’ll want to force some of the stuffing down to make a small depression where the center of the spine rests on the top surface.
However, if you like to sit forward on the chair like a bird perched ready to take flight, then choose a half moon cushion, which is crescent shaped. The notched area allows you to rest your butt forward while tucking the legs in closer to your body. The legs closer creates more stability.
Finally, if your body is large, curvy and full sized, then go with an meditation cushion extra large size for added roominess. This selection is wider, taller and deeper giving you lots of space to stretch out.
The next question related to this discussion is the zabuton meditation mat.
Do you need one? Most definitely yes, unless suffering with sore knees and ankles is part of your spiritual practice, it is wise to have a zabuton mat to accompany your meditation cushion. Suffering might be encouraged in the US Marines, but a painful body does not burn off any bad karma in meditation. The purpose of the zabuton is to provide a surface beneath the zafu meditation cushion much like a placement under a dinner plate. The zabuton mat also offers a place to rest your prayer beads, place a book or other important spiritual objects.
Please click on any link in this article to review plenty pictures, make color selections and find the best choice for yourself, or as a gift. Or, follow this link.
Feel free to e-mail questions to the friendly staff regarding the best selections from the linked website at FourGates.com.
Generate a Sacred Environment for Your Life
It is important to generate a sacred environment for meditation, for your business life, health, long life and increasing prosperity. Creating sacred spaces also benefits your family and romantic relationships.
If you want to awaken greater positive karma, and build the positive energy in your life, then place an eight auspicious symbols banner in your home, office, cabin, retreat center or meditation center. Of course, it is important to reflect on the meaning of the symbols from time to time. This awakens thoughts about the energy behind the images. The auspicious images act as a bridge in your consciousness building links between enlightened energies and your body, emotions and mind.
The regal auspicious silk brocade wall hanging contains 8 Auspicious Symbols for good luck and prosperity. Beautiful to hang in office or living room. Large size with approximate dimensions of 42” h x 12” wide. This is a vertical style of sacred auspicious symbols banner.
Please note that banners come in various color combinations. Some have a red brocade, some have blue and some have green brocade. The key feature are the eight auspicious symbols.
Here are what the eight auspicious symbols mean.
1. Right-coiled White Conch:
The white conch which coils to the right symbolises the deep, far-reaching and melodious sound of the Dharma teachings, which being appropriate to different natures, predispositions and aspirations of disciples, awakens them from the deep slumber of ignorance and urges them to accomplish their own and others’ welfare.
2. Precious Umbrella:
The precious umbrella symbolises the wholesome activity of preserving beings from illness, harmful forces, obstacles and so forth in this life and all kinds of temporary and enduring sufferings of the three lower realms, and the realms of men and gods in future lives. It also represents the enjoyment of a feast of benefit under its cool shade.
3. Victory Banner:
The victory banner symbolises the victory of the activities of one’s own and others body, speech and mind over obstacles and negativitities. It also stands for the complete victory of the Buddhist Doctrine over all harmful and pernicious forces.
4. Golden Fish:
The golden fish symbolises the auspiciousness of all living beings in a state of fearlessness, without danger of drowning in the ocean of sufferings, and migrating from place to place freely and spontaneously, just as fish swim freely without fear through water.
5. Dharma Wheel:
The golden wheel symbolises the auspiciousness of the turning of the precious wheel of Buddha’s doctrine, both in its teachings and realizations, in all realms and at all times, enabling beings to experience the joy of wholesome deeds and liberation.
6. Auspicious Drawing:
The auspicious drawing symbolises the mutual dependence of religious doctrine and secular affairs. Similarly, it represents the union of wisdom and method, the inseparability of emptiness and dependent arising at the time of path, and finally, at the time of enlightenment, the complete union of wisdom and great compassion.
7. Lotus Flower:
The lotus flower symbolises the complete purification of the defilements of the body, speech and mind, and the full blossoming of wholesome deeds in blissful liberation.
8. Vase of Treasure:
The treasure vase symbolises an endless rain of long life, wealth and prosperity and all the benefits of this world and liberation.
To order a sacred symbols banner for your home, office or other location, click here now to visit the FourGates.com catalog.
Stress Relief Through Meditation Self Study Course
Inner Blooming of the Human Soul
Often times, I use the image of a garden full of flowering trees, shrubs and plants of all kinds to describe the Inner Blooming of the Human Soul. This phrases in not simply poetic or a metaphor, but actually ignites the imagination about the subtle constitution of your etheric, emotional and mental bodies.
One of the very beneficial side effects of construcitive, conscious living is mentioned by one of my spiritual teachers, Torkom Saraydarian. He writes that when a person (that is you!) is “unfolding spiritually, his head center(the energy chakra above the crown of the head) looks like a (12 petaled) lotus; another golden flower appears near each of his shoulder blades; another on his throat; and another between the eyebrows. These etheric centers are like flowers. When a person is really developed, which means flourishing, he is like a beautiful blooming tree. (Taken from Talks on Agni).
Every action, every emotion and every thought is either creating a beneficial effect or diminishing effect on your live, aura and others. The flowering of the human soul is a by-product of the life you live each day.
Please join me on the course, Joy of Meditation: 6 Lessons to Increase Positive Energy
. This course will teach you how to cultivate the positive qualities, also known as virtues. And, your life will bloom every day in every way.
Life is so short, but can be so full of richness if you take action by growing the garden of your life. Meditation, prayer, inspirational study and service as the best ways to grow your own flowers in the garden of your life. I have poured a great deal of information, spiritual education and healthy ways you can grow as a human soul into this course. I know you’ll love the Joy of Meditation: 6 Lessons to Increase Positive Energy
because it moves at a gradual pace, it easy and enjoyable.
Joy of Meditation Increases Your Positive Karma A Thousand Fold
Positive Karma is like a drop of water because by itself it won’t last very long, but when combined with millions of other drops, then billions of drops, it becomes a stream, river and then an ocean of positive activity. Each of us adding our drops of prayer, meditation, constructive action each moment are combining together which creates an ocean of goodness in the world. What drops of goodness can you add today?
In my course, The Joy of Meditation: 6 Lessons to Increase Positive Energy, you will learn how to redirect your physical, emotional and mental life to become a force for good in your life, and in the world at large. I will be there helping you strengthen, nurture and manifest all of those positive qualites.
You have so much potential in your true nature IF you unlock it, create path ways for it to flow, and then cultivate harmlessness. Harmlessness is the foundation for all good qualities in your life. Harmlessness is the key that unlocks all doors to your pure nature.
Join me on the Joy of Meditation Course, where I will teach you all of the foundations of a positive life. As you learn the methods of maintaining joy, loving-kindness, compassion and serenity every area of your life will gradually become transformed into hundreds, then thousands, then millions of drops of positive energy which then can join together with the drops from heavenly realms to nourish your life, and the lives of those touch.
Click on any link to see the Joy of Meditation Course outline, and order your copy today. Your on-line meditation course will be delivered in an downloadable MP3 format for ease of use on your computer, IPod, iPhone or burn the lessons to Cd’s for ease of listening.
Daily meditation, prayer, spiritual study and cultivating harmlessness has transformed my life over the past 3 decades. I want you to share in that goodness so that more, and more positive energy enters your life too.
To your increase in positive karma and happiness,
Christopher Lee May
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