Don’t be a stranger to yourself! Directing intelligence to know everything about the world, but directing intelligence to know your thoughts, your feelings, your emotions, your strength, your mastery, your slavery, where are you in your spiritual progress? Listening to yourself and seeing yourself is caring for yourself!
7 Billion Acts of Goodness booth was setup at Peace in the Park – an annual Brahma Kumaris event in New York, USA on Friday, July 19, 2013. The booth attracted people from all age groups and walks of life and instilled in them the spirit to perform acts of goodness.
7 Billion Acts of Goodness: Awakening to Life’s Goodness
“Goodness Returns” was celebrated by the Brahma Kumaris of New England with Mr. Ram Singal, program coordinators, and some 75 delighted participants from Friday, June 28 to Monday, July 1, 2013. Mr. Ram Singal, an engineer, coach, and BK Raj Yoga meditator of 38 years visiting from New York, introduced the “7 Billion Acts of Goodness” initiative (www.actsofgoodness.org) at four locations.
The Goodness programs were held on Friday evening, June 28, in Manchester, NH; on Saturday morning, June 29, at the ATFS Learning Center, in Shrewsbury, MA; on Saturday afternoon, June 29, at the Brahma Kumaris Learning Center for Peace, in Watertown, MA (www.bkboston.org); and on Monday evening, July 1, at the Inner Space Meditation Center and Gallery (www.innerspaceharvardsq.org), in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA.
At each location, Mr. Singal encouraged each one to feel and experience their own innate goodness, and gave a boost of positive self-regard and hope. He shared a bright and happy vision of life and the world. As a wonderful spokesperson for this initiative, he exudes care, joy, enthusiasm, and a soft, confident humility.
At Inner Space, Mr. Singal was introduced as “Mr. Positive” and awakened and enlivened each one’s heart with experiences about his own return journey to Goodness. Overflowing with lightness and humor, he shared stories and simple, creative methods about how to change any situation to something positive. By getting in touch with his inner world of true feelings, he learned to talk to himself in a positive and encouraging way, no matter what was happening around him, or what he was perceiving. Like playing a game in life, he now transforms and uplifts his attitude toward himself, everyone, and everything. He uncovers “ahas” and “turn-arounds” by accepting what shows up, and doesn’t let anything touch his original nature of Goodness. Any thought, feeling, or perception becomes a wonderfully entertaining gem to be discovered, with an empowering secret potential hidden within.
Some Secrets and Goodness Gems:
At Inner Space, replying to a question, Ram, with a twinkling smile, said, “If there is a room that is dark, what do you do? You turn on a light. Can you collect up the darkness and put it somewhere else?” He laughed gently, with a sparkling gleam in his eye, and softly replied: “Darkness is only the absence of light. In the same way, if there is a hole in the ground, can I remove the hole by digging it out? No, it will become deeper. Can I fill the hole? Yes, I can. By meditating on my original nature, I can stock up on peace, love, happiness, and light.”
It is the same for other thoughts that are not real. Apparent and temporary states of opposites, like happiness and sorrow, fear and courage–even relative goodness or badness, based on the external–come and pass away. “To whatever extent I may experience fear, to that same extent, I have the capacity for courage.” Tests come so that I may emerge my original qualities including peace, love and bliss. “Can I experience anger, sadness or depression for any length of time? No, each will pass. If I am peace-less, then I fill myself with peace. If I perceive happy-less-ness, then what do I do? I fill myself with happiness.” If I feel depression, then I emerge positivity anyway. How do I do that? By connecting with the Source of that quality: the Source of Supreme Goodness, the Source of Ultimate Peace, the Source of Unlimited Happiness. This returns me to my original way of being, a natural state that has no opposite. Goodness is innate, my original state. When I experience my own goodness, I then think, feel, speak, and act from this place.
Ram asked, “Is it possible to create an explosion of happiness, of goodness?” A simple act of goodness begins with the self, and then ripples out. “First, I can be kind to myself. That is an act of goodness. A parent can be patient and kind to a child. If a child has two lollipops, he may feel so good that he is inspired to give one away. For a child, that is like giving away half of his world.”
Miss Supriya Kopparthi, local Brahma Kumaris coordinator for the Acts of Goodness initiative, led a gentle reflection to shift in awareness to the inner being, the inner world.
The first act of goodness is to myself, making a simple shift in awareness to my original nature of peace, love, joy and bliss. The project takes a triple AAA approach: awareness, attitude, and action. As I experience this subtle shift in awareness to who I am originally, who I once was and am becoming once again, my attitude changes, my actions become natural, and I become more awake, aware, alert and alive. As I re-awaken to my natural state, new life naturally exudes from my being, and my thoughts, words and actions become original. The original life is like Heaven on Earth.
Miss Koparthi invited participants to host “Goodness Returns” programs and introduce the “7 Billion Acts of Goodness” initiative, like a wave of goodness spreading in the world. First, I begin with the self. As I become quiet and still, I enjoy the positive qualities of the original self. Then, when that inner energy has replenished and rejuvenated, I easily and simply am good, feel good, speak good – and do good.
To learn more, you can visit the website: www.actsofgoodness.org. It has been created by the youth working with Mr. Singal, and is based on their personal experiments with Acts of Goodness. Begin to see how it feels to perform an act of goodness – from the inside out. Re-connect with the true you.
Do good. Be good. Feel good. Accept goodness is you. You have always been good.
SpeakKindness is the language of goodness. It is a language that uses few words, speaks with patience, and transcends differences. It is the language of a content and peaceful heart.
Seeing is believing… and a vision that believes in the goodness of the self and others is worth a thousand words. Depth perception—seeing beneath the skin to the jewel within—is not just an act of goodness…it’s an act of greatness.
Opening your ears is an essential act of goodness. Listen to your own heart and be reminded of your most noble ideals. Listen to another and refine your capacity to understand. Listen to the call of time and know the need of the moment.
Dare to wear your heart on your sleeve. Perform deeds of goodness, that honor the dignity of the self and each soul you face. Even a simple smile, seeded in such purity, can change the world.
Awareness shapes attitude, whether it be towards myself, another being, or the world. An attitude to uplift impacts the atmosphere, changes destinies and, most importantly, strengthens my own heart.
The most powerful act of goodness I can perform is to shift my awareness. When I move from a physical perspective to a spiritual perspective — awakening to my unlimited capacities as a spiritual being — goodness itself automatically and naturally radiates from my being. This act is completely invisible, but by far the most powerful.
