Bhakti Tirtha Swami
In the commercial airlines, at takeoff the flight attendants instruct passengers in the use of oxygen masks, reminding them to secure their own masks before assisting others. In the same way, to be effective spiritual warriors we must protect ourselves first. Otherwise we are of no use to anyone. The greatest protection of all comes from our unconditional, unmotivated, uninterrupted devotional service. Such service opens us up to a flow of divine love and protection in all circumstances.
Reference: Spiritual Warrior III: Solace for the Heart in Difficult Times, Chapter 8 – How To Strengthen Ourselves
Bhakti Tirtha Swami
We must resist the temptation to be “normal,” because those who are now considered normal accept the values and practices of an insane world. In modern society, for example, normal people strive to accumulate as many commodities as possible, because they believe that their success and personal worth are linked to the number of possessions they have acquired. As the joke goes, “The one who dies with the most toys, wins.” If we espouse this viewpoint, the toys we have to play with form the measure of our personal worth. Unfortunately, this notion confuses acquired material worth with our inherent worth as spiritual beings.
Reference: Spiritual Warrior III: Solace for the Heart in Difficult Times, Chapter 8 – How To Strengthen Ourselves
Bhakti Tirtha Swami
We should ask the following three basic questions of any system we encounter.
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If I am perfect at this practice, what can I expect to achieve?” Once you have heard the answer to this question, you may decide that you do not care to proceed any further, or you may find that the goal is exactly what you have always wanted.
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What are the means for attaining the goal? The answer to this question enables you to decide whether you are willing to pay the price to get there.
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Who has already reached the goal and how do they live their lives? We should carefully scrutinize those who have supposedly reached the goal to discover their true situation in life.
If we feel aligned with the answers to all three questions, then we can “go for it.” If we do not, then we should look somewhere else.
Bhakti Tirtha Swami
Reflect on these tools as a daily meditation and make the choice to shift your consciousness:
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Treat everyone you encounter as if the success of your spiritual life depends upon the quality of your interactions with them.
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Reflect upon the person you love the most, and aspire to treat everyone with that same quality of love.
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View all conflicts as your own fault first.
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Realize that the people in your present environment might very well be the people with whom you will live out your life, and who will be with you at the time of death.
