Thursday, August 8, 2013

To keep things in perspective...

Here are a few snippets from Marcus Aurelius to help you when you are getting bent out of shape over things...I discovered Marcus Aurelius when I read an article in Self Realization Fellowship magazine written by a philosophy professor.  He said that one book his students always kept was the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.  It was never available used in the university book store.  That was enough to send me online to order a copy.  A few thoughts when people or events are making you displeased...

"Everything is what your judgement says it is, and that power is yours.  When you choose to take away your opinion, you become like a sailor who has rounded the headland and finds a calm and tranquil bay."

"Discard everything except these few truths: we can live only in the present moment, in this brief now; all the rest of our life is dead and buried or shrouded in uncertainty.  Short is the life we lead, and small our patch of earth...And just as petty is the greatest fame, kept alive in the memories of others, who will themselves soon die; of what value is the memory of those who don't even know their own selves, much less one who died ages ago?"

    "Then what should we concern ourselves with?  Only with this:  correct thoughts, unselfish acts, and words that never lie.  We need to keep a disposition that gladly accepts everything that happens as necessary, familiar, and flowing from the original source."

     Reading the thoughts of Marcus Aurelius can be helpful, but to cut the reaction off at it's source I recommend Kriya yoga.  Yogananda went to considerable effort to bring this technique to the United States and daily practice of it ameliorates our negative emotional states.  It is spoken of as relieving great suffering.
(Instruction in this technique is best obtained through Self Realization Fellowship www.yogananda-srf.org)



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