10 Mar 2008 Vrindavan, India
Category: Respect
Today Ramona's family arrived in the Ashram. Now they are all here: Her mother Andrea and her sisters Melly and Susi. We will have a lot of fun here especially with Holi, the crazy festival of colours coming closer.
I want to continue the topic of unconditional respect. You know, when you respect someone without conditions you do not see his bad traits. And I am not saying that you are blind, closing your eyes and ignore the things that disturb others. No, with respect and love these things become sweet. You do not mind if the other one is untidy, you like to see his shirt lying there, like to pick it up and put it where it belongs. You do not mind that she is sometimes talking very much, you like to listen and understand why she feels that she has to tell you this. You do not seek for bad things but you see the qualities. And it is very important that it is like this because if you start seeing bad things, start judging, it will reduce the love. It cannot happen if there is unconditional respect for the other one, for his person, his qualities and the things that are generally not seen as qualities. Accept the whole person, the whole wonderful soul. You see, the thing itself is not bad. It is your perception that makes it good or bad. And with respect the perception changes.
In some way this makes respect even more important than love. No, actually it is still the base that is needed. It is easy to fall in love. Everybody has love inside, which I say is god in us. In one second you can fall in love. But it is more difficult to build up a relationship and even more difficult to maintain it. Respect is needed in it. Unconditional respect. Acceptance and respect are needed for keeping the relationship alive and working. Your perception of your partner must be clean of doubts. Nothing is bad or good, keep in mind that it is only your perception.
The children's food of today and the day before yesterday has been sponsored and today we put the page with the photos on the website. It is very nice that you can give happiness to those who are eating and to those who supply the food. Making someone happy is one of the greatest things to do!
Click here to see the photos of today's lunch
Tags:: Love, Relationships, Respect, Acceptance, Partners, Perception
5 Comments
Posted By Swami Balendu
Apra’s German Grandparents in Vrindavan - 28...
It is Saturday, the weekend has started and for ou...
Sometimes it is strange for me to see how much fea...
A whole lot is going on, as always, and we are bus...
I have always been a believer in open communicatio...
So yesterday was my 45th birthday and definitely a...
Until now, I have not told you yet about a program...
Today I woke up in the morning, as usual next to m...
I yesterday wrote about parents who want to suppor...
I yesterday wrote that you should enjoy your work,...
Here I have heard many times that people accuse th...
The day before yesterday I wrote about family cele...
Yesterday I wrote a bit about the different genera...
Yesterday I said how strange it was that there are...
Today we came from Tornesch to Lüneburg. In t...
Today I had a radio interview. But not how it norm...
Today we had a Darshan in the afternoon, the first...
Trust can easily be destroyed by doubts. We have a...
Today Ramona's family arrived in the Ashram. N...
One of the participants of our Ayurveda Yoga Holid...
It would be amazing if we could show this unconditional respect to all people. Even criminals... despite the fact that we disagree with their actions, could we not respect them still? Maybe this is what they've always needed in their lives that they never got. Maybe they never would have been criminals if only they had felt respect from people in their lives. We can never know their pain. They may seem like bad people...but we should learn respect regardless. We don't have to agree with them or support their actions, but we can respect their souls.
Reply By Emily on October 24, 2011 01:50
It's so much fun to reconnect with family! They always got your back.
Reply By Jessica on December 26, 2010 10:50
Family is nice, i mean obviously you move places and really love living there, but also it is wonderful when the people you grew up with come and love you.
Reply By Truman on November 07, 2010 12:05
Holding this perspective of your partner is hard. I've tried. I admire people who can actually do it but it is a struggle for me.
Reply By Fred on October 25, 2010 04:27
Today was the last day of the school year 11/12. The children got their report cards, the olde...
Read All News
Children and teenagers need a balance of control and freedom.
SourceDoes a mother need a rosary to remember her child? Does a wife need to sit in a certain pose or condition to think of her husband? If love is there, you don’t need to do any effort for meditation, it takes place itself. You won’t find God, who is love, with rituals, ceremonies and donations but with love.
SourceYou have to accept your anger. It is a natural feeling, created by god. It is a negative feeling, yes, but you are not bad if you feel angry. It is there and you need to live it!
SourceAmong friends, in relationships or among family members you should be able to tell the other one whenever you feel that an expectation was not fulfilled.
SourceStay true to yourself, even if your ideas and those of your elders clash. Those who love you will realize that your love is more important than old tradition and ridiculous superstition. Time has changed and knowledge and science has progressed.
SourcePriests and organizers are like agents. religion is their business and images of gurus and icons are their products. They have to sell something and get income to make their living and if they can attract people to buy at their tents by selling those pictures, it is fine for them. It is human worship and it is wrong.
SourceReligions tell women that they have to cover their heads and even faces with a veil or a burqa because men could get aroused by seeing their faces and imagining a vagina.
SourceSects go to extremes - Either lots of sex or no sex at all!
SourceIf you follow outdated scriptures, you would have to kill a ridiculous amount of people in our daily lives, most of the population would have a ‘painful doom’ and women would behave and be treated very wrong. It just does not fit anymore.
SourceWhen you have a physical relation with someone, it brings an emotional connection and an emotional relation requires physical closeness.
SourceYou cannot tell someone to love but you can be proud of your own love. Love your feelings, love and celebrate your love. You have to love yourself and be proud of the love that you can give to others. Never stop loving yourself in this frustration. At the right time you will meet the right person, there is nothing wrong with you and you don’t need to try stopping your love. Don’t create any guilt. Your love is great.
SourceNever give up and never lose hope. You can always make a change.
SourceDevotees who sleep with their gurus actually got bored from just having normal sex and now enjoy making a new fantasy reality: having sex with a religious wrapper. Devotion to God and the joy of sex – double pleasure!
SourceBookish knowledge only creates confusion
SourceThere is a difference in between friends and customers. Customers want something from you. Friends want you.
SourceI am just a simple person who believes in love and prayers, not in magic.
SourceMany religions say that women can be beaten, can be used and even donated.
SourceLife is short, live it! Do what you always wanted to do! Say it! Make it reality! You are the one in charge of your life. Love your life and live it!
SourceDon't stop expecting - but learn from disappointments!
SourceBeing spiritual cannot mean denying your sexuality and becoming celibate. Accept your sexuality in a spiritual way. Sexuality, driven by love, can be only spiritual, nothing else. God created us how we are and with sexuality being a part of us. Do not neglect that.
Source
Have something to say? Post your comment
Comments are moderated and will be allowed if they are about the topic and not abusive.