Virtues Are Caught Not Taught; Replace vices with virtues and your unhappiness will be replaced with happiness

By Sister Chirya —

“The next decade determines the future of our planet and global family. If we choose well, we may be able to rebuild before it is too late. We need to be fearless and compassionate to the life-affirming choices we need to make.”

The most valuable life-affirming and compassionate choices are the gifts of virtues we develop and pass on quietly to others through our selfless and noble actions. Virtues are taught not through words, but through others as they observe the quality of our character and actions whilst we go about daily life. Every action has its seed in a thought and every thought is a creation of the soul, the thinker.  I choose my thoughts. As is my thinking, so are my actions and experience in life.

“No man is born great by birth but to achieve greatness one must do great actions. A person is identified by his actions; so let bygones be bygones. Instead we must vow to do great actions and aim at transforming our lives. Consider this not a jail but a reform home.” — BK sisters, addressing about 450 inmates at the district jail in India

This is the time to be aware of the difference between the true virtues and values we originally had, and what later we acquired and are false. We can free ourselves from this falsehood through meditation. 

When we connect to the God, who is Truth, we draw that energy into us, and rediscover using and enjoying the positive qualities already lying latent with us. Meditation energizes our awareness, bringing both peace and wisdom to a busy mind. It expands one’s capacity to love, and heals broken hearts. It dissolves many fears, replacing them with lightness and freedom from anxiety. But perhaps the greatest gift that meditation brings is the feeling of the gentle and strong glow of inner peace.  

By practicing a little every day, meditation becomes a natural and easy habit. Keep in mind a simple topic for your thoughts to concentrate on.

For example: I am not this perishable body; I am a spiritual being of radiant eternal light, like a star in the night sky, reflecting and radiating spiritual peaceful and loving light from my mind and heart in the present spiritual darkness of the world.  

We now recognize this darkness, this falsehood is separate from us, and wasteful and negative things do not belong to us; they rob us of our hope. The awareness of our original goodness and truth gives us hope. 

Now is the time to become complete with all virtues, to be completely peaceful, loving, and happy. I do not want the negativity in the world around me to enter my heart and mind, as virtues form the armor continue to protect me. Going within, I touch the stillness and pure love at the center of my being, and every thought I create from this space benefits myself and humanity.

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” – Jimmy Hendrix

(Chirya Risely, of Owego, can be reached via email to bkchirya@gmail.com or chirya.risely@peacevillageretreat.org. Sister Chirya is a student and teacher with the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University for over 40 years. She published Globally. Join Peace Village as they celebrate their 25th year of spiritual services this year. For details call [518] 589-5000 or visit www.peacevillageretreat.org.)