Music Therapy

The fact that in our society the individual seeks to calm down almost exclusively with the help of tranquillizers or drugs has become a common habit in our daily life. Modern man lacks the necessary willpower to overcome such awkward situations. Consequently, for him, the little jar of pills is the easiest and most convenient solution. But this does not exclude a whole series of discoveries that scientists and doctors in particular have only recently begun to make.

In this article we will deal with music and its benefits. Music is created for people and it can make them feel better, when wisely used. Why, therefore should we not enjoy such help? "Who seeks finds," says an old saying. This form of courage, which will give the willpower and the daring to investigate, is often rewarded by an important revealing discovery.


Music effects

From immemorial times, man has used sound and music for therapeutic purposes and in his religious practices, as well. When we feel irresistibly attracted by music we have to admit, undoubtedly, that it carries a definite influence on our spirit. Sometimes music becomes exalted, and various religious songs, rituals, and certain forms of musical accompaniment have aimed at raising the human being to a higher spiritual level. In addition, music tends to restore the individual to his true origin and essence.

It is therefore obvious that music is a means of healing and harmonizing the individual as a whole. Through music, man can get rid, in time, of certain bad habits; in this respect, for instance the influence of harmonious sounds on decreasing psychological tension was noticed a long time ago and, hence, on reducing aggressive behavior.

Although music therapy is a recent form of treatment in modern medicine, it has been recognized as such and has existed for centuries.

At the ‘’Music and Medicine" Congress in Lüdenscheid, 1984, one of the main conclusions reached was that music reduces stress. Currently, however, many other conclusions have been drawn regarding the effect of music on the individual. Thus, relaxing music reduces blood pressure and slows down heart rate. A student from San Francisco has experienced playing certain classical music fragments to a group of 28 prematurely born children and has observed in an obvious way that they became stronger and started growing faster.

Music means vibration, and some people automatically react to it. The Australian Clynes, author of a remarkable work, "Music, mind and brain’’, distinguished different forms of vibrations, according to the type of feeling which they express. It is therefore necessary to make a clear distinction between the vibrations corresponding to anger, sadness, fear (all of which are negative vibrations) and those expressing love, optimism, joy and other positive emotions.

These essential vibrations, as they are called, are found in all major musical compositions. They are the so-called primary vibrations which, metaphorically speaking, are partially superimposed on the individual's genetic code and thus can be recognized.

A large study conducted by researchers showed that humanity, even since ancient times, has reacted to sounds. There are all kinds of vibrations, of joy, pleasure, confidence, fear, anger, mistrust, etc. These vibrations which are closely connected to the bio-energetic structure and the aura of the human being create a certain resonance, which is scientifically expressed in relation to the nervous system.

Creating music means finding therefore the accord or the accurate harmony to impress the public.

Methods  in Music therapy

To make effective use of music, by the end of the therapy it is necessary to select the type of music which is appropriate to the individual's emotional predispositions. For example, people who are depressed should not be provided from the beginning with an agreeable, cheerful, toning music. Rather, it will be better to start with some melancholic music. Or someone who suffers from fear should not listen at the beginning, for example, to Beethoven's 7th Symphony, which is very cheerful, spreading confidence and optimism. For such a person it would be more appropriate one of Bach's compositions.


The first requirement would be, therefore, to intuitively feel and plug in the right music on the frequency of the person being treated. In this case it is required to choose songs that reflect his state of mind as well as possible. This will create through resonance a certain bridge between the individual and the respective therapeutic method used (in our case MUSIC). Only afterwards we will be able to switch, little by little, to some music that will inspire the patient with more confidence. The whole process should take place gradually and the stages will follow prudently, in small steps. Never create the impression of sudden shocks or changes.

Music is able to transform your being

The use of the knowledge of music therapy can provide great benefits to modern man. Their intelligent practice will allow the individual to maintain perfect control upon his state of mind and even, in advanced stages, through perseverance, to make him more harmonious. Nowadays, people are distracted by different problems and temptations, facing a huge amalgam of mental and emotional experiences. In such cases, they can be helped and effectively rebalanced with the help of appropriate music.


Everything is subject to the law of duality. Regarding music therapy we must always take into account the complementary contrasts below:
Joy - Melancholy
Triumph - Sentimentality
Force - Gentleness
Greatness - Compassion

Indirectly, through music, elevated states of mind will be generated or negative attitudes changed. So, above all, appropriate music for the emotion and the inner present structure of the individual’s soul will be used. If he has feelings of sadness, then, for the beginning a series of songs that express sadness and melancholy would be the best one. Thereafter, music marked by more joy will be gradually introduced. It is good to know and to remember that each transition in music therapy has to be made step by step and with care. Music binds us to the deepest fibers of our being. And since every man is marked by his own individuality, it is not mad to imagine that in the future, for instance, appropriate personalized music for everyone will be able to be prescribed, music which will fit like a glove on his inner feeling and structure.


Sentimentalism:

BACH: Brandenburg Concertos no. 1 and no. 3
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9, Part 3
DEBUSSY: Nocturnes
DIABELLI: Romance
RACHMANINOV: Concerto no. 2, Adagio, opus 27
SCHUMAN: Arabesc
CEAIKOVSCKI: Concerto no. 2 for violin, canzonet, opus 35
VIVALDI: The Four Seasons (especially "Winter")

Sadness:

BRAHMS: Concerto no. 2 for piano, the 3rd, opus 83
DEBUSSY: Moonlight
MAHLER: Symphony No. 4, Part 3
SAINT-SAENS: Carnival of animals
WAGNER: Overture Tanhauser
Music ragas (Indian): e.g. BHAIRAVA

Balance:

ALBINONI: Symphony concert no. 5, opus 2
BACH: Area
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto no. 5 in B flat Major, opus 73
DEBUSSY: Sacred and Profane Dances
GOUNOT: Religious for St. Cecilia
HOLST: Planets (Venus)
MOZART: Concerto for flute and harp no. 2, andante, K2999

Gentleness:

BEETHOVEN: Concerto no. 3 for piano, the 3rd, opus 37
DVORJAK: Bagatelle no. 3, opus 47
HAYDEN: Concerto for Cello in C, Part One
HOLST: The planets (Neptune)
MAHLER: Scenes from Alsace
MASSENET: Symphony no. 4, first part

Joy:

BEETHOVEN: Symphony no. 7, opus 92 , first part
BRUCH: Concerto no. 1 for violin, opus 26
HAYDN: Military symphony, no. 100, first part
MAHLER: Symphony no. 4, Part 2
RACHMANINOV: Symphony no. 2, Allegro molto, opus 27
CEAIKOVSCKI: Sleeping Beauty

Triumph:

BEETHOVEN: 5th Symphony
HOLST: Planets (Mars)
MASSENET: Scenes from Alsace 2, 4
RAVEL: Bolero
SIBELIUS: Finlandia
SMETANA: My Motherland II Vltava
PINK FLOYD: Atom Heart Mother
PAUL SIMON & GARFUNKEL: Bridge over troubled water

Vigor:

BACH: Brandenburg Concerto no. 2
DVORJAK: Concerto for Cello in and minors, the 3rd, opus 104
GOUNOT: Religious for St. Cecilia
STRAUSS: Death and the transfiguration, transfiguration
MAHALIA JACKSON: Abide With Me

Solemnity:

BERLIOZ: Harold in Italy, pilgrims procession
BRAHMS: Symphony No.1, German Requiem


I honor the Divinity within you! Namaste!

With love,

Delia

Techniques for Forgiveness Part 2

Here are 2 techniques for forgiveness which I practiced and I still practice in my daily life and it proved to be very efficient.  Every time I have to deal with health problems, for example, I know that my body wants to send me the message that I had a wrong attitude towards people, situations or events in my life. I become more and more conscious that everything happens for a reason and I attract the people and situations which I deserve and make me grow, helping me to learn my lessons in this lifetime. Recently I embrace every person and situation in my life as being a gift from God and although some of them might seem to be difficult at the first glance, I understand that there is a hidden message they want to tell me and a hidden lesson they help me to learn. In this way, I accept everything as an opportunity to learn and evolve spiritually and  I am grateful for everything which happens in my life.

Then I immediately undergo a process of introspection or reflexion, in which I review my attitudes and I recognize and accept full responsibly for my mistakes. Applying the techniques for forgiveness I harmonize my relationships with other people and also make changes within myself.

I also realized over the years that although sometimes I have the feeling that I overcame some obstacles and I removed some mind patterns, if they were not completely accepted and transformed into something better, they tend to come back and create the same problems over and over again. That's why, I applied these techniques for forgiveness for longer periods of time, until I attained a state of detachment towards the people or situations involved in this process.

The first step I take is to make a list with all the people and situations in which I felt hurt or mistreated and then another list with the people I hurt or mistreated myself. Then I apply this technique for forgiveness with every person from my lists, sending the healing energy of forgiveness to those persons and myself. I also wrote messages to all the people in my lists asking for forgiveness or telling them that I sincerely forgave them. Some of the people answered to my messages, some not, but either way, I know that I did the best I could in order to restore the balance and harmony in my past or present relationships. When I feel a state of detachment and acceptance of a person or situation in my life, that is the sign that the process of forgiveness was successful. It feels like a burden is taken from my shoulders and I become very light, happy and free.

What I think is very important also, is to assume full responsibility for all my actions or reactions to the events and situations. Being responsible means to stop blaming others for what's going on in my life. It means to look with lucidity and sincerity inside my own being and see what can I make to improve my life. We are the creators of our life in every moment. When we become fully responsible for everything we think, feel or say and for all our actions, we no longer blame others for anything. Responsibility is a sign of maturity and is the first step in the journey towards self-awareness, together with sincerity. From this moment on we can say that we become more and more conscious and present in our life and we will see that our entire life will change in better every day, regaining its harmony and even healing at all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

 These techniques for forgiveness were given by my spiritual mentor, Yoga Professor Gregorian Bivolaru, and you can find them in his exceptional book: "The Secret Tantric Path of Love to Happiness and Fulfillment in a Couple Relationship".

click here to read more about the book

Technique for forgiveness #1:.
"To forgive, you must attract in your inner universe, through invocation, the subtle energy of forgiveness. This can be done through sincere, humble, and loving imploring for help from God the Father. After you have consecrated the fruits of this action to God, ask Him to pour into your being the divine energy of forgiveness.
Standing up, facing towards East, say the following prayer:

"God Almighty, Heavenly Father, I beg you with all my humility to pour into my being your divine energy of forgiveness. I implore to help me forgive totally and unconditionally all that has caused me grief, intentionally or not. Thank you for listening to my prayer and for helping me. Amen."

Say this simple prayer at least seven times, and every time, in the end, feel in your being how the divine energy of forgiveness flows, through the top of the head downwards, flooding your entire being. When you feel this flow of energy stop, start the second repetition of the prayer and continue in the same way with each repetition.
At the end of these prayers think clearly of the person you wish to forgive and the actions or situations for which you forgive them. Then feel how the divine energy of forgiveness operates in an ineffable way. At the end feel a state of relief and purification which shows that the energy of forgiveness has accomplished the annihilation of suffering with success.
In the end, you will have the opportunity to validate the efficiency of forgiveness through the appearance in your being of a state of complete detachment towards the aspects, situations, actions that have caused you to suffer as well as the person who provoked them."

Technique for forgiveness #2:

As before, start by saying the above prayer at least 7 times. After you have charged your being with the divine energy of forgiveness, go on to the next stage.

 Think about the person who hurted you or who made you suffer. Keeping yourself in his shoes, aim to think with lucidity and detachment about what you would have done if you had been in their place, under the exact same circumstances. Ask yourself honestly and with maximum lucidity and detachment, how would you have reacted?

Immediately after that, examine the person who created that suffering or pain, outside the context in which she/he has offended us, imagining that person in a completely different context or setting. For example, imagine how the person you are trying to forgive looked in childhood, or even better, remember, as exactly as possible, a specific situation when the two of you got along really well. At the end of this visualisation exercise, remain with the eyes closed, in a state of recollection, and then aspire to open your heart fully, invoking the help of God the Father and asking Him to fill your heart and being with the subtle energy of His infinite compassion. At the end of this action, the state of complete detachment should appear. When forgiveness is taken to completion with the help of the divine subtle energy attracted in our being from the macrocosm, it represents a twofold grace: for the person who is forgiving, this is a liberating feeling that also eliminates sadness, suffering, tension, and anxiety that often flow uninterrupted in the absence of forgiveness.

The state of detachment that is settling in shortly after the forgiveness is completed, shows that you have succeeded to forgive completely. If the state of detachment is not settling in, redo the process until you are successful.

When we don't forgive the person who has hurt us, the state of suffering and pain remains continuously in our inner universe. Judgment contracts the soul and exposes it to endless suffering, but forgiveness frees immediately form these wounds and pains, and by calming it, forgiveness enables the soul to blossom."

The energy of forgiveness can be attracted continuously in our being through invocation and sincere aspiration. We only have to take one step towards it and we will see even miracles happening in our life: miraculous healing, a divine state of happiness and love without limits, the disappearance of prejudices and mental patterns and a state of purity of the mind and soul which take us to the next step in our evolution. When we have pure thoughts, our life will be pure as well. Aim to always attract the divine energy of forgiveness in yourself and you will become a radiant source of love and purity!

I honor the divinity within you! Namaste!

With love,

Delia

Techniques for Forgivenes Part 1

Many times I asked myself this question: "Why is it so important to forgive those who hurt us and even to forgive ourselves?" The answer is because holding resentments towards a person, hurts not only the other person, but mostly ourselves and can lead to pain, sufferance and illness, due to the resonance with inferior energies. But many times forgiveness is a beautiful idea, until we have to put it in practice in our own life. In this article I will try to put together some ideas and techniques for forgiveness which proved to be successful.

 Many times memories from the past seem to emerge from our deepest levels of the subconscious mind and although our present life situations have nothing to do with the past and are completely harmless, we judge them and the people we interact with, based on our memories.

Let's see what is the structure of the mind and how these memories emerge from our subconscious mind?
Our mind has 3 basic levels: the sub conscious mind, which is the deepest level, the conscious mind which is active during our daily activities, or it should be active if we would be completely awakened and the super conscious mind, which is beyond the former two, more like a witness which lives completely present in the moment of now. Above all and ultimately the source of all is the Divine Intelligence.


According to the Ho'oponopono teachings, the ancient Hawaiian system of healing, problem solving and transformation, brought to the world by Morrnah Simeona, who was the original founder of the Self I-Dentity through Ho'oponopono courses, continued  by Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len from Hawaii,
 "The subconscious mind experiences mimicking, echoing, replaying. It behaves, feels, sees and decides exactly as memories dictates. The conscious mind, too, operates, without  its awareness, by  memories replaying. The subconscious mind and conscious mind, comprising the Soul,  do not generate their own ideas, thoughts, feelings and actions. The Soul does not generate experiences of its own. It sees as memories see. It feels as memories feel. It behaves as memories behave and decides as memories decide. Or, rarely, it sees, it feels, it behaves and decides as Inspiration sees, feels, behaves and decides.
It is crucial in problem  solving to realize that the body and the world are not the problems in and of themselves, but the consequences, the effects of memories replaying in the subconscious mind!
Who's in charge?
The Void is the foundation of Self I-Dentity, of Mind, of the Cosmos. It is the precursor state to the infusion of Inspirations from Divine Intelligence into the Subconscious Mind.

Memories replaying displace the Void of Self I-Dentity, precluding the manifestation of Inspirations.
To remedy this displacement, to reestablish Self I-Dentity, memories need to be transformed to Void through transmutation by Divine Intelligence.

Ho'oponopono involves the full participation of the four members of Self I-Dentity: Divine Intelligence, Super Conscious Mind, Conscious Mind and Sub Conscious Mind - working together as a unit of one. The Super Conscious Mind is memory-free , unaffected by memories re-playing by the Sub Conscious Mind. It is always one with the Divine Intelligence.The only requirement for Inspiration, Divine Creativity, is for Self I-Dentity to be Self I-Dentity. To be Self I-Dentity requires incessant cleansing of memories.

So who's in charge? Inspiration or memories re-playing? The choice is in the hands of the Conscious Mind."

The basis of this system is the following prayer:

"I am sorry.

Please, forgive me.

Thank you.

And, I love you!"

Here forgiveness plays an important role in the process of healing and transformation.

“The repentance is feeling sorry for the data or memory in me that is the problem. The next step is forgiveness from the Divinity; to forgive whatever this data is that causes me to perceive a patient to be sick. The final step is called “transmutation” which only the Divinity can do. The Divinity will take whatever memories are in me, that I perceive the patient as being sick, convert it to zero; transmute it from a thought-form to pure energy; release the energy from my mind, and now I’m back at zero which means no judgment. The next step is insight. The insight moves in and the Divinity tells you what you can do next"

click here to learn more about Ho' oponopono

I would add here that practicing awareness, being conscious all the time, being connected to the Super Conscious Mind, attunes us with the flow of Divine Inspiration. And here, living completely and fully in the present moment is the fundamental key.

Eckhart Tolle speaks about living in the present moment in his book "The Power of Now" and he gives many keys for awakening and becoming conscious of who we really are: Divine beings.
He says that "Forgiveness means to stop being discontent and in this way, we renounce sufferance.
Forgiveness means to stop opposing or resisting our life's events - means to allow life to live through us. The alternatives are pain and sufferance, the diminishing of the vital energy and in many cases, physical illness.
When you truly forgive, you withdraw your power from the domination of mind. Your mind cannot forgive. Only you can. Become present in your own body, feel the peace and the vibrant silence overflowed by the Being. That's why Jesus said:
"Before you enter the temple, forgive!"

click here for The Power of Now

In her book about the metaphysical causes of illnesses, "Your Body is Telling You: Love Yourself", Lise Bourbeau says that:
"The only path to complete and permanent healing is through self-forgiveness and the forgiveness of others."

click here to see the book on Amazon.com

She also gives the steps of forgiveness:

"1. Identify your emotions.

2. Take responsibility
Simply means acknowledging that you are choosing to react out of fear. Accept that something inside you is attracting this person or situation in your life to help you get over the hurt that has been present since childhood.

3. Accept the other person and let go
Put yourself in their shoes and begin to see things from their perspective and better understand their intentions.

4. Forgive yourself
This is the most important step in forgiveness. It helps you make peace with yourself. Forgive yourself for having judged, criticized or accused the other person

5. Have the desire to express forgiveness
Imagine yourself face to face with the person concerned, telling them that because you were hurting, you have judged, criticized or condemned them.

6.  See the person involved
Express your thoughts and feelings to that person, saying you regret your accusation, judgement or resentment

7. Make the connection to the past
Look back at the events of your life and find a similar circumstance that relates to an authority figure: a father, mother, grandparent, teacher. This person is usually of the same sex as the person you were accusing. Then, to liberate yourself, go over this 6 steps with the person from the past.

Take as much time as you need to go over these steps. It may take a day, a month, a year, but what is important is that you do this with sincerity.
Letting go through forgiveness doesn't mean that you agree with the offense. Rather, you see beyond the offense. You are able to look into the other person with the eyes of love, compassion and understanding."

Read more about other techniques of forgiveness in the next article.

I honor the divinity within you! Namaste!


With love,


Delia

The Importance of Forgiveness in Different Spiritual Traditions

Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offense or debt'. The concept and benefits of forgiveness have been explored in religious thought, the social sciences and medicine.

Dr. Robert Enright from the University of Wisconsin–Madison founded the International Forgiveness Institute and is considered the initiator of forgiveness studies. He developed a 20-Step Process Model of Forgiveness. Recent work has focused on what kind of person is more likely to be forgiving.

Studies show that people who forgive are happier and healthier than those who hold resentments. The first study to look at how forgiveness improves physical health discovered that when people think about forgiving an offender it leads to improved functioning in their cardiovascular and nervous systems. Another study at the University of Wisconsin found the more forgiving people were, the less they suffered from a wide range of illnesses. The less forgiving people reported a greater number of health problems.

The research of Dr. Fred Luskin of Stanford University shows that forgiveness can be learned. Dr. Frederic Luskin's work is based on seven major research projects into the effects of forgiveness, giving empirical validity to the concept that forgiveness is not only powerful, but also excellent for your health. Dr. Fred Luskin author of the book "Learning to forgive" was presented with a Champion of Forgiveness award by the Forgiveness Alliance for his groundbreaking work with forgiveness, reconciliation and peace.

In three separate studies, including one with Catholics and Protestants from Northern Ireland whose family members were murdered in the political violence, he found that people who are taught how to forgive become less angry, feel less hurt, are more optimistic, become more forgiving in a variety of situations, and become more compassionate and self-confident. His studies show a reduction in experience of stress, physical manifestations of stress, and an increase in vitality.

Lise Bourbeau, the founder of the largest personal growth school in Quebec, Canada, studied the metaphysical causes of illnesses and diseases. In her book, “Your body is telling you Love Yourself!” she says that when illness or dis-ease appears, the body is communicating to us that our way of thinking is out of harmony with what is beneficial to our being. Illness indicates the need for change in our belief system and tells us that we have reached our physical and psychological limits. She concludes that the only path to complete and permanent healing is through self-forgiveness and the forgiveness of the people in our lives.


More about Lise Bourbeau's books here

Forgiveness in different spiritual traditions

Most world religions include teachings on the nature of forgiveness, and many of these teachings provide an underlying basis for many varying modern day traditions and practices of forgiveness. Some religious doctrines or philosophies place greater emphasis on the need for humans to find some sort of divine forgiveness for their own shortcomings, others place greater emphasis on the need for humans to practice forgiveness of one another, yet others make little or no distinction between human and divine forgiveness.

Judaism

If a person causes harm, but then sincerely and honestly apologizes to the wronged individual and tries to rectify the wrong, the wronged individual is religiously required to grant forgiveness:

 "It is forbidden to be obdurate and not allow yourself to be appeased. On the contrary, one should be easily pacified and find it difficult to become angry. When asked by an offender for forgiveness, one should forgive with a sincere mind and a willing spirit . . . forgiveness is natural to the seed of Israel." (Mishneh Torah, Teshuvah 2:10)

Christianity

In the New Testament, Jesus speaks of the importance of Christians forgiving or showing mercy towards others. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is perhaps the best known instance of such teaching and practice of forgiveness.

In the Sermon on the Mountan, Jesus repeatedly spoke of forgiveness, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7

 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you; leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24. “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:25. “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.” Luke 6:27-29. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:36. “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37

Elsewhere, it is said, "Then Peter came and said to Him, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.'" Matthew 18:21-22

Jesus asked for God's forgiveness of those who crucified him. "And Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'" Luke 23: 34

 Islamism

Islam teaches that God is Al-Ghaffur "The All-Forgiving", and is the original source of all forgiveness (ghufran). Forgiveness often requires the repentance of those being forgiven. Depending on the type of wrong committed, forgiveness can come either directly from Allah, or from one's fellow man who received the wrong. In the case of divine forgiveness, the asking for divine forgiveness via repentance is important. In the case of human forgiveness, it is important to both forgive, and to be forgiven.

Buddhism

In Buddhism, forgiveness is seen as a practice to prevent harmful thoughts from causing havoc on one’s mental well-being. Buddhism recognizes that feelings of hatred and ill-will leave a lasting effect on our karma. Instead, Buddhism encourages the cultivation of thoughts that leave a wholesome effect. "In contemplating the law of karma (the law of action and reaction), we realize that it is not a matter of seeking revenge but of practicing  forgiveness, for the victimizer is, truly, the most unfortunate of all. When resentments have already arisen, the Buddhist view is to calmly proceed to release them by going back to their roots. Buddhism centers on release from delusion and suffering through meditation and receiving insight into the nature of reality. Buddhism questions the reality of the passions that make forgiveness necessary as well as the reality of the objects of those passions. "If we haven’t forgiven, we keep creating an identity around our pain, and that is what is reborn. That is what suffers."

Hinduism

The concept of performing atonement from one's wrongdoing (Prayaschittha — Sanskrit: Penance), and asking for forgiveness is very much a part of the practice of Hinduism. Prayaschittha is related to the law of Karma. Karma is a sum of all that an individual has done, is currently doing and will do. The effects of those deeds and these deeds actively create present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain in others.

Addressing Dhritarashtra, Vidura said: "There is one only defect in forgiving persons and not another; that defect is that people take a forgiving person to be weak. That defect, however, should not be taken into consideration, for forgiveness is a great power. Forgiveness is a virtue of the weak, and an ornament of the strong. Forgiveness subdues (all) in this world; what is there that forgiveness cannot achieve? What can a wicked person do unto him who carries the sabre of forgiveness in his hand? Fire falling on the grassless ground is extinguished of itself. And unforgiving individual defiles himself with many enormities. Righteousness is the one highest good; and forgiveness is the one supreme peace; knowledge is one supreme contentment; and benevolence, one sole happiness." (From the Mahabharata, Udyoga Parva Section XXXIII).

An even more authoritative statement about forgiveness is espoused by Krishna, who is considered to be an incarnation (Avatar) of Vishnu by Hindus. Krishna said in the Gita that forgiveness is one of the characteristics of one born for a divine state. It is noteworthy that he distinguishes those good traits from those he considered to be demoniac, such as pride, self-conceit and anger (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, verse 3).

Village priests may open their temple ceremonies with the following beloved invocation:

“O Lord, forgive three sins that are due to my human limitations: Thou art everywhere, but I worship you here; Thou art without form, but I worship you in these forms; Thou needs no praise, yet I offer you these prayers and salutations, Lord, forgive three sins that are due to my human limitations.”

Ho'oponopono

Hoʻoponopono (ho-o-pono-pono) is an ancient Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness, combined with prayer. Similar forgiveness practices were performed on islands throughout the South Pacific, including Samoa, Tahiti and New Zealand. Traditionally hoʻoponopono is practiced by healing priests or kahuna lapaʻau among family members of a person who is physically ill. Modern versions are performed within the family by a family elder, or by the individual alone.

 Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len practiced the Ho'oponopono system by healing himself, first and foremost, and, therefore, miraculously transformed the entire ward of patients at the Hawaii State Hospital in the 1980's, mentally ill, criminally insane patients despite never seeing a single one of those patients privately. He says in his article where he describes the method he used for healing, method which includes forgiveness of oneself and others and releasing the painful memories from the subconscious mind:

“The repentance is feeling sorry for the data or memory in me that is the problem. The next step is forgiveness from the Divinity; to forgive whatever this data is that causes me to perceive a patient to be sick. The final step is called “transmutation” which only the Divinity can do. The Divinity will take whatever memories are in me, that I perceive the patient as being sick, convert it to zero; transmute it from a thought-form to pure energy; release the energy from my mind, and now I’m back at zero which means no judgment. The next step is insight. The insight moves in and the Divinity tells you what you can do next. I was not originally trained to do this. I was trained to help other people and it doesn’t work. It doesn’t work with me. As Shakespeare said, it’s the stage. The stage is in your soul and the players are your memories. You can both hear the sufferer and dwell with the memories or you get to free them up and free yourself.”


 Read more about Dr. Len here

Read more about techniques of forgiveness in my next article.

I honor the Divinity within you!

With love,

Delia

Different Aspects of Love Part 2 - New Radio Show July 6th and July 9th, 2011

Wednesday, July 6th, at 7:00PM, Pacific Standard Time and Saturday, July 9th, at 2:30PM Pacific Standard Time:


Join me in this journey of discovering the divine love which is the source of all nuances of love we feel in our lifetime. Each aspect of love can take us to the divine love, if we know how to open our heart to it.
In this radio show I will present the next 3 aspects of love from the ancient Greek tradition: erotic, romantic - love, love- friendship and love-harmony.

Join me and find out more!

I honor the divinity within you! Namaste!

With love,
Delia

What is the Divine Love? Message from Archangel Raguel, June 30th, 2011

 

I wanted to know more about the divine love and I asked Archangel Raguel to give me more details about it. This is his answer:

"The divine love or God’s love for His entire creation is one of the greatest mysteries. It is the source of the entire creation.

In the beginning, there was nothing but the thought of God which manifested as creation through the divine love. The divine love is the primordial source of the creation and of all the states of happiness of human beings.

Imagine a river which flows. Where it comes from? A little stream appears from the mountain and then it gets bigger and bigger through the water of the rain which falls in that place. So is divine love: it’s the stream from which appear all nuances of human love. The human being lives through the force of this stream and develops adding to this stream her own nuances through which she contemplates the beauty of creation of God and of all His creatures.

Every human being has her own, unique way to feel love. She feels, creates, admires the beauty around her and when another human being joins her in this contemplation of beauty, they create a couple. Their love grows as much as the power of their contemplation of the beauty in the other being and the entire creation is.

You don’t have to limit your contemplation only to one aspect of creation, but all together. See the beauty and the sublime in the totality of God’s creation.

What you admire in a being you love, exists in you as well. There is nothing apart from you.

You recognize in this being the beauty within you and this is what you admire in her. She is your mirror and you see in the mirror those qualities which awaken your soul. This state of admiration is essential in love and without it you won’t be able to love anyone and anything.

When you go out in the nature, admire the purity of the scenery, but you will find this in you too. Everything exists inside your being: nature with its beauties, the cities with its people. Your being is a whole universe. You are very complex beings, endowed with remarkable qualities which you are not conscious about.

But beyond all these infinite nuances of perception, there is the source of everything which is God the Father. In Him you will find the divine love, which is the source of all your feelings of love. It is pure, omniscient (knows everything), omnipresent (exist everywhere) and capable of miracles. It knows everything and through it you can know everything too.

How can you discover the divine love?

Through the opening of your spiritual heart. There you will find it, in your Divine Self Atman (the spark from God the Father which exists in your spiritual heart), which is pure, immaculate, just like divine love.

Only when you reveal your Divine Self Atman in your being you will be able to love with a divine love, because only in this way you reach the source of all love and you will melt in the Heart of God.

You may think it’s difficult. You may think that you are restricted continuously by limitations and conditions outside your being. You lack self-confidence. This shows that you don’t trust your Self and the power of God. Trust is one of the secrets of success on this path. Trust Him, the Divine Father and He will show you the way! But the way is already imprinted in your heart.

Believe that you are divine, beautiful, free, harmonious human beings! Don’t listen to the voice of your ego which tells you to not trust anybody and anything! Listen to the voice of your heart and it will always show you the way to Goodness, Truth and Beauty."

I honor the divinity within you! Namaste!

With love,

Delia

What is unconditional love? Message from Archangel Raguel, June 6th, 2011

The moment we fall in love is a moment of divine grace which brings so much happiness and fulfillment in our life! We feel like we don't even touch the earth anymore when we walk, we feel like we have wings and we can fly. Our soul feels lighter and often shines like a diamond with a sparkling light which can be seen by others. We smile and laugh more often, we feel like we have everything we ever wanted. We simply forget about ourselves and we want these moments of pure happiness to last forever. But many times our happiness seems to be conditioned by a lot of things: the physical presence of our lover (we don't feel the same when we are apart, even for a short time), his reactions, his mood, the time we spend or don't spend together, etc.
The question is how can we make these moments of pure happiness last? How can we love unconditionally, without expectations and limitations and still feel free and happy all the time?
We have to remember that it doesn't matter if these conditions are met or not, our love still exists.
For example, if our lover is away for an indefinite period of time, how would we feel? Unhappy, in most of the cases, miserable or even abandoned perhaps, although except for the space separation nothing else has changed in the relationship. In a situation like this we can ask ourselves a fundamental question: is our love different or is still the same? And the answer will reveal the depth of our love. If we feel the same kind of love, with the same intensity or even more, it means that our love is genuine and our happiness is not conditioned in any way by the distance. If our love weakens in time, that means it lacks profoundness and the test of separation was not passed. Either way, we can realize that we can still be happy and that our happiness doesn't depend on the exterior circumstances, but depends only on us.

There are fundamentally 2 different kinds of love: love-expectation and love-giving.
Love-expectation is the one in which we always expect something in return. We expect from our lover to make us happy, to love us as much as we love him, to call us, to send us text messages and emails every single day, to show us that he loves us and cares about us. We always expect proofs of his love. And we are never content with what we receive, because there is always something more which was not addressed or fulfilled. Our attitude in this kind of love is a passive one. Expectation itself is a passive attitude, is not creative, dynamic or transformational.

On the other side, love-giving is the one in which we give love, without expecting anything in return. We don't put any conditions to our lover, we don't expect him to call us or text us all the time, we respect his freedom, we respect his own needs and desires and we love him exactly the way he is. Separation from him is not a reason for sufferance, because we are aware of the love we feel and give all the time.
Our attitude in this kind of love-giving is an active one. Love-giving is dynamic, creative and transformational.

A friend of mine told me recently when I asked her what can she tell me from her experience about unconditional love? "I think that the moment we count exclusively on others in order to be happy, we will always be disappointed, because their reactions will never meet our expectations. That's why, I found that being happy with myself first, without necessarily expecting anything from others, is the first step in being really happy." So true! Do we really need to lean onto others in order to be happy and fulfilled all the time or this is something we have inside of us and once we discover it we are happy no matter what? I think that love is an amazing path of spiritual evolution, because it makes us grow, it makes us search, learn and find answers about ourselves, about life generally. And as long as this is a continuous transformation, this is all about evolution. We look for answers, we find some, we learn and we grow. We overcome our fears and finally we set ourselves free from any type of limitations. And this is evolution.

Because this is what unconditional love is: feeling happy and fulfilled without expecting anything in return, but instead being happy no matter the circumstances and giving love more than expecting to be loved.

And because I wanted to find out more about this from my divine friend, Archangel Raguel, I asked him how can we love with a divine love, without attachments and how can we learn freedom when we are in love?
This is his answer:

"God’s love is the Divine love. God is very close to you. You must look for Him in your heart and when you will discover Him there, you will recognize Him everywhere. The Divine love doesn’t expect anything in return and this is the way you should all love.

The ego always expects  something. When you will go towards God with all your being, the love you will feel then will uplift you and you will gain wings. Rise as high as possible and follow the light from your heart. Rising in this way will detach you from everything which is earthly and your love will be detached from earthly things.
When you renounce everything which is earthly, then you will gain EVERYTHING! You will gain the real life, the eternal love and the eternal life. When you renounce everything, you receive everything in return. This is a great mystery which God gave to people and it can be understood in time, not at once. Renouncing you will gain.
Renounce all expectations, calculations and plans. Live at least one day in full harmony with the Universe, and you will see that all you need you will receive.

To be free in love means to love everything as the creation of God and don’t put any limits to your love. Love everything, forgive everything, accept everything, embrace everything.

When you get closer to God you receive everything without even asking. You become detached when, in your ardent search for God, you forget about everything which surrounds you and in the same time you embrace everything with love.

When you accept everything in your life without any opposition, you gain freedom.

If the exterior circumstances are not according to your expectations, if the reactions of the people around you are not according to what you want, then sufferance and enchaining follow. When you accept all the reactions of the people around you exactly the way they are, without opposing them, then you become free.

Love all the creation of God! But first and foremost love God with all your being!"

I honor the divinity within you! Namaste!

With love,

Delia