7 Principles of Enlightenment - Part 1 of 7

Not too long ago, I read a book that literally made my life do a complete 180 degrees and ever since then my life has been better.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is a book about a high powered lawyer who has access to endless items which would normally make anyone happy, but what some of us fail to realize is that happiness in material things is so short lived we are constantly wanting more and more.

This lawyer eventually suffers a heart attack in the middle of a court room and after recovering he decides to sell all his possessions and goes on a pilgrimage to India to become a monk. While on this journey he learns 7 Principles of Enlightenment and the book is centered around these principles.

Over my next few posts I will be sharing with you these principles, but if you really want to learn about these I would strongly suggest going to read the book.

In my view the primary view of this book is to help us live a full and flourishing life filled with endless possibilities.

1. Master Your Mind

a. The Wisdom

i. Cultivate your mind – it will blossom beyond your expectation;

ii. The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thoughts;

iii.There are no mistakes – only lessons. See setbacks as opportunity for personal expansion and              growth.

b. The Techniques

i. The Heart of the Rose

You need a fresh rose and a silent place to perform this. Start to stare at the center of the rose, its heart. Notice its color, texture and design. Savor its fragrance and think only about the wonderful object in front of you. At first, your mind will wander away. This is the sign of an untrained mind. However, you need not worry. Return your mind to the object of your focus. It gets better with daily practice. Soon your mind will grow strong and disciplined. Spend 10, 15 or even 20 minutes daily to perform this technique.

ii. Opposition Thinking

When an undesirable thought occupies the focal point of your mind, immediately replace it with a uplifting one. It's as if your mind is a giant slide projector, with every thought in your mind being a slide. Whenever a negative slide comes up on the screen, take swift action to replace it with a positive one.

iii. The Secret of the Lake

This technique was applied by the sages. The sages would look into the waters of the still lake and envision their dreams becoming reality. It is also similar to visualization. Everything is created twice, first in the mind, and then it is realized in a physical form. We can visualize everything that we want to be, do, or have.

c. Quote

The secret of happiness is simple: find out what you truly love to do and then direct all of your energy towards doing it. Once you do this, abundance flows into your life and all your desires are filled with ease and grace.