Character Building & Inner Powers

“Spirituality is a way of life. It is not just doing meditation.”
Master Choa Kok Sui

As emphasized by many spiritual teachers including Master Choa Kok Sui, spirituality does not imply meditating all day long. Spirituality is a way of life – a way of empowerment. Spiritual development should show as a greater degree of success in all aspects of life.

One of the most important aspects of spiritual practice in any religion or spiritual school has been Character Building – the practice of virtues. Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds has been the essence of ancient religions such as Zoroastrianism and has been emphasized in almost all religions throughout history.

The practice of virtues not only leads to maturity and being a better person, but also leads to acquiring more inner powers. This is related to the Law of Karma – The Law of Cause & Effect. We attract what we plant, and we will not reap the fruits of seeds we do not plant.

So it means if we don’t have negative karma of harming others, we will not receive harm and injury and if we have planted seeds of prosperity by tithing and service, we will have a prosperous life!

In this way, practicing the virtues brings about empowerment, protection and abundance into our lives.

Now let us discuss some of the powers that can be gained through practicing character building.

– Loving-Kindness and Non-Injury

Love brings protection! Just as the negative result of being injurious to others in thoughts, words and deeds is harm and injury – be it physical, emotional or mental – abstaining from injuring others offers protection from being injured ourselves.

There are many mythical stories in traditional literature of many cultures referring to the truth that a person with karma of zero injury can pass through a bonfire and come out without any harm.

On of such stories is the story of Siyavash in Shahnameh written by Ferdowsi between 977–1010 CE.

“Siyavash, heir to the throne of Iran, rejected the seductive behavior of one of his father’s wives. Furious, she accused him of rape and causing her to miscarry twins. Although the king doubted her word, he was unable to deny her demand that Siyavash undergo a trial by fire. A great pyre was built and soaked with pitch; when torched, flames shot into the sky and the heat scorched the earth. Crowds that had gathered

… wept to see the prince, who came alone.

On a black horse before his father’s throne; His helmet was of gold, his clothes were white And camphor-strewn, according to the rite That’s used in preparation of a shroud. …

Siyavash drove his horse into the fire, and soon both disappeared in the flames. Suddenly the crowd roared, “The young prince has escaped the fire!” He emerged unscathed, proof of his innocence.” Shahnameh by Ferdowsi

Therefore, the gift of practicing and mastering the virtue of Loving-Kindness and Non-Injury is immunity from harm and danger.

– Generosity and Non-Stealing

Generosity brings abundance in all areas of life.

Not everybody knows this, but it should be emphasized that stealing leads to poverty! As the Law of Karma guides us, if we take what does not belong to us, we generate the negative karma of poverty and inevitably things will be taken away from us.

Being generous, warm and supportive on the other hand, brings about good karma of prosperity and abundance. It can also appear as good luck.

There are many stories and autobiographies that prove the effectiveness of tithing and donation in attracting wealth, prosperity and success in business. One of such stores is the story of Colgate.

Based on the story, “Colgate was a tither throughout his long and successful business career. He gave not merely one-tenth of the earnings of Colgate’s soap products; but he gave two-tenths, then three-tenths, and finally five-tenths of all his income to the work of God in the world. During the later days of his life he revealed the origin of his devotion to the idea of tithing.

When he was sixteen years old he left home to find employment in New York City. He had previously worked in a soap manufacturing shop. When he told the captain of the canal boat upon which he was traveling that he planned to make soap in New York City the man gave him this advice: ‘Someone will soon be the leading soap maker in New York. You can be that person. But you must never lose sight of the fact that the soap you make has been given to you by God. Honor Him by sharing what you earn. Begin by tithing all you receive.’

William Colgate felt the urge to tithe because he recognized that God was the giver of all that he possessed, not only of opportunity, but even of the elements which were used in the manufacture of his products.”  Spiritual Life through Tithing, G. Ernest Thomas (1955)

Therefore, the gift of practicing the virtue of Generosity and Non-Stealing is a life full of prosperity, abundance and good luck!

– Honesty and Non-Lying

To understand what happens if we practice honesty, we need to first identify the result of lying. When someone lies, they distort the vision of others. Therefore, the negative karma of lying results in a lack of clarity and confusion. On the other hand, if truth is shared, it brings light to a subject and lead to clarity and better understanding on the matter. Thus, the power gained through practicing Honesty to a great degree would be clarity and a sharp and intelligent mind.

Lying in various religious textbooks is symbolized as veils; every lie adds a veil in front of the eyes of the liar, and eventually the veils become so thick that the person cannot see the truth any more.

“That which is false troubles the heart, but truth brings joyous tranquillity.” Rumi

Therefore, the gift of practicing Honesty and Non-Lying is clarity and intelligence.

– Constancy of Aim and Effort & Non-Laziness

Constancy of Aim and Effort is the virtue needed for greatness. To have constancy means not to give up… it means to continue pushing ahead until we reach the target.

“Success comes from One-pointedness and Constancy of Aim and Effort.” Master Choa Kok Sui

Having constancy of aim and effort means to have commitment – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Physical commitment manifests as finishing what we start. Exerting physical effort. Showing up!

Emotional commitment manifests as staying hungry and exited! Making a schedule and Persevere.

Mental commitment manifests as finding the means and ways of overcoming problems. Calculating the risks, working out the details and re-strategizing when needed.

Spiritual commitment manifests as using energy techniques and principles such as Kriyashakti, developed by Master Choa Kok Sui, to influence the inner world and materialize our plans.

While practicing industriousness and non-laziness, we also need to keep our promises and be responsible. If we do not deliver what we promised to do, people will not deliver what we requested them to do, and this will lead to a vicious cycle leading to procrastination, delay and therefore less degree of success.

Life is simple! What we want to receive is what we need to give! How we want to be treated is the way to treat others.

“Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and never succeed.” Bible

Therefore, the gift of practicing Constancy of Aim and Effort is success and greatness.

– Moderation and Non-Excessiveness

Life is all about balance! Imbalance always leads to disease. In relation to the body, imbalances in the hormones, energy flows and the chakras lead to various physical and psychological ailments. This is the principle behind sciences dealing with health and wellness.

In relation to space, imbalance of energy in a house, lead to problems in life and relationships. This is the principle behind Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra.

In relation to work, imbalance in time management, leads to failure.

In relation to spirituality, imbalance in following the proper spiritual practices leads to stagnation and challenge.

As Lord Buddha said, we need to follow the Middle Path! Any extreme leads to another!

We’re all familiar with the saying that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. On the other hand, just play and no work is simply wasting time and resources. Moderation is a key to have a well-rounded life!

“The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom.” Aristotle

Therefore, the gift of Practicing Moderation and Non-Excessiveness is harmony and balance.