December 2010 - Tagaytay retreat center

L Monthly E-Newsletter of
B R A H M A K U M A R I S RETREAT C E N T E R F O R S P I R I T U A L L E A R N I N G
The Point
Volume 4 Issue 43 December 2010
Vegetarian cocktails—steamed dumplings (siomai), vegetable pastry (empanada), mini pizzas, steamed rice cakes (puto), banana and chocolate cake flowerettes.
Emma Lyn Ambion and BK Rajni next to the “Celeste” sculpture by Impy Pilapil. Traditional candle lighting ceremony . Guests scribble their visions of the future on
the Peace Wall. Singer Timmy Cruz with Mayor Romera of Mendez, Cavite. Refreshing white mums from The Flower Farm.
A time for joy
The arts, white mums and a warm, fuzzy feeling
MANY PEOPLE CRAVE SPIRITUALITY AND VALues, yet lectures can bore or intimidate them.
The arts have the power to reveal deep truths in
ways that other mediums cannot achieve. Such
was the experience offered to the public during
the seventh anniversary of the Brahma Kumaris
Center for Spiritual Learning in Tagaytay City.
The program, “A Time for Joy,” brought
happiness to the guests by reminding them of
their inner peace. For the occasion, one of the
country’s top sculptors, Imelda “Impy” Pilapil,
brought a mixed media sculpture titled “Celeste,”
a cluster of prisms and waves etched on glass and
mounted on raw marble and metal. It was a
symbol of a world beyond gross matter. The halls
were decked with fresh blooms from nearby The
Flower Farm, whose owner, Ging delos Reyes,
had been so awed by the purity of the atmosphere, that she was more than willing to share
the best of her farm’s harvest that week.
Poet and culinary artist BK Nory “Rani” San
Juan wrote the script for “A Time for Joy” in
lyrical Filipino and tied in the lesson of soul
consciousness with the program numbers. Emcee
Lourdes Aseneta related her experience as the
first coordinator of the Philippine retreat center.
Singer-composer Tina Diaz evoked the joys of a
relationship with the Supreme in her signature
song, “Light in My Life,” and a duet with her
daughter Tanya song title “Two”. Entertainer
Timmy Cruz performed “Kapatid (Sibling)” with
Emma Lyn Ambion, a song about breaking down
barriers and family love. Rani gave an emotional
reading of her poem about conquering ego and
body consciousness and creating the awareness
of being a soul.
The program was highlighted by a slide
presentation on the various aspects of CSL and a
dance video based on becoming sweet, the text
of which was based on a class by Dadi Janki, BK
head. The slide and video were mounted by
renowned photographer Crispino “Bobot” Meru.
The MTV titled “Silence,” culled from Dadi’s
book, Companion of God,” and produced by
Indioboy Productions, was a refreshing “tour” of
the retreat center, combined with images of
modern dance.
As BK Rajni, area coordinator for Philippines
and Japan, conducted a soothing meditation
commentary, she immediately seemed
transported to another dimension, as did,
apparently, majority of the guests.
The BK artists meant to use their talents
and creativity to show people the easy way to
spiritual wisdom and help them see that man
belongs to the Supreme. Regardless of the result,
the gesture was, doubtless, warmly appreciated.
Visit the Brahma Kumaris Retreat Center for Spiritual Learning at 1020 Magallanes Drive, Silang Crossing West, Tagaytay City. Contact us at (046) 483 2128
See our local website www.bktagaytay.com, our national website www.bkwsu.org/philippines and our international website www.bkwsu.org.
© Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University 2010.
2
The Point
Volume 4 Issue 43 December 2010
Cultivating happiness within
WHY ARE WE IN
constant search of
happiness? Why
can’t we be more
utilitarian and less
preoccupied with
our level of
contentment,
acting on pure
logic rather than
searching for
something as
seemingly
arbitrary and
capricious as
happiness? Would
life be possible
without joy?
We as
human beings
cannot desire
anything we have
not experienced.
For example, one
cannot desire a
honey and lemon
crepe if one has
never tasted it. You
may find some flaws in this philosophy and
argue that you could just read about the crepe
or see someone else eating it and thus learn
to want it. However, consider that because
you have never experienced the flavor, texture, and aroma of a honey and lemon crepe,
you can only imagine what the experience
would be like. You would then desire not the
crepe, but your concept of it, what it might be
like.
In the same way, we cannot have an
inclination for bliss or joy unless we have
experienced it. There is no need to be
disheartened if our present circumstances are
not exactly conducive to happiness, for just as
we have certainly felt joy before, we are
bound to come upon it again, with the right
frame of mind.
The difference between wonderful
joy and painful sadness can be as simple as a
shift in our point of view. Just as we cannot
force time to move at a pace more to our
liking so that the days are longer and the
nights pass more quickly, we cannot force
There cannot be life without joy.
situations to constantly be to our liking. This is
what it means when we say that happiness
does not dwell in the tangible world. Peace,
joy, and love can be such fickle and fleeting
things if we do not realize that true fulfillment
is not found in the physical world where
materialism is the norm. Rather, contentment
is achieved with depth of understanding and
unwavering inner strength. As much as we
would love to control our surroundings, the
fact is, we can’t.
The body will fall ill, loved ones will
pass away, natural catastrophes will continue
to occur, changing the course of millions of
lives. The good news is, attaining peace, joy,
and love is also possible under these
conditions. Lasting happiness lies in learning
to inhabit both the tornadoes and the complete stillness in our lives.
This makes happiness not a
byproduct of circumstance or the result of
unavoidable events; rather, it is something
essential to our very being and at home in the
depths of hearts. Rather than looking
outward then, let us
look inward for that
inner happiness. We
should understand
that true and lasting
joy is a seed that we
plant and cultivate
within ourselves.
Happiness naturally
occurs within every
one, which is why we
all yearn for it. All we
need to do is
acknowledge it and
nurture it.
While the
theory may sound
simple, the complexities and intricacies of
happiness reveal
themselves once we
start to train our
minds. Yes, joy is
intrinsic, but our
capacity to attain it is
directly proportional
to our awareness and
comprehension of it.
This awareness can be developed and refined
through such simple acts as self-affirmations.
Every morning upon waking, before we start
our activities for the day, we can tell ourselves
uplifting statements, for example: "I am a being filled with happiness… happiness is my
birthright." Slowly, as our attitude adjusts and
the mind expands to allow the happiness
within the heart to grow, the affirmation takes
shape.
When darkness comes to our lives
and happiness seems hard to find, recall the
words of Sister Jayanti, an experienced
meditation teacher, comparing life to the
lotus flower. A lotus flower blooms in
stagnant water; we can find beauty within
ourselves, likewise hope and a deep capacity
for happiness, even in the murkiest moments.
When darkness seems never-ending, Sister
Jayanti says we need to only remember: "The
search for peace, love and happiness is
fundamental to the human spirit because
these are the original and true qualities of the
soul itself."
New Year Reflections , 9am-4pm Thu, Dec 30, 2010
We’d like to hear from you. Write us at
thepointfeedback@gmail.com.