ENLIGHTENING LESSONS.

Here are six powerful lessons that enlightened spiritual masters of both East and West aimed to teach us:

1. Separation is an illusion: Everything in existence is connected to everything else. All duality is nothing but an illusion and unless we break free from it, we will never be able to live in harmony.
2. Simplicity is Key: A wise person throws away what is unessential and keeps in his heart only what is of true importance.
3. Attachment brings suffering: The more attached we are, whether to people, possessions or circumstances, the more we are bound to suffer, since all those will sooner or later be taken away from us.
4. Pain is a messenger: People avoid pain but pain is there to teach us something important, and unless we pay close attention to it, we will never be able to learn and grow.
5. Compassion creates peace: Compassion is the only thing that can help people unite and work together towards creating a more beautiful world for all beings in existence.
6. Freedom goes hand in hand with responsibility: Responsibility might at times be a heavy burden to carry, but it's the only way to live mindfully and be free.

Reform Yourself: We demand intelligence, kindness and honesty from others, but it does not occur to us to wonder what we ourselves are like. So, before trying to educate others, look after your own education, otherwise it is like trying to remove a speck of dirt from a friend's face when your own hands are dirty. Leave everybody else alone, therefore, and concentrate on improving yourself. What is the point of moaning about the imperfection of mankind? Give all your attention to getting rid of your own imperfections; in this way, you will have less to worry about, you will stop wearing yourself out and your evolution will progress much more rapidly, because you will be concentrating on perfecting yourself. It is you who must become an example for others. You will never reform others by preaching to them, however eloquently; but if you are an example, they will folow you in spite of themselves. This is why, instead of expecting harmony to reign in your family, your neighbourhood and your place of work - and complaining when it doesn't - you must begin by achieving it withing yourself.

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