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Right
livelihood means that one should earn one's living in a spiritual and joyous way. People should be able to follow their dreams and exercise their God given
talents in the form of livelihood. Therefore, we should be able to
work and have FUN while being rewarded for what we have given and produced for others. Right livelihood means creating win-win relationships and business dealings
where everybody benefits while you use your divine gifts of labor.
You work is for the good of all involved and everyone receives some type of increase and advancement in their
lives for interacting with you. Before you become fearful of success, realize that Poverty and self-sacrifice
are NOT pleasing to God. And, remember that extreme altruism is no better and no nobler than extreme
selfishness; both are mistakes. You need not entertain the thought of competition. You are to create, not to
compete for what is already created. You do not have to take
anything away from any one. You do not have to cheat, obsessively
bargain, or to take advantage in negotiations. You do not need to let any man work for you for less than he
earns. You do not have to covet the property of others; no man has
anything of which you can not also achieve. You are to become a creator, not a competitor; you are going to get
what you want, but in such a way that every other man will have more because of your actions.
6. Right
Effort
Right effort
can be seen as a prerequisite for the other principles of the path. Without effort, which is in itself an act of
will, nothing can be achieved, whereas non definite effort distracts the mind from its task, and confusion may
be the consequence. Thus, you must really desire prosperous effort
in your life. The more clear and definite you make your picture of
your objectives, the stronger your desire will be; and the stronger your desire, the easier it will be to hold
your mental energy fixed upon the picture of what you want. Behind
your clear vision must be the purpose to realize it; to bring it out in tangible expression. And behind this purpose must be an invincible and unwavering belief that the
thing is already yours; that you already have it in your mind and you need only to take possession of it and
receive it with open arms and mind. Live in the new objective,
mentally, until it takes form around you physically. In the mental realm, enter at once into full enjoyment of
the things you want. "Whatsoever things ye ask for when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have
them," said The Great One.
7. Right
Mindfulness
Right
mindfulness is the controlled and perfected faculty of cognition. It is the mental ability to see things as they
are, with clear consciousness. Usually, the cognitive process begins with an impression induced by perception,
or by a thought, but then it does not stay with the mere impression. A man's way of doing things is the direct result of the way he thinks about
things. To do things in a way you want to do them, you will
have to acquire the ability to think the way you want to think; this is the first step toward achieving
abundance. To think what you want to think is to think the truth, regardless of appearances. Every man
has the natural and inherent power to think what he wants to think, but it requires far more effort to do so
than it does to think the thoughts which are suggested by surrounding appearances. To think according to the
environment is easy; to think truth regardless of appearances is laborious, and requires the expenditure of vast
energy, mental power, love, and faith. This is possible for you if
you are willing to train yourself and allow yourself to grow along these lines. The more you harmoniously focus your mind while imaging all its
delightful details, the better. This will bring the universe in
harmony with your highest good which the universe must answer for you. Mindfulness also implies that we should be aware that others on this earth are
here to help us and may offer assistance. We should be in tune with
these opportunities that may come from many places in the form of other people seeking us out..
8. Right
Concentration
The eighth
principle of the path, concentration, is described as one-pointedness of mind, meaning a state where all mental
faculties are unified and directed onto one particular object.
By thought,
the thing you most sincerely desire is brought to you; by action you receive it. Hold concentration with faith and purpose. See the vision of yourself in the better environment. Act upon your present environment with all your heart, and with all your
strength, and with all your concentration. Hold the vision of
yourself with the right outcome or opportunity, with the purpose to get into it, and the faith that you will get
into it, and are getting into it; but act in your present opportunity. Use your present situation or business as
the means of getting a better one. Your vision of the right purpose
or goal, if held with faith and purpose, will cause the Universe to move the right opportunity toward you; and
your action, if performed in the light of harmonious intention and concentration, will cause you to move toward
the opportunity.
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