Spiritual Laws
Many people assume without question that success is essentially material, that it can be measured in money, prestige or an abundance of possessions. These can certainly play a role, but having such things is no guarantee of success. The success we want our children to achieve has to be defined in many nonmaterial ways as well. It should include the ability to love and have compassion, the capacity to feel joy and spread it to others, the security of knowing that one’s life serves a purpose, and finally, a sense of connection to the creative power of the universe. All of these constitute the spiritual dimension of success, the dimension that brings inner fulfilment.
If the meaning of your life unfolds to you every day, in simplicity and wonder, you achieved success – which means, in a profound way, that every baby is born a success. Every child’s ability to feel wonder in the face of everyday existence is the surest proof we have that Nature wants us to be successful. It is in our own nature to respond to life with joy. The seeds of God are inside us. When we make the journey of spirit, we water these divine seeds. The good life merely reflects our inner intention. In time the flowers of God bloom within and around us, and we begin to witness and know the miracle of the divine wherever we go.
Our responsibility as parents is therefore to place our children firmly on the journey of spirit. This is the best thing we can do to ensure their success in life, better than giving them money, a secure home, or even love and affection. I ask you to consider this spiritual notion of parenting, different though it may be from how you see your role now.
To bring about this new way of parenting we need practical principles to teach our children. In order to bring about a connection with spirit, a knowledge of spiritucal law is essential. When we practice spiritual laws, we put ourselves in harmony with Nature. Any other way of living leads to strain and struggle. Success achieved on the basis of struggle may bring good things to us, but the inner fulfillment we seek from these things will be lacking.
Children and Spirit – The Teaching of Innocence
The language of the Seven Spiritual Laws has to be different when spoken to a child, less abstract. Fortunately, the same laws can be phrased so that even a young child is able to carry them around in mind and heart:
FIRST LAW:
Everything is possible.
SECOND LAW:
If you want to get something, give it.
THIRD LAW:
When you make a choice, you change the future.
FOURTH LAW:
Don’t say no – go with the flow.
FIFTH LAW:
Every time you wish or want, you plant a seed.
SIXTH LAW:
Enjoy the journey.
SEVENTH LAW:
You are here for a reason.
On the day I read about these simple sayings, I didn’t pause to think about them much, but afterward it hit me: if I had been taught just these seven sentences as a child, my life would have been profoundly different. I would have known something precious and practical at the same time, something that would not have faded as a childhood lesson but would have ripened into mature spiritual understanding year by year.
A child raised with spiritual skills will be able to answer the most basic questions about how the universe works; she will understand the source of creativity both within and outside herself; she will be able to practice non-judgement, acceptance and truth, which are the most valuable skills anyone can possess for dealing with other people; and she will be free from the crippling fear and anxiety about the meaning of life that is the secret dry rot inside the hearts of most adults, whether they can admit it or not.
The deepest nurturing you can give your child is spiritual nurturing.
I am not talking about forcing hard-and-fast rules on your children, the way we teach them to be good or risk being punished. Each of the Seven Spiritual Laws should be conveyed not as a rule or rigid percept but as your own way of looking at life. As a parent, you will teach much more effectively by who you are, not what you say. This itself is part of the spiritual perspective.
Every child has a spiritual life already. This is because every child is born, into the field of infinite creativity and pure awareness that is spirit. But not, every child knows that this is true. Spirit must be cultivated; it must be nourished and encouraged. If it is, then a child’s innocent spirit grows up to be strong enough to withstand the harsh realities of an often unspiritual world.
Reference: Deepak Chopra In ‘The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success for Parents – Guiding Your Children to Success and Fulfilment’.
