Praise
Do you remember the power of Praise when you were a child?
How an entire new creation and direction sprung up from something that was genuinely appreciated and praised. The rush of energy and excitement that came from the recognition and a natural desire to expand and enliven it even further. Entire life paths have been formed and shaped through receiving Praise and appreciation. It is like fertilizer for the children (and all of us) and they very readily take it.
The opposite is also true. So many wonderful gifts and talents have been buried deep within us because they were judged or unrecognized when we were young. They were left behind and eventually ignored all together and denied the chance of manifesting in our lives. Do you ever wonder why there is resentment inside of you? Why there is a longing to find a completion and a total acceptance of who you are?
Children are very open to impressions and it is easier to see the influence of our attitudes in them. However, the power of Praise is no lesser in us as adults. There are only more thoughts and beliefs and conditioning in the way that tend to drive us into criticizing and judging instead. We habitually ignore the greater reality of Praise and appreciation. The Art of Ascension is about creating a new habit of using our minds in alignment with our hearts and the upward rising currents of life.
When we align ourselves with Praise we are not trying to create a mood or trying to find something that is not there. It is much like walking into an elevator and pushing a button and heading up to the top floor. It requires no belief in order for it to work. The Praise Ascension Attitude is very easy and mechanical in the way that it works. It is simple reconnection with the natural state of being and living in tune with what is already taking place all around us anyway. Only our active attention keeps the door locked to our Good.
Nataraja Ishaya
Excerpt from First Thunder
"OK," I said chuckling. "I'll be good. What's the emotion in the First Attitude?" My curiosity was larger than my skepticism.
"Appreciation. Or in one syllable, Praise. Appreciation is almost as powerful as Love and Gratitude, and it is a lot easier to turn on at will. You can simply shift your mind toward appreciation instead of criticism; your body responds by making you healthier as your mind becomes happier. We can choose to be sad that a glass is half empty or choose to be happy a glass is half full. It's completely within our power; it's all a matter of choice. And the simple truth is that condemnation never helps anyone improve, whereas appreciation always does."
"I've seen this in action," said Sharon. "With my niece Liza. One time when I was staying with them, Liza came home from school with a drawing she'd made. But my sister Linda was tired, she'd had a hard day at work; instead of praising her for her creativity, she was short with her and criticized her for it. And you know what? The next day, Liza dragged home from school with a worse drawing.
"But that day Linda had changed her thinking, decided to appreciate , and was lavish with her words. And the next day, Liza bounced joyfully home with a third drawing, by far the best of the three. It was amazing. Every part her mother had praised was drawn better than the first day."
"Exactly! Praise works like magic for anybody, for anything, always. And it's just a choice: a choice for joy and life. It is the easiest of Ascension emotions, because it grows from simply making the decision to appreciate rather than condemn. Our society may have programmed criticism deeply into us, but whenever we find ourselves moving down that descending path, it's easy to turn upward, simply by finding something to appreciate. Anywhere, about anything, to anyone, always."
"So, for the right brain, we choose to appreciate rather than judge?" I asked. That didn't sound too difficult. "This seems pretty simple."
"It is. It's simple and basic. The cathedral of Ascension is built on the rock-hard foundation of perfect simplicity, the sign of unalloyed Truth...
MSI
Pada I Sutra 1
“By deriving the word a different way, this first sutra could be translated, “the attitude of repeated Praise creates Union with the Now.” Praise is one of the fundamental tools of Ascension. Another valid translation is, “sitting in stillness again and again creates Union with the Now.” Stillness can also be translated , “quietness, tranquility, cessation.” When the mind stills its noisy activity, consciousness experiences the Now, which is eternal peace. All activity ceases in that silence. By repeating this experience over and over, the mind becomes habituated to the Silence and stays there permanently, even in the midst of the most dynamic activity.”
MSI, Enlightenment!
Pada I Sutra 14
“"Devotion,” satkara, can also be translated “earnest action”. It is necessary to be serious in our practice to reach the goal. It also means “the maker of Eternity,” for this quality more than any other creates our awareness of the Absolute. It can also be read as “praise.” Of the movements of the mind, praise is the most active and easiest to use in culturing Ascension, which is exactly why the Praise Ascension Attitude is the first technique we teach. If we appreciate life instead of condemn it, if we seek good instead of the bad in everything, our life is impelled into approach at a faster and faster pace. Quickly the entire structure of our existence transforms around us as we effortlessly rise into full human consciousness.”
MSI, Enlightenment!
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