Since ancient times true religions such as Buddhism and Christianity have preached the importance of self-reflection (or repentance in Christian terms). In essence, we all have Buddha nature – a divine nature that shines brilliantly like a diamond. Just as a diamond will collect dirt if it is neglected, so our Divine nature, or soul, inevitably blacken with soot from the regretable thoughts and deeds we commit as we live in this earthly world. Self-reflection is a way to clean off the grime and discover the true self – the self that manifests divine nature and is connected to higher dimensions in the Spirit World.
The power of self-reflection
We all make mistakes whilst living as human beings as we have been blessed with the freedom to do so. While many things in this world cannot be undone, what is in our mind can be washed away, as our mind encompasses past, present and future. If we reflect on our past with a pure heart, we will be able to wipe out all the records that have been written as losses in the "Thought Tape" or "Thought Belt." This is a great power with which we have been endowed. Through self-reflection we can learn from our mistakes, release attachments, increase our enlightenment and allow our divine nature to shine brilliantly once again. Another aspect of self-reflection is to reach a state of mind that is calm and relaxed, thus, allowing us to communicate with our guardian or guiding spirits in the heavenly world and receive inspiration from them. Heaven and hell exist within our minds and the focus of our thoughts leads us to many worlds. Self-reflection is a way to fine-tune our mind like a compass needle to point towards and connect to the heavenly world.
Practicing daily self-reflection
Make self-reflection your daily habit. Find a quiet, clean and uncluttered place where you can use a comfortable chair or cushion on the floor, have a notebook by your side and play calm and serene meditation music in the background if you like. Try some simple exercise on your neck, back, arms and legs to release any negativity and to allow energy to flow again. Sit on a comfortable chair or on a cushion on the floor. The key is to be relaxed and to keep your back straight. When you are ready, start deep breathing. Breathe in deeply through your nose into the lower stomach, hold for a few seconds and then breathe out slowly through your mouth. Continue this deep breathing for about 2 minutes in slow rhythmical cycles until you enter into a deeper state of mind. Then return to regular breathing and begin reflecting on your day.