Spiritual Laws
Shanti Mission America programs are often mystical in nature, supporting a belief that the world is more than the physical things that we can see and touch. Programs have been designed to support participants in discovering their life’s purpose and experiencing more peace in their lives, empowering each to help others do the same.
Courses are based upon the teachings of spiritual teacher Shakti Durga, and deeply explore the 12 spiritual laws of:
- Vibration
- Attraction
- Polarity
- Non-Attachment
- Flow
- Karma
- Forgiveness
- Compassion
- Economy
- Faith
- Free-Will
- Correspondence
Programs are designed to allow participants to develop:
- Character
- The capacity to deal with life’s changes
- Loving kindness
- Empathy
- Peace
- Communication skills; and
- Increased knowledge of the world
Pillars
All that we do at Shanti Mission America is based upon 8 pillars of practice formulated by Shakti Durga, that are designed to support a philosophy of anchoring peace on earth through individual commitment and growth.
These pillars form the foundation of all that we teach, practice, and offer, and are expressed in many different ways. The pillars are as follows:
Devotion
Devotion means love with commitment. One can experience and practice devotion to different people, causes, beliefs, or groups. Devotion is born of the heart, evokes compassion, and is how we learn to experience the Divine within ourselves. Devotion is a pathway to self-realization and the unfolding of the miraculous in our lives.
Shanti Mission America respects all paths and spiritual teachers, and many participants experience a deep devotion to a Supreme Being, expressed in many different ways. Others may be devoted to their spiritual teacher as an expression of their devotion to the Divine. Still others, who identify with being humanist rather than spiritual, may express their devotion by their commitment to advancing the human experience.
Purification
Purification means keeping the mind and body in good condition. It includes clearing negative thinking and learning to prepare the mind to be used as an instrument of conscious creation. Purification gives us greater focus, awareness, recognition of right intention, right motivation, honesty and steadfastness to high ideals. It allows us to release old and limiting thoughts, stale energy, stress, depression, anxiety, and cords of connection to the past. Purification leads to having respect for ourselves and for others, allowing us to cultivate a life of ease and grace.
Responsibility
Responsibility means cultivating a non-blame paradigm, and taking ownership of our thoughts, words, and actions, regardless of how others think or act. Taking responsibility for all that we say, think, and do empowers us to make a difference and to ultimately experience peace.
Meditation
Meditation means engaging in practices designed to still the mind while expanding awareness and focus. Meditation is the key to higher consciousness, and we strive to practice it daily in some form, in order to diffuse our lives with ease and grace. Meditation comes in many different forms, and we teach dynamic forms of meditation in all of our classes and programs, supporting others in finding the method that’s right for them.
Wisdom
Wisdom means following the heart in order to expand consciousness, so as to experience more of life’s richness. Cultivating wisdom is one of the keys for peace. Shanti Mission America programs are designed to support people to study, learn, and grow. We encourage participants to immerse themselves in a broad range of topics, while also choosing a branch of knowledge to master over the course of 5 – 7 years.
Virtues
A virtue is a characteristic of a person that supports individual moral excellence and collective well-being. Virtues give meaning and purpose to our lives, and are the truest expression of our souls. Virtues are the content of our character, and the elements of our spirit. Virtues grow stronger as we use them. Practicing the virtues allows us to align with Divine energy, resulting in experiences of empowerment and peace.
Shanti Mission America encourages the embodiment and practice of all of the virtues, including the virtues of:
- Loving kindness
- Compassion
- Strength
- Fortitude
- Faith
- Peace
- Truth
- Reliability
- Unity
- Karma
Karma is the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, impacting their experience in this and future existences. We are bound by the law of Karma, but we can develop grace through giving, forgiving, and serving our fellow man.
Shanti Mission America programs offer many different ways for people to cultivate grace through involvement in meaningful projects designed to benefit others in practical and important ways. Cultivating grace allows us to overcome adversity, and draws Divine energies to assist us. Through selfless service, we are able to repay karmic debts, in ways our hearts find satisfying, fulfilling, and filled with joy.
Multi Faith
Shanti Mission America recognizes that all faiths and spiritual paths provide valid pathways to Divine union, through wholesome spiritual philosophies and practices. We know that with loving respect unity can be attained from within a diversity of expression. We see diversity as being desirable, for it gives people the freedom that comes from choice.