The parable starts with,
Then he said,
To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?
Or,
With what parable shall we picture it?
It is like a mustard seed,
Which,
When it is sown on the ground,
Is smaller than all the seeds on earth.
But when it is sown,
It grows up and becomes greater than all herbs and shoots out large branches so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.
And that is the entirety of the parable.
So let's explore this parable one line at a time and let's delve into what wisdom it offers.
So the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed,
Which a man took and sowed in his field.
The mustard seed is tiny.
It's one of the smallest seeds that is known.
And this represents the small beginnings of spiritual practice,
The small beginnings of hope,
The small beginnings of change.
The field is your life.
The field can also be your heart or your consciousness.
When you plant even the smallest intention for growth,
For healing or for goodness,
You should know that this seemingly insignificant step has great potential.
How do we apply this?
Every day,
Take small,
Take conscious steps towards your growth,
Whether it's your spiritual growth or whether it's your financial growth or whether it's growth in your career.
Take small steps.
When it comes to spiritual growth,
This might look at a few moments to meditate.
When it comes to your career,
It may be learning a new skill.
When it comes to your relationships,
It may mean going out of your way to make that phone call to connect with someone.
Small seeds,
When they are nurtured,
They can transform your entire landscape.
So the mustard seed,
Small but planted in the right soil and with the right nutrition,
Has immense potential,
Which indeed is the least of all seeds,
But when it is grown,
It is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree.
And what this line says is that even the tiniest seed,
Whether it's a thought,
Whether it's a prayer,
Whether it's an act,
It has the potential to grow beyond what seems possible.
It will outgrow the herbs,
Which can symbolize lesser efforts or the smaller goals and become a tree.
So this is a very powerful symbol of stability,
Of strength,
Of shelter.
So never estimate the power of a single thought or intention.
Guard your thoughts and intentions very,
Very carefully because the smallest seed of love,
The smallest seed of faith,
The smallest seed of hope that you plant has the potential to become a source of strength and blessings in your life so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.
And this imagery suggests that the tree has now become a place of refuge,
Comfort and support for other living beings.
And that's how it essentially works because when we cultivate the seeds of growth in our life,
We automatically create that space where others can find peace,
Inspiration and rest.
You can take for example,
You start planting the right seeds in your relationship.
You make sure you connect with your family,
Your friends,
The people that you love on a regular basis.
You make sure that you keep on having these interactions.
And over the period of time,
These relationships mature into loving,
Into caring,
Into supportive relationships.
And when other people around you start to see how lovely your relationships are,
How powerful your relationships are,
They come to you automatically for advice because they want to know how they can achieve the same in their relationships.
So even our spiritual development,
When we nurture our own spiritual development,
It automatically extends to others.
When we become more centered,
More peaceful,
More aligned with our true nature,
We automatically become a source of support and healing for those around you.
And this is a very important role that we have all taken.
So embrace this role with humility and joy and realize that your growth,
It not only impacts you,
But it also impacts others around you.
You can think of it as something like pay it forward.
Like you go out during the day and you go out of your way to do a kind act towards someone.
And without realizing it,
We change the entire landscape of that person's day.
We bring joy into that person's heart and in turn,
That person has the inspiration to go and do good to someone else.
And then it starts off with a ripple effect.
And essentially,
This is the secret to having peace in the world,
Right?
Because there's nothing essentially that can or that we need to change on the outside.
If we need to make any change,
All of us have to make this change from the inside.
And when we make this change from the inside,
It automatically starts to ripple out.
Plant your small seeds intentionally.
Every thought,
Every prayer,
Every act of kindness is a mustard seed.
Plant them with awareness.
Once you've planted the seed,
It's about trusting the process.
There was an example I heard just the other day that we plant the seed when a seed is planted into the ground.
Essentially,
If it's planted in the right place and has all the right conditions surrounding it,
Nature itself ensures that that seed will grow to whatever potential it needs to grow.
We essentially do not need to do anything about it.
You can think of it as a forest.
Plants keep growing,
Fruits keep growing without the need for any human intervention.
In the same way,
Trust the process.
Because sometimes growth can be slow.
Sometimes it is hard for us to see the growth.
But staying patient,
Staying nurturing,
Ensuring that we are creating always the right environment for our growth,
Like the tree grows silently,
Even our transformation takes time.
And then,
As you grow,
Start to be a shelter.
As you grow,
Others will automatically be drawn to your light and to your strength.
Offer them the same refuge that you found within yourself.
Does everyone know what a mustard seed looks like?
It's tiny.
And it's interesting to imagine that that tiny seed can actually grow into something so big given that the conditions are right.
And I guess that is the actual takeaway from this parable is to plant your seeds and be careful of what seeds you are planting.
Also,
Be aware,
Be intentional,
Be careful of what seeds you are planting,
Be careful of what seeds you are sowing.
Because if you sow a seed of hate,
You will end up with a tree of hate.
If you sow a seed of love,
You will end up with a tree of love.
If you sow a seed of courage,
You will end up with a tree of courage.
As you sow,
So shall you reap.
So this parable is essentially an invitation to have faith in the power of small beginnings,
To sow the seeds of faith and goodness in the garden of your heart and to trust that the seeds will in time become trees of great strength.
So whether you are starting a new habit,
Whether you are healing a relationship,
Whether you are seeking deeper wisdom,
It really doesn't matter.
It really doesn't matter which area of life.
This parable simply reminds you that every small step counts and that your journey is blessed.
We will go now into a guided meditation and the meditation is based on the same theme that appears in the parable and essentially the themes are growth,
Belief and manifestation in your own life.
So we will go now into the meditation.
If you are sitting,
Feel yourself sink into your seat and if you are sleeping,
Let yourself simply sink into your bed.
If it is safe to do so,
You can close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath.
Inhale through your nose,
Hold it for just a moment and exhale through your mouth.
Inhale through your nose,
Hold for a moment and exhale through your mouth.
And with each breath that you take,
Feel your body get more and more relaxed and as you breathe,
Imagine a warm golden light surrounding you,
A warm golden light.
With each inhale,
Feel this light entering your body,
Filling you with warmth,
Filling you with peace and with each exhale,
Release any tension or worries.
Allow your mind to simply become still.
Allow your mind to become open to the wisdom of this present moment.
And picture a tiny mustard seed in your mind's eye.
A tiny mustard seed.
Notice its small size.
Notice its simple shape.
Despite its modest appearance,
Imagine that within this seed lies the potential for growth,
The potential for transformation.
This seed represents your thoughts,
Your dreams,
Your desires,
Visualize yourself taking this mustard seed and gently planting it into the rich soil of your mind.
As you do this,
Imagine your intentions,
Your desires,
Imagine your intentions.
Bring to mind your intentions,
Your desires,
That which you wish to cultivate in your life.
It could be love,
It could be abundance,
It could be health,
It could be peace.
Bring to mind your intention.
And feel the seed nestle into the earth.
Feel the seed nestle into the earth knowing that it is now rooted in your consciousness.
Now imagine the sun shining down on your seed.
Bathing it in light,
Bathing it in warmth.
As it begins to germinate,
Visualize the small shoot breaking to the soil,
Reaching to the sky.
And affirm to yourself,
I nurture my dreams with love and faith.
Picture yourself watering this tiny shoot,
Watering it with your belief,
With your trust,
With your patience.
Feel the emotions of excitement and anticipation as you watch it grow.
As the shoot grows taller,
Imagine it becoming a robust tree.
A robust tree with its branches spread wide,
With its branches providing shelter and beauty and nourishment.
And reflect on how your beliefs,
Your desires,
Your intentions are growing,
How they are expanding just like the tree.
And say to yourself,
My thoughts and intentions are powerful.
They shape my reality.
Now envision birds of various colors coming to nest in the branches of your tree.
Each bird representing a blessing,
An opportunity,
Or an experience that aligns with your intention.
Allow yourself to feel joy as the birds arrive,
Symbolizing the manifestation of your dreams.
Affirm,
I welcome all the good that flows into my life.
Take a moment to sit in the stillness,
Embracing the feeling of abundance around you.
Know that the universe supports your growth and that every thought can lead to significant transformations.
Reflect on the possibilities that lie ahead.
You have planted your seed.
You have nurtured it.
You have watched it grow.
And gradually bring your awareness back to your breath.
Feel your body supported by the surface beneath you.
As you inhale,
Feel the energy of the tree within you.
Know that you carry the power of growth and manifestation.
Know that you carry the power of growth and manifestation.
As you exhale,
Let go of any remaining tension.
Let go of any remaining worries.
Let go of any doubts.
Release it back into the earth.
And when you feel ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Take the sense of peace and possibility with you.
Carry the knowledge of the mustard seed within you as you move through your day.
Take a moment to express gratitude for the insights and experiences during this meditation.
Remind yourself that you are always capable of nurturing your dreams.
Nurturing your dreams and watching them grow.
So let's look at some more interpretations.
And the kingdom of heaven can be said to symbolize your desired state of consciousness.
And the mustard seed.
The mustard seed is tiny.
A seemingly insignificant thought or belief sowing in the field,
Implanting it firmly in your imagination.
The field is your mind,
Where you consciously plant the seed of your desire.
And essentially,
We are all gardeners in a sense.
I mean,
We are gardeners of our lives.
We need to tend to our garden.
And as you said,
Gardeners are very patient people.
In the same way,
We need to be patient when tending to our garden.
There's always this perceived time between planting the seed and the tree that is actually reaching full size.
There's always this time in the middle,
This period of waiting.
And sometimes many of us can get frustrated during that period of waiting.
So yeah,
Gardeners have to be very patient people.
And in the same way,
We too need to be very patient when we are tending to the garden of our life.
So some more wisdom that comes out is,
Of course,
Planting your seed.
Identify your specific desire.
Plant your seed.
And one trick in planting the seed is,
You can try imagining your intention or your desire in very,
Very vivid detail,
Feeling as though it is already yours.
And then it's about trusting in the growth process.
And finally,
Embodying the result.
The new opportunities,
The new experiences,
The new people that come your way.
Another suggestion for planting the seeds or planting the right seeds,
Let's say.
Because every time we have a thought,
Every time we have a desire,
Every time we have some sort of an intention,
We are planting seeds.
And it's careful to be aware of what kind of seeds we are planting.
How do I become aware of this?
I watch myself talk.
I watch how I talk to myself.
I watch what words I use.
A very good example.
Many of us have been brought up with the belief that we need to work hard to make money.
How many of y'all have been brought up with that belief?
We need to work hard to make money.
Now,
This has been a seed that has been planted into our mind.
It has been a seed that has been planted to our mind.
Over the period of time,
This seed has been watered and it has been nurtured.
And we grow up and now this seed has become a tree.
It has become a belief.
And we have started to subscribe to this belief.
I need to work hard to make money.
And it's simply a belief that we subscribe to.
But unfortunately,
Whatever we believe will be true for us.
So if we go around expecting the experience that we need to work hard to make money,
That is exactly the experience we will have.
A more empowering belief,
A more empowering seed that you could plant would be All of life comes to me with ease and joy.
Or I need to work efficiently to earn money.
Or I need to work smartly to earn money.
That would be a more empowering belief to go with.
And the moment you change that belief,
The moment you subscribe to a more empowering belief,
Automatically your experience of life will change and you will find that you don't really need to work hard to make money.
And I invite you to go out and try this.
Have this experience for yourself.
Don't just say,
Okay,
Leslie said I should do this,
So let me try it.
No,
Go out and have this experience for yourself.
Change or rather I would say dig up those negative beliefs that have now grown into weeds.
That are not letting positive fruits to grow in your garden.
That are not letting positive plants to grow in your garden.
To have money a person needs to work.
That is a belief that we have subscribed to.
A person needs to work to make money.
In a way,
Yes,
That is how we have built the world around us.
But many people do get rich on the lottery.
Many people do get rich on inheritance.
Many people do get rich simply by making smart investments.
So unfortunately we have created this environment where the word work has got negative connotations to it.
So look at all the areas of your life.
Whether it's your physical health and nutrition.
Whether it's your relationships.
Whether it's your money.
Whether it's your finances.
Whether it's your career.
Whether it's your leisure and recreation.
Whether it's your spiritual growth.
And try to see what seeds you have planted.
Because the law that is in operation here is quite clear.
If you plant a mustard seed,
You will get a mustard tree.
It will not give you a rose plant.
If you plant a mango seed,
It will give you a mango tree.
If you plant an apple seed,
The apple seed is not going to give you bananas.
It will give you an apple seed.
It's a very very straightforward law.
And law does not differentiate.
So start to observe and see what seeds you have planted in your life.
Have you gone around telling yourself that you are not able to have loving relationships?
Or are you going around telling yourself that all your relationships end in breakups?
Or are you going around telling yourself that you are not good enough?
Or are you going around telling yourself that you will not be able to complete so and so thing?
Are you telling yourself that you are not successful in life?
Become aware of what seeds you have planted.
Dig up those seeds.
Throw them away.
And plant seeds for what you want to see appearing in your life.
If you want to have successful relationships,
Then the seed that you need to plant is telling yourself you are capable of having successful relationships.
You are capable of having loving relationships.
You are capable of having supportive relationships.
If you have planted the seeds that I will never be rich,
Dig up that seed.
Plant a new seed.
All of life comes to me easily.
Money comes to me easily.
Opportunities come to me easily.
And when opportunities come,
I am able to identify and grab them.
So it's the seeds and that's essentially what the parable tells us.
The parable essentially tells us that and it gives the example of a mustard seed simply because it's one of the smallest seeds.
And the whole idea is that if such a small seed has the potential to become a big tree,
Then yeah,
Essentially be careful of what seeds you are planting.
Plant the seeds for which you want to get the trees.
You have the seeds and the seeds,
If planted,
Will give you the tree or the bush or the plant.
How to cultivate and nurture the seeds while having negativity and doubt deep true.
If you're having a negative thought,
Reframe that negative into a positive thought.
So for example,
If the negative thought or if the doubt that you're having is I'm not good enough,
Whenever that negative thought comes up,
Stop yourself and reframe it to I am good enough.
So essentially,
The negative thought that you're having is simply a product of your conditioning.
It has got nothing to do with who you are.
You have been conditioned to have that kind of a thought.
The moment you're switching from that negative thought and reframing it with a positive thought,
What you are essentially doing is you are reprogramming your conditioning.
You're trying to overwrite your old conditioning,
Which is not supporting you,
With new conditioning,
Which supports your growth.
So anytime you have a negative thought,
Because negativity will be a culmination of all the negative thoughts that you're having.
Your doubt will be a culmination of all the doubts that you have been having.
How do you do so when the evidence in my life supports the negativity?
Actually,
It works the other way.
What we see on the outside is a deflection of what we feel on the inside.
It is not because the world is well,
I am well.
It is when I am right,
When I am well,
The world is automatically well.
So what you are experiencing on the outside is simply a deflection of what's going on on the inside.
And you need to experience this.
What I would suggest to do is the negative thoughts will come up.
Start reframing those negative thoughts.
Keep giving it time,
Because this will not change instantly.
Give it time,
Give it a week,
Give it two weeks,
But you will need to do this consistently.
And you will automatically experience the outside changing to deflect how you feel on the inside.
Simply start with reframing your negatives.
It's as simple as that to start.
It will be a challenge because what you are changing could essentially be years and years of programming.
The moment we are letting external forces determine how we feel inside,
We are essentially giving away our power.
Because if there is one thing that we are in complete control of,
It is how I feel inside.
And nobody,
No person,
No place,
No thing has any authority to decide how I feel inside.
How I feel inside is determined only by me.
And you need to take that power back.
Don't let the externals determine how you feel inside.
As I mentioned,
As I might have mentioned earlier,
It's about keeping faith in knowing the divinity in you.
Keeping the faith in yourself.
Believing always in yourself as a person that you are capable,
That you have the power,
The faculties to reach your highest potential.
Keeping faith in ourselves.
Thank you everyone.
Love,
Light,
Blessings.
Namaste.
