Light, Power and Wisdom
By
A DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY PUBLICATION
Thirty-sixth Edition: 1998
(3,000 Copies)
World Wide Web (WWW) Edition : 1999
WWW site: http://www.dlshq.org/
This WWW reprint is for free distribution
© The Divine Life Trust Society
ISBN 81-7052-066-5
Published By
THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
P.O. Shivanandanagar—249 192
Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh,
Himalayas, India.
Contents
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
This small book is a boon. It is your pocket Guru, handy friend, invigorating
tonic and soft goad. The flaming words of Sage Sivananda are stored in
this unique treasure-trove for you to take the fullest advantage of. Every
word is directly addressed to you.
Perhaps you are faced with a problem that defies your solution; turn to
any page and you are sure to find a way if not to solve better still dissolve
it. Perhaps you are assailed by doubt or despair that threatens to envelop
you in the darkness of gloom; it is then that you will realise the fullest
benefit that you can derive from this volume—turn to any page and the light
that emanates from it, is sure to dispel the darkness of despair. Every
page is filled with Divine Light, Power and Wisdom.
It is the spiritual aspirant, however, who will find that this handy volume
is more indispensable to him than his eye-sight; walking the path to the
great Goal, through the darkness that is Samsara he needs Light to overcome
the obstacles on the Path; to sustain his continuous vigilance, to resist
temptations and to march vigorously forward, he needs Power; to save him
from error, to keep the flame of discrimination burning bright, and to
enable him to realise his own essential nature, he needs Wisdom. They are
found in this volume.
—THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
CHAPTER ONE
Light
Do You Really Want God?
Do you really want God? Do you really thirst for His Darshan? Have you
got real spiritual hunger?
He who thirsts for the Darshan of God only will develop love. Unto him
alone He will reveal Himself. God is a question of supply and demand. If
there is sincere demand for God, the supply will come at once.
Pray fervently like Prahlada. Sing like Radha. Repeat His name like Valmiki,
Tukaram and Tulsidas. Do Kirtan like Gouranga. Weep in solitude like Mira
over the separation from the Lord. You will have Darshan of the Lord this
very second,
The Light Is Within You
Be righteous always. Never deviate from the path of righteousness. Stand
upright. Be bold. Be fearless. Practise Truth. Proclaim it everywhere.
March forward in the spiritual path. The light is within you. Fix the mind
on the Lord. Kill egoism and pride. Cultivate fellow-feeling and universal
brotherhood. Love all. You will have full life.
Control the senses. Pray fervently with intense faith and sincerity. Have
an unshakable conviction in the existence of God and in the efficacy of
spiritual practices. Be humble and simple. You will attain Immortality.
Lesson Of Life
Get up at 4 a.m. daily. Practise to sing God’s name in the early morning
hours in the form of Nama Kirtan (like, Govinda Jaya Jaya, Gopala Jaya
Jaya, Radha Ramana Hari Govinda Jaya Jaya). When you sing Hari’s Name,
feel that the Lord Hari is seated in your heart and is hearing all your
songs.
Study systematically Gita, Ramayana, Bhagavatam, Vishnu Sahasranama, Lalita
Sahasranama from half an hour to one hour daily. Obey your parents. Speak
the truth at any cost. Speak little. Speak sweet.
May the Divine Flame grow brighter in you! May you tread the path of righteousness
and attain God-realisation in this very life!
Be Good, Do Good
Do thou always without attachment perform action which should be done;
for by performing action without attachment, man reaches the Supreme. —Gita
II-19.
When the thought of good becomes part and parcel of man’s very being, then
he will not entertain any bad motive at all. He takes immense delight in
serving others, in doing good to others. There is peculiar joy and Ananda
in doing selfless service.
Expand. Purify your heart. Live in the true spirit of selfless service.
Live every second for the ideal and goal of life. Then and then alone will
you realise the true glory of selfless service. May you shine as a dynamic
Yogi by the practice of selfless service! May you enjoy the true bliss
of the eternal.
Do As You Wish To Be Done By
All the phenomena of nature are governed by one important law, the law
of causation, the law of Karma. It is that law that keeps up the inner
harmony and logical order of the universe. No phenomena can escape from
the operation of this mighty law.
The cause is bound in the effect and effect is in the cause. The effect
is similar to the cause. This world runs on this fundamental vital law.
This law is inexorable and immutable.
Any action is bound to react upon you with equal force and effect. If you
do some good to another man, you are really helping yourself. Because there
is nothing but the Self. “Atmaivedam Sarvam” is the emphatic declaration
of the Srutis or Upanishads. This virtuous action will react upon you with
equal force and effect. It will bring you joy and happiness.
Be Up And Doing
The power of prayer is indescribable. Its glory is ineffable. Sincere devotees
only realise its usefulness and splendour.
Sit not idly craving God to help thee, but be up and doing as God helps
those who help themselves. Do the best you can and leave the rest to God.
Serve the devotees. Remain in their company. Do Japa and Kirtan. Study
Ramayana and Bhagavatam. You will soon develop devotion. The Divine Grace
will descend upon you.
Practise Ahimsa
Goal of life is God-realisation. Never forget this. Aspire ceaselessly
for His Grace. Thirst for His Darshan. Have constant Satsanga. You will
realise Him.
Practise Ahimsa. Speak the Truth. Have faith in God. Do everything for
the sake of God (Ishvararpan). Serve untiringly. Pray with complete devotion.
Fight with the mind and the Indriyas. Turn them towards God. Weep for the
separation from the Lord. You will have His Darshan.
Feel that God works through your hands, sees through your eyes, hears through
your ears. You will become a changed being. You will have a new angle of
vision. You will enjoy the Supreme Bliss.
Be Kind
Extract the essence from all scriptures, great or small just as the bee
does from flowers. Abandon all vain expectations and evil desires and take
refuge in the Supreme Lord.
Perceive the immanence of God in all objects. Be kind and compassionate
to inferiors, friendly to your equals and respectful to your superiors.
Get possession of the wealth of Vairagya. Cool your mind with the bliss
of the Self. Rejoice yourself in the ambrosia of the serenity of the mind
induced by the eradication of the Vasanas and the dawn of Tattva-Jnana.
Develop Pure Love
Love is the immediate way to Truth or Kingdom of God or the vast domain
of perennial peace and joy. It is the life-principle of creation. It was
the driving force behind Mira, Tukaram and Gouranga.
Therefore, develop pure, unselfish love. Pure love is a rare commodity.
Cultivate it gradually. All your negative qualities like dislikes, prejudice
will be eradicated. Love is a great purifier of the mind.
Abandon all sorts of wrong beliefs, weaknesses, superstitions, wrong notions,
and ideas of impossibilities. Live in Love. Cling fast to the faith in
Divine Life. Aspire fervently and constantly to live in the Divine. You
will enjoy the Supreme joy.
Have Equal Vision
Have equal vision for all. Give up dry idle talking. Learn to be wise.
Have unshakable faith in the name of God. Sing His Name. Feel His Presence
everywhere.
Do not be troubled by difficulties. Endure them patiently. Turn your mind
towards God. Walk like a spiritual lion. Break the bond of desire. Cultivate
Daivee Sampat such as mercy, peace, forgiveness tolerance etc. You are
bound to attain the highest knowledge and Bliss.
Pray fervently to the Almighty Lord for His Grace. Rise above the conventional
distinctions of mundane life. Dispel the cloud of ignorance by the dawn
of Jnana Surya, the Sun of knowledge. Do total unreserved self-surrender
unto the Lord. You will enjoy Peace.
Have A Broad Vision
Live a life of utter devotion to service. Fill your heart with fervour
and enthusiasm for service. Remember the Almighty Lord every moment.
Mould your character. Behave properly. Develop sympathy, affection, benevolence,
tolerance and humility. Come out of the centre of your small narrow egoistic
circle and have a broad vision. Speak gently and sweetly in a courteous
manner. Eradicate undesirable thoughts and desires.
Stick to your ideals, convictions and principles tenaciously, even if the
whole world opposes you. Stand up boldly on your own principles of right
conduct and right living. Follow the instructions of one preceptor. You
will attain the Supreme.
Love All
Love all. Be pure. Serve all with Atma Bhava. Have perfect control over
your senses. Rely on your own self. Aspire ceaselessly for the Grace of
God.
Do not make any difference between male and female. When you are in the
company of women, repeat the Mantra “Ek Sat Chit Ananda Atman.” The same
Atman which is in your heart prevails in all the bodies of women. The idea
of sex will vanish. You will see God in them.
Feel that Lord Krishna works through all hands, sees through all eyes,
hears through all ears. Sing like Radha. Thirst like Gopis for His vision.
Lord Krishna’s Grace is bound to come. He is the Immortal friend. Never
forget this. You will realise Him.
Behold The Self In All
There is something dearer than wealth. There is something dearer than a
son. There is something dearer than a wife. There is something dearer than
Prana (Life). That something is thy Self, Inner ruler, Immortal and All-Merciful
Lord.
Be kind and compassionate. Be pure and gentle. Be sweet and loving. Be
humble. Be sympathetic. Be friendly to the poor. Live with them. Serve
them. Cheer them up when they are in difficulties. Be simple in your life.
Behold the Self in all. Give up the idea of diversity. Have equal vision
for all.
Do not use harsh words. Do not exploit others. Do not waste your energy
in idle talking and worldly gossiping. Renounce all attachments.
Serve, Love, Give
Do not make any difference between menial and respectable work. If any
one is suffering from acute pain in any part of the body, at once shampoo
the affected part very very gently. Feel that you are serving the Lord
in the body of the patient. Repeat your Ishta Mantra also. If you see a
man or animal bleeding on the roadside, tear your upper cloth or shirt
and use it for bandaging. Do not fight with the poor porters at the Railway
Station. Be liberal and generous. Keep always some paise in your pocket
and distribute them to the poor and decrepit.
When the heart is purified, the mind is naturally turned towards God. Eventually
it is absorbed in the Lord, through pure love, self-surrender and worship.
Give, Give
Sins can be destroyed by charity.
Lord Jesus says, “Charity covereth a multitude of sins.” In the Gita you
will find: “Yajno danam tapas-chaiva pavanani manishinam: Yajna, charity
and austerity are purifying to the wise.”
Doing abundant, spontaneous and unrestrained charity to relieve the pains
of suffering humanity is an effective means to destroy evil nature; give
money like water. If you give, the whole wealth of the world will be yours.
Money will come to you. This is the immutable, inexorable, unrelenting
law of nature. Therefore give, give.
Be Cheerful Always
Be cheerful and happy. Away with depression and gloom. There is nothing
more infectious than depression. Drive the feeling of depression and gloom
at once by enquiry, singing divine songs, prayers, Pranayama, a brisk walk
in the open air, the thinking of the opposite quality viz., the feeling
of joy.
Live only to be a blessing to others. Feel that all is light and Bliss
only. Do not allow the mind to see any external objects. Collect all the
dissipated rays of mind. Develop the power of attention. Throw interest
upon uninteresting objects and ideas. Many mental weaknesses will vanish.
The mind will become stronger and stronger.
Cultivate Adaptability
Never grumble when you do service to others. Take delight in service. Watch
for opportunities to serve. Work is worship of the Lord.
Have an amiable, loving, social nature. Have sympathy, adaptability, self-restraint,
tolerance, love and mercy. Adjust yourself to the ways and habits of others.
Be balanced even when you are insulted, when others use harsh words against
you. Have equal mind in pleasure and pain, heat and cold.
Karma Yoga prepares the mind for the reception of Light and Knowledge.
It expands the heart and breaks all the barriers that stand in the way
of oneness or unity. Karma Yoga is an effective Sadhana for Chitta Shuddhi
or purity of heart. Therefore do selfless service constantly.
Be Righteous
Happiness results from good acts, pain from evil ones. Acts must always
bear fruits. Without action no fruit arises. Righteousness is the refuge
to attain to the feet of God. Everything can be attained by righteousness.
Refrain from injury to all creatures in thought, word and deed. Be kind
and charitable. Be liberal in your views. Have constant devotion to Truth.
Free yourself from anger, hatred and malice.
Worship your preceptors and elders with respect and devotion. Worship the
Gods with faith and sincerity. Be gentle towards wicked people. You will
enjoy great merit and fame herein and hereafter.
Develop Virtuous Qualities
Develop virtuous qualities. Build up good habits. Do good. Meditate regularly.
Try to live in God. All defects, evil thoughts and all weaknesses will
vanish in toto.
Cherish no desire in your heart. Move amicably with all. Embrace all. Love
all. Develop adaptability and the spirit of selfless service and penetrate
into the hearts of all through untiring service and thus behold the one
Self in all.
Forget all the illusory names and forms. Feel and see Lord Krishna in everything
every moment. You will enjoy the Supreme Peace, Bliss and Immortality.
Establish Good Habits
Much of your subconsciousness consists of submerged experiences, memories
thrown into the background but recoverable. You can establish new habits,
new ideas, new ideals, new tastes and new character in the subconscious
mind by changing the old ones.
Think deeply. Cogitate. Reflect. Have constant Satsanga. Do selfless service,
Nishkamya Yajna. Develop the four means or qualification—Sadhana Chatushtaya.
Do not jeer at any one. Do not frown at anybody. Restrain all your senses.
Be cheerful always. Do not look back. Divest yourself of desire and wrath.
Cast off pride. Turn your gaze inwards. Contemplate. You will enjoy true
happiness.
Develop The Power Of Endurance
Just as the Sun collects all its rays at sunset and merges in the horizon,
collect all the scattered rays of your mind and merge into the Lotus Feet
of the Almighty Lord.
Do not give indulgence or leniency to the mind. Cultivate the spirit of
love and humility and Divine Compassion and tenderness like Lord Buddha.
Nurse the sick. Comfort and console the distressed and disappointed. You
will become Divine.
Develop the power of endurance. Open yourself to higher spiritual consciousness.
Fix your mind on the Lotus Feet of the Lord. Pray for mercy, light, strength,
peace and knowledge. You will surely get them. You will attain Supreme
Joy.
Speak Measured Words
Control the mind skilfully and tactfully. Think rightly and clearly. Discipline
the organ of speech. Speak sweetly, gently, and truthfully. Become a man
of measured words.
Be humble and do prostrations to all beings mentally. Feel the Divine Presence
everywhere. Give up vanity, pride and hypocrisy. Never hurt a man in thought,
word and deed. Always do good and kind acts. You will attain Supreme Peace
and eternal happiness.
Attune your heart with the Lord by doing fervent and sincere prayer daily.
Be humble and simple. Practise morality. Develop contentment. Drink the
Bliss of the Soul.
Light On Life
Lust for power, material greed, sensual excitement, selfishness, passion,
passion for wealth and the lower appetites have drawn man from his true
life in Spirit into the materialistic life. He can regain his lost Divine
glory if he practises in right earnest the principles of Bhakti. Bhakti
transmutes animal nature into Divine Nature and raises him to the pinnacle
of Divine glory and splendour.
May you develop Bhakti so that it will lead you to attain Godhead or Self-Realisation
in this very life! May the spiritual flame grow brighter in you!
Admit Your Faults
Keep the Divine flame burning steadily. Treat everybody with respect. View
all with an equal eye. Behold the Lord in all beings. Have intense and
exclusive devotion for the Lord.
Do not be offended by trifling matters. Admit your faults if they are pointed
out by others. Thank the man who points out your defects. Pray. Sing the
Lord’s Lilas. You will attain eternal happiness.
Use your intelligence. Intelligence is the most precious possession that
a man can acquire. Do everything in this world with intelligence. Then
only will you succeed in achieving all desired objects.
Kill This Little Ego
Just as dark clouds hide the burning Sun, so also the clouds of egoism
and Vasanas (desires) hide the Jnana Surya (Atman).
Keep up the unbroken current of Meditation. Kill the little ego! Develop
pure love. Surrender the fruit of action unto the Lord. Beseech Him to
bestow His Grace. You will drink the nectar of Immortality.
Wake up from the sleep of ignorance and materialism. Divert your attention
to selfless service and worship of the Lord. Develop brotherly feeling
towards all men. You will enjoy Supreme Peace.
Eradicate Self-Justification
Do not be offended by trifling matters. Cultivate an amiable loving nature
and adaptability. Admit your faults if they are pointed out by others.
Eradicate them and thank the man who points out your defects; then only
can you grow in spirituality and meditation.
Introspect. Look within. Try to remove your defects. This is the real Sadhana.
You will have to remove all your weaknesses. Many old vicious habits will
have to be cut out. Remove the defects of self-justification and of self-assertive
nature.
Be regular in Japa, Kirtan, meditation, study of Gita and Ramayana. Observe
Brahmacharya and Mouna. You will enjoy the Supreme.
Control Anger By Love
Anger shatters the physical nervous system and produces deep lasting impression
on the inner astral body. Dark arrows will shoot from the astral body.
A terrible fit of wrath will produce deep inflammation of the astral body.
Have you realised now the disastrous consequences of anger?
Do not become a victim of anger. Control it by Kshama, love, mercy, sympathy,
Vichara and consideration for others.
Fix your mind on the Lotus Feet of the Lord. Give the hands to work. You
will be able to do two things at a time by practice. The manual work will
become automatic, mechanical or instinctive. Your mind will be at the Lotus
Feet of the Lord. You can realise God even while remaining in the world.
Follow The 20 Instructions
Spiritual life is not a mere idle talk. It is not mere sensation. It is
actual living in Atman. It is a transcendental experience of unalloyed
Bliss.
Tread the path of Truth and righteousness. Stick tenaciously to the TWENTY
SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTIONS. Be regular in your meditation. Do selfless service.
Cultivate all-embracing love. Develop Vairagya. You will attain Immortality.
Lead A Simple Life
Lead a simple life. Let your thoughts be lofty. Fear God. Speak the Truth.
Love all. See your own Self in all. Be honest in all your dealings. You
will succeed in your life and God-realisation.
Never worry yourself on any matter. Be always cheerful. Use your common-sense
and reason always. Have a balanced mind always. Turn your mind towards
God. Sing His name. Thirst for His Vision. Be sincere at heart. The Divine
Grace will descend on you.
Have a strong determination and iron will. You have got everything to transmute
yourself into a sage. Apply yourself diligently and ignite the spiritual
dynamo within. Exert. Plod. Ignite. Realise.
Plain Living And High Thinking
Kindly develop faith in the Vedas and in the power of Mantras. Practise
regular Japa and meditation daily. Take Sattvic food. Do not overload the
stomach.
Obey the laws of nature. Take plenty of physical exercise daily. Perform
the prescribed duties at the appointed time. Develop simple living and
high thinking. You will realise God in this very birth.
May you remember the holy Names of the Lord at all times and live in an
ocean of divine ecstasy and divine communion! May you prosper gloriously!
Lead Regulated Life
You are the real master or governor of the whole world. You are bound to
none. Abandon all anxiety, fear and worry. Rest in Peace. Perform worship
of Atman at all times. Lead a regulated life. Mould your character. Develop
noble and virtuous qualities. Be righteous, and work for the good of others.
Be devoted to your preceptor. Develop the power of concentration.
Remove lust, egoism, anger, selfishness, pride, etc. You will get Chitta
Shuddhi or purity of heart. You will experience sublime divine feelings.
When the attraction and attachment for sensual objects vanish, knowledge
of Atman will dawn. You will enjoy the Supreme.
Life Is Very Precious
Neither birth nor learning makes one good. Good character alone makes one
good. He who has lost his character is himself lost. The cultivation of
good character leads to spiritual progress. Life is very precious. Live
in the spirit of Gita’s teaching and work without expectation of fruits
and egoism. Think you are Nimitta in the hands of Lord Narayana. You will
become a Yogi soon. Have Nishtha with God and Cheshta with hands like Bahurupi
who has the Nishtha of a male and the Cheshta of a female. You will be
able to do two things at a time. You will become one with the Lord.
Acquire Spiritual Wealth
Any number of zeroes have no intrinsic value unless number 1 (one) is added
before them. Even so the wealth of the three worlds is nothing if you do
not try to acquire spiritual wealth and if you do not strive for Self-realisation.
Therefore live in the soul or the Self within. Add Atman to the life here.
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things
shall be added unto thee” (Lord Jesus). Just as the light is burning within
the hurricane lamp, so also the Divine Flame is burning from time immemorial
in the lamp of your heart. Plunge deep into the chambers of your heart.
Meditate on this Divine Flame and become one with the Flame of God.
Understand The Law
No event can occur without a positive, definite cause at the back of it.
Everything follows the law of cause and effect. This law is quite mysterious.
That is the reason why Lord Krishna says: “Gahana Karmano gatih—Mysterious
is the nature of action.” All the physical and mental forces in nature
obey this grand law of cause and effect. Law and Law-giver are one.
You can change your thoughts and habits and mould a new character. You
can become a righteous man and a saint by doing virtuous actions and entertaining
noble Divine thoughts. When you attain knowledge of Self, you can rest
in your own Svarupa. You can become identical with the Law-giver and then
the law of cause and effect will not operate on you. You have conquered
Nature.
Stick To One Guru
Develop forgiveness. Give up idle talk. Study the sacred books. Observe
straight-forwardness, celibacy, innocence and equanimity under the opposite
conditions of pain and pleasure, gain and loss etc. Do no harm to any being.
Have patience, adamantine will and untiring persistence. Stick to one place,
one spiritual preceptor, one method, one system of Yoga. That is the way
to positive success. Drive the feeling of depression and gloom at once
by enquiry, singing Divine songs, prayers, chanting of OM, Pranayama, a
brisk walk in the open air and thinking of the opposite quality viz., the
feeling of joy. Try to be happy in all states and radiate only joy towards
all around you.
Worship Your Teacher
Be free from desires. Thirst for the knowledge of God. Engage yourself
in performing selfless service. The Divine vision and intuition will dawn
in you.
Worship your father, mother, the teacher and guests as veritable Gods,
without regarding them as mere human beings. Pay them due reverence. Serve
them with great respect. Do not yield to fatalism. Change your habits.
Lead a virtuous life. Eradicate greed and anxiety. Give up vanity. Be devoted
to the Lord. The Divine Light will dawn in you.
Have Satsanga With Sages
Be sincere at heart. Don’t run after the shadowy toys of name and fame.
Name and fame are illusory. They are mere vibrations in the air. Nobody
can earn an everlasting name in this Mayaic plane. Care not for the little
perishable things. Care for the everlasting Reality only.
Do constant selfless service silently with thoughts of God and Bhava within.
Never grumble or murmur when you do service to others. Watch for opportunities
to serve. Never miss a single opportunity. Create opportunities. Create
the field for good service. Be regular in Japa, Kirtan, meditation and
study of Gita and Ramayana. Control your emotions. Observe Mouna and Brahmacharya.
Have contact with sages and saints. You will reap the Supreme Joy.
Follow The Instructions Of Sages
Just as the man who runs after two rabbits will not catch hold of any one
of them, so also a meditator who runs after two conflicting thoughts will
not get success in any one of the two thoughts.
Have only one Divine thought all times. Stick to it tenaciously at any
cost. Run after the thought with the greater vigour, strength and one-pointedness.
Success is bound to come. Do not be anxious. Do not act according to the
dictates of your mind. Act according to the words of Sages and Saints.
Mere remembrance of the high Souls destroys atheistic tendencies of materialistic
people, inspires and goads them to strive for the final emancipation or
Brahma-Jnana.
God Is Love
God is Truth. God is love. Speak the Truth. Love everyone. You will realise
Him quickly. Have Satsanga with Sadhus, Sannyasins and Bhaktas. This alone
can give you Viveka, Vairagya, spiritual strength and peace of mind. There
is no other way. Hunt out for Sadhus. They are everywhere. Sincerity and
earnestness are needed in you. They are ever ready to receive you lovingly
with outstretched hands.
By Satsanga your mind will be saturated as sugar in water with thoughts
of God, with Divine Glory, Divine Presence, with sublime soul-awakening
spiritual thoughts. Then only will you be established in the Divine consciousness
always. Then you can attain Self-realisation within the time taken for
the squeezing of a flower.
Name Is Verily Omnipotent
Name of the Lord is a potent unfailing antidote for those who are bitten
by the serpent of Samsara. It is a nectar (Amrita) that can confer immortality
and perennial Peace. Yama is terribly afraid of those who repeat the names
of the Lord. He cannot approach them. Repeat the name of the Lord always
and attain the fearless state.
May the Lord guide you in all your activities. May He enlighten your path
enabling you to achieve the goal of life, viz., Self-realisation, your
birthright. May you live drowned in a life of joy, bliss and prosperity!
Do Kirtan Regularly
Sankirtan is food for the mind and the Soul. Sankirtan is a Divine tonic.
Sankirtan is a potent healing balm for the shattered nerves. Sankirtan
is a celestial nectar. Drink the nectar daily by doing Sankirtan in Brahmamuhurta
and night.
The strength and intensity of devotion depends upon the completeness of
the self-surrender and sacrifice. As the vast majority of persons keep
certain subtle desires for secret gratifications, they do not grow in devotion.
The two obstacles to self-surrender are desire and egoism.
Sing The Lord’s Glory
Worship the Lord at all times with all your heart and with all your mind.
Sing His glory. Remember His name always. All miseries will come to an
end. Your heart will be purified. The Lord will soon reveal Himself to
you. You will feel His Presence.
Pray fervently to the Lord for the descent of the Divine Light. Crave for
His Mercy. Weep for His separation on account of Viraha. Yearn for communion
with Him. Melt the mind in the Agni of Divine Love. Burn the body in the
fire of devotion. Drink the honey of Prem. Get yourself intoxicated with
the wine of Divine Love. Attain immortality and eternal Bliss.
Develop Devotion
Control your mind, speech and actions. Speak the truth. Be calm. Discipline
the senses. Hear, recite, sing and meditate on the deeds, qualities and
Avataras of Hari.
Have exclusive devotion to the Lord. Give your whole mind to Him. Do not
allow any outside worldly impressions wherein there is an iota of selfish
desire to enter into your subconscious mind. Learn how to sing, interchange
devotion and love each other and speak to each other of the glory of the
Lord, till your hairs stand on end and sing and dance till you lose yourself
in devout contemplation.
Realise The Lord Through Prem
Lord Siva is the Supreme Soul, the Antaryamin, the protector of all beings.
He is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent. He was never born. He never
died.
If you are a true seeker of God, you will meet Him within a moment. Remember
Him always. Live by His name. Sing His praises. Search for Him in your
heart of hearts. Learn from the devotees the way to love and serve Him,
the support of your soul, the only sovereign of the whole world, the Indweller
of your heart and the inner Ruler.
May you remember the Holy names of the Lord at all times and live in an
ocean of divine ecstasy and divine communion! May prosperity attend on
you for ever.
Pray Sincerely
Have intense faith in God and have proper understanding of the scriptures.
Take refuge in Vairagya. Do not waste time in idle gossiping. Time is fleeting.
Utilise every moment in His worship and service. Develop humility, Kshama,
patience and the spirit of service. Be sincere and true. The Lord is quiet
close to you in your heart. Cling to His Name with leech-like tenacity.
You will enjoy Supreme Joy.
Pray to God for purity, devotion, light and knowledge. Pray in any way
you like. Become as simple as a child. Open freely the chambers of your
heart. You will attain everything.
Prayer Works Wonders
Prayer has tremendous influence. Mahatma Gandhiji is a great votary of
prayer, if the prayer is sincere and if it proceeds from the bottom of
your heart (Antarika), it will at once melt the heart of the Lord.
Lord Krishna had to run bare-footed from Dvaraka on hearing the heart-felt
prayer of Draupadi. Lord Hari, the mighty ruler of this universe apologised
to Prahlad for coming a little late when the latter prayed. How merciful
and loving is the Lord! Do not argue about the efficacy of prayer. You
will be deluded. There is no arguing in spiritual matters. Intellect is
a finite and frail instrument. Remove now the darkness of your ignorance.
You will enjoy the unalloyed bliss of the prayer.
CHAPTER TWO
Power
Aspire Fervently
Give up thirsting for sensual objects. Cling fast to the faith in the Divinity.
Aspire fervently and constantly. You will have pure mind. Never hurt a
man in thought, word or deed. Always do good and kind acts. Purge yourself
of all miseries and sorrows. Merge in calmness and silence. You will attain
supreme peace and eternal happiness.
Destroy the tossing of the mind through Viveka, constant meditation and
ceaseless Brahma Vichara (Atmic enquiry). Direct your attention to selfless
service and worship of the Lord. You will attain supreme joy.
Stick To Your Principles
Follow the Truth always. Strive for it ever in thought, word and deed.
Be compassionate. Be bold. Resign yourself to the Lord. There is no room
for lamentation and despair.
Stick tenaciously to your principles and ideals. ‘Do your duty without
looking to the fruits or consequences of your actions and God will be with
you. Become dispassionate. Learn to discriminate. Know thyself and be free
from attachment. You will go beyond “Time” and “Death.”
Be Fiery In Your Determination
Be always cheerful and smile away your worries. Follow the correct principles
of living. Be temperate in eating, drinking, sleeping, amusements and in
all other things. Cultivate a very strong faith in God.
Silence the surging emotions and bubbling thoughts. Do not be carried away
by the temptations of the world. Be careful. Be wise. Get away from the
company of worldly-minded persons. Put your heart, mind, intellect and
soul even in your smallest act. Always act with faith and determination.
Be firm in your resolve and fiery in your determination.
Be Firm In Your Vows
Do your duties properly. Be firm in your vows and true in speech. Possess
good character. Be kind to all. Conquer wrath. Become master of self. Get
rid of envy. You will soon attain God-realisation.
Take refuge in the Name of the Lord. Do not think very often of your defects
and weaknesses. Aspire fervently. Grow in spirituality. You will attain
Divinity.
Meditate on the glory and splendour of the Supreme Being who illumines
everything, who is indivisible, the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss-Absolute.
You will attain the Supreme.
Never Despair
You have got Svatantrya in action. You can do your Karma in any way you
like. You can become a Yogi or Jnani by right thinking and right action.
Man is not a helpless being. He has a free will of his own. Therefore overcome
all your unfavourable circumstances. Have courage. Be bold. Never despair.
You will succeed. There is nothing in the world which cannot be achieved
by a man by the right sort of efforts.
Wake up now. Open your eyes. Become a virtuous man. Do good actions. Sing
Hari’s name. Have constant Satsanga. All evil habits will be eradicated.
Purify. Concentrate. Meditate. You will realise the goal.
As You Think, So You Become
“As a man thinketh, so he becometh” is one of the greatest laws of nature.
Think you are pure, pure you will become. Think that you are a man, man
you will become. Think you are Brahman, Brahman you will become. Become
an embodiment of good nature. Do always good actions. Serve. Love. Give.
Observe Brahmacharya and Mouna. Control anger. Make others happy. Live
to serve others. Then only will you enjoy happiness.
Draw Strength From Within
Do not allow the mind to go its own way altogether. Keep your Prana and
senses under your control, and bring the mind under your control with the
help of the intellect strengthened by Sattva.
Be slow to make a promise but be quick to carry it out. Cultivate an amiable,
loving nature and adaptability. Be courageous. Never despair. Draw strength
from within. Feel the divine presence everywhere. Dive deep into the Divine
source. You will realise the infinite bliss.
Conquest Of Nature
To live is to fight for the ideal and goal. Life is a series of awakenings.
Conquer the mind and the senses. These are your real enemies. Live under
lifelong vows. Conquer your internal and external nature. Fight against
the dark antagonistic evil forces, through Japa and meditation. Soar high
always in the realms of higher spiritual knowledge. Show your manliness
and spiritual strength now.
This World Is A Great School
This world is a great school. It is for thy education. Be wise. Be in the
spirit of Yoga. Utilise all opportunities to the best possible advantage.
There is no such thing as bad. Your capacities and will-power will develop.
You will receive more of Divine Light, Knowledge, Purity, Peace and Spiritual
strength.
Smile with the flowers and the green grass. Shake hands with the shrubs,
ferns and twigs. Develop friendship with all neighbours, dogs, cats, cows,
human beings, trees, in fact, with all nature’s creations. You will have
a perfect and rich life.
Open your eyes now. Wake up from your deep slumber and profound inertia.
Regain the lost divinity. Thou art Divine. Thou art Atman. Realise this
and be free.
The World Is Your Body
Actions produce Samskaras or impressions or potencies. The impressions
coalesce together through repetition and form tendencies. Tendencies develop
into habits and character. The sum total of the tendencies of a man is
his character. Character generates Will. Therefore, if the character is
pure and strong the Will also will be pure and strong and vice versa.
Therefore sow the seed of good habits at once. It will grow gradually.
It will assert itself to gain a seat in the body and mind, and work by
itself till it gets sanguine success. All the old morbid habits will be
destroyed. Feel that the whole world is your own home or body. Feel that
God dwells in all creatures of this universe. “Isavasyamidam sarvam.” You
will attain the Supreme.
Understand The Secret Of Karma-Yoga
Look at the stupendous and magnanimous work turned out by Lord Buddha,
Sri Sankara and other Karma Yogins of yore. Their names are handed down
from posterity to posterity. Their names are still remembered. The whole
world worships them with reverence. Can you attribute an iota or grain
of selfish motive to their actions? They lived for doing service to others.
They had absolute self-abnegation.
Work cannot bring misery. It is the attachment and identification to work
that brings in all sorts of worries, troubles and unhappiness. Understand
the secret of Karma Yoga and work without attachment and identification.
You will soon attain God-consciousness. This is Jnana. This is Jnanagni
(fire of wisdom) which burns all fruits of actions.
Karma Yoga Gives Joy
Do you expect anything from your small son, if you do him something? In
a similar manner you will have to work for others also without expecting
anything. You will have to expand and think that this whole world is your
own Self.
It gives you a little pain in the beginning, because you have never worked
up to this time in this line of selfless and disinterested service. When
you have tasted a bit of the Bliss of selfless service, you can never leave
it. The force of service will induce you to work more with great zeal and
enthusiasm.
You will begin to feel that this whole world is manifestation of God. You
will gain immense inner strength and purity of heart. Your heart will be
filled with sympathy, mercy and pure love. Your spirit of selfless service
and self-sacrifice will grow ad infinitum.
Karma Yoga Leads To Knowledge
Work is worship. Work is meditation. Serve everyone with intense love,
without any idea of agency, without expectation of fruits of reward. You
will realise God. Service of humanity is service of God.
“The Lord dwelleth in the hearts of all beings O Arjuna, by His illusive
power, causing all beings to revolve as though mounted on a potter’s wheel.”
(Gita.XVIII-61).
The spirit of service must deeply enter into your very bones, cells, tissues,
nerves, etc. The reward is invaluable. Practise and feel the cosmic expansion
and Infinite Ananda (Bliss). Evince intense zeal and enthusiasm in work.
Be fiery in the spirit of service.
A Karma Yogi Is Very Near To God
A Karma Yogi says: “Do all works without expectation of fruits. This will
produce Chitta Suddhi. Then you will get knowledge of the Self. You will
get Moksha or Eternal Bliss and Immortality.” This is his doctrine.
You will get purity of mind if you work in the spirit of the above doctrine.
This is a very great reward for your actions. You cannot imagine the exalted
conditions of a man of pure mind. He has unbounded peace, strength and
joy. He is very near to God. He is dear to God. He will soon receive the
Divine Light.
Work without any sort of motive and feel its effects, purity and inner
strength. What an expanded heart you will have! Indescribable! Practise,
feel and enjoy this state.
Karma Yoga Is The Best Yoga
Even if you do a little service to the country or to the society or to
the poor sick people, it has got its own advantages and benefits. It purifies
your heart and prepares the Antahkarana for the reception of the Knowledge
of Atman.
The Samskaras or impressions of these good actions are embedded in your
subconscious mind. The forces of these Samskaras will again propel you
to do some more good actions. Sympathy, love, the spirit of patriotism
and service will be developed.
Feel Oneness With All
Serve any Society, Ashram, Mutt, or religious institution for 2 hours daily
in any way you like with Nishkama Bhava. This will purify your heart. Remember
that God is the foundation of the Society. Remember that the whole world
is the manifestation of the Lord (Virat Rupa). Earth is Hari. Milk is Hari.
Tree is Hari. If you serve with Narayana or Atma Bhava, you will have a
changed angle of vision. You will have heaven on earth.
Keep the mind fully occupied. Get rid of all mental weaknesses. Do not
allow the Indriyas to run riot. Be ever vigilant and diligent. Hate lust
but not the woman. Hear the Divine whisper in silence. You will enjoy the
transcendental life.
Expand, Evolve
Convert all activities into Yoga. Walk in the path of righteousness. Wake
up from the slumber of ignorance. Do not mix with undesirable persons.
Take recourse to Sattvic company. You will have much peace.
Expand. Evolve. Have a large heart. Mix with all. Be humble. Take refuge
in God. All torment will disappear. You will enjoy supreme Peace.
Scrutinise Your Motives
Work unselfishly with a disinterested spirit. Scrutinise your motives.
Your motive should be absolutely pure. Never care for fruits. But do not
become a victim of sloth or inertia. Pour forth all your energies in the
service of humanity, country, etc. Plunge yourself into selfless service.
The manual work will become automatic, mechanical or instinctive. You will
have two minds. A portion of the mind will be in meditation and Japa. Repeat
the name of the Lord while at work also. Ashtavadhanis do eight things
at a time. This is a question of training of the mind. You can train the
mind in such a way that it can work with the hand and can remember God
at the same time. This is Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga combined. This is
the best Yoga.
Keep Spiritual Diary
Develop Sattvic virtues. Conserve energy. Keep your body strong and healthy
by regular exercise. Keep a true diary with a clean conscience daily. Develop
attention. Become a Spiritual Hero.
Always think rightly and act rightly. Never envy your neighbours. Entertain
noble and sublime thoughts. Have supreme self-confidence and courage. Whatever
you do, do with a will to succeed in your attempts. This is the Sovereign
secret.
Remember saints and sages. Draw inspiration from their teachings. Tread
the path of love. Drink freely the honey of devotion. Commune with God
and reach the eternal abode of God-consciousness.
Practise Sadhana Now
This is the time when you should spend your time happily by doing regular
Japa and meditation. God has given you all conveniences and opportunities.
Remember Him and thank Him always.
Sing His glories. Hold Sankirtan at night with all the members of the family.
Be bold. Be cheerful. Be calm. Be contented. Be good. Do good. Be pure.
Be alert. Become a Jivanmukta in this very birth.
Do Constant Sadhana
Keep your mind always busy in doing Japa, concentration, meditation, study
of religious books, Satsanga or in doing something useful.
Regularity in Sadhana is of paramount importance. Remember this point always.
May you lead a contented and happy life singing the Lord’s Name at all
times by doing selfless service, sharing what you have with others and
by regular Japa and meditation.
Be Regular In Your Sadhana
Keep a balanced mind always. Be cheerful and happy. Drive the feelings
of depression and gloom at once by enquiry, singing Divine songs, prayers,
chanting of Om, Pranayama, a brisk walk in the open air and thinking of
the opposite quality viz., the feeling of joy. You will be happy.
Apply yourself diligently to Yoga. Employ your skill and promptness. Kill
the thoughts and desires. Do not become a fatalist. Stand like a lion.
Exert. Aspire. You will attain independence.
Steady the mind. Fix it on the Lord. Plod on patiently like the farmer
at his plough. Be persevering. This is real Sadhana. Be regular in your
Sadhana. This will give you freedom, bliss, peace and immortality.
Be Strong Through Love
Be regular in your spiritual Sadhana. Regularity is of paramount importance.
Love all. Embrace all. Behold the Self in all. Develop cosmic love. Grow
spiritually strong day by day. Attain liberation. Enjoy bliss of the Self
and be free.
May you all be happy! May you all be free from disease! May you realise
what is good! May you abide in the Lord for ever!
Sadhana And Santosh—The Secrets Of Health
The best medicine or panacea for all diseases and for keeping good health
is Kirtan, Japa and regular meditation. The Divine waves electrify, rejuvenate,
vivify, energise the cells, tissues, nerves, etc.
Another cheap but potent drug is to keep oneself always joyful and cheerful.
Study Gita daily one or two chapters with meaning. Keep yourself fully
occupied, which is a remedy to keep off thoughts of worldliness.
Equip With The Four Means
Stand firm on the rock of Truth or Brahman. Have a firm grip of the reality,
the self-luminous, immortal Atman or Soul. Equip yourself with the four
means.
Try to do daily as many virtuous actions as possible. Repeat mentally or
silently or with the breath, the name of the Lord such as Hari Om, Sri
Ram or your Ishta Mantra. Performance of virtuous actions is the beginning
of spiritual life.
Lead a simple natural life with high sublime thinking. Develop ethical
virtues, control the Indriyas and mind, practise meditation, realise the
Self and be free for ever.
Be Self-Controlled
Spiritual life is not an idle talk. It is actual living in the Atman. It
is a transcendental experience of unalloyed bliss. It is a life of fullness
and perfection.
Be self-controlled. Be just. Know the right. Keep your promise. Be noble
and impartial. Be like the ocean in depth of devotion, like the Himavan
in firmness.
Cultivate peace in the garden of your heart by removing the weeds of lust,
hatred, greed, selfishness and jealousy. Know and feel always that you
are the all-pervading, immortal consciousness, the undying eternal Atman.
Rely On Your Own Self
Be courageous, candid and modest. Respect your superiors. Be ever vigilant.
Have perfect control over anger. Become the source of all good. Act according
to the words of sages and saints. Rely on your own Self. Endure suffering
patiently. Be patient. Persevere. Help is bound to come.
Be devoted to God. Purify the mind. Sit in a solitary place for some hours
daily. Withdraw all the senses from their objects. Bring the mind under
control. Turn it towards God. The Divine grace will descend upon you.
Conquer Nature
Entertain holy desires. You will shine in Divine glory. You will be placed
in holy surroundings as Uttarakashi, Himalayas, Prayag, etc., where you
can perform Tapas, Sadhana and meditation amidst holy persons and can have
Self-realisation.
Under the security of the changeless law of cause and effect, a man can
serenely proceed to achieve any thing he desires to accomplish. Therefore
entertain Divine thoughts. You are sure to succeed in your well-directed
efforts. In nature nothing is lost. Again as Bacon said: ‘Nature is conquered
by obedience.’
Acquire Vairagya
Do not think any more of your worldly concerns than is necessary to determine
your duty. Do your duty and leave the rest to. God. Have your ideal, mottoes
and principles. Adhere to them strongly and steadily. Do not deviate from
your ideals and principles even a fraction of an inch.
Remember the goal and the purpose for which you have taken this physical
body. Watch the mind. Watch the Vrittis or thoughts. Drive them. Acquire
mental Vairagya, mental Sannyasa.
Faith Is Life
Cultivate a very strong faith in God. Faith is the gateway to God. Faith
can work wonders. Always act with faith and determination. Be firm in your
resolve and fiery in your determination.
Remember the saints and sages. Do prayer, Japa, Kirtan regularly. Have
contact with your Guru. Read religious books like Gita, Ramayana and Bhagavatam.
These will sow the seed of faith and increase it till it becomes quite
firm and unshakable.
No Faith, No Jnana
The goal of life is God-realisation. Life is faith and illumination. Faith
is an important qualification for an aspirant. No faith, no devotion. No
faith, no Jnana.
Bad company, lust, greed, infatuated love for wife, son and property and
unwholesome food are the enemies of faith. Take bland, light, substantial
food.
Meditate. Realise Him intuitively this very second and enjoy the Bliss
of the Self.
Know Him In Essence
Lord Hari manifested in the form of Lord Krishna and Rama for the protection
of the good, for the destruction of evil-doers and for the sake of firmly
establishing righteousness. Lord Krishna says: “The foolish disregard Me
when clad in human semblance ignorant of My Supreme Nature, the great Lord
of all beings.”
Do not be carried away by the turbulent senses and the influence of the
Mayaic forces. By devotion and faith know Him in essence and through His
grace attain Supreme Bliss, Supreme Peace and Supreme Knowledge.
Meditate And Get Strength
Conserve every bit of energy within. Do not waste the time and energy by
entering into hot discussions, lingual warfare and intellectual gymnastics.
Give up arguing and discussions entirely. You will progress in the spiritual
path.
Expel delusion and cultivate devotion unto Siva, the Lord of Lords, the
Deva of Devas, the Yogi of Yogis.
If you meditate for half an hour, you will be able to face the daily battle
of life with peace and spiritual strength for one week through the force
of meditation. Such is the beneficial effect of meditation. As you have
to move with different minds of peculiar-nature, get the requisite strength
and peace from meditation and be free from worry and trouble.
Annihilate Ajnana
Lead a life of austerity and meditation. Come out of your small narrow
egoistic circle and have a broad vision. Beware of bad company. Even a
sober man begins to drink in the company of drunkards.
Be patient in difficulties, danger, troubles. Stand adamant and overcome
obstacles. Have a burning desire for liberation. Annihilate Ajnana through
Satsanga, Sravana, Manana and Nididhyasana.
Master your emotions, impulses. Be strong in your determination. Be firm
in your resolution. You will get success in every walk of life.
Practise The Three Kinds Of Tapas
Practise Ahimsa and Brahmacharya in thought, word and deed. Practise Saucha
and Arjava (straight forwardness). Try to keep up balanced mind. Be cheerful
always. Keep up Shuddha Bhava. Try these three kinds of Tapas (physical,
verbal and mental) and control your actions.
Be careful in your speeches. Speak little. Speak sweet loving words. Never
utter any word of harshness that can affect the feelings of others. Try
to speak the truth. Thus put a check on the Vak Indriya and the impulses
of speech.
Kill the evil thought with the sword of Viveka when it tries to enter the
fort of the mind. Thus you can build a noble character.
Drink The Nectar
Purify your mind. Withdraw all the senses from their objects. Bring the
mind under your control. Introspect. Direct your attention towards the
knowledge of God.
Become a true Brahmachari. Get established in mental and physical Brahmacharya.
Take Sattvic food. Develop Vairagya. Have perfect faith in God.
Put on the armour of discrimination. Wear the shield of dispassion. Blow
the conch of courage. Kill the enemies of doubt, ignorance, passion and
egoism and enter the illimitable kingdom of the blissful Brahman. Drink
the Nectar of immortality.
Immortality Is Thy Birthright
Courage, power, strength, wisdom and joy are your Divine heritage, your
birthright from the Absolute. You are the centre of thought, influence
and power. Never forget this.
The world is assailed by death. Days and nights are falling incessantly
like bolts. When one day passes away, remember that a part of one’s life
wears away with it.
Apply yourself diligently to Yoga. Remember the Sages and Saints. Be sincere.
Develop mercy, love, friendship, feeling of brotherhood. You will become
one with all. You will see God in every face. You will enjoy the unalloyed
Bliss.
Forget Not Thy Goal
Try your best to keep cool and calm in difficulties, adversities and trying
conditions of life. Pray fervently from the bottom of your heart and wait.
Help is bound to come. Have firm, perfect and one-pointed faith in God.
Develop universal sympathy and cosmic love of pure nature. Lead a life
of oneness and unity. Have deep concentrated right thinking.
Forget not the goal. Everyday place a step further towards the goal. Maya
will assume various forms. Watch, pray, conquer obstacles.
Awake, Achieve The Goal
Remember the goal and the purpose for which you have taken this physical
body. Do not give indulgence or leniency to the mind. Watch the Vrittis
or thoughts. Drive them. Just as the soldier kills his enemies with his
sword when they enter the fort, take the rod of Viveka when the mind raises
its hood or Vritti and strike indiscriminately. Annihilate the thoughts.
Goal Of Life Is God-Realisation
The goal of life is God-realisation. All desires are gratified by realising
God. God can be realised by pure, subtle reasoning. There is not an iota
of happiness in objects, because they are insentient. There are mental
uneasiness, discontentment and restlessness even in multi-millionaires
and kings.
All sorts of fears, miseries and troubles will melt away when the knowledge
of God dawns. You will be freed from the Samsaric wheel of births and deaths
with all its concomitant evils. Form a strong habit of remembering God
at all times. Control the senses. Be balanced in pleasure and pain, heat
and cold, praise and censure. Have unshakable faith and unflinching devotion
towards God.
Live In The Present
Do not think of the past, nor plan for the future. Live in the present.
Believe in the glory of the Self. Regard all alike. Help the Self in all.
Tear into pieces the veil of ignorance. Catch the fickle deer mind with
the snare of enquiry and Brahma Chintana. Ride the elephant of Self-knowledge
and reach the highest peak of Supreme Wisdom of the Self.
Melt all illusory differences. Remove all barriers that separate man from
man. Mix with all. Destroy the sex-idea by constantly thinking on the Self
or the sexless and bodiless Atman.
CHAPTER THREE
Wisdom
Give Up Attachment
Attachment is the first child of Maya. This whole Lila of the Lord is kept
up by the force of attachment. There is in the mind gummy substance which
is like a mixture of castor oil, glue, gum-arabic, mucilage of tragacanth,
gluten paste, honey, glycerine, jack fruit’s juice and all other pasty
substances of the world. The mind is glued, as it were, to the objects
with this mixture. Therefore the attachment is very strong.
Selfishness causes attachment. Attachment is the root-cause for all the
miseries and troubles of this world. Work incessantly without an identification.
Then alone you can have real happiness. You will yourself feel that you
are a different being. This is the master-key to open the realms of Brahmic
Bliss.
Shun Sensual Enjoyments
Look out for an unchangeable, infinite and Supreme happiness which must
come from a Being in whom there is no change. Search and find out such
Being, and if you could only succeed in your quest, then you can get that
unalterable happiness from Him.
Sensual enjoyment is attended with various defects. It is attended with
various sorts of sins, pains, weaknesses, attachments, slave mentality,
weak will, severe exertion and struggle, bad habits, cravings, aggravation
of desires and mental restlessness. Therefore shun all sorts of sensual
enjoyments.
Have A Balanced Mind
Though the cow grazes on the pastures having been separated from the calf,
her mind is always fixed on the calf only. Similarly you should fix the
mind on God when you do Japa, and give your hand to work.
Renounce all attachment. Be balanced in success or failure, gain or loss,
victory or defeat, pleasure or pain. Discipline your mind cautiously. This
is your master-key to open the doors of the realm of Bliss. This is the
secret of success in Yoga.
Feel and think that you breathe, live and work for God alone, in every
second of your life, and that without Him life is absolutely useless. Feel
the pangs of separation while at work if you forget Him even for a fraction
of a second.
Coax The Mind
Let not your heart give way to trials. Be ever intent on your spiritual
Sadhana. Learn to discriminate. Develop true lasting Vairagya by association
with wise people.
Make the mind understand about the unreal nature of objects and the defects
of a sensual life. Talk to your mind. Coax the mind. It will hear your
words. Gradually the mind-wandering will cease. Then the mind will abide
firmly in the centre of the source.
Become a Yogi. Yoga will put an end to all sorts of pain. Yoga will destroy
all Kleshas (afflictions). Wake up. Open your eyes. Practise Yoga. My Child!
Discipline The Mind
Destroy the Sankalpas or imagination of the mind. Discipline the mind in
a perfect manner through discrimination, enquiry, dispassion and regular
meditation on Atman.
Have a wide outlook on life. See God in everything, in every face. Give
up all that is false and untrue. Pray fervently. Lead a life of virtue
and happiness.
Renounce all your sorrows, fears and anxieties, and walk in the path laid
down by the scriptures. You will attain supreme peace and eternal bliss.
Keep The Mind Fully Occupied
Understand fully the aim and purpose of life. Yield not to temptations.
Develop virtuous qualities like humility, forgiveness, tolerance, etc.
Wish eagerly and fervently to attain God-consciousness. Have faith, interest
and attention. You are bound to succeed.
Conserve all energy and utilise it for higher spiritual achievements in
life. Purify. Be just. Be true. Be sincere in your attempts. Respect all
prophets and saints. You will shine as a dynamic Yogi.
Keep the mind fully occupied. Sing the name of the Lord. Twirl the beads.
Study the scriptures. Think of God and meditate upon Him with true devotion
and feeling and merge in Him. This is the goal of life.
Give No Leniency To Mind
Mere hearing of eloquent valuable spiritual lectures will not do in the
spiritual path. You will have to act according to them. You will have to
give your whole heart, mind and soul to practice. Then only you will have
progress in the path.
Follow the instructions of your master and the teachings of the scriptures
to the very letter. Give no leniency to the mind. Exact, implicit, strict
obedience to the instructions is expected of you.
Do not fight for rights. Think more about your duties and less about your
rights. These rights are worthless. It is wasting of time and energy. Assert
your birthright of God-consciousness. Realise this and become wise.
Learn To Discriminate
Know things in their proper light. Do not be deluded. Emotion is mistaken
for devotion; violent jumping in the air during Sankirtan for Divine ecstasy;
Rajasic restlessness and motion for divine activities and Karma Yoga; a
Tamasic man for a Sattvic man; Tandri and deep sleep for Samadhi; Manorajya
or building castles in the air for meditation; physical nudity for the
Jivanmukti state.
Understand the laws of the universe. Move tactfully in this world. Learn
the secrets of Nature. Learn to discriminate and become wise. Fight out
the inner battle again and come out victorious!
Sacrifice Pleasure To Secure Bliss
Spiritual pursuits, and practice of Yoga are really sweet, but appear to
be bitter; sensual pursuits, which are really bitter, appear to be sweet.
This is due to the perversion of intellect caused by Avidya.
Select some good songs or Dhwanis and repeat them during night along with
your friends and relatives. Even during day while working, you can sing
the select Dhwanis of your Ishta Mantra. By this you will have continuity
of Divine thoughts.
May you always shine with the divine splendour and inexhaustible wealth
of Atma Jnana, which is the common property of all mankind!
Think Rightly
Worry does great harm to the astral body and the mind. Energy is wasted
by worry. It causes inflammation and drains the vitality of man. Nothing
is gained by the worry-habit. Be vigilant. Keep the mind fully occupied.
The habit will be eradicated. Keep the Divine Flame burning steadily. Have
strong determination and strong will. Have courage, fixity of mind and
a definite purpose of life. Be not wavering.
Wake up now from the deep slumber of ignorance. Never become a fatalist.
Think rightly. Act rightly. Lead a virtuous life. Never hurt the feelings
of others. Mould your character. Purify your mind. Concentrate. Fix your
mind on the Lord.
Control Your Thoughts
Stick to any rule that, appeals to your reason. Follow it with faith and
attention. You will evolve and reach the abode of eternal happiness. Performance
of one’s own duties brings happiness, quick evolution and freedom.
Events occur in succession or order. There is perfect harmony. The three
things viz., desire, thought and action always go together. It is thought
that moves the body to action. There is thought behind every action. If
you entertain bad thoughts you will do bad actions.
Learn to become wise. Discriminate. Control the thoughts and desires. Watch
your thoughts carefully. Do not allow any evil thought to enter the gate
of the mental factory. Develop passion for Self-realisation. You will attain
the goal of life.
Do Action As Ishvararpana
God is great. Resign yourself completely to His Will. His Will is great
and His actions are wise. Nobody can grudge or complain when the collective
Karma is in operation. There is always a chapter of accidents in the history
of Nature’s work. Let us be sincere and offer our actions and fruits at
His feet as Ishvararpana. Let us never forget Him. Let us pray for the
Peace of the whole world.
May you be ceaselessly engaged in the pursuit of Atmic enquiry! May peace
abide with you forever!
Become Pure, Evil Will Perish
When you do Japa and meditation, if evil thoughts enter your mind, do not
use your will-force in driving them. You will lose your energy only. You
will tax your will only. You will fatigue yourself. The greater the efforts
you make, the more the evil thoughts will return with redoubled force.
They will return more quickly also. The thoughts will become more powerful.
Be indifferent. Keep quiet. They will pass off soon. Or substitute good
counter thoughts or think of the picture of thy Ishtam and the Mantra again
and again. Forcibly pray.
Never miss meditation for a day. Be regular and systematic in your spiritual
practices. Take Sattvic food. Fruits and milk will help mental focusing.
Raise The Rod Of Viveka
Collect all the rays of your mind. Turn the mind towards God. Persevere
seriously in the pursuit of knowledge of God. Struggle hard. You will succeed.
Give up all sorts of fears, cares, worries and anxieties. Rest in the ocean
of silence. Destroy all sorts of fears by the rod of Viveka and the sword
of Vairagya.
Pray to the Almighty Lord for help and guidance. Thirst for His grace.
Place your trust in Him. Do not be moved by difficulties. Difficulties
strengthen your will and augment your power of endurance and turn your
mind towards God. He will guide you in all your activities.
Rely On God Alone
Lead a life of intense activity. Do not depend upon anybody. Rely on God
alone. Give up idle talking. Remember God at every moment. Utter in every
breath the name of the Lord. Centre your thoughts upon His lotus feet.
Have strong faith in Him. Endeavour to make your faith a matter of adoration
and love. You will enjoy Supreme joy.
Think rightly and clearly. Become a man of measured words. Do selfless
service. Surrender the fruits of action unto the Lord. Pray to God for
His mercy, Divine Light, purity and guidance. You will attain the Supreme.
Eternal Happiness Is In God Only
Nitya Sukha (eternal happiness) and Paramasanti (Supreme Peace) can be
had only in God.
Therefore pray to the Almighty Lord: “O My Lord! By entertaining various
useless thoughts, by vain and wild imaginations by entertaining myriads
of Sankalpas my heart and mind are afflicted with severe sores. Enough!
protect me. O Lord, do protect me. Turn my mind towards Thy lotus feet.
Make it rest in Thee for ever. This is my fervent prayer. This is all I
want. Thou knowest my heart.” He. will guide you in all your activities.
Worship God In The Poor
Cultivate right understanding and right thinking. Develop cosmic love.
Eradicate selfishness. Practise Yama and Niyama. Develop virtuous qualities.
Have faith in the existence of God. Pray to the Almighty daily. The Divine
Grace will descend upon you.
Kill unholy desires through holy desires. Do not become lazy. Be ever up
and doing. Break the evil of ignorance. Know thyself and be free.
Worship God in the poor and sick. Serve every one with intense love. Give
your hands to work and mind to God. You will attain Supreme Peace, Bliss
and Immortality.
Root Yourself In God
Understand clearly the aim of your life. Chalk out the line of work that
is congenial to your aim. Work hard to realise the ideal. Have your ideal
before you and try every second to live up to it.
Develop a strong desire to remove carelessness and forgetfulness. Have
confidence in your own powers and faculties.
Keep up your mental poise amidst the changes of the world without consideration
of success or failure, gain or loss, pleasure or pain. Have the mind always
rooted in God amidst activities. Use the blowpipe of “Teevra Vairagya”
and intense concentration to kindle the fire of devotion.
God Is The Inner Ruler
God is the inner Ruler. He goads the body, mind and senses to work. Become
an instrument in the hands of the Lord. Do not expect thanks or appreciation
for your work. Do actions as your duty and offer them and their fruits
to the Lord. You will be freed from the bonds of Karma. Your heart will
be purified soon.
Repeat the Mantra, “I am Thine, All is Thine, My Lord. Thy will be done.”
Throw all burden on Him and be at ease. Do not keep any desire for you.
Destroy egoism completely, by unconditional, unreserved and ungrudging
self-surrender to the Lord. If your surrender is total and sincere, there
is free flow of Divine Grace.
Start Quest Of Self
Work with a heart within and God overhead. Have a profound faith in the
will of Providence. Meditate on the divine attributes of the Lord viz.,
mercy, cosmic love, beauty of beauties and All-pervasiveness. You will
get success in life and God-realisation.
Keep open the portals of your heart by removing selfishness, greed, lust,
so that the Almighty Lord may come and dwell therein. Give up all useless
discussions and proceed straightaway in the quest of the Self or God. You
will possess immense inner spiritual strength. Abandon all superstitions
and doubts. Cultivate an indomitable will. Strive ceaselessly for Self-realisation.
You will attain Supreme Peace, Bliss and Immortality.
Enquire “Who Am I?”
Develop patience, tolerance, mercy and love. Practise Vichara. Enquire,
“Who am I?” Serve others With Atma Bhava.
Have firm faith in Srutis and Sastras. Regulate your conduct when you deal
with others. Prostrate before everybody mentally. Possess a keen longing
for liberation and intense Vairagya. Be sincere and earnest. Develop your
will-power. Conserve all leaking energy. Draw up a daily routine and stick
to it tenaciously. Grow. Expand. Get success in life. Realise God.
Search, Understand, Realise
Hold fast the lamp of Dharma. Entertain thoughts of Divine Love. Preserve
equanimity in success and failure. Restrain the senses. Calm the mind.
Fix it on God. Soar high in the realm of bliss. Behold unity. You will
have cosmic vision.
Give up all sorts of fears, anger, care, worries and anxieties. Do not
be disheartened by failures. Pain is the best thing in the world. It is
an eye-opener. Never forget this.
Dear friend, can economical sufficiency and a few more comforts with electric
lights, fans and sofas give you real peace and freedom, Shanti and Mukti?
Certainly not. Search, understand and realise. Thy guide has come.
Introspect
Watch your mind and thoughts. Introspect and practise self-analysis. Avoid
evil company. Understand the way of Maya. Be on the alert. Be very humble
and simple, remember God at every moment.
Remove arrogance, self-conceit and laziness. Develop humility to a maximum
degree. Be sincere. Serve all with love. Respect your elders and parents.
Lead a simple, laborious life.
Cheer up your spirit. Have Perfect trust in God. Keep the mind fully occupied.
Practise daily meditation. Develop virtuous qualities. Sing the name of
the Lord. Thirst for His vision. The Divine Grace will descend upon you.
You will enjoy supreme Peace, Bliss and Immortality.
Search Him Inside Your Heart
God is your heart. He is in you and you are in Him. Search Him inside your
heart. If you do not find Him there, you will not find Him anywhere else.
This search after God is a question of supply and demand. If you really
want God, if there is a demand for God, then the supply will come at once.
Give up clinging to illusory life. Be fearless. Take refuge in Vairagya.
All fears will die away. Cling to the lotus feet of the Lord. Cling to
the invisible, unseen Brahman. May the Almighty Lord guide you in all your
activities.
Remove The Veil
Remove the veil of ignorance which is hiding your real Svarupa. Destroy
egoism, the sense of duality, sense of separateness. Your real nature is
Satchidananda. You are identical with Brahman. Never, never forget this.
Always protect yourself from evil influences. Do not allow the spiritual
Samskaras to be obliterated. It is difficult to regain what is lost in
spirituality. Exercise Vichara, Viveka, always. Utilise your will to resist
evil influences.
Develop your will-power by driving desires, by Titiksha and great patience.
Acquire peace by contentment, Santosha, Vichara, Satsanga and great patience.
You will shine in your own glory.
Look Within
Within you is the hidden God. Within you is the immortal soul. Within you
is the inexhaustible spiritual treasure. Within you is the ocean of bliss.
Look within for the happiness which you have sought in vain in perishable
sensual objects. Rest peacefully in your own Atman.
Surrender everything unto Him. Place your ego at His feet and be at ease.
He will take complete charge of you. He will do everything for you. Practise.
Feel. Assert. Enjoy the Supreme.
Knowledge Gives Freedom
The practice of selfless service destroys sins and impurities and causes
purity of Antahkarana. Knowledge of Self dawns in a pure mind. Knowledge
of Self is the only direct means to freedom. Cooking is not possible without
fire, so is emancipation without knowledge of the Self. Knowledge certainly
destroys ignorance as light destroys thickest darkness.
Be absorbed in your work. Give your full heart, mind and soul. Do not care
for the results. Do not think of success or failure. Do not think of the
past. Have complete confidence. Practise self-reliance. Be cheerful always.
Keep a cool balanced mind. Work for work’s sake. Be bold and courageous.
You are bound to succeed in any undertaking. This is the secret of success.
Sit Motionless
Do not grumble of bad environments. Create your own mental world and environments.
Build up your character properly. Establish virtuous healthy habits.
Understand the glow, splendour and power of the Self which is at the back
of your mind, thoughts, will and memory. Keep your body strong and healthy
by regular exercise. Become a spiritual hero.
Shut out the doors of the senses. Still the thoughts, emotions and feelings.
Sit motionless and calm in the early morning hours. Have a receptive attitude.
Go along with God. Commune with Him. Enjoy abiding peace in the silence.
Hear, Reflect, Meditate
Discipline the mind and the senses. Cultivate noble virtues. Develop the
four means. Hear the Srutis. Reflect and meditate on Atman. This will result
in Self-realisation.
Have no blind faith. Reason out carefully and then accept anything. Annihilate
lust, anger and greed. Share what you have—mental, physical and moral—with
others. Take delight in serving others. All your egoism and arrogance will
disappear.
In the lamp of the heart put the oil of Vairagya. Insert the wick of devotion.
Now kindle the light of knowledge by constant meditation and see. The darkness
of ignorance will be dispelled. You will be fully illumined.
Meditate In Brahmamuhurta
Purify your heart and meditate. Dive deep into the innermost recess of
the heart. You will find the Atmic pearl. If you search in deep water only,
you will find the pearl. If you keep only to the shore, you will find broken
shells only.
O friend! Wake up. Sleep no more. Meditate. It is Brahmamuhurta now! Open
the gate of the temple of the Lord in your heart with the key of love.
Hear the music of the soul. Sing the song of Prem your Beloved. Play the
melody of the infinite. Melt your mind in His contemplation. Unite with
Him. Immerse yourself in the ocean of love and Bliss.
Practise Regular Meditation
Do not give a loose rein to the mind. Curb it ruthlessly. Annihilate it.
You will soon cognise the Truth and attain the final emancipation. All
pains, sorrows and delusions will terminate.
Renounce all your sorrows, fears and anxieties, and walk in the path laid
down by the scriptures. Abandon the impure Vasanas, cultivate the pure
Vasanas and practise regular meditation on the pure, All-pervading Atman.
Meditate on the Lord who is an embodiment of Light, Peace, Bliss and Knowledge.
Do not waste the time in idle-gossiping, eating, drinking and sleeping.
Life is meant for higher purposes. Come, come attain Immortality.
Tap The Source
Meditation is the Grand Trunk Road to attain Godhead. Without that no spiritual
progress is possible: Therefore, meditate. It will take you to the realm
of Bhava Samadhi and make you drink the honey of Prema and Nectar of Immortality.
Therefore, withdraw your mind from sensual objects. Fix it at the lotus
feet of the Lord. Merge in the Atman within. Practise silent meditation.
Swim freely in the ocean of Atmic Bliss. Float in the Divine joy. Tap the
source. March directly towards the fountain-head of Divine Consciousness
and drink the Nectar.
Concentration Leads To Bliss
Concentration is the only way to get rid of the worldly miseries and tribulations.
Your only duty is to practise concentration. You have taken this body to
practise concentration and through concentration to realise the Self.
When you read a book you must read it with concentration. There is no use
of skipping over the pages in a hurried manner. Read one page in the Gita.
Close the book. Concentrate on what you have read. Find out parallel lines
in Mahabharata, Upanishads and Bhagavata. Compare and contrast.
Be Unshakably Serene
Be calm under all circumstances. Cultivate this virtue again and again
through constant and strenuous endeavour. Serenity is like a rock. Waves
of irritation may dash on it, but cannot effect it.
Meditate on the ever tranquil Atman within, which is unchanging. You will
attain calmness. The Divine Light will descend on a calm mind only. An
aspirant with a calm mind only can enter into deep meditation and Nirvikalpa
Samadhi.
Be sincere at heart. Care not for the perishable things. Care for the ever-lasting
Reality only. Give up idle talk, long talk, big talk, tall talk and loose
talk. Become silent.
Introspect. Look within. Try to remove your defects. Collect all your scattered
thoughts and apply yourself in remembering God. Become very, very humble.
Become an embodiment of good nature. Do always good actions. Serve. Love.
Give. Make others happy.
In Stillness Let Truth Shine
Be still and realise the Truth. Be vigilant and destroy the Vasanas and
Vrittis. The more the thinning of the Vasanas, egoism and Dehadhyasa, the
greater the bliss of the Self.
May you attain Kaivalya or peace of the Eternal, leading the divine life,
serving the poor and the sick, feeling the Divine presence everywhere at
all times, in all faces and radiating joy and peace to all those who come
in contact with you.
Hear The Inner Voice
Do not be guided and influenced by public opinion. March boldly and cheerfully
in the path of Truth, consulting your conscience and hearing the inner,
small, sweet voice of the soul.
Keep company with one Sattvic man. Spend every second profitably. Serve
sick people. Share what you have with the poor people. Unfold the Divinity
hidden in the chambers of your heart. Repeat your Guru Mantra or the Mantra
of the Ishta Devata mentally. Associate the idea of purity, infinity, eternity,
immortality, Vyapaka, Paripoorna, Satchidananda, Akhanda, Advaita, Chidakasa,
etc., with OM repetition. Do mental Puja also.
Feel You Are Atman
Do not act under the influence of sudden impulses. Do not be carried away
by the force of emotions, however noble they may be. Be ever vigilant and
diligent.
Avoid unnecessary worry. Be not troubled. Be not anxious. Do not be idle.
Do not waste time. Do not worry yourself if there is delay in further progress.
Wait coolly. You are bound to succeed.
Develop courage by constantly feeling you are Atman. Deny and negate the
body idea. Practise, practise Nididhyasana always; all difficulties, tribulations
will come to an end. You will enjoy unalloyed bliss.
Live In Atman
Wake up from the dream of forms. Do not be deceived by these illusory names
and forms. Cling to the solid living reality only. Love your Atman alone.
Atman only persists. Live in Atman. Become Brahman. This is real life.
Approach the sages, the doctors of divinity with faith, devotion and humility.
Take a dose of medicine called Jnana. Then the disease of Ajnana will be
eradicated completely. You will attain everlasting peace.
Do not be deluded by Maya. Be calm as the waveless ocean. Be broad-minded
as the sky. Be pure as the crystal. Strive ceaselessly for the realisation
of the Atman. Be patient as the earth. You are bound to succeed. You will
succeed. Rest assured.
Rejoice In Atman
Lead a life of intense activity. Keep always a calm mind. Mentally repeat
your Ishta Mantra. Mix with all. Serve all with Atma Bhava. See God in
them.
Do not be afraid of difficulties and failures in the spiritual path. Difficulties
will develop your will-power. Failures are stepping stones to success.
Use your intelligence, sagacity, discrimination and commonsense. You will
overcome the difficulties one by one.
Stand adamant. Be cheerful. Dismiss fear and anxiety. March boldly in the
spiritual path. Do not be discouraged. Draw courage, strength and power
from within. Be cautious. Thou art Invincible. Nothing can harm you. Remain
serene always. Smile and rejoice in the Atman.
Be Frank Like A Child
Have an eager, receptive attitude to imbibe the teachings of your master.
Be absolutely guileless, frank and candid like a child. Have unshakable
faith in the words of your Guru or Srutis.
Be ever ready to serve. Serve with pure love, kindness, and courtesy. Never
show a weary or gloomy face when you serve. Live a life of utter devotion
to service.
Develop sympathy, affection, benevolence, tolerance and humility. Have
a catholic or liberal view. Give a place for the views of all. You will
have an expanded life and a very large heart. You will attain the exalted
state of Buddhahood.
Be Humble And Simple
Develop joyful nature. Have an amiable nature, a modest and unassuming
temperament. Understand the secrets of nature. Develop your will-power.
Conserve all leaking energy. Move tactfully in the world. You will have
much peace.
Do not waste your precious hours in idle talk. Cut short the conversations.
Be humble and simple. Do everything as Ishvararpana. Accept your faults
openly and endeavour to rectify yourself in future. Pray fervently to the
Almighty God. You will realise Him quickly.
Taste The Eternal Bliss
Allow the waves of love to arise constantly in your heart. Feel the warmth
of the Divine Love. Bask in the sunshine of Divine Love. Taste the bliss
of the eternal life.
Do not murmur when you encounter difficulties, troubles, diseases and sorrows.
Be courageous. Endure them with patience. Turn your mind towards God. Cultivate
serenity of mind. Educate your will. You will possess tremendous inner
spiritual strength. You will have rapid spiritual progress.
Conquer your difficulties one by one. Do meditation daily. Realise the
ideal of life. Become a magnanimous Soul. You will enjoy Supreme Bliss.
Realise The Infinite Bliss
You are born for higher things. A glorious brilliant future is awaiting
you. Do not think of the past. Purify. Concentrate. Reflect. Meditate.
March forward. Find thy rest in the Supreme Soul.
Do not be troubled by difficulties, adversities and sorrows. They instil
mercy in thy heart. They will help you in developing your will and power
of endurance. They will make you wise and help you in your evolution.
Be courageous. Never despair. Draw strength from within. Move forward.
Feel the Divine Presence everywhere. See the Divine Glory all around. Dive
deep into the Divine source. You will realise the infinite Bliss.
Live In God
Speak kind and sweet words. Have Satsanga of Mahatmas. Eat moderately.
Take care of your health. Cultivate fellow-feeling and universal brotherhood.
Do not waste your precious hours. Find out your evil habits and remove
them. Thou art the best judge in this direction. Try to minimise the time
spent in useless company. Be on the alert. Speak little.
Feel that the whole world is your own Self. Feel that all beings are your
own Self. Develop universal love. Live in God. Be kind to all. Take refuge
in the Lord. Meditate on the Lord. You will realise. The divine light will
descend upon you.
Be In Tune With The Lord
Attune your heart to the Lord by doing fervent and sincere prayer daily.
Lay bare your heart to Him. Do not keep any secrets. Talk to Him like a
child. Be humble and simple. Implore Him with a contrite heart to forgive
your sins. Beseech Him to bestow His Grace. Do not depend upon human help.
Rely on God and God alone. You will get everything. You will get His Darshan
or vision.
Be regular in your Japa, Kirtan, meditation and study of Gita and Bhagavatam.
Regularity is of paramount importance in spiritual Sadhana. Never forget
this.
Do Total Surrender
Surrender completely to the Almighty Lord. Fix your mind on Him. See Him
in all faces. Sing His name. Work for Him. Think of nothing else than Him.
He is your guide. He is your light. Remember Him at all times whether it
is pleasure or pain. He will cheer you up. He will come and save you from
all your difficulties, as He protected Prahlada. He will give you light,
love and wisdom.
Become One With The Law-Giver
Man is dragged to places where he can get the objects of his desires. God
gives suitable surroundings according to the nature of the desires of the
man for his growth and evolution. This is the greatest law of nature.
If you once understand this which guides your life and action, you will
be able to act in such a manner as to make this law your ally and helpmate
rather than your adversary. So long as the conditions laid down by a law
are meticulously fulfilled and observed, you can have the fullest certainty
of your success in any direction.
Understand this law carefully. Discharge your duties carefully. You will
soon attain God-consciousness and you will become one with the Law-giver.
Sivananda Gita
1st January, 1946.
I was born of P.S. Vengu Iyer and Parvati Ammal on the 8th September 1887
at Pattamadai, Tinnevelly District, Tamil Nadu in the line of Appayya Dikshit.
My star is Bharani. I was extremely mischievous in my boyhood. I studied
in the S.P.G. College, Trichinopoly. I was a Doctor in the Malaya States
for 10 years. I took Sannyasa in 1924 in Rishikesh. I did Tapas and meditation
for 15 years. I went on teaching tours for 10 years. I founded the Divine
Life Society in 1936 and the All-World Religious Federation in 1945.
I am childlike in my Svabhava. So I mix with all. I become one with all.
I am ever happy and joyful and make others also happy and joyful. I am
full of educative humour. I radiate joy through humour. I respect all.
I do salutations to all first. I always speak sweetly. I walk quickly.
I do Japa and meditation while walking and while at work also.
I am ever hard-working. I have intense application to work. I never procrastinate
any work. I finish it then and there. I am very quick in doing things.
I cannot suppress the spirit of service in me. I cannot live without service.
I take immense delight in service. Service has elevated me. Service has
purified me. I know well how to extract work from others. I extract work
through kindness, service, respect and love.
I am very regular in doing Asana and exercises. I do Pranayama also regularly.
These give me wonderful health and energy. I run round the Bhajan Hall
daily. I cannot deliver fiery lectures sitting on a special seat. Special
seat pricks me. I stand up or throw the seat away and then begin to speak.
I never sat on a special seat when I presided over spiritual conferences.
I rejoice in giving. I always give.
I am 73 now. I ever feel I am quite young. I am full of vigour, vim and
vitality. I am ever cheerful. I sing, dance, run, jump in joy. I am robust
and strong. I can digest any kind of food. I continuously work, read and
write. I never go to hill-stations or seaside for holiday. Change of work
gives rest. Meditation gives abundant rest. Work gives me delight. Service
gives me happiness. Writing bestows joy. Meditation energises and invigorates
me. Kirtan vivifies me.
“Aham Brahma Asmi”, “Sivoham”, “Soham Sat-Chit-Ananda Svarupoham”. This
is my favourite formula for Vedantic meditation. Song of “Chidananda” is
my favourite song for singing.
“Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare,
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna
Krishna Hare Hare.”
This Mahamantra Kirtan is my favourite Kirtan.
At the present moment I am the richest man in the whole world. My heart
is full. Further, all the wealth of the Lord belongs to me now. Hence,
I am King of Kings, Emperor of Emperors, Shah of Shahs, Maharaja of Maharajas.
I take pity on the mundane kings. My dominion is limitless. My wealth is
inexhaustible. My joy is inexpressible. My treasure is immeasurable. I
attained this through Sannyasa, renunciation, untiring selfless service,
Japa, Kirtan and Meditation.
I am tall. My height is 6 ft. I have a sinewy frame. I have symmetrical
limbs. I am a first-class gymnast. I fast on Ekadasi. I do not take even
a drop of water on that day. I take milk and fruits on Sundays. I lead
a simple natural life. There is a fountain of youth in me. I beam with
joy. I observe fasting, resting, airing, bathing, breathing, exercising,
sun-bathing and enjoy freedom, beauty, courage, poise and health.
I love nature, music, art, poetry, philosophy, beauty, goodness, solitude,
meditation, Yoga and Vedanta. I am humble and simple. I am frank and straightforward.
I am perfectly tolerant and catholic. I am merciful and sympathetic. I
have spontaneous and unrestrained generosity. I am bold and cheerful. I
am patient. I can bear insult and injury. I am forgiving. I am free from
vindictive nature. I return good for evil. I serve that man who has injured
me, with joy.
I love Ganga and the Himalayas. Ganga is my Mother Divine. Himalayas is
my Father Divine. They inspire and guide me. I take bath in Ganga. I adore
Ganga. I feed the fishes of Ganga. I wave light to Mother Ganga. I pray
to Ganga. I do salutations to Ganga. I sing the glory of Ganga. I write
about the grandeur and glory of Ganga. Ganga has nourished me. Ganga has
comforted me. Ganga has taught me the Truths of the Upanishads. Glory to
Mother Ganga!
My daily routine is like that of Lord Buddha. I always remain in the room.
I do Japa, Kirtan and meditation. I study sacred books. I write. I come
out of the room for a short time for work, service and interview. I talk
a little. I think much. I meditate much. I try to do much and serve much.
I do not waste even a single minute. I ever keep myself fully occupied.
I lead a well-regulated life. I perform worship of Atman at all times.
I work for the good of others.
Gita, Upanishads, Bhagavata, Yoga Vasishtha, Avadhoota Gita, Vivekachudamani
are my constant companions. I am a strange mixture of service, devotion,
Yoga and wisdom. I am a follower of Sri Sankara. I am a Kevala-Advaita
Vedantin. I am not at all a dry lip Vedantin. I am a practical Vedantin.
I practise and advocate the Yoga of Synthesis. I practise Ahimsa, Satyam
and Brahmacharya. Glory to Sri Sankara!
I respect all Saints and Prophets of all religions. I respect all religions,
all cults, all faiths and all creeds. I serve all, love all, mix with all
and see the Lord in all. I stick to my promises. I serve the poor. This
gives me delight. I do mental prostrations to asses, dogs, trees, bricks,
stones and all creatures. I respect elders and Sadhus. I obey. I please
all through sincere selfless service. I attend on guests very carefully.
I run hither and thither to serve them. I shampoo the legs of sick persons
and Sadhus.
I give very prompt reply to all letters. I do several things at a time.
I write with electric speed. I spend everything. I do a lot of charity.
I do not keep anything. I take immense pleasure in feeding the poor and
my students. I try to be a mother to them. I talk to others on things which
I have myself practised. I look within always, introspect, analyse and
examine. I hold the Trisul—spiritual diary, daily routine and resolve.
I served my Masters with great sincerity and intense faith and devotion.
I learnt many useful lessons for life. I developed many virtues. I wandered
without food during my Parivrajaka life. I slept on the roadside at night
without clothing during winter. I ate dried bread with water. I stick tenaciously
with my principles and ideals. I do not argue much. I live in silence.
I pray and do Kirtan for the whole world, for the health and peace of sick
people and for the peace of the departed souls and the earth-bound spirits
also. I take a dip in the Ganges in the name of all those who are longing
for a bath in the Ganges. I sing the names of all Saints of all religions
in the Bhajan Hall. I observe All-saints day and All-Souls Day.
I constantly meditate on the following:-
Prajnanam Brahma, Aham Brahma Asmi, Tat Tvam Asi, Ayam Atma Brahma, Satyam
Jnanam Anantam Brahma. Santam Sivam Advaitam. Aham Atma Gudakesa, Aham
Atma Nirakarah, Sarvavyapee Svabhavatah. Brahma Satyam Jaganmithya Jivo
Brahmaiva Naparah. Akarta, Abhokta, Asanga Sakshee. Ajo Nityah Sasvatoyam
Purano. Jyotishamapi Tat Jyotih.
To raise the fallen, to lead the blind, to share what I have with others,
to bring solace to the afflicted and to cheer the afflicted and suffering
are my ideals. To have perfect faith in God, to love my neighbour as my
own Self, to love God with all my heart and soul, to protect cows, animals,
women and children are my aims. My watchword is love. My goal is Sahaja
Samadhi Avastha, or the natural, continuous superconscious state.
How God Came Into My Life
It would be easy to dismiss the question by saying: “Yes, after a prolonged
period of intense austerities and meditation, while I was living in Swargashram,
and when I had the Darshan of a number of Maharshis and their blessings,
the Lord appeared before me in the form of Sri Krishna.”
But that would not be the whole truth, nor a sufficient answer to a question
relating to God, who is Infinite, Unlimited and beyond the reach of the
speech and mind.
Cosmic Consciousness is not an accident or chance. It is the summit, accessible
by a thorny path that has steps, slippery steps. I have ascended them step
by step, the hard way; but at every step I have experienced God coming
into my life and lifting me easily to the next step.
My father was fond of ceremonial worship (Puja) in which he was very regular.
To my child-mind, the Image he worshipped was God; and I delighted in helping
father in the worship, by bringing him flowers and other articles of worship.
The deep inner satisfaction that he and I derived from such worship implanted
in my heart the deep conviction that God is in such Images devoutly worshipped
by His devotees. Thus did God come into my life first and placed my foot
on the first rung of the ladder.
As an adult, I was fond of gymnastics and vigorous exercises. I learnt
fencing from a teacher who belonged to a low caste; he was a Harijan. I
could go to him only for a few days before I was made to understand that
it was unbecoming of a caste Brahman to play the student to an untouchable.
I thought deeply over the matter. One moment I felt that the God whom we
all worshipped in the image in my father’s Puja-room had jumped over to
the heart of this untouchable. He was my Guru, all right! So I immediately
went to him with flowers, sweets and cloth, and garlanded him, placed flowers
at his feet and prostrated myself before him. Thus did God come into my
life to remove the veil of caste-distinctions.
How very valuable this step was I could realise very soon after this: for
I was to enter the medical profession and serve all, and the persistence
of caste-distinction would have made that service a mockery. With this
mist cleared by the Light of God, it was easy and natural for me to serve
everyone. I took very keen delight in every kind of service connected with
healing and alleviation of human misery. If there was a good prescription
for malaria, I felt that the whole world should know it the next moment.
Any knowledge about the prevention of diseases, promotion of health and
healing of diseases, I was eager to acquire and share with all.
Then, God came into my life in the form of the sick in Malaya. It is difficult
for me now to single out any instance; and perhaps it is unnecessary. Time
and space are concepts of the mind and have no meaning in God. I can look
back now upon the whole period of my stay in Malaya as a single event in
which God came to me in the form of the sick and the suffering. People
are sick physically and mentally. To some, life is lingering death; and
to some others, death is more welcome than life. Some lead a miserable
life, unable to face death; some invite death and commit suicide, unable
to face life. The aspiration grew within me that if God had not made this
world merely as a hell where wicked people would be thrown, to suffer,
and if there is (as I intuitively felt there should be) something other
than this misery and this helpless existence, it should be known and experienced.
It was at this crucial point in my life that God came to me as a religious
mendicant who gave me the first lesson in Vedanta. The positive aspects
of life here, and real end and aim of human life, were made apparent. This
drew me from Malaya to the Himalaya. God came to me in the form of all-consuming
aspiration to realise Him as the Self of all.
Meditation and service went on apace; and with them came various spiritual
experiences. The body, mind and intellect, as the limiting adjuncts, vanished;
and the whole universe shone as His Light. God then came in the form of
this Light in which everything assumed a divine shape; and pain and suffering,
that seem to haunt everybody, appeared to be a mirage, the illusion that
ignorance creates, on account of low sensual appetites that lurk in man.
One more milestone had to be passed in order to know “Sarvam Khalvidam
Brahma.” Early in 1950 (on the 8th Jan.) God came to me in the form of
a half-demented assailant, who disturbed the night Satsanga at the Ashram.
His attempt failed. I bowed to him, worshipped him and sent him home. Evil
exists to glorify the good! Evil is a superficial appearance; beneath its
veil, the one Self shines in all.
A noteworthy fact ought to be mentioned here. In this evolution nothing
gained previously is entirely discarded at any later stage. One coalesced
into the next; and the Yoga of Synthesis was the fruit. Murti-Puja, selfless
service of the sick, meditation, the cultivation of cosmic love that transcended
the barriers of caste, creed and religion, with the ultimate aim of attaining
Cosmic Consciousness, was revealed. This knowledge had immediately to be
shared. All this had become an integral part of my being.
The mission had been gathering strength and spreading. It was in 1950 that
I undertook the All-India Tour. Then God came to me in His Virat-Svarupa,
multitudes of devotees, eager to listen to the tenets of divine life. At
every centre I felt that God spoke through me, and He Himself in His Virat-form
spread out before me as the multitude, listened to me. He sang with me;
He prayed with me; He spoke and He listened. Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma.
(Bhavan’s Journal, May 3, 1959)
Philosophy And Teachings Of Swami Sivananda
In Sayings
1. Brahman or the Absolute is the only reality. It is Sat-Chit-Ananda
2. Brahman or the Absolute manifests itself as Jiva or the individual soul,
Ishvara or the Lord and the universe. The light of Brahman alone is Jiva
and others.
3. The world and the ego are unreal. This universe is nothing but a diversity
of Maya. Mind alone is the universe. World is nothing but mind manifesting
as such only through the potency of Brahman.
4. Those who are without Atmic enquiry will see as real this world which
is nothing but the nature of Sankalpa. Sankalpa alone manifests itself
as Jiva, Ishvara and the Universe. This universe as universe ever is not.
There is no world in the three periods of time.
5. All things though appearing different are no other than Brahmic light,
in short, world static means Brahman. Brahman in motion is world.
6. Individual is no other than Brahman. The body with its organs, etc.,
is no other than mind. The mind manifests itself as the external world
in the shape of pains and pleasures, bondage and liberation, right and
wrong. The mind subjectively is this universe. Time, space and causation
are the creations of the mind.
7. Actions of the mind alone are truly termed as Karma. True liberation
results from the disenthralment of the mind. The play of the mind constitutes
this universe.
8. Those who have freed themselves from the fluctuations of their mind
are endowed with the supreme meditation.
9. If the impurities of the mind are removed it will become calm, steady
and blissful. Then the Samsaric delusion with its births and deaths, pain
and pleasure will be destroyed.
10. The conception of the reality of the world will increase on the contemplation
on the non-Atma or worldly objects.
11. Through the grace of Ishvara also the higher spiritual state will be
attained.
12. Atma can be realised by controlling Maya. All ideas of the world will
vanish if Maya is controlled.
13. Manifold pains will arise in the mind in the absence of Samadhi which
leads to the attainment of Brahmic bliss.
14. Nothing can create differentiation and disturbance in the mind if you
do not long for the fruits of actions. The Jnana vision alone will enable
one to realise Atman personally.
15. All will be Brahman through Sushupti Mauna. The same result can be
obtained through the giving up of Sanga or desires. The path to the higher
goal will be rendered smooth by the preceptor who is able to make his disciple
progress through various means as well as by renunciation, though many
obstacles may intervene.
16. The Neophyte on the path of Vedanta or Jnana Yoga should possess the
fourfold qualifications, viz., Viveka (discrimination between the real
and the unreal), Vairagya (dispassion), Shad Sampat (sixfold virtues) and
Mumukshutva (intense longing for emancipation).
17. Cultivate pure Vasanas, Shanti (peace), Santosh (contentment). Practise
Brahma Vichara. Take recourse to Satsanga or association with the wise.
You will soon attain self-realisation.
18. The renunciation of Ahamkara or egoism leads to the attainment of Atma
Jnana.
19. Through the performance in the world of Nishkama Karma even sensual
pleasures are transmuted into spiritual or Brahmic Bliss.
20. The Supreme Immortal Bliss of Atman can be attained through Samadhi
consequent upon Atmic enquiry.
21. The result of quiescence of mind etc., which is developed through Samadhi
can also be attained through Atma Vichara or Atmic enquiry.
22. Mental abnegation and control of Prana are the two requisites for the
control of the mind which leads us to quiescence.
23. Abandon the attraction towards sensual objects and you will get quiescence
of the mind. Nirvanic Bliss where all are Brahman only will result through
Jnana or Yoga.
24. Renunciation of egoism alone constitutes the renunciation of all. Doership
or enjoyership arises through the idea of ‘I’.
25. SERVE, LOVE, GIVE, MEDITATE. This is Sadhana in a nutshell. Be good,
Do good. Be humble. Be noble. This is the highest Sadhana. Enquire ‘Who
am I’? and know thy Self. Find the knower, find the seer. This is Sadhana
in essence.
26. A Jivanmukta is a liberated sage. He is emancipated while living. He
has cut off all bonds. He has destroyed his mind. He is in a state of mindlessness.
He is absolutely free. He has identified himself with Brahman or the Absolute
Consciousness. He has no identification with the body. He is free from
egoism, lust, anger, greed, selfishness, pride, likes, dislikes, exhilaration
or depression (Harsha-soka). He is balanced in pleasure and pain, censures
and praises, honour and dishonour, respect and disrespect. He has equal,
vision. He has supreme knowledge of Brahman. He is a Brahmajnani. He is
a Brahmavid or Knower of Brahman. He can clear all your doubts. You will
feel extreme elevation and inspiration in his presence. He radiates joy
and peace everywhere.
27. He may be absorbed in Samadhi or he may work like an ordinary man of
the world. Internally he has the Bhava or mental attitude “I am a witness”
(Sakshi) “I am non-doer” (Akarta) “I am non-enjoyer” (Abhokta) because
he has no egoism or individuality. So he is not bound by Karma.
28. He is a Gunatita. He is beyond the reach of the three Gunas or qualities,
Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. He has Trikalajnana or the knowledge of the three
periods of time. He has omniscience. He enjoys the sense-objects offered
by others like a child. He beholds this world like one seen in dreams.
Twenty Important Spiritual Instructions
1. Get up at 4 a.m. daily. This is Brahmamuhurta which is extremely favourable
for meditation on God.
2. ASANA:—Sit on Padma, Siddha or Sukha Asana for Japa and meditation for
half an hour, facing East or North. Increase the period gradually to three
hours. Do Sirshasana, Sarvangasana for Brahmacharya and health. Take light
physical exercise as walking, etc., regularly. Do twenty rounds of Pranayama.
3. JAPA:—Repeat any Mantra as pure Om or Om Namo Narayanaya, Om Namah Sivaya,
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Om Saravanabhavaya Namah, Sita Ram, Sri Ram,
Hari Om or Gayatri according to your taste or inclination from 108 to 21,600
times daily. (200 Malas x 108 = 21,600).
4. DIETETIC DISCIPLINE:—Take Sattvic food (Suddha Ahara). Give up chillies,
tamarind, garlic, onion, sour articles, oil, mustard, asafoetida. Observe
moderation in diet (Mitahara). Do not overload the stomach. Give up those
things which the mind likes best for a fortnight in a year. Eat simple
food. Milk and fruits help concentration. Take food as medicine to keep
the life going; eating for enjoyment is sin. Give up salt and sugar for
a month. You must be able to live on rice, dhal and bread without any Chutnie.
Do not ask for extra salt for dhal and sugar for tea, coffee or milk.
5. Have separate meditation-room under lock and key.
6. CHARITY:—Do charity regularly every month or even daily according to
your means or ten paise per rupee.
7. SVADHYAYA:—Study systematically Gita, Ramayana, Bhagavata, Vishnu Sahasranama,
Lalita Sahasranama, Aditya Hridaya, Upanishads or Yoga Vasishtha from half
an hour to one hour daily and have Shuddha Vichara.
8. Preserve the vital force (Veerya) very, very carefully. Veerya is Vibhuti
(God in motion or manifestation). Veerya is all power. Veerya is money.
Veerya is the essence of life, thought and intelligence.
9. Get by heart some prayer Slokas, Stotras and repeat them as soon as
you sit on the Asana before starting Japa or meditation. This will elevate
the mind quickly.
10. Have constant Satsanga (company of the wise). Give up bad company,
smoking, meat and alcoholic liquors entirely. Do not develop any evil habits.
11. Fast on Ekadasi or live on milk and fruits only.
12. Have a Japa Mala (rosary) in your neck or pocket or underneath your
pillow at night.
13. Observe Mouna (vow of silence) for a couple of hours daily.
14. DISCIPLINE OF SPEECH:—Speak truth at any cost. Speak little. Speak
sweetly (Mita Bhashana).
15. Reduce your wants. If you have four shirts, reduce the number to three
or two. Lead a happy, contented life. Avoid unnecessary worry. Have simple
living and high thinking.
16. Never hurt anybody (Ahimsa Paramo Dharmah). Control anger by love,
Kshama (forgiveness) and Daya (compassion).
17. Do not depend upon servants. Self-reliance is the highest of all virtues.
18. Think of the mistakes you have committed during the course of the day
just before retiring to bed (self-analysis). Keep daily diary and self-correction
register as Benjamin Franklin did. Do not brood over the past mistakes.
19. Remember that death is awaiting you at every moment. Never fail to
fulfil your duties. Have pure conduct (Sadachara).
20. Think of God as soon as you wake up and just before you go to sleep.
Surrender yourself completely to God (Saranagati).
This is the essence of all spiritual Sadhanas. This will lead you to Moksha.
All these Niyamas or spiritual canons must be rigidly observed. You must
not give leniency to the mind.
Resolve Form
My Resolves For The Year:.........................................................
1. I will perform Asanas, Pranayama for __________ minutes daily.
2. I will take milk and fruits only in lieu of night meals once a week/fortnight/month.
3. I will observe a fast on Ekadasi days or once a month.
4. I will give up __________ (one of my cherished objects of enjoyment)
once every __________ days/months or for__________ days/months.
5. I will not indulge in any of the following more than once every __________
days/months or for __________ months: a) Smoking, b) Cards, c) Cinema,
d) Novels.
6. I will observe Mouna (complete silence) for __________ minutes/hours
daily and __________ minutes/hours on Sundays/holidays and utilise the
time in concentration, meditation, Japa, introspection.
7. I will observe Brahmacharya (celibacy) for __________ weeks/months at
a time.
8. I will not utter angry, harsh or vulgar words towards any one during
this year.
9. I will speak the truth at all cost during this year.
10. I will not entertain hatred or evil thoughts towards anyone.
11. I will give __________ paise per rupee of my income in charity.
12. I will perform selfless service (Nishkama Karma Yoga) for __________
hours daily/weekly.
13. I will do __________ Malas of Japa daily (Mala of 108 beads).
14. I will write my Ishta Mantra/Guru Mantra in a notebook daily for __________minutes
or __________pages.
15. I will study __________ Slokas of the Gita daily with meaning.
16. I will maintain a Daily Spiritual Diary and send a copy of it every
month to my Guruji for getting further lessons..
17. I will get up at __________a.m. daily and spend __________hours in
Japa, concentration, meditation, prayers, etc.
18. I will conduct Sankirtan with family members and friends daily for
__________ minutes/hours at night.
Signature ....................................
Name and address ....................................
....................................
....................................
Date ..........................
The Spiritual Diary
(WEEKLY)
The Spiritual Diary is a whip for goading the mind towards righteousness
and God. If you regularly maintain this diary you will get solace, peace
of mind and make quick progress in the spiritual path. Maintain a daily
diary and realise the marvellous results.
