two strands

Every being is a mixture of two strands - Maya and Madhava (Illusion and Divinity); Deha and Dehi (body and Indweller), jada and chith (inert matter and consciousness), and Jeeva and Brahma (Individual Soul and Supreme Soul). Both of these are in fact made of the same substance; they are like the two stones in a grinding mill, the Jeeva is the revolving one and the Brahma is the stable one on which the other is based.

The Guru is the Teacher who removes the fundamental ignorance, which hides the knowledge of this truth from us. When you do not find a Guru, Pray sincerely, the God inside you will Himself reveal the road and lead you on.

Self mastery

Self Mastery

I sit down quietly, feeling calm and relaxed, breathing in and out deeply... distancing my mind from all tensions and worries, remaining free and at peace. All those thoughts that come into my mind at the moment and are not important, I simply let them pass by... I am the creator of my own thoughts...

I think about the power of the will. Originally, I was a being free to choose what

 I wanted, to decide when I wanted it, without influences... Now, I return to that original state, to that inner source of deep peace, self-confidence and power... Now there is a natural intuition and knowledge of what is right. I realize this is what makes me free...

I feel relaxed and carefully observe my personality... my character and the life I lead... Am I who I want to be? Does my character correspond to my ideals? Do I lead the life I want to lead?

Am I independent? The power to free myself is to be found in my inner self... the capacity to feel like an autonomous being, with a free mind, as peaceful as I desire, as positive as I want it to be. And my feelings are in harmony, free of restrictions, free of influences...

The power of thoughts is so great, if I think I can do something the power will be there to do it. If I choose to think positively, I can think positively. If I want to relax my body, I can do it. If I want to be emotionally free, and still be in the world without bowing down to others, I can... This mastery over the self will bring me true freedom...

I ask myself over and over again: Am I free? ... Free to create the thoughts, and feelings I want to create, when I want to, as often as I want to, for as long as I want to...

I am the creator of my own world, of everything I think and do...

loyalty

If your loyalty is towards your family, you are a servant of the family. If it is to God, you are a servant of God. But do not pay heed to the wages He gives. Do not argue and bargain for rewards. Only hired labourers clamour for wages and declare they are poor. Be a kinsman, a member of the family, a scion of God. Then, it behoves Him to maintain you in comfort.

Try to live near God as His own kin. Do not calculate the number of hours you have spent in serving Him and lament that He has not compensated you enough. Be ever in joy, in His service, in doing good and being good.

Power of thought

The Power Of Thought

Thought has been proven to be a powerful yet non-physical energy, which can influence other souls and also matter. On a limited scale, there are the experiments with ESP (extrasensory perception) and mental telepathy. On a more sensational level, some use the power of thought to such an extent that steel objects can be bent and heavy objects moved without any physical help. I

n the case of telepathy, communication over thousands of miles is possible in an instant when two souls are tuned to each other's mental wavelength, as if thought-broadcasting and receiving is some sort of subtle (non-physical) radio system. Evil powers also invoke the power of thought, although for impure or egoistic motives and gains. Thought can be regarded as the energy or subtle force which links the soul to physical matter through the soul's connection with the body.

Focus

Aspirants, focus your yearning and efforts on the right goal - to be never born again. You may be born in a good family or in favorable circumstances; but subsequent Karma in this life, may not ensure a good death, one that will let you escape the cycle of birth and death. Every one born must have that end always in view. No tree will yield fruits the moment you plant the seedling in your backyar

d. To reach that stage, you have to foster it with care over a long period of time, is it not?

Similarly whatever result you seek, you have to follow through carefully the preparatory disciplines, without any break. Cultivate good habits of thoughts and actions in order to make the end of your life genuinely auspicious.

Spiritual eyes

Seeing With Spiritual Eyes

My eyes are the most powerful medium through which I, the soul, not only absorb information from the outside to the inside but also express myself to others from the inside to outside. All that the soul possesses inside it or is made up of in the form of thoughts, feelings, attitudes, positive virtues, even weaknesses, in fact all personality traits, are expressed throu

gh my eyes to others and shared with others. As I look towards others, my eyes can be used to shower others with pure love, peace, joy, power etc. and the same eyes, if not used appropriately, can shower others with anger, jealousy, criticism, hatred etc. My eyes also express whatever wisdom or knowledge I possess inside.

When I stay in the awareness that I am a soul, a spiritual being of subtle light, situated at the center of my forehead, my eyes are used to see others in the same way with a spiritual vision. This leads to my spiritual upliftment. When I stay in the awareness that I am a body, my eyes are used to see others in the same way with a non-spiritual or a body-conscious vision. This brings me down on a spiritual level. A spiritual vision helps me see others with a sense of equality, instead of with feelings of comparison or competitiveness. Usually, on a physical level, I create all sorts of impressions of another person from just one glance through my eyes, about their age, gender, looks, position in society, job, how rich they are, their dressing sense, caste, nationality etc. and many a times, very commonly, I make various assumptions about their personality or behaviour. In the state of soul-consciousness, that changes. Looking out I see souls, and I see them as my brothers, on exactly the same level as me, neither higher, nor lower. A spiritual vision reminds me of the original, positive qualities of each soul, instead of their present personality. It also reminds me that each soul has incarnated from the soul world to play its various roles through different physical costumes in this unlimited drama on the world stage. Age, gender, appearances, status etc. which are visible to me today are just temporary ones. The same soul has been in the past and will be in the future in different physical costumes or roles, where all these have been and will be different and the same applies to me too. This makes me rise above comparisons and I am no longer judgmental about the other.

Do not seek

I shall tell you just one thing, which is the essence of all noble scriptures. I want you to resolve to follow this, every single day - “Do not seek to find fault in others. Give up maligning and injuring others in thought, word and deed. Do not scandalize anyone; do not feel envy or malice. Be always sweet in temperament; use soft and sweet words. Fill your conversations with devotion and humility.”

Live in Love, for love, with love. Then the Lord, who is Himself Divine Love personified, will grant you all that you need, without you asking for anything. HE knows. HE is the Mother who does not wait to hear the moan of the child to feed it. HE anticipates every need and rushes to you with help that you must have in every occasion.

Opening Third Eye

Opening The Third Eye

The concept of the third eye has always interested people. What is the third eye? Can it be opened during an operation, or by going on a journey to a religious or sacred destination? In meditation, we understand that the third eye means the ability to understand and to perceive (realize) correctly. Then, on the basis of that perception (realization) or insight (understanding); to act and behave accordingly. In other words, on the basis of spiritual truths, we think, speak and act so that peace and well-being become natural in our life.

Spiritual values, or truths, are necessary for genuine improvement of the human condition and life.

The third eye is the intellect of the soul - when it is open, there is realization of the need to improve, change and/or create something that will help the self and others to make the quality of life better.

Faith

Faith is a slow growing plant. Concentration needs faith. Act according to your profession. Do not play false to yourself and to your ideals. To deny by your acts the truth of what you preach is a sign of cowardice and moral suicide. You say that God knows and sees everywhere, but you also do something wrong with the belief that God is elsewhere at that time.

The most valuable message you must take from scriptures and sages is this: Carry on your legitimate duties, discharge your obligations, live up to your rights, but do not allow attachment to grow. Be like a trustee, so far as family, riches, reputation, knowledge and skills are concerned. Leave them gladly aside, when the call comes.

Like a lighted lamp

Like a lighted lamp, God’s Grace spreads all round, on all who approach Him and love to be near Him. But if you interpose a shade which shuts out the light from you, if Grace does not shine, you have only yourself to blame. Open the doors of your heart and let the sunlight of God’s grace shine through and illumine all the corners and drive out the vices. 

To receive the desired programme on your radio set, you have to switch on and tune the receiver. That is an inescapable effort. Believe, strive and succeed - that is the message of the sacred texts.

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bondages

Parents have conferred this physical instrument called body, with which we can serve God in all living beings, glorify Him in and through Beauty and Truth, and attain the Absolute. This human body is essential to liberate ourselves from the direst of bondages. An iron box is essential to keep safe the precious gems. So too the body is essential to keep safe the gifts of faith, love and discriminat

ion. God is immanent in the Universe. He is in the most distant star as well as the blade of grass under your feet.



You can see Him, provided you curdle this Universe with discrimination, churn it with detachment and collect the nectar with earnestness. In the grain of the sand as well as in the grandest galaxy, God can be found by diligent and sincere spiritual practices. He is the core of every being, as butter is present in every drop of milk.

Its Time

"These Lead to Happiness while their opposite Lead to Sorrow."

"RIGHTEOUS ACT for welfare for Living & Non-living Is Only our RELIGION."

"God and HIS Power ,the two, are, though Inseparably one Like the Opposite Charges of electricity, distinct but co-exist."

"The important things is Inner Awakening rather than Philosophies, Paths, Doctrines or Feelings."

"Here the Question is not of Accumulating ,but of Emptying i.e.SOCIAL CONDUCTIVITY, RELIGIOSITY,SPIRITUALITY."

"THINK GLOBALLY, ACT HOMELY , SOCIALLY RELIGIOUSLY,SPIRITUALLY."{All are ONE & ONE is All. Dvaita (Duality,Diversity) v\s Advaita ( Non-Duality)}."

"Sir John Woodroffe has names two aspects as Static and Dynamic Reals respectively."

"The static Real or 'ADHATMABHAVA never changes and eternally and incessantly radiates Power, Knowledge and Bliss."

"This aspect is represented by the Indian Mythologists as the male aspect of GOD."

"The creative Bhootabhava must necessarily function as Energy in the Dynamic Sense; as the Word Energy gives an impression of an Inanimate Power and the Sanskrit term 'BHOOTABHAVA' or Creative aspect conveys the idea is represented as a Female Divinity."

"God and HIS Power ,the two, are, though inseparably one like the opposite charges of electricity,distinct but co-exist."

"The idea of the Absolute is as old as the Vedas.(See Rigveda,ch.10,verse1,of the Nasadiya Sukta.)

"Neither Asat there was,nor Sat there was then,
Neither was motion,nor the heavens that are beyond.
What covered?-darkness? whose governance?- AMBHAS?(the word Ambhas used here means water((nucleus of Hydrogen).
What existed then? The deep and profound ABSOLUTE."
(Rigveda1-126-1)

"Although the TREASURE of INFINITE Knowledge is within,a human beings has every limited INTELLECT."

"COMPETENCE means the ABILITY of human beings of universe to swim across the RIVER of LIFE and reach to SHORE of LORD'S CONSCIOUSNESS."

"We Must be Proof our selves that "WE" are the "BOON", not the "CURSE" at all for Family, Society & so forth."

"RIGHTEOUS ACT for Welfare for Living & Non-living Is Only our RELIGION."

"COMPETENCE means the ABILITY of human beings of universe to swim across the RIVER of LIFE and reach to SHORE of LORD'S CONSCIOUSNESS."

"The union of world that exists, in the form of of ACCUMULATED IMPRESSIONS (SAMSAKARS , Prarbdha (Destiny, past karma)) in the CHITTA (mind stuff,psyche) and the visible SLIPPERY WORLD (YATHA PINDE TATHA BRHAMANDE), stifles the competency of an individual SOUL."

"The world is compared to a RIVER that has FIVE ORIGINS, FIVE TRIBUTARIES & FIVE WHIRLPOOLS."

"The five origins are the SAMSAKARS of pleasures of Sound, Touch, Appearance, Taste and Smell."

"The five tributaries are the performed through the FIVE SENSES,and the five types of Sensuality are the five Whirlpools."

"The individual beings of the universe CAUGHT in a WHIRLPOOL is an incompetent individual beings.."

"He goes on sinking in the waves of Ego ("I", "ME" & "MINE"), Ostentation (Show off, False Pride), Desires, Anger, Greed, Infactuation and Indulgence."

"If he wants to come to the bank he can not,because by the time he even wishes to do so a new wave sweeps in to its current."

"COMPETENCE means the ABILITY of human beings of universe to swim across the RIVER of LIFE and reach to SHORE of LORD'S CONSCIOUSNESS."

"The Great Values of our Precious Life Unconditional Love, Truth, Peace, Compassion, Gratitute, Prayer, Japa, Tapa, Sadhana, God & so forth, everything happen only in the Heart, Mind & Chitta (mind stuff, psyche), which is absolutely Silent and Receptive."

Body & mind

By moderating and modulating the habits of eating and drinking, one can lay the foundation for a spiritual life. You must prefer sathwik (pure and vegetarian) foods to rajasik foods. By drinking intoxicating stuff, one loses control over one’s emotions, passions, impulses, instincts, speech and movements; and one even descends to the level of a beast.

By eating flesh, one develops violent tendencies and animal diseases. The mind becomes more intractable when one indulges in rajasik food. It is difficult to remould the mind, if such food is consumed with relish. To dwell on God, one should be vigilant about the food and drink consumed by both - the body and the mind. 

Practice detachment

Practice detachment at every step, or else, greed and miserliness will overpower your finer human nature. Try to win God’s grace by reforming your habits, reducing your desires and refining your higher nature. One step makes the next one easier; that is the excellence of the spiritual journey. At each step, your strength and confidence increases and you receive larger and larger installments of grace. I command you on this day of Guru Poornima, to take the path of your chosen spiritual practice sincerely.

Many people ask me, “Swami, give me a name of God, which I can repeat”. Take any name you like, anything that appeals to you; all His names are equally sweet. In spirituality there are no differences of nationality, caste and so on; all belong to the State of God.

Power to tolerate

The Power To Tolerate

Visualize a tree with lots of fruits hanging from its branches. When I throw a stone at it, what does it do? It bends its branches low and offers its sweet fruit to me. I enjoy eating the fruit, which gives me inner satisfaction. What happens as a result? My respect for the tree increases.

This is a beautiful image of the power of tolerance and I have lots to learn from it.

 It shows me that if I want to imbibe the characteristics of the tree, I must become full of the fruits of the spiritual attainments from the Supreme Soul. When I am filled internally with fruits like joy, love, wisdom, beauty and peace through spiritual knowledge and meditation; even when the stones of difficult circumstances come my way I'll still be able to respond positively and creatively, with courage and humility. If I'm empty, the stones will injure me, and I'll react with anger or fear or ego or some other negative emotion.

Also, although many stones have injured me in the past, I must remove any hurt in my heart, which may have developed as a result of injuries experienced from them, when I did not have the Supreme Soul with me. These will prevent me from sharing the unlimited fruit made possible by the company of the Supreme.

Real tolerance means tolerating with pleasure and not with stress. It does not just mean putting up with a difficult situation, and at the same time counting how many times I have had to tolerate it. Tolerance means that no matter what stones come my way, I realize completely that those throwing them are souls not full of attainments, and so my duty is to continue to share my internal attainments with them.

The Power To Tolerate (cont.)

Real tolerance is a state in which, firstly, I have to go inside and check how I can contribute positively to a difficult situation. If the difficult situation requires me to mould my own behavior, I have to be open about that and respond accordingly.

Secondly, real tolerance requires understanding and humility in the self and sympathy towards others: realizing that

 at the deepest level, everyone's original qualities are love, peace and happiness and everyone wishes to experience these qualities and live with them and that when we behave badly towards one another, it's because we are suffering from a loss of these qualities, a loss which is temporary. That doesn't mean I have to invite another person to continue to insult me, or deliberately expose myself to negative situations. But if I happen to be in a situation where there is continuous insult or assault, understanding will contribute to my power to tolerate and accept it or walk away from it in peace.

Thirdly, real tolerance is that state of contentment, which comes only through the relationship with the Supreme, in which there is no impact from the assaults, other than to cause a response inside me of wanting to give, like the fruit tree (explained earlier). Forgiveness is the healing balm for an intolerant nature. When we move very far away from God, our tolerance level reduces. The nature we express becomes that of wanting, taking, needing, rather than our original nature, which is of giving and forgiving.

The Power To Tolerate (cont.)

For most people today, if someone insults them, they'll immediately become angry or upset in return, so the situation not only remains unresolved but in fact becomes more complicated. Those who are virtuous may be able to remain content and smile for a while, responding with patience, but repeated insults and repeated efforts by the other person to bring them down will tire them until the point come where their tolerance levels are crossed and they will react.

If, however, through my power of spirituality and meditation, I am receiving immense amount of strength from the Supreme Being, my heart will remain open and I won't count how many times the other person has harmed or insulted me. This may sound extremely difficult and may look like an impossible thing to do. Meditation, however, makes the impossible possible. Meditation gives me an experience of a very deep, personal relationship with the Supreme and helps me keep the Supreme as my constant companion, which gives me such power. It's immensely useful for anyone then to move towards that goal.

True tolerance is made possible by openness and acceptance. It doesn't mean clenching my teeth and carrying on, come what may. Suppression of my feelings can cause me internal, physical as well as emotional damage, and end in an outburst which can damage others too.

best advantage

The Guru warns and awakens. He reveals the truth and encourages you to progress towards it. Unless you have the yearning, the questioning heart, the seeking intelligence, the Guru cannot do much. The hungry can be fed; the one who has no hunger will discard food as an infliction. The Guru is a gardener, who will tend the plant. But, the sapling must have sprouted before He can take charge. He does

 not add anything new to the plant, He only helps it to grow according to its own destiny, quicker and completely perhaps, but not against its inner nature.

He removes poverty by pointing to the treasure that lies buried within you. He advises the method of recovering it and the vigilance needed to use it to the best advantage.

joy and bliss

Realize that mere cleverness has no place in spiritual affairs. Artifice and artificiality are truly impediments to spiritual progress. It is when cleverness increases and chokes sincerity and straightforwardness in spiritual matters, and in the relationship between God and Man, that the Avatar comes. You may have a costly transistor or watch with you, but if you do not know how to use it efficien

tly they are mere lumber.

Now think what a wonderful machine you yourself are! Should you not know how to operate it and get the best results out of it? Ancient Indian seers discovered the art of operating this human machine, but their descendants have allowed that art to decline. If you have the thirst to know it, you can light the lamp of your life from that of the sages and experience joy and bliss.

Rising Above Expectation

Rising Above The Expectation Of Praise From Others

Sometimes, we get offended or ill almost on purpose in order to receive special treatment. Out of a lack of self-esteem and insecurity, we depend on the appreciation and affection of the other, for them to value us, praise us and always to speak kindly to us. Even though they have given us many signs of appreciation, if for a few days they give u

s none, our inner world or our self-esteem collapses. We become dependent on what others do, or don't do, in relation to us, whether or not they nourish our self-esteem, and then what happens? We are always waiting for the other to give us something when in reality we can give it to ourselves.

Spirituality makes us experience our internal treasures of bliss, happiness, love and power. It makes us aware that we are givers, emitters and radiators of these qualities rather than takers. This consciousness helps us rise up above the above discussed dependencies and remain seated, stable on our throne of self-respect.

A tree is justified

A tree is justified by fragrant flowers bringing forth sweet fruits. If on the other hand, its leaves dry, flowers fade and the fruits refuse to grow, the farmer will examine the roots and discover that they are eaten up by pests. So too, if virtues do not blossom and yield sweet fruits in you, then the roots of Divinity might have been destroyed or harmed. Envy, greed, malice, etc. are the pests 

that rapidly destroy the roots. All of you are near and dear to the Lord; only you must have the staunch determination to realize Him.

Welcome hardships, trials and sufferings. Dwell on the Name of the Lord which is dear to you, steadily and with faith. Discard all inferior sources of joy. Know that the Lord is the spring of joy in every heart. When you repeat the Name of the Lord with a pure heart, He will fill you with bliss and joy.

Krishna has said

Krishna has said in the Geetha that ‘Om’ has to be remembered at the moment of death. But when the mind is flitting from one fancy to another, how can the production of a sound ‘Om, Om..’ by the vocal organs be of any benefit? The mere sound will not help you attain liberation. The senses have to be curbed, thoughts have to be one-pointed and the divine glory has to be apprehended.

If you postpon

e sadhana (spiritual practices) till the last moment, you will be like the student who turns over the pages of his textbook for the first time, just before entering the examination hall! If the student has neglected to learn from the teacher, lecture-notes and books, how can anything enter his head on that morning? It will only add to the student’s despair. That is why the Lord advised that one must start early in this search for truth.

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Playing as an Actor

Playing My Part As A Hero Actor

While just as beings we reside in the soul world, as human beings we play our many roles through many physical bodies in this beautiful world drama on this amazing, colorful and round stage called planet Earth. Each day is filled with multi-million scenes in different locations on this very big stage. Some scenes are directly related to us, some indirectly and a lo

t many aren't related at all. Each scene that we are directly involved is an opportunity to not only play our role in the best possible way but also as a result shape the role in the most appropriate way possible. Therefore, we are all hero actors who by playing our roles as well as possible, create the script of our own life i.e. create our own destiny. And do remember doing this has a positive influence on others' scripts also, which rebounds back to us and in return helps us in our making our scripts better. While we have been given a role to live the entire birth right from childhood to old age, we possess the power, the remote control to dictate and control as to how exactly we will live the day, the year and each year of our present birth, our present role. Each day offers us multiple options as to not only how we act but also how we respond to the world around us and our script or destiny gets shaped up according to the options we make. Our destiny is decided not by what happens to us or around us, but by (i) how we act (sometimes the actions are responses to external events and sometimes they are not) and (ii) how we respond to a million events and circumstances which we encounter as we make this complete journey of life.

Some of us do not like this idea of being the creators of our own scripts, our destinies because we have been taught since we were small that life is all about luck, but this incorrect belief does not let us realize the immense internal power or potential that we possess of shaping up our destiny, our future. By resigning ourselves to a life of luck, we do not use our potential and conveniently avoid doing the inner work of becoming awake and aware of who we are as spiritual beings and the masters of our own destiny. This is why waking up from the sleep of this wrong belief is the first step towards empowering ourselves, towards taking responsibility for our life, for our present, our future.

manifest

It is want of faith that causes one to lose temper and fly into fits of anger; it is lack of faith in oneself and in others. If you really see yourself as the undefeatable Self (Atma) and others as reflections of yourself, as scriptures declare them to be, there can be no provocation to get angry. What you must resolve today, is to manifest your inherent Divinity more and more.

Whatever else you may or may not do, do at least this: know the Lord that resides in you. Recognise Him, let Him manifest Himself in and through you. Fundamentally the fault lies in not understanding that this body and all things connected with it are impermanent.

joy and peace.

The second is the very basic unit of Time which we measure, in what we designate as a year. Sixty seconds, make a minute, sixty minutes make an hour, twenty four hours constitute a day and thirty days make a month; twelve months pass and we say a year has passed! When twelve months are over, we come back again to the first in the list of months, and call it the New Year Day. We go on a spree to ce

lebrate the occasion.

Really speaking, nothing new has happened on the “New Year Day” - it is not the year, but every second that follows the present that is new. Hence, do not wait for the celebration of something new in Time, until minutes, hours, days, months and years add up! Celebrate the immediately succeeding second, and every one after it, through honest effort and attain everlasting joy. Do not waver in your determination to live in joy and peace.

In the Geetha

In the Geetha, Krishna said to Arjuna, "You are able to use the weapons of offence and defence in the battle and win because you were taught the art of handling them over many years from childhood, is it not? Could you have used them with confidence, without preparation, on the spur of the moment? Similarly, whatever else one may not meet during life, one is certain to meet with death. So all must

be trained to have at that time, the attitude and thought that are most beneficial to them.

Will it not be wise, therefore, to strive for the end, in your own best interest? Hence, take earnest steps to secure the thought of God, from early on. Whoever in the last moment of life, thinks of Me, attains Me.” Through the discipline of constant practice, avoid other thoughts and concentrate on the Lord alone. This is a certain way to reach God.

Relieving from Stress

Relieving The Stress Of Subtle Inner Burdens

All of the matters, messages, ideas and feelings that you want to communicate and/or clear up with someone but you still haven't done, mean an inner burden that you sustain. To communicate the essential, and what has meaning to people that you love and are important for you, is an act of love and care. To leave pending conversations and to postpone the

m means to accumulate things to say, matters to clear up and ideas to dialogue with, inside you. It means a burden that prevents you from living the present with full freedom. You have something pending.

There are people who, only on the verge of death, quickly say what they feel, to clarify matters and to communicate feelings. It seems that feeling death to be near gives them the courage to dare to open themselves and communicate that which they have wanted to say for so long but have put off.

Sometimes we feel the burden of not having expressed our feelings to a closed loved one, before he/she has died, about how grateful we are to them or/and how sorry we are for some incorrect action committed towards them. We put off the expression of the feelings until it is too late and the loved one dies. Even after a long time after that, we continue to feel the burden of the postponement within.

What might have been, and was not, can no longer be fixed. We simply have to accept how the past happened and not live with regrets that increase our inner heaviness. We have to learn from it, not put off conversations, but clear up matters as they arise and not be afraid to do so.

Attend discourses

It is good to attend discourses on the Geetha by learned scholars. However this is of no use if you lean on a pillar in the lecture hall and doze off. That is to say, it is not the sound, but the meaning that matters. It is not the ear, but the heart that must drink the nectar of Geetha and imbibe its essence. Seek and enjoy noble company (Sathsangam); but along with that, there also needs to be s

elf-examination.

Examine yourself to see how much you have succeeded in escaping from the senses, and getting close to God. The mind is like a wild elephant which can be tamed by the repetition of the Lord’s name. Do not feed it with conceit, envy, hatred and greed. Let the name of the Lord echo ever in the ear.

Absorbing Spiritual Light

Absorbing Spiritual Light

Just as darkness is the absence of light, negativity which manifests as vices and weaknesses inside us is merely the absence of spiritual light. Through the influence of negativity, the sense organs waste away the light. The question of vice, or sin, has been of a lot of importance in religion. No matter how much political or religious control has been imposed, nothing has been able to block the internal wasting away of the light of the soul. Light has a source but darkness does not. Darkness is not created by any source but is rather the absence of a source. In the same way, the negative forces do not emerge from the real nature of the self, but are simply symptoms of a lack of spiritual power or light. As spiritual power declines, symptoms of negativity such as anger, greed, ego, attachment, hatred, jealousy and related vices appear. On the other hand, as the soul's power and spiritual light increases through a union (meditation) with the Supreme, the vices automatically disappear. In fact problems are not fundamentally caused by a particular vice, it is a question of the extent of one's power. If I am weak, the sanskars mostly related to vices dominate my experience. If I am strong they do not have a chance to affect me.

The negative forces have often been personified as Ravana, Maya or Satan but in fact there is no such entity. Maya describes a level of consciousness. There is no outside being whom we can blame. The vices are symptoms of individual ignorance and loss of power, which appeared only when our original creative powers subsided as we came into the process of birth and rebirth. When the soul's power fell below the level necessary to control matter and the senses; then the vices emerged inside the soul. The soul was more and more propelled by them through many births, until today when they appear to be a basic part of our real nature.

we should not keep the vices bottled up inside us like prisoners. Prisoners are always plotting to escape. If we change them into our friends they can help us. For example, the energy required to be stubborn is almost the same as that required to be determined except that one is positive and the other negative. The soul learns

 to transfer such energy. Anger becomes tolerance. Greed can be transformed into contentment. Arrogance, or the respect for false identity, can become self-respect. Attachment can be changed into pure love.

The more I inculcate the Supreme Soul or God's virtues, the closer I feel to Him, but if I allow inner disturbances due to any vice, my high stage is grounded. All the power stored up until that moment will leak away. I must recognize that I really do not like being body-conscious. As I wish for higher experiences I choose to live the life of a meditator with purity in thought, word and action. Obstructions come within and without, but through my connection with God I am drawing so much power so as to remain unaffected. This needs soul-consciousness. So in discarding the rubbish of the vices I have gathered over many births, I become my original form and maintain it through my closeness or companionship with God.

How many times do we hear phrases like - Oh, he is always in a bad mood... or It is my nature to be irritable... or He will never change..., etc. This shows the extent to which the soul's own light has faded and been replaced by the dark curtain of negativity. Therefore it is better that we do not try to deal with each vice and defect individually. As the soul fills itself with the power of spirituality, its overall condition automatically improves.Another significant point is that there is a deep-rooted awareness within the soul of God and His sanskars, however much it may be covered by dirt and weakness. This is because each soul is the child of God and being his children we inherit his sanskars. These sanskars are present in us when we start playing our part in the physical world, but gradually they fade away as we take more and more births. As these sanskars are brought to the surface of the consciousness, automatically our thoughts and behavior patterns change.In modern psychology it is stated that we must express all our negative emotions and note suppress them. But the fact is that letting it out leads the soul further into slavery to that emotion. Remembering that thoughts, decisions and actions are formed on the basis of sanskars, which are deepened by repetition, the soul can only cause harm by expressing any defect or vice. On the other hand, the psychological effect of suppressing negative emotions can be quite drastic. Suppression can lead to severe personality problems, even madness or insanity. The right path is that we emerge our positive sanskars with the help of meditation and other self-development techniques and the negative ones automatically vanish away.

Casting off the body

Casting off the body is akin to shifting from one house occupied for some years to another. The act of shifting a home is physical, it does not affect you. So too births and deaths do not affect the eternal Paramatma (supreme soul) present within you. To escape this cycle of being born again and again, ‘Pranava’ (chanting of Aum) is a potent instrument. All the long years of life should be utilise

d for this final moment of consummation. Your mind should be fixed on Pranava when the body is being cast off. You belch the flavour of the food you have partaken; your last thought indicates the food you have fed on.

Your Sadgathi(progress) is in accordance with your Sadhana (practice). Hence be aware of the need to fix your mind on holy thoughts when the body is got rid of. And this is possible when you immerse yourself in holy thought every moment, and practice it incessantly.

Neutralizing Anger

Neutralizing Anger

What is a good neutralizer for anger? Peace you would say. It's not only peace, but a combination of truth, peace and love, in equal amounts. Truth and peace are the two inner states, which never ever leave us. Both remain permanently within each one of us. We already know, inside our subconscious and sometimes even consciously, the truth about anger and we can call our inner p

eace whenever we want - it's there to be used. But what happens in real life situations is that we lose awareness of what is true i.e. the truth that anger is harmful and the truth of 'who I am'. And we also forget the practice of peacefulness because some negative situation or experience temporarily blocks our access to the peace of our heart.

Peace is also deeply connected with love and we all have experienced many a times that it is impossible to feel loving and angry at the same time. Both cannot co-exist. In fact it is love that is the healing balm for our heart, that we our self have stabbed and wounded by indulging in many anger habits since we were young. But what happens is that we search for love and peace from the hearts of others. That means we have not yet realized that we already have what we search for, within our own hearts. To heal the wounds of anger, which can be in different forms like irritation, resentment, hatred, revenge, rage, etc., it is essential to rediscover the truth of who we are and the peace and love of what we are

Being blessed

Being blessed with the human form, you must strive to grow beyond the physical, mental and emotional bounds. With the help of the discriminating intellect, you must bring it to perfection, just like what a sculptor does to a crude stone. Be aware of your kinship with God; of the Divinity latent in you; of the immense potentiality within you. This can be attained by the exercise of discrimination a

nd dispassion (Viveka and Vairaagya).

No living form other than the human being is capable of this exercise. When you earnestly aspire, the Lord Himself will guide you from within through illumination, or through someone He will send. Do not despair in this journey; march bravely. Fill every moment with thoughts of God, in some form or other.

Meditation

Meditation On Experiencing Deep Peace

Consider your mind as a stage, and each thought, feeling, emotion as a scene in the film of your life... Relax... Don't try to control anything... Observe how your thoughts pass through your mind... Don't identify with any of them... Only observe... Look where they take you... Observe what happens inside you... Do not judge... The thoughts flow through your m

ind as if they were clouds that are crossing the sky until everything is clear and open... The mind is becoming calm, making itself peaceful... like the surface of the sea when it is serene...

Now, be conscious of the sounds that are produced around you... Stay here and now as an observer who sees and feels everything from a point of light, a point of calm and peace, behind these eyes... Feel the calm... the tranquility... that comes from within you... Look around you... Observe without interpreting or judging... Feel the silence that is created through the power of concentration. Consciously, create a positive, peaceful, elevated thought that you repeat slowly in your mind, leaving a space of silence between one thought and another, while you keep the focus on that point...

I am a being of peace... I am at peace... I feel the peace... I am light... I am a being of light... My nature is of light... peace and silence... I am feeling the silence between one thought and the next... I listen to the peace... a silent peace... calmed... full... This peace and silence attracts the ocean of peace... I feel the attraction towards my home of silence and peace... a world full of soft golden light, beyond the sun, moon and stars... In this peace and silence, I strengthen myself... my mind rests in that calm and quietness...

I experience a light, the Supreme Light, the Supreme Soul who fills me... he recharges me... renews me... heals me... frees me... I am free... completely free... now I am at peace... I leave my mind in silence, as if I were floating on a sea of peace for a few minutes...

Source from : http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3823456597790&set=t.100002786159090&type=3&theater

Listening the Voice

Listening To The Voice Of The Intellect

The subtle or non-physical sense organ of the non-physical soul which we use to judge something as right or wrong, good or bad and then make a choice or decision is the intellect. When we are body-conscious, we are attached to many things such as people, our role, objects, money, even our own ideas and beliefs, etc. Due to these attachments, we are constant

ly creating emotions of fear and anger in the energy of our consciousness. It is these two emotions which then overpower or influence our intellect and stop us from judging clearly and correctly between right and wrong. This constant inner emotional noise of worry and irritation (the seeds of fear and anger) do not allow us to hear the deepest part of our intellect, which is our intuition.

When we are soul-conscious, we are free from attachment and therefore fear and anger. Our consciousness is calm, focused and keenly aware of the quiet, but extremely wise voice of our intuition (inner wisdom). Decision-making is easier and choices are made out of wisdom rather than fear. Meditation is the method which helps us rise above our mental attachments and allow us to connect with the wisdom in our heart, our intuition, our inner voice, which suggests what the right response or action in any situation, is. A practical example of this is when, after being persuaded by your family members you decide not to smoke any more. You let go of the attachment to 'my' belief that there is nothing wrong with smoking, which then allows you to listen to the heart of the other (their feelings) and your own heart or intellect, which suggests to you the right action for your well-being in the long run.

The desire

The desires that cling to the mind are the blemishes that tarnish one’s inner consciousness. Control the senses; do not yield to their insistent demands for satisfaction. When a corpse is placed on a pyre, and the fire is lit, both the corpse and the pyre are reduced to ashes. So too when the senses are negated, the mind too disappears. When the mind disappears, delusion dies and liberation is achieved. Faith in God is the best reinforcement for spiritual victory.

When you revel in the contemplation of the splendour of the Lord, nothing material can attract you; all else will seem inferior and the company of the Godly and the humble alone will be relished. The Spirit can only be awakened and realized through individual discipline, and the Grace of God. These two can be won through love, purity and service to others.

In spiritual matters

In spiritual matters, faith is the very essence. Have faith in the wisdom of the ancients - do not pitch your tiny and little brain against the institutions of saints and their discoveries. For example, people question the ritual of offering food in the fire, on the death anniversary of one’s parents. They scorn and mock, "How can the food placed here reach wherever they are?", "Why are the dead g

iven food, when the living starve?" they argue. You post a letter in the box, it goes straight to the addressee, is it not? If the address is written correctly and clearly, and if the necessary postage is paid in valid stamps, the letter is carried in bus, air, train or by people right upto the doorstep of the person and delivered.

The ritual fire is the authorized post box, fire is the postal authority, manthras are the stamps. There is a science of the spirit, as there is a science of matter; it has its own modus operandi; its own experts and authoritative thesis. Only by sadhana can the secrets of either matter or mind be known, grasped and used for one's benefit.

Soul World

Understanding What Is The Soul World (Incorporeal World) - cont.

The souls stay in the soul world in well-defined groups. They descend onto this earth in a certain chronological order, according to the quality of sanskaras. At the apex of this configuration of souls is the Supreme Soul, whom the other souls call God, Allah, Jehovah, etc. Beneath him the souls are positioned number wise according 

to their degree of similarity to the Supreme. Depending on the quality and the part the soul has to play, it emerges in the human world, taking the body of a developing baby in a mother's womb. It then continues through the cycle of birth and rebirth according to the role that it has. When the parts are over, souls again return to this world of light, peace, liberation and complete purity.

The deep rest the soul has had in the home has such an effect on it that even though it forgets the details about that world, there is always a desire to search for that peace and silence when it becomes lost and confused in the world of matter. In that supreme region only, souls remain in their completely original, natural state, which can be experienced through Rajyoga meditation.

Joy & Peace

To get joy and peace, you must develop a pure mind, unsullied by egoism and its children - lust, greed, envy, anger, hatred and the rest. This will be easy when you seek satsanga (good company) and perform good deeds, entertain noble thoughts and read inspiring books. More important than all of these is to put into practise, at least one good thought.

If you don’t practice, the blemishes in the mirror of your heart will not be wiped off and the Lord cannot be reflected therein. Constant practice with full faith will transmute nara (human) to Narayana (Divinity), for you are in essence Divine.