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Higher Reality
Spiritual Message for the Day – Higher Reality by Sri Swami Krishnananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 23 September 2015 16.04 EST | New York Edition** |
Higher Reality
Divine Life Society Publication: Your Questions Answered by Sri Swami Krishnananda
Q: The mundane things also go in the Higher Self?
SWAMIJI: By accepting that the Higher Self includes all these mundane things, so that you need not have to ask for mundane things separately, it includes whatever you want, even your train fare is included in that, so, why are you worrying about these little things, when it is already there? The idea of avoiding something is painful, but I am not telling you to avoid anything. Just realise that what is here, is also there, in a better way.
So, why should you go here, when it is already there? And it is in a larger dimension that you will get it there; it is only a fraction you will get here. That is the original; this is a reflection. So, why do you want a reflection, when the original is ready there?
Q: So, that is why I always want to go in the Higher Self.
SWAMIJI: If you want it, it will come. There is no qualification necessary, except wanting it. That is the only qualification. If it is not wanted, it will not come. It comes when it is wanted – but wanted wholly, not a little.
Q: I want all my thoughts always to be in the Infinite, in tune with the Almighty.
SWAMIJI: When you can find everything there, why should you have problems? The problem is that you cannot believe that everything can be found there. “The heart has a reason which reason does not know,” is an old saying. So, whatever you may say, the heart will say, “Do not be too optimistic. After all, you are going to some unknown place. Be cautious.” So, there is a hesitancy in going there.
So, what to do? Whose voice are you going to listen to?
And the world will tell you, “I have taken care of you for so many years, and now what is your idea of kicking me out, and going like that? Are you ungrateful? What kind of person are you.”
A hundred questions will come from inside. One by one, they will come. Finally, one questions comes: “It is a hopeless thing, a hopeless affair; nothing has come, and nothing may come, also.” This trouble also may arise from inside.
It has to be clear what questions will arise. All of humanity has only two or three questions, but it appears to be manifold because of this prism of the ego which converts the issues into a manifold form, and then tantalises, and troubles you.
Place one image, and then keep two glasses on both sides. Then you will see millions of images reflected on both sides. Only one is there, but it looks like millions; likewise, only one desire is there, finally. But it looks like a hundredfold, because it passes through the ego, which is the peculiar medium that deflects a centrality of aspiration, and makes it appear as manifold.
Q: You have said that nothing exists outside; everything is in you. How can we convince ourselves that nothing exists?
SWAMIJI: Who are the “ourselves”? Where are they? You have again defeated your own self by saying, “Nothing exists outside, but I am existing.” You have already asserted that you are existing outside, and then you say, at the same time, that nothing exists outside. Thus, your statement is self-contradictory. If nothing is outside, you also do not exist; then, why are you wanting to convince yourself? That means that you are still existing as an outside object.
You are, somehow, by the back door, coming to the same point. By the front side, you say it is not there; by the back side, I am here. So, what is the purpose? It is back-door entry. You close the door from the front, and behind you open it. This is what you are doing.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are the two friends you have. Sometimes this man speaks, and sometimes that man speaks. You don’t know what to make out.
Q: Yes, that is correct. That is the problem of life.
SWAMIJI: Two voices will be telling you two different things. Sometimes this looks all right, and sometimes that looks all right, according to your mood and requirement and the voice heard from within.
Q: But what is the solution? That is the problem.
SWAMIJI: Already you have given the solution. That which you want is everywhere; therefore, you are also there. Hence, you should not raise a question. If you raise a question, you are asserting your externality still, and then your assertion that externality does not exist gets defeated. The question defeats itself.
Q: Swamiji, what are those two basic questions?
SWAMIJI: The basic desire is to exist, but that existence is conditioned by various other associations. Survival is the basic desire. If survival itself is threatened, then other desires go, automatically. When a person is in water, and goes inside, will he ask for some profession, and a higher salary? Will he want a bungalow? Will he talk all that? He is inside the water. Then what happened to that desire for a bungalow, and salary, and all that? Why has it gone away at that time, when it was there previously?
That means the other desires are redundant, and auxiliary to the basic question of survival. You want to exist, and this basic instinct of existence, survival, has certain tentacles, ramifications, expressions: to possess things as much as possible. You need possessions, what you call wealth, generally. By the desire for wealth, you try to convince yourself that you are secure in this world.
People feel secure when their possessions are large. There is always a hunger for larger and larger possessions because of the feeling attached to it that it will be a great security for the person. If the possessions are not there, security goes. But, simultaneously, there is another feeling that this body will not survive eternally.
There are two desires simultaneously working: a desire not to die, and a feeling that death will take place certainly. Thus, there is a contradictory clash of feelings about one point.
Because of the feeling that death will not occur, we go on purchasing land, and putting investments in the bank, and then building bungalows, and having estates, and conquering kingdoms. Why do you do that, if the certainty is that tomorrow is the last day? The foolish feeling is there that tomorrow will not be the last day – “I’ll survive.” Who told you that you will survive? This is a jugglery of the mind.
If this foolish conviction was not there, nobody would do anything in this world. People are very busy doing all kinds of things, because they never think that tomorrow is the last day – it may be after fifty years. Simultaneously, there is a fear that death may come.
There is also a necessity felt by the ego to perpetuate itself. Self-preservation and self-reproduction – these are the two basic instincts. We want to preserve ourselves, somehow, by the accumulation of wealth, riches, and all that, as I mentioned to you. But the other feeling that one day death will come creates a fear in the ego, and so the ego wants to see that it continues; and it wants to continue in a very foolish way, through progeny.
That is why there is so much pressure of this particular urge. The desire to continue for all time is actually the pressure of eternity in you. The eternal masquerades in a wrong way in the form of a desire for progeny. And there is also a desire to see that you are secure; for that, another foolish desire is added to it by accumulating wealth, property, this, that, etc. So, two foolishnesses are there which catch hold of a person perennially.
The world is living an idiotic life, under the impression that everything is fine. This is why I do not want to talk about these matters. It has got further implications, so I told you briefly something in answer to your question. It is a very deep subject.
Visitor: Thank you very much.
Excerpts from: Higher Reality - Your Questions Answered by Sri Swami Krishnananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
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The Meaning of Life
Spiritual Message for the Day – The Meaning of Life by Sri Swami Venkatesananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 22 September 2015 14.39 EST | New York Edition** |
The Meaning of Life
Divine Life Society Publication: Yoga by Sri Swami Venkatesananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
What is the meaning of life? Why are we born as human beings? Do we merely exist until we die? What is my relation with you? Why do I suffer and why am I happy sometimes? What is the meaning of the terms ‘pleasure’ and ‘pain’?
These and similar questions occur to many of us at some time or other in our life, but the tragedy is that they do not arise in the mind of many people until they are rudely shaken by some shock, loss or calamity. They were sleeping and hence they were unaware of the meaning of life and the facts of existence. There are some who do not even wake up after many unhappy experiences in life!
The ‘normal’ man in the modern world is far too busy with the struggle for existence to find time for such thoughts about life. He is content merely to exist, he hardly lives. There comes a stage in ignorance, when it is mistaken for knowledge or wisdom; like a long-caged bird that has forgotton its very birthright to soar into the sky, and which fights to remain in its cage, man hugs ignorance and limitation. Even misery fails to awaken him: he changes his tactics, blames his neighbours and endeavours to find happiness by other methods.
In this process of awakening, there are two ways open to us. If we heed the precepts of the master Swami Sivananda, we can be spiritually healed and awakened which is the easy way. But if we ignore his message, god has to resort to other methods to bring home to us the truth that we live in a world of pain and death and that we cannot find real happiness here. Sooner or later, the easy or difficult way, we have to ask ourselves the great question: ‘What is the meaning of life’? Hence our master used to sing:
Is there not a nobler mission than eating, drinking and sleeping?
It is difficult to get a human birth, therefore try your best to realise (god) in this birth.
It is good to keep these flaming words of wisdom ever before us so that our life may be illumined by the light of our master’s life and teachings. Life has a great mission: it is to find god who is supreme bliss. Life minus limitation or conditioning is bliss: this is the meaning of life. Its discovery is yoga..
Om Tat Sat Brahmaparnamastu
Excerpts from: The Meaning of Life - Yoga by Sri Swami Venkatesananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at: generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
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Sri Radha–The Divine Mystery
Spiritual Message for the Day – Sri Radha–The Divine Mystery by Sri Swami Krishnananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 21 September 2015 15.20 EST | New York Edition** |
Sri Radha – The Divine Mystery
Divine Life Society Publication: Spiritual Import of Religious Festivals by Sri Swami Krishnananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
Sri Radhashtami (September 21,2015) is a joyous occasion observed throughout the country, especially in the North, bringing to one’s hallowed memory the advent of Radha, a name familiar to every religious historian and devotee. But, there is nothing in religious history which is so little understood as the particular spiritual significance which is the theme of the observance of this sacred day, the eighth day in this bright half of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September), the birthday of Radha.
The word ‘Radhakrishna’ is a reputed compound name, and devotees generally run into mystical contemplation and even fly into ecstasies in their moods in an attempt to understand the relationship between Sri Krishna and Radha. But, as is the case with almost everything in the world, this relationship which is deeply spiritual and mystical, is hard for the human mind to understand, because God, and everything that is connected with God, cannot become an object of human understanding. The human mind is not expected to understand God. As a straw would try to carry fire on its body, the intellect of man tries to apprehend the divine mysteries in creation.
Devotees of Sri Krishna relate a lot about Radha, the Divine Mystery. Even today, it is a Divine Mystery, because God’s relation to the world, His relation to devotees, His relation to human beings, His relation to anything, is a Divine Mystery in itself.
But the specific significance that is attached to the relationship between Sri Krishna and Radha is the supernal love that operates in this mysterious relation between God and the world. The world is ruled by love, which is the quintessence of God. The basic stuff of God’s Being may be said to be Love, Joy, Delight, Bliss, Ananda. But man, being what he is, can interpret this joy or delight, this satisfaction or love, this affection or pull, only in terms of his experiences. There are only men and women in this human world, and we do not see a third thing. Therefore, when men and women contemplate the mystery of God, they cannot think in any other way, except in terms of men and women. Read any Purana or any Epic, still you will never be able to understand the relation between Krishna and Radha.
The vehicle that can contain the divine mystery has to have the capacity to bear the fire which is God’s Glory. Many times it is said that the embrace of God is an embrace of fire, and no man has lived as man after having seen and embraced God. The Radhakrishna mystery is a secret, even as God Himself is a secret. What can be a greater secret than God’s Existence! You cannot know where God is, or what God is doing, or why God has created the world. You cannot say what His relation is to us, or, our relation is to Him. You cannot say anything about Him, and the less said the better. Thus it is that when we read the Srimad Bhagavata Purana, the Brahma-vaivarta Purana and certain other texts where such extreme forms of divine relation are expounded, we retrace our steps and turn back dumbfounded: “Yato vacho nivartante aprapya manasa saha”–Speech and mind turn back from that which they are not supposed to express or understand or think. The reason behind this difficulty is that we are, as human beings, not prepared to shed the human way of thinking. We have a reservation always, secretly maintained in our own minds, a secret which we wish to hide even from God’s eyes. There is a fear in the human individual, a fear, on the one hand, of losing the meaning that one attaches to the laws operating in human society and, on the other hand, the fear of losing oneself in what devotees call Love of God.
The term ‘Love of God’ may mean either love that a devotee evinces in regard to God, or the love that God has for a devotee. There is no half-hearted and mediocre attitude in respect of God. Either it is a whole-souled dedication or it is a nothing. There is no partiteness or reserved attitude towards God. It is a completion and a fulfilment which requires on our side also a fulfilled and a complete approach. Apart from the idea of male and female, there are other shackles by which we are bound to this earth, all of which are, as it were, steel chains with which we are bound to our own personalities and prejudices, which have to melt into a liquefied form before God, the all-encompassing, super-legalistic Existence, super-relational Being. The very thought of it will melt the human individual. This melting of the human individuality is called Love of God.
Even in ordinary intense forms of worldly love, our individuality tends towards a melting, though it does not actually melt. We rarely experience intense love in our lives. Often we are parading empty shells with no substance in ourselves. This is human life today. But this will not work before the realities of life. We can never entertain true affection and true love in regard to anything in this world, because we are mostly hypocrites. We are never true to ourselves and, therefore, we can never be true to others. Unless we shed this completely and stand before the glory and fire of God as pure Spirit and not as men and women, we cannot understand, appreciate and feel what divine love is. This is why we cannot understand the relationship between Radha and Krishna. The attempt on the part of the soul to understand this mystery, is an attempt to dissolve one’s personality, and no one is ever prepared for it. Such a sacrifice we cannot do. We have always a reservation, as I mentioned to you, and we approach God with a tremendous fear and a hidden purpose behind our own personal existence. We are not supposed to understand this mystery of Radha-Krishna. Man today is unfit for this sacrifice.
The other aspect of this mystery is what is called the Rasalila, very magnificently, gloriously and touchingly described in the Rasa-Panchadhyayi of the Srimad Bhagavata, odious to impure minds but glorious to pure minds. Man himself is an odious existence. Nothing can be worse than his own individuality. He carries this impurity before God and refuses to understand superhuman operations in this divine world, the Kingdom of God which is this very earth. I do not know whether you are able to make any sense out of what I am saying, because it is difficult to express in language what is not supposed to be expressed. My humble obeisance to the Almighty Lord whose mystery is this creation. Our blessedness and well-being consist in realising that we cannot understand Him and in expecting His divine grace for our uplift.
Om Tat Sat Brahmaparnamastu
Excerpts from: Sri Radha-The Divine Mystery - Spiritual Import of Religious Festivals by Sri Swami Krishnananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at: generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
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If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
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The Esoteric Meaning of the Ten Avataras
Spiritual Message for the Day – The Esoteric Meaning of the Ten Avataras by Sri Swami Chidananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 20 September 2015 16.15 EST | New York Edition** |
The Esoteric Meaning of the Ten Avataras
Divine Life Society Publication: The Esoteric Meaning of the Ten Avataras by Sri Swami Chidananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
The prayer “Asato Maa Sat-Gamaya, Tamaso Maa Jyotir-Gamaya, Mrityor Maa Amritam-Gamaya” epitomises the purpose of the Lord’s Creation, the grand culmination of going back into that Transcendence out of which these countless names and forms have been evolved as a blissful act of play by the One without a second. The plan of the Divine Will is that out of the One infinite, names and forms may flow out and for a time there may be a blissful play of this divine multiplicity and then once again, when the Divine Wills, there may be a going back into the pristine glorious source.
Multiplicity is the antithesis of eternal Truth which is ever One. It is unreal. It is in the nature of darkness. This cycle of becoming and perishing, birth and death, is the characteristic of this world-play. Thus, a going back into the original grandeur of Brahman means an ascent from this unreality into that Supreme Reality, from this darkness of ignorance to the Light of Knowledge, from this cycle of birth and death into that state where there is Immortality. This process is being worked out by all evolved beings.
The ten Avataras of the Lord, which are described in the scriptures, are an order calculated to teach us a sublime spiritual lesson.
As you know the first of the ten Avataras is Matsya (Fish) Avatara. The fish lives in water, shut out from the two elements that we consider as most important for the preservation of life—pure air and sunlight. And yet if you liberate the fish from its aquatic prison and place it in life-giving sunshine surrounded by fresh air, it is greatly distressed and would die in a few minutes. Similarly, the man who is sunk in worldliness, who is worse than a beast, cannot bear the sunlight of godliness and fresh, pure air of divine life. He revels in his own dark region deprived of all spiritual light.
The next Avatara is the Kurma (Tortoise) Avatara. The tortoise lives in water; but is able, to an extent, to live on the shore, too. This corresponds to the first-stages of man’s career from bestiality to humanity and from humanity to divinity. He likes to live sunk in ignorance, but does not seriously mind the light of truth.
Then comes the Varaha (Boar) Avatara. Here the evolution has taken the Jiva completely away from this worse-than-beast stage, away from the aquatic prison, and the boar, though considered as the lowest among the animals, is yet an animal and lives on mother earth, basking in sunshine and breathing fresh air.
The Nrisimha (the Man-lion) Avatara represents the crown of animal-creation; the lion is the king among animals. And, the composite personality of Nrisimha (the man-lion) is suggestive of the beast in man. What is the great characteristic of this Avatara? It was taken with the only purpose of killing; it was a great violent Avatara. Here we have the man who is trying to transcend the bestiality; but who is yet so gross in his nature that violence and the spirit of destruction characterise him.
Then comes the Vamana (the Dwarf) Avatara. The animal nature is completely gone now. The person is completely human. But he is greatly limited. He is a dwarf. His capacities are greatly limited. He got himself lodged in such narrow limits that he goes to a king and begs of him three foot-measures of land. Vamana’s assumption of the universal form suggests to us that the same man is capable of transcending all limitations and realising his unity with Brahman.
Next we have the Parasurama Avatara where we have the Man. Now bestiality is completely shed; and humanity has supervened. We get three object-lessons from Parasurama’s life.
You know how, in obedience to his father’s command, he cut off his mother’s head. His brothers had refused to do this. But, Parasurama had perfect faith in his father. This faith gave birth to implicit obedience and perfect subservience to the higher will. In the spiritual path, the Guru is our father. We should learn to subserve our will to his will. We should have implicit obedience as our great motto. This can come only out of perfect faith, faith in the divinity of our Guru. Parasurama had it. And, therefore, pleased with his obedience, when his father asks him to choose a boon, Parasurama without hesitation says: “Let my mother live.” She gets back her life.
Then Parasurama killed many great kings, who were proud, haughty and were inimical to Brahmins. In this description we have the perfect picture of a mixture of Rajas and Tamas. This is the very antithesis of Sattva, represented by the Brahmins. In our Yoga Sadhana we should never forget that a certain amount of destruction is absolutely necessary. Unless we destroy the weeds, the beautiful crops will not grow. Unless we annihilate our bestial nature and sublimate the human nature, we cannot rise into our divine nature. Are kings bad then? Is Rajas bad then? No. Just as righteous kings are as essential to the world as pious Brahmins, Rajas properly directed and canalized is as important to Sadhana as Sattva. Unrighteous kings can cause havoc. Rajas mixed with Tamas not only veils the Atman but makes man stray into the lethal chamber of lust, anger and greed. This must be completely rooted out, if we are to progress towards establishment in Sattva.
The third great lesson we learn from Parasurama’s life is this: The Kamadhenu (the milch cow) which was in the possession of his father Jamadagni Rishi is stolen by a king. In order to avenge this, Parasurama kills the kings. He thinks his father would be pleased with his conduct, but he finds a different attitude in his father. He severely reprimands him: “You have forgotten your own Dharma. You are a Brahmin, and the foremost duties of a Brahmin are forbearance and forgiveness. We should never retaliate. Bear patiently with everything. Since you have swerved from your duty, as expiation, you should undertake a countrywide pilgrimage.” Parasurama has to go round Bharatavarsha on such a pilgrimage. From this we learn that we should first completely annihilate our bestial nature and then, when we have become human beings truly, we should learn to subserve ourselves to our Guru, and then we should destroy all the evil propensities in us that stand in the way, as would be seen from the Rama Avatara.
In the Rama Avatara, Sri Rama killed many Asuras under the instructions of his Guru Vismamitra, and by his Grace Sri Rama followed Sattvic virtues like truthfulness, love, compassion and purity. Similarly, we should serve our Guru with love, sincerity and obedience for attaining liberation or God-realisation.
Then comes the Krishna Avatara, which is also called the Purna Avatara. Sri Krishna served humanity in all respects, without distinction of caste, creed or sect. For instance, He served as an ambassador, and went on a peace mission to avert the war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. He washed the feet of guests who attended the Rajasuya sacrifice performed by Yudhishthira and also cleaned the plates of the guests after their meals. He also served as a charioteer to Arjuna during the Mahabharata war. Sri Krishna practised and preached the gospel of selfless service, in the Bhagavad Gita. Thus the Krishna Avatara provides the spiritual aspirant with all necessary teachings to attain one-ness with God.
The next is the Buddha Avatara. Bhagavan Buddha taught non-injury (Ahimsa) in thought, word and deed. Lord Buddha showed to humanity that by the practice of even a single divine virtue, viz., Ahimsa, one can attain God-realisation.
The scriptures say that the last Avatara, out of the ten important ones, is the Kalki Avatara, which is meant for removing the ignorance in humanity. So long as one is in sleep, one is not aware of the waking consciousness. As one has to awaken into the waking consciousness so as to be freed from the sleep, even so humanity has to be awakened from its slumber of ignorance to the waking consciousness of Divinity, which is the purpose of the Kalki Avatara.
As said by the Lord in the Bhagavad Gita, “Sambhavami Yuge Yuge”, at every juncture He incarnates Himself to teach mankind the correct path to evolve into Divinity. The ten Avataras teach to negate the animal in man and to transcend the human into the divine by leading the Divine Life of selfless service, universal love, purity, truthfulness, sincerity and adaptability. May His blessings be upon you all and may we all realise the goal of life in this very birth.
Om Tat Sat Brahmaparnamastu
Excerpts from: ** **The Esoteric Meaning of the Ten Avataras** **by Sri Swami Chidananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at: generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
SEND FEED BACK ON THIS ARTICLE \\ Email to BT Digest Editor( dlsusa.org@gmail.com)
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at: generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
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The Vedas
Spiritual Message for the Day – The Vedas by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 19 September 2015 16.58 EST | New York Edition** |
The Vedas
Divine Life Society Publication: The Vedas by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
Sanskrit literature can be classified under six orthodox heads and four secular heads. The six scriptures are: (i) Srutis, (ii) Smritis, (iii) Itihasas, (iv) Puranas, (v) Agamas and (vi) Darsanas.
The four secular writings are: (i) Subhashitas, (ii) Kavyas, (iii) Natakas and (iv) Alankaras.
VEDA-THE REVEALED WISDOM
The Srutis are called the Vedas, or the Amnaya. These are direct intuitional revelations and are held to be Apaurusheya or entirely superhuman, without any author in particular. The term Veda comes from the root ‘Vid’, to know. The word Veda means knowledge. When it is applied to scripture, it signifies a book of knowledge. The Vedas are the foundational scriptures of the Hindus. The Vedas are the eternal truths revealed by God to the great ancient Rishis of India. The word Rishi means a Seer, from dris, to see. He is the Mantra-Drashta, seer of Mantra or thought. The thought was not his own. The Rishis saw the truths or heard them. Therefore, the Vedas are what are heard (Sruti). The Rishi did not write. He did not create it out of his mind. He was the seer of thought which existed already. He was only the spiritual discoverer of the thought. He is not the inventor of the Veda.
Lord Brahma, the Creator, imparted the divine knowledge to the Rishis or Seers. The Rishis disseminated the knowledge. The Vedic Rishis were great realised persons who had direct intuitive perception of Brahman or the Truth.
The Vedas are eternal. They are without beginning and end. Vedas are eternal spiritual truths. Vedas are an embodiment of divine knowledge. The books may be destroyed, but the knowledge cannot be destroyed. Knowledge is eternal. In that sense, the Vedas are eternal.
DIVISIONS OF THE VEDAS
The Veda is divided into four great books: the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sama-Veda and the Atharva-Veda. The Yajur-Veda is again divided into two parts, the Sukla and the Krishna. The Krishna or the Taittiriya is the older book and the Sukla or the Vajasaneya is a later revelation to sage Yajnavalkya from the resplendent Sun-God.
Each Veda consists of four parts: the Mantra-Samhitas or hymns, the Brahmanas or explanations of Mantras or rituals, the Aranyakas, and the Upanishads. The division of the Vedas into four parts is to suit the four stages in a man’s life.
The Mantra-Samhitas are hymns in praise of the Vedic God for attaining material prosperity here and happiness hereafter. They are metrical poems comprising prayers, hymns and incantations addressed to various deities, both subjective and objective. The Mantra portion of the Vedas is useful for the Brahmacharins.
The Rig-Veda Samhita is the grandest book of the Hindus, the oldest and the best. Its style, the language and the tone are most beautiful and mysterious. Its immortal Mantras embody the greatest truths of existence, and it is perhaps the greatest treasure in all the scriptural literature of the world. Its priest is called the Hotri.
The Yajur-Veda Samhita is mostly in prose and is meant to be used by the Adhvaryu, the Yajur-Vedic priest, for superfluous explanations of the rites in sacrifices, supplementing the Rig-Vedic Mantras.
The Sama-Veda Samhita is mostly borrowed from the Rig-Vedic Samhita, and is meant to be sung by the Udgatri, the Sama Vedic priest, in sacrifices.
The Atharva-Veda Samhita is meant to be used by the Brahma, the Atharva-Vedic priest, to correct the mispronunciations and wrong performances that may accidentally be committed by the other three priests of the sacrifice.
The Brahmana portions guide people to perform sacrificial rites. They are prose explanations of the method of using the Mantras in the Yajna or the sacrifice. The Brahmana portion is suitable for the householders.
Each of the Brahmanas has got an Aranyaka.
The Aranyakas are the forest books, the mystical sylvan texts which give philosophical interpretations of the rituals. The Aranyakas are intended for the Vanaprasthas or hermits who prepare themselves for taking Sannyasa.
The Upanishads are the most important portion of the Vedas. The Upanishads contain the essence or the knowledge portion of the Vedas. The Upanishads speak of the identity of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. They reveal the most subtle and deep spiritual truths. The Upanishads are useful for the Sannyasins.
The subject matter of the whole Veda is divided into Karma- Kanda, Upasana-Kanda and Jnana-Kanda. The Karma-Kanda or Ritualistic Section deals with various sacrifices and rituals. The Upasana-Kanda or Worship-Section deals with various kinds of worship or meditation. The Jnana-Kanda or Knowledge-Section deals with the highest knowledge of Nirguna Brahman. The Mantras and the Brahmanas constitute Karma-Kanda; the Aranyakas Upasana-Kanda; and the Upanishads Jnana-Kanda.
THE ESSENCE OF THE VEDAS
Live in the spirit of the teachings of the Vedas. Learn to discriminate between the permanent and the impermanent. Behold the Self in all beings, in all objects. Names and forms are illusory. Therefore sublate them. Feel that there is nothing but the Self. Share what you have,-physical, mental, moral or spiritual,-with all. Serve the Self in all. Feel when you serve others, that you are serving your own Self. Love thy neighbour as thyself. Melt all illusory differences. Remove all barriers that separate man from man. Mix with all. Embrace all. Destroy the sex-idea and body-idea by constantly thinking of the Self or the sexless, bodiless Atman. Fix the mind on the Self when you work. This is the essence of the teachings of the Vedas and sages of yore. This is real, eternal life in Atman. Put these things in practice in the daily battle of life. You will shine as a dynamic Yogi or a Jivanmukta.
Om Tat Sat Brahmaparnamastu
Excerpts from: ** **The Vedas** **by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
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Sage Yajnavalkya
Spiritual Message for the Day – Sage Yajnavalkya by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 18 September 2015 17.51 EST | New York Edition** |
Sage Yajnavalkya
Divine Life Society Publication: Lives of Saints by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
The name of Yajnavalkya of Mithila stands distinguished both in the Srutis and in the Smritis. Yajnavalkya is especially known for his unsurpassed spiritual wisdom and power. The seer of a Veda Samhita from Bhagavan Surya, the revealer of Brahma Jnana to Janaka, Maitreyi and others, Yajnavalkya hails supreme among sages of sacred memory. As to his obtaining the Shukla Yajurveda Samhita from Bhagavan Surya, there is the following history.
Yajnavalkya was the son of the sister of Mahamuni Vaishampayana, the Vedacharya of the Taittiriya section. He was studying the Taittiriya Samhita from Vaishampayana who was also his Guru. Vaishampayana had many other disciples too and they all were students of the Taittiriya Shakha.
Once all the Rishis decided to form an association near the Meru mountain and made a rule that any Rishi who absented himself at the appointed hour should incur the sin of Brahmahatya (the sin of killing a Brahmin) for seven days. On that appointed day fell the Sraddha ceremony of Vaishampayana’s father. Vaishampayana thought, “Somehow I have to perform my father’s ceremony. If the sin of Brahmahatya comes to me, my disciples will observe the expiatory penance therefor”. So Vaishampayana did not attend the meeting of the Rishis. And accordingly he incurred the sin of Brahmahatya.
Then Vaishampayana said to his disciples, “Now I have to expiate this great sin of Brahmahatya. Therefore, you all will observe, for my sake, an expiatory penance for seven days”.
At once Yajnavalkya stood up and said, “O Guru! All these are poor-spirited young students. They will not be able to undergo such a hard penance. So, instead of all, I myself alone shall observe it in the manner in which nobody else can”. Vaishampayana told Yajnavalkya not to undertake it alone. But Yajnavalkya persisted. The preceptor was offended at this audacious attitude of the disciple and said, “O proud one, you are very conceited. You get away from me. Enough of you who is disposed to despise wise Brahmins. Give back to me immediately whatever you have learnt from me”.
Upon the order of the Guru, Yajnavalkya, the son of Devarata, vomited out the collection of the Yajus in the form of food. The other disciples ate that food taking the form of the Tittiri birds, because they were very eager to receive the same. They then had the direct revelation of those Yajurveda collections. As the Tittiri birds ate this Veda, it is thenceforth called the Taittiriya Yajurveda. It is also known as Krishna (black) Yajurveda on account of its being vomited substance.
Then Yajnavalkya determined not to have any human Guru thereafter. Thus he began to propitiate the Sun-God, Surya. Yajnavalkya worshipped and extolled the Sun, the master of the Vedas, for the purpose of acquiring the fresh Vedic portions not known to his preceptor, Vaishampayana.
Yajnavalkya said, “Prostration to the glorious Aditya, who in the form of the Atman, abides in all beings. I bow to Him who surrounds all like Akasa, who is one and not separated or distanced by limiting conditions. O Great God, O Creator, I contemplate upon that glowing sphere which lights and warms the whole world! O God who burns all miseries wrought by unrighteous activities, who burns ignorance which is the seed of activity! O Lord, I worship Thy lotus-like feet praised and worshipped by the rulers of the three worlds. Give me those portions of the Veda which are not known to others”.
The Sun-God, the glorious Lord Hari, pleased with Yajnavalkya’s penance, assumed the form of a horse and taught the sage such fresh portions of the Yajurveda as were not known to any other. This portion of the Yajurveda goes by the name of Shukla Yajurveda. It is also known as Vajasaneya Yajurveda, because it was evolved in great rapidity by Surya in the form of a horse through his manes. Yajnavalkya divided this Vajasaneya Yajurveda again into fifteen branches, each branch comprising hundreds of Yajus Mantras. Kanva, Madhyandina and others learnt those branches.
Yajnavalkya married two wives. One was Maitreyi and the other Katyayani. Of the two, Maitreyi was a Brahmavadini. When Yajnavalkya wished to divide his property between the two wives before starting for the fourth Ashrama of his life, Maitreyi asked whether she could become immortal through wealth. Yajnavalkya replied that there was no hope of immortality through wealth and that she would only become one among the many who were well-to-do on earth. On hearing this, Maitreyi requested Yajnavalkya to teach her what he considered as the best. Then Yajnavalkya elaborately described to her the sole greatness of the Absolute Self, the nature of Its existence, the way of attaining infinite knowledge and immortality, etc. This immortal conversation between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi is recorded in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. The central theme of the discourse is this: “All things are dear, not for their sake, but for the sake of the Self. This Self alone exists everywhere. It cannot be understood or known, for It alone is the Understander and the Knower. Its nature cannot be said to be positively as such. It is realised through endless denials as ‘not this, not this’. The Self is self-luminous, indestructible, unthinkable”.
The other wife Katyayani, the daughter of Bharadhwaja, was of common intelligence, and through her Yajnavalkya had three sons—Chandrakanta, Mahamegha and Vijaya.
Yajnavalkya, though a great Brahmajnani, was a great Karmakandi too. He caused many Yajnas to be performed and himself became the Acharya of those great Yajnas. He was a celebrated Srotriya and a Brahma-nishtha Guru. Once King Janaka of Videha wanted to know from which real Brahmanishtha to receive Brahma Vidya. In order to find out who was the real Brahma-nishtha, Janaka performed a huge Bahu-dakshina sacrifice to which all the Rishis from far and wide were invited. And he offered one thousand cows with their calves, all their horns being decked with enormous gold. Then he proclaimed to the assembled ones, “Whosoever is the best Brahmana amongst you may drive these cows home”. None dared to get up and take away the cows as they were afraid of censure by the others. But Yajnavalkya stood up and asked his disciple Samasravas to drive the cows home.
The other Brahmanas got angry at this and said to one another, “How can he declare himself to be the best among us?”. Thereupon several Rishis challenged Yajnavalkya with many questions on transcendental matters to all of which Yajnavalkya gave prompt reply. There was a great debate in which Yajnavalkya won over all the others. Janaka was convinced that Yajnavalkya was the best Brahma-nishtha and received Brahma Vidya from him thereafter.
The third and the fourth chapters of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad abound with the great philosophical teachings of Yajnavalkya. Yajnavalkya was also the author of the famous Yajnavalkya Smriti. His other works are Yajnavalkya Shakha, Pratijna Sutra, Satapatha Brahmana, and Yoga-Yajnavalkya.
At the sacrifice of Janaka, there was an exchange of words between Yajnavalkya and Vaishampayana. But on hearing that Yajnavalkya had obtained a fresh Veda from the Sun-God, Vaishampayana was much pleased and he requested Yajnavalkya to teach that Veda to his own disciples also. Yajnavalkya consented and taught his Veda to the disciples of Vaishampayana.
In the end, Yajnavalkya took Vidvat Sannyasa (renunciation after the attainment of the knowledge of Brahman) and retired to the forest.
Yajnavalkya was one of the greatest sages ever known. We find him arguing with and overcoming even his teacher Uddalaka at the court of Janaka. His precepts as contained in the Upanishads stand foremost as the crest-jewel of the highest teachings on Brahma Vidya.
Note: Rishi Panchami – September 18,2015
The Rishis are worshipped on Rishi-Panchami which falls on the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September).
Om Tat Sat Brahmaparnamastu
Excerpts from: Sage Yajnavalkya - Lives of Saints by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
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Ganesh Chaturthi
Spiritual Message for the Day – Ganesh Chaturthi by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 17 September 2015 17.33 EST | New York Edition** |
Ganesh Chaturthi
Divine Life Society Publication: Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
SALUTATIONS to Lord Ganesha who is Brahman Himself, who is the Supreme Lord, who is the energy of Lord Shiva, who is the source of all bliss, and who is the bestower of all virtuous qualities and success in all undertakings.
Mushikavaahana modaka hastha,
Chaamara karna vilambitha sutra,
Vaamana rupa maheshwara putra,
Vighna vinaayaka paada namasthe
MEANING : “O Lord Vinayaka! the remover of all obstacles, the son of Lord Shiva, with a form which is very short, with mouse as Thy vehicle, with sweet pudding in hand, with wide ears and long hanging trunk, I prostrate at Thy lotus-like Feet!”
Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most popular of Hindu festivals. This is the birthday of Lord Ganesha. It is the day most sacred to Lord Ganesha. It falls on the 4th day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada (August-September). It is observed throughout India, as well as by devoted Hindus in all parts of the world.
Clay figures of the Deity are made and after being worshipped for two days, or in some cases ten days, they are immersed in water.
Lord Ganesha is the elephant-headed God. He is worshipped first in any prayers. His Names are repeated first before any auspicious work is begun, before any kind of worship is begun.
He is the Lord of power and wisdom. He is the eldest son of Lord Shiva and the elder brother of Skanda or Kartikeya. He is the energy of Lord Shiva and so He is called the son of Shankar and Umadevi. By worshipping Lord Ganesha mothers hope to earn for their sons the sterling virtues of Ganesha.
The following story is narrated about His birth and how He came to have the head of an elephant:
Once upon a time, the Goddess Gauri (consort of Lord Shiva), while bathing, created Ganesha as a pure white-being out of the mud of Her Body and placed Him at the entrance of the house. She told Him not to allow anyone to enter while she went inside for a bath. Lord Shiva Himself was returning home quite thirsty and was stopped by Ganesha at the gate. Shiva became angry and cut off Ganesha’s head as He thought Ganesha was an outsider.
When Gauri came to know of this she was sorely grieved. To console her grief, Shiva ordered His servants to cut off and bring to Him the head of any creature that might be sleeping with its head facing north. The servants went on their mission and found only an elephant in that position. The sacrifice was thus made and the elephant’s head was brought before Shiva. The Lord then joined the elephant’s head onto the body of Ganesha.
Lord Shiva made His son worthy of worship at the beginning of all undertakings, marriages, expeditions, studies, etc. He ordained that the annual worship of Ganesha should take place on the 4th day of the bright half of Bhadrapada.
Without the Grace of Sri Ganesha and His help nothing whatsoever can be achieved. No action can be undertaken without His support, Grace or blessing.
In his first lesson in the alphabet a Maharashtrian child is initiated into the Mantra of Lord Ganesha, Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah. Only then is the alphabet taught.
The following are some of the common Names of Lord Ganesha: Dhoomraketu, Sumukha, Ekadantha, Gajakarnaka, Lambodara, Vignaraja, Ganadhyaksha, Phalachandra, Gajanana, Vinayaka, Vakratunda, Siddhivinayaka, Surpakarna, Heramba, Skandapurvaja, Kapila and Vigneshwara. He is also known by many as Maha-Ganapathi.
His Mantra is Om Gung Ganapathaye Namah. Spiritual aspirants who worship Ganesha as their tutelary Deity repeat this Mantra or Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah.
The devotees of Ganesha also do Japa of the Ganesha Gayatri Mantra. This is as follows.
Tat purushaaya vidmahe
Vakratundaaya dheemahi
Tanno dhanti prachodayaat.
Lord Ganesha is an embodiment of wisdom and bliss. He is the Lord of Brahmacharins. He is foremost amongst the celibates.
He has as his vehicle a small mouse. He is the presiding Deity of the Muladhara Chakra, the psychic centre in the body in which the Kundalini Shakti resides.
He is the Lord who removes all obstacles on the path of the spiritual aspirant, and bestows upon him worldly as well as spiritual success. Hence He is called Vigna Vinayaka. His Bija Akshara (root syllable) is Gung, pronounced to rhyme with the English word “sung”. He is the Lord of harmony and peace.
Lord Ganesha represents Om or the Pranava, which is the chief Mantra among the Hindus. Nothing can be done without uttering it. This explains the practice of invoking Ganesha before beginning any rite or undertaking any project. His two feet represent the power of knowledge and the power of action. The elephant head is significant in that it is the only figure in nature that has the form of the symbol for Om.
The significance of riding on a mouse is the complete conquest over egoism. The holding of the ankusha represents His rulership of the world. It is the emblem of divine Royalty.
Ganesha is the first God. Riding on a mouse, one of nature’s smallest creatures and having the head of an elephant, the biggest of all animals, denotes that Ganesha is the creator of all creatures. Elephants are very wise animals; this indicates that Lord Ganesha is an embodiment of wisdom. It also denotes the process of evolution—the mouse gradually evolves into an elephant and finally becomes a man. This is why Ganesha has a human body, an elephant’s head and a mouse as His vehicle. This is the symbolic philosophy of His form.
He is the Lord of Ganas or groups, for instance groups of elements, groups of senses, etc. He is the head of the followers of Shiva or the celestial servants of Lord Shiva.
The Vaishnavas also worship Lord Ganesha. They have given Him the name of Tumbikkai Alwar which means the divinity with the proboscis (the elephant’s trunk).
Lord Ganesha’s two powers are the Kundalini and the Vallabha or power of love.
He is very fond of sweet pudding or balls of rice flour with a sweet core. On one of His birthdays He was going around house to house accepting the offerings of sweet puddings. Having eaten a good number of these, He set out moving on His mouse at night. Suddenly the mouse stumbled—it had seen a snake and became frightened—with the result that Ganesha fell down. His stomach burst open and all the sweet puddings came out. But Ganesha stuffed them back into His stomach and, catching hold of the snake, tied it around His belly.
Seeing all this, the moon in the sky had a hearty laugh. This unseemly behaviour of the moon annoyed Him immensely and so he pulled out one of His tusks and hurled it against the moon, and cursed that no one should look at the moon on the Ganesh Chaturthi day. If anyone does, he will surely earn a bad name, censure or ill-repute. However, if by mistake someone does happen to look at the moon on this day, then the only way he can be freed from the curse is by repeating or listening to the story of how Lord Krishna cleared His character regarding the Syamantaka jewel. This story is quoted in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Lord Ganesha was pleased to ordain thus. Glory to Lord Ganesha! How kind and merciful He is unto His devotees!
Ganesha and His brother Lord Subramanya once had a dispute as to who was the elder of the two. The matter was referred to Lord Shiva for final decision. Shiva decided that whoever would make a tour of the whole world and come back first to the starting point had the right to be the elder. Subramanya flew off at once on his vehicle, the peacock, to make a circuit of the world. But the wise Ganesha went, in loving worshipfulness, around His divine parents and asked for the prize of His victory.
Lord Shiva said, “Beloved and wise Ganesha! But how can I give you the prize; you did not go around the world?”
Ganesha replied, “No, but I have gone around my parents. My parents represent the entire manifested universe!”
Thus the dispute was settled in favour of Lord Ganesha, who was thereafter acknowledged as the elder of the two brothers. Mother Parvati also gave Him a fruit as a prize for this victory.
In the Ganapathi Upanishad, Ganesha is identified with the Supreme Self. The legends that are connected with Lord Ganesha are recorded in the Ganesha Khanda of the Brahma Vivartha Purana.
On the Ganesh Chaturthi day, meditate on the stories connected with Lord Ganesha early in the morning, during the Brahmamuhurta period. Then, after taking a bath, go to the temple and do the prayers of Lord Ganesha. Offer Him some coconut and sweet pudding. Pray with faith and devotion that He may remove all the obstacles that you experience on the spiritual path. Worship Him at home, too. You can get the assistance of a pundit. Have an image of Lord Ganesha in your house. Feel His Presence in it.
Don’t forget to look at the moon on that day; remember that it behaved unbecomingly towards the Lord. This really means avoid the company of all those who have no faith in God, and who deride God, your Guru and religion, from this very day.
Take fresh spiritual resolves and pray to Lord Ganesha for inner spiritual strength to attain success in all your undertakings.
May the blessings of Sri Ganesha be upon you all! May He remove all the obstacles that stand in your spiritual path! May He bestow on you all material prosperity as well as liberation!
Excerpts from: Ganesh Chaturthi - Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
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What Is True Religion
Spiritual Message for the Day – What Is True Religion by Gurudev Swami Sri Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 16 September 2015 16.40 EST | New York Edition** |
What Is True Religion
Divine Life Society Publication: Autobiography of Swami Sivananda by Gurudev Swami Sri Sivananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
Not by mere argument or discussion can religion be taught. Not by precepts or moral canons alone can you convert a person to be religious. Not by pointing to your loads of sacred literature or the miracles of your Chief can an aspirant be won over. Practise religion and live upto its teachings if you want to evolve and attain the Goal of Life. Whatever be your religion, whosoever your prophet, whichever be your language and country, whatever be your age or sex, you can easily grow if you know the way to crush the ego, to destroy the lower nature of the mind and to have mastery over your body, senses and mind. This is what I have found out to be the way for real Peace and bliss eternal. Therefore I do not try to convince people by heated debates and arguments.
Real Religion is the Religion of the heart. The heart must be purified first. Truth, love and purity are the basis of real religion. Conquest of the lower nature of man, control of mind, cultivation of virtues, service of humanity, goodwill, fellowship and mutual amity, constitute the fundamentals of true religion. These ideals are included in the mottoes of the Divine Life Society. I am very particular in propagating these ideals on a wide scale.
I do not waste time in finding out suitable authoritative statements from scriptures to satisfy the curiosity of aspirants. I lead a practical life and try to be an example to the students for moulding their lives. Know that true religion begins when you go above body-consciousness. The essence of the teachings of all sages and saints, the fundamentals of all religions and cults, are the same. People needlessly fight over non-essentials and miss the Goal.
May the Divine Life Movement, the harbinger of peace, harmony and exalted life shed its lustre and glory throughout the world!
Excerpts from: What Is True Religion – Autobiography of Swami Sivananda by Gurudev Swami Sri Sivananda
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That’s Enough
Spiritual Message for the Day – That’s Enough by Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 15 September 2015 15.47 EST | New York Edition** |
That’s Enough
Divine Life Society Publication: Early Morning Meditation Talks by Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
Each religion, each philosophy has its own way of explaining life. But most seem to agree that in the beginning God alone was; then God created the world out of nothing or manifested Himself. They say that the One became the many; and yet, paradoxically, the One has never changed, even though the many appear to exist.
If the One has never changed, the many must exist in our consciousness. And even here we have a strange phenomena. Because no matter what part of our consciousness we are experiencing, the other parts seem to be eternally there from the highest to the lowest. What we experience is where our attention is.
According to Vedanta, there are two principal forces working on our attention. One is the force of avidya maya, which is constantly taking us into the many, and the second is the force of vidya maya which is constantly attracting us back to oneness. Why, when we are told—and it is true—that peace and happiness abide in oneness, are we attracted to the many, to separation? Perhaps it is because avidya maya constantly promises to satisfy all our desires, to make us someone special, even to make us like a god.
These promises are named in all the scriptures as demoniacal promises. They are intoxicating promises, but they lead us to nothing except disaster—to restlessness, to clash and quarrel. Even more, avidya maya never gives us the satisfaction that it promises. It promises to satisfy all our desires; instead it just adds fuel to the fire.
So ultimately, with God’s grace, vidya maya has its opportunity. Through a guru, teaching or spiritual experience, we see the promise of a better way, the way of oneness. Thus to one degree or another, our lives turn around and we start heading in the homeward direction. But, avidya maya is still very much alive. And while it can no longer totally fool us, its tactic now becomes one of “that’s enough.” We move a certain distance along with vidya maya and avidya maya says, “That’s enough, you should be satisfied now.” It does this at every step, and unfortunately, we frequently settle at a spiritual comfort level and get stuck there.
But ultimately that level can never satisfy our souls. Vidya maya is ever calling us higher. This is why the guru will frequently disturb us, try to make us move higher. And if the guru doesn’t do it, life will do it. Our wisdom knows that this is happening. Wisdom also recognises the nature of avidya maya, that even until the very end it never gives up the battle, that it is eternally there—its job being to drag us towards the many. But wisdom leads us to listen to vidya maya, which wants to take us back to the One.
So as seekers, who are feeling the pull of vidya maya, feeling the pull of God, we must be aware that at all times avidya maya is sitting in waiting telling us, “That’s enough. You’ve gone far enough. Be satisfied.” But God, guru and vidya maya are telling us, “It’s never enough until you have reached the goal,” and it is vidya maya we must always pay attention to.
Excerpts from:
That’s Enough – Early Morning Meditation Talks by Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda
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The Science of Meditation (Part II)
Spiritual Message for the Day – The Science of Meditation (Part II) by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 14 September 2015 17.46 EST | New York Edition** |
The Science of Meditation (Part II)
Divine Life Society Publication: Dhyana Yoga by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
You have within yourself tremendous powers and latent faculties of which you have really never had any conception. You must awaken these dormant powers and faculties by the practice of meditation and Yoga. You must develop your will and control your senses and mind. You must purify yourself and practise regular meditation. Then only can you become a Superman or God-man.
There is no such thing as miracle or Siddhi. Ordinary man is quite ignorant of higher spiritual things. He is sunk in oblivion. He is shut up from higher transcendental knowledge. So he calls some extraordinary event a miracle. But for a Yogi who understands things in the light of Yoga, there is no such thing as miracle. Just as a villager is astonished at the sight of an aeroplane or a talkie for the first time, so also a man of the world is stunned when he sees an extraordinary spectacle for the first time.
Every human being has within himself various potentialities and capacities. He is a magazine of power and knowledge. As he evolves, he unfolds new powers, new faculties, and new qualities. Now he can change his environments and influence others. He can subdue other minds. He can conquer internal and external nature. He can enter into superconscious state.
In a dark room if a pot containing a lamp inside it is broken, the darkness of the room is dispelled and you see light everywhere in the room. Even so, if the body-pot is broken through constant meditation on the Self, i.e., if you destroy ignorance (Avidya) and its effects such as identification with the body, and rise above body-consciousness you will cognise the supreme light of the Atman everywhere.
Just as the water in the pot that is placed in the ocean becomes one with the waters of the ocean, when the pot is broken, so also when the body-pot is broken by meditation on the Atman, the individual soul becomes one with the Supreme Soul.
Just as the light is burning within the hurricane lamp, so also the Divine Flame is burning from the time immemorial in the lamp of your heart. Close your eyes. Merge yourself within the Divine Flame. Plunge deep into the chambers of your heart. Meditate on this Divine Flame and become one with the Flame of God.
If the wick within the lamp is small, the light will also be small. If the wick is big, the light also will be powerful. Similarly if the Jiva (individual soul) is pure, if he practises meditation, the manifestation or expression of the Self will be powerful. He will radiate a big light. If he is unregenerate and impure, he will be like a burnt-up charcoal. The bigger the wick, the greater the light. Likewise, the purer the soul, the greater the expression.
If the magnet is powerful, it will influence the iron filings even when they are placed at a distance. Even so, if the Yogi is an advanced person, he will have greater influence over the persons with whom he comes in contact. He can exert his influence on persons even when they live in distant places.
The fire of meditation annihilates all foulness due to vice. Then suddenly there comes Knowledge of the Self or Divine Wisdom which directly leads to Mukti or final emancipation.
During the meditation note how long you can shut out all worldly thoughts. Watch your mind. If it is for twenty minutes, try to increase the period to thirty minutes and so on. Fill the mind with thoughts of God again and again.
In meditation do not strain your eyes. Do not struggle or wrestle with the mind. Relax. Gently allow the divine thoughts to flow. Steadily think of the Lakshya (point of meditation). Do not voluntarily and violently drive away the intruding thoughts. Have sublime Sattvic thoughts. The vicious thoughts will by themselves vanish.
If there is much strain in your meditation, reduce the duration of each sitting for a few days. Do light meditation only. When you have regained the normal tone, again increase the period. Use your commonsense throughout your Sadhana. I always reiterate on this point.
Those who meditate for four or five hours at a stretch can have two meditative poses. Sometimes the blood accumulates in one part of the legs or thighs and so gives a little trouble. After two hours change the pose. Or stretch the legs at full length and lean against a wall or pillow. Keep the spine erect. This is the most comfortable Asana. Or join two chairs. Sit in one chair and stretch the legs on another chair. This is another contrivance.
You must daily increase your Vairagya, meditation and Sattvic virtues such as patience, perseverance, mercy, love, forgiveness, etc. Vairagya and good qualities help meditation. Meditation increases the Sattvic qualities.
Considerable changes take place in the mind, brain and nervous system by the practice of meditation. New nerve-currents, new vibrations, new avenues, new grooves, new cells, new channels are formed. The whole mind and the nervous system are remodelled. You will have a new heart, a new mind, new sensations; new feelings, new mode of thinking and acting and a new view of the universe (as God in manifestation).
During meditation you will get into rapture or ecstasy. It is of five kinds, viz., the lesser thrill, momentary rapture, flooding rapture, transporting rapture and all-pervading rapture. The lesser thrill will raise the hairs of the body (like the goose skin). The momentary rapture is like the productions of lightning moment by moment. Like waves breaking on the sea-shore, the flooding rapture descends rapidly on the body and breaks. Transporting rapture is strong and lifts the body up to the extent of launching it into the air. When the all-pervading rapture arises, the whole body is completely surcharged and blown like a full bladder.
As a clever cook in serving his master notes the kind of food that his master relishes and thenceforward serves it and gets gain, so the aspirant too notes the conditions such as nourishment, etc., at the moment of attaining meditation and Samadhi and in fulfilling them gets ecstasy again and again.
Leading a virtuous life is not by itself sufficient for God-realisation. Concentration of mind is absolutely necessary. A good virtuous life only prepares the mind as a fit instrument for concentration and meditation. It is concentration and meditation that eventually lead to Self-realisation or God-realisation.
“A Yogi should always avoid fear, anger, laziness, too much sleep or waking and too much food and fasting. If the above rules be well strictly practised each day, spiritual wisdom will arise of itself in three months without doubt. In four months, he sees the Devas; in five months, he knows (or becomes) Brahmanishtha; and truly in six months, he attains Kaivalya at will. There is no doubt.” Amritananda-Upanishad.
During meditation some of the visions that you see are your own materialised thoughts, while some others are real objective visions. In meditation new grooves are formed in the brain and the mind moves upwards in the new spiritual grooves. In meditation and concentration you will have to train the mind in a variety of ways. Then only the gross mind will become subtle.
When you first practise meditation, lights of various colours such as red, white, blue, green, and a mixture of red and green, etc., will appear in the forehead. These are Tanmatric (elemental) lights. Every element has got its own colour. Water has white colour. Fire has red colour. Air has green colour. Ether has blue colour. So the coloured lights are due to these Tattvas (elements) only.
Sometimes you may see a big blazing sun or moon or lightning in front of the forehead. Do not mind these. Shun them. Try to dive deep into the source of these lights.
Sometimes Devatas, Nitya Siddhas (eternally perfected Yogis) and Amarapurushas (immortal beings) will appear in meditation. Receive them all with due honour. Bow down before them. Get advice from them. Do not be frightened. They appear before you to give you all spiritual help and encouragement.
“Having made Atman as the lower Arani (sacrificial wood) and the Pranava as the upper Arani, one should see God in secret through the practice of churning which is Dhyana (meditation).” Dhyanabindu Upanishad.
Excerpts from: The Science of Meditation (Part II) – Dhyana Yoga by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
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If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at: generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
SEND FEED BACK ON THIS ARTICLE \** **Email to BT Digest Editor** **( dlsusa.org@gmail.com)