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This website is devoted to Philosophy, Religion, Spirituality and Science. We bring in articles on teachings by Great Saints like Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, Adi Shankara, Swami Sivananda, Swami Krishnananda, Aurobindo, Mother of Auroville and others.
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Practised Before Preaching
Spiritual Message for the Day – Practised Before Preaching by Gurudev Sri Swami Chidananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 26 March 2015 14.48 EST | New York Edition** |
Practised Before Preaching
Divine Life Society Publication: Swami Sivananda: Saint, Sage and Godman by Sri Swami Chidananda
Swami Sivananda’s preachings are all backed by his personal experience of practical Sadhana of the past twenty-five years of ascetic life.
—Sri Dwarka Nath Jhingan.
His teachings are not based on mere academic knowledge or study of ancient and modern philosophies and religions, but have been carefully devised after personal practice of many years and intimate knowledge. They can easily be comprehended and translated into practice by any sincere aspirant.
—Sri D.C. Desai.
Gurudev used to write addressing young aspirants:
You must be very correct, very punctual, very regular. You should discipline yourself rigidly. Otherwise, you cannot attain the highest, the Realisation. It is not an easy task. Happy-go-lucky type easy temperament is no good in spiritual pursuits. Have you noticed how correct, how strict, how disciplined are the soldiers in the army? They have to stand in the parade according to the unit or battalion they belong to. They have to be absolutely spick and span. They do polishing of the shoes and brass by themselves. Even if a single button is dull, the inspecting officer spots the soldier and puts him into quarter-guard, and he will have to do fettling duty. They are always fighting fit, trim and clean, neat and tidy, because they have been drilled into this sort of correctness, precision and training. When an ordinary soldier is required to be so disciplined, so correct, so punctual, so regular, then what to say about you, O aspirant! A spiritual aspirant has to be even ten times more strict, regular, punctual, correct, well-disciplined. A soldier fights to win a battle, whereas an aspirant has to win the kingdom of heaven, win Kaivalya Moksha. Therefore, never give leniency to your mind.
When Gurudev said that, there was hundred per cent impact on the hearer. After hearing Gurudev, one could no longer remain what he was till then. Why? Because when Gurudev gave any instruction, one could clearly see he gave it with the firm conviction of his own practice. In fact, whatever Gurudev has said about Sadhana is based on his own experience only. He advised to the Sadhakas and disciples only such Sadhana which he himself had practised for such a long time that it had become his daily routine, his second nature. So it carried conviction, it carried a force behind it. The hearer immediately felt in his heart, ‘Here is someone who is saying what he himself has gone through; he is not giving us some theoretical or bookish knowledge; he is giving a part of his own life, his own self.’
That was the power behind Gurudev’s words. In spite of this fact, he seldom gave such straight, direct talk, rarely, very rarely, once in a while only. Gurudev used to say:
If anyone who is living in Sivananda Ashram complains of lack of guidance, he must be a lazy person, he has no interest in his own welfare. I have given everything necessary for a Sadhaka in my 300 books. If a Sadhaka is seriously interested in his own good, he should go through these books and he will have no more any doubts. He will never have any hesitation in proceeding with his Sadhana. Everything necessary for a spiritual aspirant is given in these books. Study them. If you have got any doubts after a sincere study, do come to me and ask.
He was indeed hundred per cent right. If anyone with real interest takes the pains to go through the hard labour Gurudev has put into his writings, then there will be an absolutely clear path ahead of him. For every question, for every doubt, there is an answer in his books. He was indeed, a man of practical wisdom.
Excerpts from: Practised Before Preaching - Swami Sivananda: Saint, Sage and Godman 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
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If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
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Virtue and Sin (Punya and Papa)
Spiritual Message for the Day – Virtue and Sin (Punya and Papa) by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 25 March 2015 16.02 EST | New York Edition** |
Virtue and Sin
(Punya and Papa)
Divine Life Society Publication: Bliss Divine by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Papa is sin. Punya is virtue. Remember the motto always: “Do unto others as you wish others do unto you”. This is the Kasoti or test for virtue and sin. You do not wish to be hurt by others. So do not hurt another person. You wish to be helped by others. So help others. You do not wish to be robbed by others. So do not rob others’ property. When you enter the compartment in a train, you wish that others should give you a seat. They should not drive you to another compartment. So, when anyone enters your compartment, give him a seat. Do not drive him away. Hurting another is sin; non-hurting is virtue. Selfishness is sin; helping others is virtue. Robbing others’ property is sin; doing charity is virtue. Driving a man from the compartment is sin; giving a seat to a man in your compartment is virtue.
That which elevates you is virtue; that which pulls you down is vice or sin. That which takes you to the Goal is virtue; that which makes you a worldly man is sin. That which helps you attain God-head is virtue; that which hurls you down in the dark abyss of ignorance is sin. That which gives you illumination is virtue; that which causes intoxication is sin. That which purifies your heart is virtue; that which taints your heart is sin. That which gives you peace, joy, satisfaction, exhilaration, expansion of heart, is virtue; that which brings restlessness, dissatisfaction, depression, and contraction of heart, is vice.
Service of humanity and Guru is virtue; mischief-mongering is sin. Faith in God, in the scriptures, in the words of the spiritual preceptor, is virtue; doubting is sin. Loving all is virtue; hating others is sin. Unity is virtue; separation is sin. Independence is virtue; dependence is sin. Brahmacharya is virtue; lust is sin. Truthfulness is virtue; falsehood is sin. Generosity is virtue; miserliness is sin. Oneness is virtue; duality is sin. Knowledge is virtue; ignorance is sin. Strength is virtue; weakness is sin. Courage is virtue; cowardice is sin. To behold the One Immortal Self everywhere is virtue; to see diversity is sin.
That which you are ashamed to do in public is a sin. That which you dare not admit before your Guru is a sin.
Learn to discriminate between virtue and sin, and become wise. The Antaryamin will guide you rightly; hear Him.
Sin is a mistake committed by the ignorant Jiva during his journey towards the Satchidananda abode. Every mistake is your best teacher. One has to evolve through sins or mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable. Some people become a prey to thoughts of sin. They ever brood: “We are great sinners. We have committed great sins”. This is a great blunder. Do not brood too much on the past events. Learn the lesson and forget the past. Once you make up your mind to tread the path of Truth, all sins will be destroyed.
There is no such thing as eternal damnation or eternal hell-fire for the sinners.
PURIFICATION
It is never too late to mend. A good, resolute start in virtuous life will give you peace and happiness. Do it now. Leave off evil ways. Follow the good. Be pure in life. You will attain God-realization.
Steadily resist the promptings of your lower nature. Gradually, it will lose its power over you. You will gain strength. The spirit may pull in one direction and the flesh in the opposite direction. Be firm and courageous. Yield not to flesh. Be strong. Be positive always. Think and feel: “I can do everything if I will. There is nothing that I cannot do”. Never give up the hope of realizing God.
Watch every action. Allow not any impure action to stain your body. When anything pricks thy conscience, abandon it. Fight against the tempting power of self-gratification and self-aggrandizement. Overcome anger by love, lust by purity, greed by generosity, pride by humility, falsehood by truth.
Lose the sense of I-ness and mine-ness. Control the mind. Repeat the Lord’s Name. Purify every part of yourself.
Paropakarah Punyaya; Papaya Parapidanam: Service of others brings on virtue; harming others is sin. Therefore, serve others. Purify your heart by selfless and humble service of the poor and the afflicted, and make it a fit abode for God to dwell.
Every day is a fresh beginning. Forget your past mistakes and failures. Enter a new life of victory. March on and on. Exert. Purify. Approach the saints. Abandon all anxiety, fear, and worry. Rest in your Centre. Sing Om. Meditate on Om. Realize the Self.
Excerpts from: Virtue and Sin (Punya and Papa) - Bliss Divine by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
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 Glories of God
Spiritual Message for the Day – The Glories of God by Sri Swami Krishnananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 24 March 2015 17.13 EST | New York Edition** |
The Glories of God
Divine Life Society Publication: Discourse 30 - Commentary on the Bhagavadgita by Sri Swami Krishnananda
Kathaṁ vidyām ahaṁ yogiṁs tvāṁ sadā paricintayan (10.17): “Day and night I would like to meditate and contemplate on You. In what manner should I contemplate? Please tell me in detail.” Keṣu keṣu ca bhāveṣu cintyosi bhagavan mayā: “In this world which is constituted of millions of forms, in what forms should I contemplate on You? Where are You manifest more, and in what forms are You manifest less? Please detail all these wondrous glories of Yourself.”
Vistareṇātmano yogaṁ vibhūtiṁ ca janārdana, bhūyaḥ kathaya (10.18): “Repeat it once again. You have already told me something about Yourself. I would like to hear it again and again because it is amrita, it is nectar to my ears. Please tell me in all detail Your glories, Your powers and Your manifestations. Tell me once again, though You have already told me once. Please tell me in greater detail because my satisfaction has no end. Let my satisfaction rise from lower to higher states. I am already satisfied. May I be further satisfied, and may I be blessed with immense infinite satisfaction. My ears are never satisfied with any amount of nectar of Your speech that is poured into my ears.” Tṛptir hi śṛṇvato nāsti me’mṛtam: “You are pouring nectar into my ears and I am delighted, but I should be more delighted if You describe Your further glories in Your own way so that I may find it easier to behold You in all things and unite myself with Thee.”
“It is very difficult,” says the Lord, “to tell you in words what I am.”
There was a great sage called Muchukunda, who helped the gods in a war with the demons. Indra, who was highly pleased with him said, “Ask for a boon.”
He said, “I am very much tired. The only thing I need is a good sleep. This is the blessing: Let me sleep somewhere in a corner without disturbance, and bless me also that if anybody disturbs me while I am asleep, he shall perish in one second.”
“Be it so!” said Indra.
Then Muchukunda, with post-war fatigue, went into a cave and fell asleep. Meanwhile, Kalayavana, a demon discharged by Kamsa under the instigation of Jarasandha and others, was pursuing Sri Krishna; and Sri Krishna, with a double motive in his mind, entered the cave in which Muchukunda was sleeping, which Kalayavana saw.
Sri Krishna was dark blue in colour and, fortunately or unfortunately, Muchukunda was also the same colour. Sri Krishna entered the cave and stood in a corner, and the demon Kalayavana also entered. When he saw someone with almost the same colour as Sri Krishna lying down, fast asleep, he said “Oh, you are sleeping here!” and kicked him with his foot. The sleeping man slowly opened his eyes, and immediately the demon was reduced to ashes.
Then Sri Krishna came forward. Muchukunda looked at him and said, “Who are you, this great mysterious magnificence that is standing before me? Will you kindly tell me your name?”
Sri Krishna replied, “Infinite are My names. You can count the grains of sand on the shores of the ocean, but My glories and My names are larger in number than the sands on the beach of the ocean.”
Likewise, here Sri Krishna tells Arjuna, “It is impossible to tell you in toto all the manifestations in this world in which you can behold Me; but briefly, in essence, I shall outline where My excellence can be beheld.”
Śrībhagavānuvāca: hanta te kathayiṣyāmi divyā hyātmavibhūtayaḥ, prādhānyataḥ kuruśreṣṭha nāstyanto vistarasya me (10.19): The Lord says, “I will tell you briefly. The details that you are speaking of are endless, infinite. How will I go on telling you all that is infinite in its nature? But I will give you an outline of where you can locate Me in this world.”
Aham ātmā guḍākeśa sarvabhūtāśayasthitaḥ (10.20): “I am the soul of all beings. Wherever you see existence, there you see Me present as the basic fundamental reality of all. The love of life, which can be seen even in the worst of creatures, is actually a distorted love that they are manifesting towards the existence of their own individuality—but actually, that existence is borrowed from My universal existence. I am the soul, the basic reality, the undiminished essence, the fundamental existence bereft of association with the body, mind, and all other social connections. That deepest essence, the ‘I’ which you refer to, the ‘I’ that is in everything—in plants, in animals, in insects, in gods—that ‘I’, the soul, as it were, of all things, is Me. The deepest reality, the soul, the Self, the indubitable fundamentality in all things, is Me. Wherever you see love of life persisting and a clinging to existence, realise, notice and understand that everybody is clinging to My true universal existence that operates through their individual bodies, which they mistake for real existence. The Atman, the Self of all beings, is Me. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all things. If the universe has come from somewhere, realise that it has come from Me. If it is existing now, it is due to My existence; and one day or the other, it shall be absorbed into Me. This is to tell you, briefly, the cosmic aspect of My manifestations. Now I shall tell you the individualised, specialised forms of My manifestations, which are such glories as the sun and other things.”
Excerpts from: The Glories of God - Discourse 30 - Commentary on the Bhagavadgita 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
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
SEND FEED BACK ON THIS ARTICLE \** **Email to BT Digest Editor** **( dlsusa.org@gmail.com)
Secret of Svadhyaya
Spiritual Message for the Day – Secret of Svadhyaya by Sri Swami Chidananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 23 March 2015 16.57 EST | New York Edition** |
Secret of Svadhyaya
Divine Life Society Publication: Students, Spiritual Literature and Sivananda by Sri Swami Chidananda
Om! Om! Om!
Books To Begin With
Q: What books should I take up to begin with, Swamiji?
A: Always choose those books which inspire noble feelings in you, which bring new, uplifting ideas to your mind. By reading a book, you should always become better. The book should always take you higher and higher, in every way. Again, read those books which add to your fund of real, useful knowledge. Read the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. They are full of morals and inspiring stories. Read abridged editions, if you have no time for the originals. Read some of the books written by Guru Maharaj. He gives the essence of religion in simple language. As you know, he has written many books specially for young boys and girls. Read his “Ethical Teachings,” “Sure Ways for Success in Life and God-realisation,” “Practice of Brahmacharya,” “Students’ Success in Life,” “Divine Stories,” “Divine Life for Children,” “Gita for the Young,” “Gita Essence for Children” etc. Study his works on Mind Control and the Cultivation of Virtues. You will be immensely benefited.
Secret Of Svadhyaya
Q: What is the benefit of reading books like the Ramayana and the Gita, again and again, every day, Swamiji?
A: I shall tell you why repeated Svadhyaya or study of spiritual literature is necessary. You will understand it better if I give you an illustration. Take a nail and try to hammer it somewhere, in one stroke. The whole of the nail will not go in. You will have to hit it repeatedly, several times before it gets in well. Also if you wish your body to grow or a plant to grow you don’t simply feed or water it once and sit quiet. You have to take nourishment daily. You water the plant daily. You do this day after day without fail. Similar is the case with study of spiritual literature. It is only by daily reading that the ideas will get deeper and deeper into our mind. The mind will be gradually purified. Study of sacred scriptures like the Gita set up beneficial vibrations and thought-currents in your mind. They will shape your life nicely and you will also gradually become a hero like Arjuna or Bhishma or Hanuman by constantly dwelling on their noble virtues. Even if you read these holy scriptures without understanding their meaning, the atmosphere wherein you read them will be purified—just as a cheerful atmosphere is created when you meet your friends and exchange some words of greeting which may not have any significant meaning. Reading of scriptures is always good and when it is done with a knowledge of the meaning, the benefits are increased manifold.
Moreover, as you breathe fresh air regularly, constantly and continuously in order to sustain your Prana and similarly eat food daily month after month, and year after year in order to nourish your physical body, even so you must understand that the moral and the spiritual being of man need to be given their own nourishment. Devotional and spiritual practices are the indispensable nourishment for our soul. They form the essential spiritual sustenance to the inner being. Man is not merely a physical body and animal activity. He is an ethical being and his essential nature is Divine Consciousness. To nourish these latter, higher aspects, to develop and strengthen them and to attain perfection the inner spiritual life is very necessary. Svadhyaya or daily reading of spiritual books forms an important and indispensable item in this inner spiritual life. By such reading and study, there is a daily intake of noble, pure, elevating and inspiring spiritual ideas. These ideas are an effective safeguard to prevent the mind succumbing to temptations or sliding down from its true ideals. They help most effectively to keep the heart and mind ever uplifted and highly pure and in an inspired state. They infuse the person with moral and spiritual strength, make life sublime and ultimately lead to all-round perfection in life.
Advice On Study
Q: Swamiji, how many hours daily would you advise me to devote to the study of spiritual literature?
A: Obviously, students cannot devote much time for reading outside of their own school texts. While a retired man can possibly spare six or seven hours for daily Svadhyaya, you might try to set aside at least a couple of hours every day for this purpose. Of course, you will be able to read more in your holidays. On the other hand, during examination time, you need not worry about Svadhyaya, but may confine yourself to your daily prayers. In these matters, you must always use your individual discretion, because you know your circumstances best. But, however, you must adhere to this main principle, namely, that some fixed time must be set apart for the daily reading of elevating, inspiring and ennobling spiritual literature. The length of time may, of course, be adjusted to suit different periods of the year.
Suitable Time
Q: What is the best time for studying spiritual literature?
A: Early morning, and at night after supper, is the best time for reading spiritual books. In the morning hours, our minds are fresh and free from struggling thoughts. At that time, we can concentrate our minds wonderfully on whatever we read. On the other hand, if you start reading in the evening, a number of thoughts and worries arising out of your day’s life will come to the surface of your mind and you will not be able to concentrate on the book in hand. Therefore, always make it a habit to get up at 4 a.m. in Brahmamuhurta and start your day with some prayer, some Asanas and Pranayama and some reading of spiritual literature. What we read in the early morning hours will be so deeply absorbed in our minds that we will be guided throughout the day by the noble thoughts. The whole day will thus be converted into a continuous Brahmamuhurta for us. A little reading before you retire at night (perhaps after your homework with school texts) will enable you to go to bed with a mind filled with sublime ideas and divine feelings.
Excerpts from: Secret of Svadhyaya - Students, Spiritual Literature and Sivananda 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
SEND FEED BACK ON THIS ARTICLE \** **Email to BT Digest Editor** **( dlsusa.org@gmail.com)
Living In The Present
Spiritual Message for the Day – Living In The Present by Sri.N.Ananthanarayanan
| **Baba Times Digest© | 22 March 2015 15.10 EST | New York Edition** |
Living In The Present
Divine Life Society Publication: What The River Has Taught Me by Sri N.Ananthanarayanan
Om! Om! Om!
Time is but a concept. Past, present and future are but man-made notions, concepts of convenience invented by man for the purpose of Vyavahara or worldly dealings. There is no past apart from the present. Dead present becomes the past, though in common usage we refer to the dead past. The past is never dead. It is the present which, when it dies, becomes the past like man who, when he dies, becomes a corpse. Likewise, the future too has no existence apart from the present. The future is only the yet-to-be-born present. The future is only the present in embryo. The truth of the matter is: there is present only. Present is life. Present is existence. Present is consciousness.
Many waste their time endlessly brooding over the past and day-dreaming about the future. And in the process they miss the present. How sad! Thinking over past mistakes, you lose the joy of the present as well. Building castles in the air about the future—castles which may never materialise—you let go God-given opportunities for living a rich life in the present.
Squeeze the maximum out of your life by living in the present, by living each moment. Face the present boldly with faith in God and courage in your heart. Squeeze the maximum out of each moment by living it. Get the maximum essence out of life by living concentratedly each God-given moment.
The present is there with you now. The same cannot be said about the future. You may or may not be. Even if you continue to be alive, you may not be healthy in the future. You may lose a limb or two in some accident, or go blind, or go deaf. Who knows? God forbid but who knows? Is it not prudence, then, that when God has given you a healthy body, an intelligent mind and all comforts, you should utilise time well, not just well but most profitably, in a manner beneficial to yourself as well as to those around you?
The man who declared, “Give me health and a day and I shall make the pomp of emperors ridiculous” apparently knew very well the secret of living in the present. Living in the present implies having your priorities in proper order and tackling the foremost items with all the resources at your disposal, throwing yourself body, mind and soul into the task on hand, forgetting the past and the future.
Little children always live in the present. No matter what they may be doing, their entire attention is on that. They may be eating or they may be playing; they may be watching a ladybird with intense curiosity or they may be chasing a dog lustily—they are totally involved. They are intensely intertwined with life in the present. Little children forget the past and ignore the future. Can we not live like little children?
You are out on a walk and the scenery is breathtaking. The air is crisp and clear. The sky is blue with not a speck of cloud or mist or haze. The birds are calling, chirping, twittering. The trees, the hills—all is green and fine. Enjoy it all—now where you are—instead of planning for the future and dreaming about the dead past. Give yourself over to the sights and sounds. Breathe in the fresh mountain air consciously. Bask in the sun’s rays. Get attuned to the bird’s songs and soak yourself in nature. Forget the rest. Just forget. That is living in the present.
You are lightly asleep. The Satsang music on the loudspeaker wakes you up:
“Sri Krishna Govinda Hare Murare,
Hey Natha Narayana Vasudeva!”
The Nama Sankirtan is sweet, inspiring, soul-satisfying. All right. Shake off the drowsiness at once and sit up and get in tune with the Kirtan Dhvani. Give your mind over to Sri Krishna. Visualise Him. Then and there become full of Bhakti-Bhav. Assume a prayerful attitude. Imagine yourself kneeling before Him and join-in in the singing from your room itself, from your bed itself. Those five minutes or ten minutes are marvellously well spent, are fully lived. That is living in the present When you are doing one thing, do not think of another thing. It is the surest way to do everything badly and slovenly. If you are at the stove heating milk and if you allow the mind to wander over past and future, the milk will boil over. If you have spent a full fifteen minutes to make a good cup of coffee, and as you put the cup to your lips your mind goes astray into regions wild, you would have drunk the coffee without ever knowing that you did so. And in the process miss that refreshing feeling which you would have otherwise gained!
Or, let us suppose you are trying to do Mayurasan, the Peacock Pose, or even actually doing it and your mind takes a trip elsewhere. What happens? In a jiffy, you nose-dive into your Yoga mat.
Live in the present. Sri Krishna did not ask Arjuna to brood over the causes that led to the battle of Kurukshetra. Nor did He ask Arjuna to think about the future should he win or lose the battle. He pointedly told Arjuna to fight the battle that faced him, on the spot and with full concentration.
Fighting the battle means doing our Dharma, doing our duty. Doing our duties as they present themselves to us from day to day, from hour to hour, without thought of past or future is the highest Yoga. It is the Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita. Gurudev practised this Yoga with every breath of his life. And even today, his illustrious disciples are practising this Yoga with great devotion and dedication. May we follow in their footsteps and make our lives blessed.
Excerpts from: Living In The Present - What The River Has Taught Me by Sri N.Ananthanarayanan
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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One Experience: Many Expressions
Spiritual Message for the Day – One Experience: Many Expressions by Sri Swami Venkatesananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 21 March 2015 20.29 EST | New York Edition** |
One Experience: Many Expressions
Divine Life Society Publication: The Eternal Religion by Swami Venkatesananda
In Madagascar a Christian girl asked me, “Why do you Hindus worship so many gods, whereas we worship only One God?”
I replied with a question, “How many Gods are there?”
“Only one,” she said.
“Then why do you say my god and your gods as though you yourself believed there were several?”
She did not utter another word, for only those who are themselves not sure that there is only one God, argue. Those who believe in the One God know that, albeit in various ways and forms, everyone worships Him alone.
Though He can be called by many names and approached by different people in different ways, the Indian believes that there is only One God. “Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti“, declare the Vedas. “Truth is one, sages express it in different ways.” Expression only is different, not the realisation nor the experience. A group, representing many different nations, sit drinking milk, each in his own cup, round the same table, experiencing the same sensation (that of drinking milk), but each identifies that milk with a noun from his own language, a sound strange to his companions. His cup may be different, his word for milk incomprehensible, but the milk is the same.
All prophets and all religions sing the glory of the One God. Just as the language of the song is different, so the context in which each Prophet expresses his experience is different. Moreover, people to whom they address themselves have different capacities of understanding, some big, some small, some so weak that they can only see veiled truth, others strong and able to bear the unshaded light. Prophets and sages had, and still have, a difficult and delicate task in adapting their wisdom and knowledge to the degree that is assimilable and suited to the taste of their listeners. He is a bad host who, himself a diabetic, insists that his guests must observe his own strict regimen. One formula or concept of God should not and cannot be forced on all. The very fact that all religions, even newly concocted ones, eventually split up into sects, shows that the very nature of humanity is incapable of assimilating a uniform concept. Such dogmatic streamlining would lead to a twofold tragedy. (i) It would for ever imprison the Infinite in a finite concept. All concepts are finite. It is thus the Grace of the Infinite that It inspires infinite finite viewpoints, thus fulfilling a mission otherwise impossible. (ii) It would turn away from its redeeming portals millions who either cannot or do not comprehend or concede that concept. But, of course, both these are impossibilities.
True religion reaches out to each one of us at his own level and elevates us from there, to the supreme goal, the ideal, the Truth, to God.
In the East, we have recognised the differences, have argued over them, and ultimately recognised:
(a) the unity underlying (again!) all the differences, and
(b) the need for the differences themselves.
If this recognition has not welded us into a uniformity, at least it has enabled us to be more understanding in the realisation that (in the words of President Dr. Radhakrishnan).
“The ways may twist and turn, but when you once reach the top the spiritual landscape which you discern is exactly the same. All those who by different routes have come up to the top are people who belong to one family”.
Only one religion really exists, for, according to Dr. Radhakrishnan, religion is “a personal encounter of the individual with the Supreme and not merely a doctrinal conformity or ceremonial propriety”, and even in its literal sense, it is that which unites the individual with God. Different clanish religions are the creations of man’s diseased mind, vanity and vested interests—or, as a concession we may say that they are mere expedients. On our planet we have only one ocean, and yet we have a number of them marked on the map, the distinction being a nautical expedient.
God is One. The religion that leads Man to Him is also one. Some call Him Krishna or a thousand other names and the religion, Hinduism. Some call Him Christ and the religion Christianity. The devotee of Christ is Christian; the devotee of Vishnu is Vaishnava; the devotee of Siva is a Saivite; the adorer of Isvara is an Arya Samajist; he who adores Allah is a Muslim, but all of them believe in the One Fundamental Truth.
There is no difference—superiority or inferiority—among the Prophets either. Each one comes from Him, is of Him—is He Himself. The one who came later is not necessarily superior to the one who came earlier. Rain fell last year, a thousand years ago, and this year. Is this year’s rainwater superior to last year’s or that of a thousand years ago?
He comes to all His children, in the way in which they can recognise Him, and with the message which they need. He is nobody’s domestic servant, and no one can dictate where, how and if He should incarnate. All are His children. He comes to help primitive man in the jungle as He comes to guide the Roman emperor.
The followers of the sage, saviour or Prophet have, however, the duty and privilege of serving their fellowmen with the Gospel they themselves received from their Master. The attitude here is not one of self-righteousness, religious or intellectual vanity, but one of worship of the Supreme Being Who dwells in the hearts of all those whom we thus serve.
Excerpts from: One Experience: Many Expressions - The Eternal Religion by Swami Venkatesananda
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Yoga and Its Objects
Spiritual Message for the Day – Yoga and Its Objects by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 20 March 2015 14.53 EST | New York Edition** |
Yoga and Its Objects
Divine Life Society Publication: Practical Lessons in Yoga by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Yoga Philosophy is one of the six systems of Hindu Philosophy which exist in India. Unlike so many other philosophies of the world, it is a philosophy that is wholly practical. Yoga is an exact science based on certain immutable Laws of Nature. It is well known to people of all countries of the world interested in the study of Eastern civilisation and culture, and is held in awe and reverence as it contains in it the master-key to unlock the realms of Peace, Bliss, Mystery and Miracle. Even the philosophers of the West found solace and peace in this Divine Science. Jesus Christ himself was a Yogi of a superior order, a Raja-Yogi indeed. The founder of the Yoga Philosophy was Patanjali Maharshi, who was not only a Philosopher and a Yogi, but a Physician as well. He is said to have lived about three hundred years before Jesus Christ.
Patanjali defines Yoga as the suspension of all the functions of the mind. As such, any book on Yoga, which does not deal with these three aspects of the subject, viz., mind, its functions and the method of suspending them, can he safely laid aside as unreliable and incomplete.
The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root “Yuj” which means “to join.” Yoga is a science that teaches us the method of joining the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. It is the merging of the individual will with the Cosmic or Universal Will. Yoga is that inhibition of the functions of the mind which leads to the absolute abidance of the soul in its own real nature of Divine Glory and Divine Splendour. It is the process by which the identity of the individual soul and the Oversoul is established by the Yogi. In other words, the human soul is brought into conscious communion with God. Yoga is the Science of sciences that disentangles the individual soul from the phenomenal world of sense-objects and links with the Absolute, whose inherent attributes are Infinite Bliss, Supreme Peace, Infinite Knowledge and unbroken Joy.
Yoga is that state of Absolute Peace wherein there is neither imagination nor thought. Yoga is control of mind and its modifications. Yoga teaches us how to control the modifications of the mind and attain liberation. It teaches us how to transmute the unregenerate nature and attain the state of Divinity. It is the complete suppression of the tendency of the mind to transform itself into objects, thoughts, etc. Yoga kills all sorts of pain, misery and tribulation. It gives you freedom from the round of births and deaths, with its concomitant evils of disease, old age, etc., and bestows upon you all the Divine Powers and final liberation through super-intutional knowledge.
The word Yoga is also applicable in its secondary sense to the factors of Yoga, viz., self-training, study, the different actions and practices that go to make up Yoga as they are conducive to the fulfilment of Yoga and as such indirectly lead to emancipation. Union with God is the goal of human life and that ought to become the touchstone of all human endeavours. That is the be-all and end-all of existence.
Equanimity is Yoga. Serenity is Yoga. Skill in actions is Yoga. Control of the senses and the mind is Yoga. Anything by which the best and the highest in life can be attained is also Yoga. Yoga is thus all-embracing, all-inclusive and universal in its application leading to all-round development of body, mind and soul.
The object of Yoga is to weaken what are called the five afflictions. The five afflictions are: Ignorance, Egoism, Likes, Dislikes and the instinct of self-preservation (or clinging to bodily life). Ignorance is the fertile soil which bears an abundant crop of the rest. On account of ignorance only egoism has manifested. Wherever there is egoism, there invariably exist likes, dislikes and the rest side by side. Clinging to bodily life or fear of death is born of likes only. It is nothing but attachment.
Egoism is a specific form of ignorance. The mind gets itself attached wherever there is pleasure. If the mind likes pomegranate, it gets itself attached to this fruit, as it derives pleasure from eating it. The mind runs after things that have been associated with agreeable experiences in the past. This is attachment (like). The mind runs away from objects which have caused pain. This is dislike. These are all the faults of man himself. The world can never hurt you. The five elements are your best teachers. They help you in a variety of ways. The things created by the Lord are all beneficial. It is only the creation of man that brings pain and misery. These five afflictions bind you to the outside objects and reduce you to piteous slavery. These afflictions remain as tendencies even when they are inoperative. These afflictions and tendencies can be attenuated by Yogic discipline.
On account of ignorance you have forgotten your primitive Divine Glory. On account of this evil you are not able to remember your old status of Godhood, your original immortal, blissful, divine nature. Ignorance is the root cause of egoism, likes, dislikes and the rest. These five afflictions are great impediments to Yoga. They stand as stumbling-blocks to the attainment of Self-realisation.
These five afflictions remain in a dormant, attenuated, overpowered or fully developed state. When the husband begins to quarrel with the wife, his love for her becomes dormant and he shows dislike for her for the time being. In a Yogic student these afflictions become thinned out or attenuated by the spiritual force of his Yogic practices. But they do exist in a subtle state. They cannot do any havoc. They are like the cobra whose poisonous fangs have been extracted by the snake-charmer. The “overpowered state” is that state in which one set of impressions is kept under restraint for some time by another powerful set of impressions; but they manifest again, when the cause of the suppression is removed. In a worldly man with passions and appetites these can be seen operating in fullest swing. But in a fully developed or full-blown Yogi these afflictions and impressions are burnt in toto.
Owing to ignorance you have mistaken the physical body for the Self and this is all the mistake you have committed. But it is a serious mistake indeed. By changing your mental outlook, by purifying your heart and intellect, you can attain Knowledge of Self. Mind, Prana, body and the senses are all instruments only. The real Seer is the Self who is pure, unchanging, eternal, self-luminous, self-existent, self-contained, infinite and immortal. When you begin to identify yourself with this immortal, all-pervading Self, all miseries will come to an end.
Likes and dislikes are the causes for doing good and evil deeds. Good and evil deeds bring pleasure and pain. Thus the round of births and deaths is kept from time immemorial by the six-spoked wheel of Likes, Dislikes, Virtue, Vice, Pleasure and Pain.
The Yogic student should first try to weaken these five afflictions. Three practices are prescribed for this purpose. They are: Austerity (Tapas), Study of Scriptures (Svadhyaya) and Resignation to the Will of the Lord (Isvara-pranidhana). The practitioner should have intense faith in the efficacy of his practices. Then the energy to carry on with the practices will manifest by itself. Then the real memory will dawn. When there is memory, then there is no difficulty in practicing concentration. If there is concentration, discrimination will dawn. That is the reason why Patanjali says: “Samadhi will come through faith, energy, memory, concentration and discrimination.”
Therefore, to get success in concentration, meditation and the practice of Yoga, you must have tremendous patience, tremendous will and tremendous perseverance. Plunge yourself in concentration. Merge the mind in the one idea of God and God alone. Let the mind fully get absorbed there. Forget other things. Let the whole body, muscles, tissues, nerves, cells and brain be filled with the one idea of God. This is the way to positive success. Great sages and saints of yore have practiced Yoga in this way only. Work hard. You will reach the goal. You will also become a great saint. Whatever one has achieved can be achieved by others also. This is the Law.
Excerpts from: Yoga and Its Objects - Practical Lessons in Yoga by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
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Faith in God
Spiritual Message for the Day – Faith in God by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 19 March 2015 16.00 EST | New York Edition** |
Faith in God
Divine Life Society Publication: Self-Knowledge by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Reason is impotent. Faith is omnipotent. Weak reason is defeated by strong reason. A Bhakta with faith can enter the innermost chambers of the Lord as Sudama did.
Do you not take for granted many things in Geometry? The teacher says: “A line has length but no breadth. A point has position (space) but no magnitude.” Is this really correct? Do you argue these points in any way? You simply take these for granted. Is this not blind faith? Then again, how do you know that this man is your father? Mother only knows your real father, she points out: “He is your father.” You have accepted it. Is this not blind faith?
Though you are not able to see the sun on account of the clouds, yet the sun exists. Though you are not able to see the mind that is hidden in the brain, the electricity in the wires, the child in the womb, butter in the milk, fire in the wood, yet the mind, electricity, child, butter and fire respectively do exist. Even so, though you are not able to see God who lies concealed in these forms on account of the impurities in the mind, yet God does exist.
Although we cannot see the stars in the daytime, yet we know that there are stars. Even so, though we cannot see God with these physical eyes, we can infer that God is hidden behind these names and forms.
Sometime you are in a peculiar dilemma or pressing pecuniary difficulty. Help comes to you in a mysterious manner. You get the money just in time. Every one of you might have experienced this. You exclaim at that moment in joy: “God’s ways are mysterious indeed. I have got now full faith in God. Upto this time I had no faith in God.”
Brahman or the Self or the Immanent God cannot be demonstrated as He is beyond the reach of senses and mind, but His existence can be inferred by certain empirical facts or common experiences in daily life. A certain lady had a fall from the third storey. Underneath there was a bed of sharp angular stones. She would have received serious injuries, but she was miraculously saved. She herself expressed: “I felt the warm embrace by some invisible hands. Some mysterious power saved me.” Instances like this are not uncommon.
An advocate had no faith in God. He developed double pneumonia. His last breath stopped. His wife, son and relatives began to weep. But he had a mysterious experience. The messengers of Yama caught hold of him and brought him to the court of Lord Yama. Lord Yama said to his messengers: “this is not the man I wanted. You have brought a wrong person. Send him off.” He began to breathe after one hour. He actually experienced that he left the body, went to the court of Yama and again re-entered his physical body. This astonishing experience changed his entire nature. He developed intense faith in God and became a religious man. He is still living in the United Provinces.
Another Advocate had a similar experience but there is some change in this case. He was also an atheist. He was brought by the messengers to the Durbar of Yama. This Advocate asked Yama: “I have not finished my work in the physical plane. I have to do still more useful work. Kindly spare me life now.” His boon was granted. He was struck with wonder by this strange experience. His nature also was completely changed. He left the legal practice at once. He is devoting the remaining portion of his life in selfless service and meditation. He is still living in South India.
Damaset, father of Nam Dev, used every day to visit the temple of Vittoba at Pandarpur and worship Him with fruits or rice, etc. He went to a neighbouring village one day on some urgent business. Gona Bai, mother of Nam Dev gave the offerings to Nam Dev and asked him to go and offer them to Vittoba. Nam Dev took the articles of worship and placed them before the image of Vittal or Lord Krishna and requested Him to eat the same. When he found that the image was silent, he wept bitterly in acute agony. Then Vittal appeared in human form and actually ate the offering in order to please His child-devotee. Faith and devotion can work wonders. The Lord becomes a slave of devotees.
Feel the help from the invisible hands of God during worldly activities. The Lord is always with you. He is watching all our activities and thoughts. Children fall from the upper stories. They are saved miraculously. In motor-car accidents and various other catastrophies people are saved in a mysterious manner, through the timely help from the inevitable hands of the hidden power (God). Every one of you might have had this kind of experience. When you are in great difficulty, He sends you money in a mysterious manner from some unexpected source. You feel His presence and His invisible hands. But you forget Him immediately when your pocket is full.
Do not argue. You will not gain anything. Sit before your spiritual preceptor or Mahatma quietly and meditate for one hour. Let the soul speak to the soul. All your doubts will be cleared by themselves. You will have good experiences. You will enjoy peculiar peace. There will be a holy thrill of joy in your heart. This is the way for your spiritual growth.
Excerpts from: Faith in God - Self-Knowledge by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
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The Economics of Living
Spiritual Message for the Day – The Economics of Living by Sri Swami Krishnananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 18 March 2015 16.48 EST | New York Edition** |
The Economics of Living
Divine Life Society Publication: Interior Pilgrimage by Sri Swami Krishnananda
(In Swami Krishnananda’s own handwriting)
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The economics of human life intended for the welfare of everyone, in every way, requires that one should not harm another in any way, but have a consideration which one applies to one’s own self; that one should not try to deceive another in any manner; that no one should possess or enjoy anything which does not really belong to one whether by personal labour for earning it or by any justifiable mode of relationship; that one should not take from others more than what one has given to them by way of some service; that one should not possess more things than what would be necessary for a reasonable and comfortable existence as the essential needs of life, and that one should not indulge in pleasures and habits which could be harmful to one’s health and to the peace of others.
Excerpts from: The Economics of Living - Interior Pilgrimage by Sri Swami Krishnananda
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Sadachara
Spiritual Message for the Day – Sadachara by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 17 March 2015 18.08 EST | New York Edition** |
Sadachara
Divine Life Society Publication: Yoga of Right Conduct by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
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Ethics or ethical science treats about Sadachara or right conduct, morality or duty. Ethics is the science of morals, that branch of philosophy which is concerned with human character and conduct.
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Conduct is behaviour. Deportment, carriage, demeanour, conduct, behaviour are synonymous terms. The way in which rational beings should behave towards each other as well as towards other creatures is dealt with in the science of morals or ethics.
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To speak the truth; to practice Ahimsa; not to hurt the feelings of others in thought, word and deed; not to speak harsh words to anyone; not to show anger towards anybody; not to abuse others or speak ill of others and to see God in all beings is Sadachara. If you abuse anyone, if you hurt the feelings of others, really you are abusing yourself and hurting the feelings of God only. Himsa (injuring) is a deadly enemy of Bhakti and Jnana. It separates and divides. It stands in the way of realising unity or oneness of Self.
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That act or exertion which does not do good to others, or that act for which one has to feel shame should never be done. That act on the other hand, should be done for which one may be lauded in Society. This is a brief description of what right conduct is.
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Lord Manu says in the Smriti: “Achara (good conduct) is the highest Dharma, declared by the Sruti and by the Smriti. Thus beholding the path of Dharma issue from Achara, the sages embrace Achara as the root of all Tapas.”
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Righteousness, Truth, good works, power and prosperity all originate from conduct. You will find in the Mahabharata: “The mark of Dharma is Achara (good conduct). Achara is the mark of good. Higher than all teaching is Achara. From Achara, Dharma is born, and Dharma enhances the life. By Achara man attains life; by Achara he attains prosperity; by Achara he attains fair fame, here and hereafter. He who is the friend of all beings, he who is intent on the welfare of all with act, thought and speech—he only knoweth Dharma.”
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Dharma is extremely subtle (Ati Sukshma) intricate and complex. Even sages are perplexed. Dharma gives wealth, satisfaction of desires and liberation in the end. Dharma tops the list of the four Purusharthas, viz., Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. Dharma is generally termed as duty, righteousness, etc. Any action that is best calculated to bring Sreyas (Moksha) is Dharma. That which brings well-being to human beings is Dharma.
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All that is free from any motive of injury to any being is surely morality. For, indeed the moral precepts have been made to free the creatures from all injuries. Dharma is so called because it protects all. Indeed morality saves all creatures.
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The conduct is the root of prosperity. Conduct increases fame. It is conduct which prolongs life. It is conduct which destroys all calamities and evils. Conduct has been said to be superior to all the branches of knowledge.
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It is by conduct that one acquires a long life, and is by conduct that one acquires riches and prosperity. It is a means to attain the goal of life. Without good conduct no one can achieve the goal. Good conduct brings in fame, longevity, wealth and happiness. It eventually leads to Moksha. It is conduct that begets virtue, and it is virtue which prolongs life. Conduct gives fame, long life and heaven. Conduct is the most efficacious rite of propitiating the celestials.
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The good and virtuous are so on account of the conduct they follow. The marks, again of good conduct are afforded by the deeds of those that are good or righteous. Indeed, it is by conduct that one acquires the fame that depends upon great deeds both in this world and in the next. For sooth, one may, by his conduct alone, conquer the three worlds. There is nothing which virtuous persons cannot obtain. A person of good deeds and good, pleasant and sweet speech has no peer. People regard that man who acts righteously and who does good acts even if they only hear of him without actually seeing him.
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The man whose conduct is improper or wicked never acquires a long life. All creatures fear such a man and are oppressed by him. If therefore one wishes his own advancement and prosperity, one should in this world, follow the path of righteousness and conduct himself properly. Good conduct succeeds in removing the inauspiciousness and misery of even one who is sinful.
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The man of right conduct has ideals, principles and mottoes. He strictly follows them, removes his weaknesses and defects and develops good conduct and becomes a Sattvic man. He is very careful in behaving with his elders, parents, teachers, Acharyas, sisters, brothers, friends, relatives, strangers and others. He attempts to know what is right and wrong, by approaching Sadhus and Mahatmas and by studying scriptures very carefully and then treads the path of righteousness or Dharma.
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The man of right conduct always cares for the welfare of all beings. He lives in harmony with the neighbours and all people. He never hurts the feelings of others, never speaks lies. He practices Brahmacharya. He checks the evil tendencies of the mind and prepares himself through the practice of right conduct to attain the Bliss of union with Paramatman.
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An aspirant went to Veda Vyasa and said: “O Maharshi, Avatara of Vishnu, I am in a dilemma. I cannot properly comprehend the right significance of the term ‘Dharma.’ Some say it is right conduct. Others say that which leads to Moksha and happiness is Dharma. Anything, any action that brings you down is Adharma. Lord Krishna says: ‘Even sages are puzzled to understand perfectly what is Dharma, what is Adharma. Gahana karmano gatih—Mysterious is the path of action.’ I am bewildered. O Maharshi, kindly give me a very, very easy definition of Dharma to enable me to follow Dharma in all my actions.” Maharshi Vyasa replied: “O aspirant! Hear me. I shall suggest an easy method. Remember the following sayings always with great care when you do any action. ‘Do as you would be done by. Do unto others as you wish others do unto you.’ This is the whole of Dharma. Attend to this carefully. You will be saved from all troubles. If you follow these wise maxims, you can never give any pain unto others. Practice this in your daily life. Even if you fail one hundred times, it does not matter. Your old Samskaras Asubha Vasanas are your real enemies. They will come in the way as stumbling blocks. But persevere. You will succeed in the attainment of the goal.” The aspirant strictly adhered to Vyasa’s instructions and attained liberation.
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This is a very good maxim. The whole gist of Sadachara or right conduct is here. If one practices this very carefully he will not commit any wrong act. ‘To work in accordance with the Divine Will is right; to work in opposition to the Divine Will is wrong.’
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God, Religion and Dharma are inseparable. All human beings are characterized by righteousness, and they in course of natural progress and improvement attain to the dignity of God. Man evolves through practice of Dharma according to his caste and order of life and eventually attains Self-realisation, the ultimate goal of life, which brings infinite Bliss, supreme peace, unbroken joy, highest knowledge, eternal satisfaction and Immortality. Ethical perfection is a prerequisite to Self-realisation.
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Metaphysics rests on morality. Morality rests on metaphysics. Morality has Vedanta as its basis. The Upanishad says: “Thy neighbour, in truth, is thy very Self, and what separates you from him is mere illusion.” Sadachara is the basis for the realization of Atmic unity or oneness of life or Advaitic feeling of oneness everywhere. Ethical culture prepares you for the Vedantic realization of: “Sarvam khalvidam Brahma—All indeed is Brahman.”
Excerpts from: Sadachara - Yoga of Right Conduct by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
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