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Your Window to the World of Philosophy, Religion and Spirituality!
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.
LATEST NEWS We are conducting 'Guided Meditation Session' every Saturday at 5.30 PM EST from New York.
This will include discussions on various topics like Upanishads, Philosophy, Spirituality & Meditation through Skype. Please send 'Add Request' to 'DLSNewYork' from your skype account so that you can participate in this Satsang. These sessions are part of Divine Life Society from Rishikesh
Hari Om. The Baba Times Team, Contact thebabatimes@gmail.com
The Incarnations of God
Spiritual Message for the Day – The Incarnations of God by Sri Swami Krishnananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 22 November 2015 17**.23 EST | New York Edition** |
The Incarnations of God
Divine Life Society Publication: A Short History of Religious and Philosophic Thought in India by Sri Swami Krishnananda
God incarnates himself in the world, whenever there is decline of righteousness and rise of unrighteousness, for the purpose of the protection of the good, the vanquishing of the wicked and establishment of justice in every age.
The theory of divine incarnation has been a controversial issue in the philosophy of religion and has been one of the intriguing questions in theology. It is impossible metaphysically to interpret to the mind of man the divine secret of the movement of spiritual force in the world. When a solution is attempted, the Avatara reveals itself as the answer of God to the needs of man. There is an internal bond of inseparable relation between the relative and the Absolute, and the descent of God on earth is the pressure of the power of truth forcing itself into the realm of the relative when the harmony of this bond and relation gets dissipated by centrifugal psychic energies that seem to run counter to the integrating centripetal call of God to all manifestation. The descent of God as the Avatara is said to be for the ascent of man to his divine home. As the health-giving forces of harmony in the body perpetually wage a war with the disease-producing toxins, the universal balancing power of the Absolute introduces itself as a corrective element amidst the disturbing forces of darkness. The Avatara is a perpetual activity of God who manifests himself at every juncture or critical situation (Yuge, Yuge) in the life of the world. The Avatara is the recurring reminder of God to man that it is impossible for the undivine to triumph over the essential goodness and divinity immanent in creation.
God, The Almighty - A Short History of Religious and Philosophic Thought in India 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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God, The Almighty
Spiritual Message for the Day – God, The Almighty by Sri Swami Krishnananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 21 November 2015 20**.02 EST | New York Edition** |
God, the Almighty
Divine Life Society Publication: A Short History of Religious and Philosophic Thought in India by Sri Swami Krishnananda
The ultimate reality is God, who is Absolute. He is the supreme Brahman which cannot be designated either as being or non-being, from the human standpoint. It has hands and feet everywhere; eyes, ears and faces everywhere; and it exists enveloping everything. It has the characteristics of the percepts of all senses, but it is itself devoid of the senses of perception. Though it is unattached to external objects, it is the basis for everything. Though without descriptive qualities or epithets, it is the reservoir of all of them. Being inside and outside all things, it may be said to be both moving and unmoving. On account of its subtlety it is not visible to the eyes. Being infinite, it looks as if it is far, but being the Self of everyone, it is very near. Though it appears divided among the divided bodies, it is really undivided like the ocean beneath the waves. It is the absorber and releaser of everything, the Light of all lights, beyond the darkness of ignorance. Such is the description of the Absolute given in the Bhagavadgita.
The Absolute appears as the universal Virat when it is regarded as the support of the Universe. In the eleventh chapter of the gospel is sung a description of the Universal Being. The form of this Divinity is incapable of being visualised by the transitory mind of the mortal individual, for, all thoughts and acts, whether of mind or of body, have objectives in space and time as their ends, while the Divine Being is above space and time. To understand (Jnatum), to see (Drashtum) and to enter (Praveshtum) into Reality, a transcendence of individuality in a state of universal transfiguration of personality is necessary. God in His form as the Universal Maker of things determines the course of events in His cosmic scheme of creation, and it is the duty of the individual to act merely as His instrument and not assume a false responsibility of doership and enjoyership in life, which belongs to God alone. This perception of truth requires the development of a spiritual vision (Divya-Chakshus) and it cannot be comprehended by the senses or even the logical intellect. The Universal Form which Krishna assumed stunned the egoistic individuality of Arjuna, and in a thrill it looked as if his very being would evaporate in those dizzy heights of that blazing eternal form, which, with its supernal radiance, darkened the lights of thousands of suns. The descriptive powers of the poet reach their summit here in this apotheosis of human language.
There is no place where God is not, and no object in which he is not present. His glory is seen in high relief in everything which exhibits an intensified type of power in any manner. No one who looks to him for solace does ever perish or come to sorrow. Whoever, in undivided contemplation, resorts to him as the final refuge, to such a person he provides all needs and affords protection at all times. God does not need any rich offerings from man; he is satisfied with a dedicated feeling of devotion which can be conveyed through even a leaf that may be consecrated to him. God has neither friend nor foe and he is not concerned either with the good or the bad action of the individual. Krishna declares, as the God of the Universe: “I am the sacrifice and the offering. I am the mantra and the ritual, the oblation, the fire and what is offered in the sacrifice. I am the Father of the Universe, the Mother, the Grandfather and the protector of all. I am the goal, the support, the Lord, the witness, the abode, the refuge, the friend, the origin, the desolation, the substratum, the reservoir, the seed indestructible. As the sun, I give heat; I withhold and send forth rain; I am immortality and also death; I am existence and also non-existence. O Arjuna.”
God can be approached in any way suited to one’s temperament and capacity. He does not belong to any creed, cult or religion. He is accessible to everyone, whether man, woman or child, whether learned or ignorant, whether high or low, in society. What is needed is undivided devotion, unflinching love for Him. The way out of all sorrows is to take refuge in Him, to the exclusion of all earthly aids. This devotion, however, is not easy to acquire. It comes by cultivation of it in many lives through which one has to pass, and it is difficult to find one who realises that God is all.
God, The Almighty - A Short History of Religious and Philosophic Thought in India 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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Essence of Ramayana
Spiritual Message for the Day – Essence of Ramayana by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 20 November 2015 21**.18 EST | New York Edition** |
Essence of Ramayana
Divine Life Society Publication: Essence of Ramayana by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Sri Swamiji has rightly called the Ramayana as being Dharma in theory and practice.
It has influenced and moulded Indian life and thought for hundreds of years and is still a living force in the inner depths of Indian consciousness.
Hari Om!
- BALA KANDA
Rama helps Visvamitra by guarding his sacrifice. He slays Tataka and Subahu. He frees Ahalya from the curse. He breaks the bow of Siva and marries Janaki. He annihilates the pride of Parasurama.
- AYODHYA KANDA
Preparations are made for installing Rama as the heir apparent. His step-mother Kaikeyi stands in the way and sends him into exile. Raja Dasaratha becomes very much afflicted at heart on account of his separation from Rama and dies on account of grief. Rama, Lakshmana and Sita are entertained by Guha, a hunter-chief. They cross the Ganga and meet the Rishi Bharadvaja. They then go to Chitrakoota on the advice of the Rishi. They build a cottage made of grass and leaves there. Bharata comes and asks Rama to return and take back the administration of his kingdom. Rama refuses. Then Bharata returns and takes Rama’s sandals. He places the sandals on the throne and rules the kingdom in the name of Sri Rama. He himself lives at Nandigram.
- ARANYA KANDA
Viradha, a giant, attacks them in the Dandaka forest. Rama kills him. They then pay a visit to the Rishis Sarabhanga, Suteekshna and Atri. Anasuya, wife of Atri, gives an inspiring discourse on the duties of a wife to Sita. Then they meet Rishi Agastya. Rama receives celestial weapons from him. They encounter the giantess Soorpanakha in the Panchavati forest. She is disfigured by Lakshmana, who cuts off her nose and ears. Khara and Trisiras, brothers of Soorpanakha, were very much enraged. They fought against Rama and Lakshmana. They were slain in the battle.
Maricha, uncle of Ravana, assumed the form of a golden deer and appeared before them. Sita requests Rama to get the deer for her. Rama proceeds to catch the deer and kills it. Ravana carries away Sita in the absence of Rama and Lakshmana. Jatayu, the king of the vultures, challenges Ravana, but he is mortally wounded. Sri Rama obtains all the information about Sita from the dying Jatayu. He is very much afflicted at heart. Subsequently Rama and Lakshmana kill Kabandha near the lake Pampa. Then they meet the pious Sabari. She offers them roots and fruits.
- KISHKINDHA KANDA
Sri Rama meets Hanuman on the banks of Pampa. They proceed to Mount Rishyamuka and make an alliance with Sugriva. Sugriva kills Vali with the help of Sri Rama and he is crowned the king of Kishkindha. Rama consoles Tara.
Thereupon Hanuman with a party of monkeys proceeds in search of Sita. He takes with him the ring of Sri Rama as a token. He makes a vigorous search and is not able to find Sita. Jambavan finds Sampati, brother of Jatayu, in a cave. Hanuman climbs up the top of a hill on his direction and from there he leaps across the ocean.
- SUNDARA KANDA
Mainaka, an island peak, invites Hanuman to rest on its top at the request of the ocean. In his aerial journey Simhika, a monstress of the ocean, drags him down by catching his shadow. Hanuman kills her.
Then he gets a distant view of Lanka and enters the city at night. He finds out Sita in the Asoka grove. He gives her Rama’s token and message. The Rakshasas imprison Hanuman. Hanuman frees himself and sets fire to Lanka. He returns to the place where Rama is staying and gives Sita’s gem to Sri Rama. Sri Rama is highly delighted when he receives Sita’s token and message.
- YUDDHA KANDA
Nala builds a bridge across the sea on the advice of the ocean. The heroes with a large army of monkeys cross the ocean and reach Lanka. Vibhishana joins them and tells them how to destroy Ravana and his army. Kumbhakarna, Indrajit and Ravana are killed in battle. Sita is rescued. Vibhishana is then crowned as king.
Sri Rama, with his party returns to Ayodhya in the flying car called Pushpaka. Rama is crowned as Emperor. The people of his kingdom feel extremely happy.
Sita’s honour is tested in the fire. She comes out more glorious and effulgent than ever.
- UTTARA KANDA
Sri Rama’s reign is called Rama Rajya. There is righteousness everywhere. Everywhere there are plenty and prosperity. There are neither dacoits nor thieves. There is neither disease nor sorrow. There is no cheating in the markets and shops. There is no adultery. The pilgrims visit safely the sacred places and shrines. Property and life are quite safe. A purse of gold may be exposed without danger in the midst of a highway.
The four castes duly observe their Dharmas. Sri Rama goes back to His supreme abode after a long and prosperous rule.
Excerpts from: Essence of Ramayana 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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H.H.Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj
Spiritual (Punyathithi) Message for the Day – H.H.Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj
| **Baba Times Digest© | 19 November 2015 15**.34 EST | New York Edition** |
His Holiness Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj
Divine Life Society Publication
**(14 Swami Krishnananda was a philosopher, administrator, author, guide, guru and realised saint-he was a spiritual genius, one could say. His understanding of the most profound truths of Vedantic philosophy was extraordinary; one cannot imagine a person with a greater knowledge of the scriptures. He could quote whole sections of ancient texts that he had learned by heart. It seemed that he had read and mastered every sacred text, every commentary and every scholarly work that he encountered.
He had also grasped the complex philosophy of the West: Kant, Hegel, Berkeley, Hume, Whitehead, Alexander and so many others. He wrote his first book, a complex work of the most profound Vedantic philosophy, when he was a young man of twenty-two-in a mere fourteen days. No one could stand before him in a philosophical discussion; all had to at some point acknowledge his superior understanding. However, to dwell only on his genius would give a false impression. He was at heart a humble soul, a devoted disciple of his guru Swami Sivananda and a servant of his guru’s mission: the Divine Life Society and the Sivananda Ashram. He did not want anything for himself.
He did not seek disciples of his own, he did not go out in search of name and fame, he did not seek to please fickle public taste or to cater to popular trends. He spoke simply and directly but very powerfully, with all the authority of his attainment permeating his words. He stayed almost his entire adult life in one place, the Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh, and resisted all efforts to get him to leave the Ashram or Mother Ganga. Yet, the whole world came to him. Visitors and devotees from all over India and the world flocked to his morning darshan where he dealt with Ashram work, solved problems, answered spiritual questions and gave consolation to the needy. Beneath an exterior that was at times brusque, even tough, was the heart of a loving father.
The discourses, talks and teachings presented here can only give a partial glimpse of this spiritual giant. When he spoke, it was as if the whole universe was speaking through him. His insight and humility allowed him to present the highest and most complicated teachings in an accessible manner, so that those who were willing to dig deeply into the teachings would not come away unrewarded. He saw things that others cannot, and therefore through his seeing, we who come after him can also be led through his teachings from the darkness into light.
LIFE OF SWAMI KRISHNANANDA
Born as the eldest son of a family of six children, on the 25th of April 1922, he was named Subbaraya. He was born in a highly religious and orthodox Brahmin family. He was well versed in the Sanskrit language, and its influence was very profound on the young boy. He had his high school education in Puttur (South Kanara Dist., Karnataka State) and stood first in the class in all the subjects. Not being satisfied with what was taught in the classroom, he took to an earnest study of Sanskrit on his own with the aid of the Amara-Kosa and other scriptural texts. He studied and learned by heart the entire Bhagavad Gita when he was still a boy.
He had a simple way of doing it: he would not eat his breakfast, or even lunch, unless he had memorised a prescribed number of verses. Thus, within months he memorised the whole of the Gita and recited it in full every day. Such was his eagerness to study and learn scripture. Reading from the Srimad Bhagavata that Lord Narayana lives in the sacred Badrinath Dham, the young boy believed it literally and had a secret pious wish to go to the Himalayas, where Badrinath is located, and see the Lord there.
By the study of Sanskrit works like the Gita, the Upanishads, and others, he was attracted more and more to the Advaita philosophy of Shankaracharya, although his family belonged to the traditional Madhva sect, which follows the dualistic philosophy. His inner longing for Advaitic experience and renunciation were growing stronger every day. In 1943, Subbaraya took up Government service at Hospet in Bellary District, but his work there did not last long. Before the end of the same year, he left for Varanasi, and while there he studied the Vedas and other scriptures.
But the longing for seclusion and the unknown call from the Master pulled him to Rishikesh, where he arrived in the summer of 1944. When he met Swami Sivananda and fell prostrate before him, the saint said: “Stay here till death; I will make kings and ministers fall at your feet.” The young man who wondered within himself how could this ever happen at all, realised the prophecy of the saint’s statement. Swami Sivananda initiated this young Subbaraya into the holy order of sannyasa on the sacred day of Makara-Sankranti, the 14th of January 1946 and gave him the name Swami Krishnananda.
Sri Gurudev found the young disciple was well suited to correspondence, general writing tasks, the compiling and editing of books, or any other literary sort of engagement. Later on he was given the work of putting into typewritten form the hand-written manuscripts of Sri Gurudev that were brought to him daily. For instance, Swami Krishnananda typewrote the two volumes of hand-written manuscripts of the Brahma Sutras of Sri Gurudev. He confined himself mostly to his work and study at the beginning and did not have much contact with visitors, so that many people who came from outside never even knew he existed in the Ashram. It was in the year 1948 that Gurudev asked him to do more serious scholarly work, along the lines of writing books in philosophy and religion, which he took up in earnest. It could be safely said that from that year onwards, he was more absorbed in writing and conducting classes, holding lectures, etc., as per instruction of Sri Gurudev. His first book, The Realisation of the Absolute, he wrote in a mere 14 days at the young age of 22.
When it became necessary for the Ashram to get assistance from members gifted with management skills, Swami Krishnananda was asked to collaborate with the Working Committee, which was formed in the year 1957. He was given the position of Secretary, and was especially concerned with the management of the Ashram finances, which he continued till about the year 1961. Due to the absence for a protracted period of Swami Chidananda, Gurudev nominated him as General Secretary of the Divine Life Society-a position he held until his resignation due to poor health in 2001. It can very safely be said that in the history of the Divine Life Society none ever held, nor is likely to hold, the responsible and taxing position of General Secretary for such a lengthy period of time.
Swami Krishnananda was a master of scriptures, and he expounded practically all the major works of Vedanta in the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy of the Society, in early morning sessions, afternoon classes and in regular three-month courses. Many of these talks have been brought out in book-form-authentic commentaries covering the philosophy, psychology and practice of the various disciplines of Yoga. He is thus the author of over forty works, each one a masterpiece in itself. Only a genius of the highest caliber could accomplish this feat, coming as it did in the midst of the enormous day-to-day volume of work as the General Secretary of a vast institution. He was a rare blend of karma and jnana yogas, a living example of the teachings of the Gita.
Such was his literary skill and understanding of the entire gamut of the works of Sivananda (numbering about three hundred titles), that Sri Gurudev himself made him the President of the Sivananda Literature Research Institute, when the Institute was formed on 8th September 1958. Swami Krishnananda was appointed the President of the Sivananda Literature Dissemination Committee, which was formed to bring out translations of Sri Gurudev’s works in the major Indian languages. When Swami Shivapremananda was sent to the United States, Swami Krishnananda was made the Editor of the Society’s official monthly organ, ‘The Divine Life’ beginning in September 1961-a position that he did efficiently for nearly two decades.
He was a master of practically every system of Indian thought and Western philosophy. “Many Sankaras are rolled into one Krishnananda,” said Sri Gurudev, in a statement of high praise, which he himself has amplified in his article ‘I Marvel at Krishnanandaji’.
Swami Krishnananda continued his service to the Ashram for the next forty years as it grew from a relatively small society into a spiritual institution widely known and respected throughout the world. Swamiji as General Secretary skillfully dealt with all the administrative matters of the Ashram with consummate expertise and grace. As he carried on this crushing load of work, he also dealt with the needs of the devotees who came to him from all over India and the world. Each morning he would carry on the business of running the Ashram, but at the same time rendering loving advice to those who came seeking help, and answering the spiritual questions posed by people who sincerely trusted in his wisdom. Despite failing health in his later years, he continued to serve the Ashram and the many visitors who flocked to him.
Swami Krishnananda attained Mahasamadhi on 23 November, 2001. On the morning of his passing, Swamiji had told his personal assistant that the previous night he had dreamed that he would die the following day. Swamiji had a severe asthma attack on the 23rd and attempts to revive him by Dr. Babu, the Ashram doctor, were unsuccessful. On Sunday, November 25 senior swamis from the Ashram performed the last rites. Swamiji’s body was carried in a sitting position in a palanquin covered in garlands of flowers.
The devotees in the procession chanted holy mantras as the body was carried to various key places in the Sivananda Ashram, such as the Samadhi Shrine, the Viswanath Mandir, and the Bhajan Hall. The procession then continued along the main road to the Sivananda Arch and later on to the Sivananda Ghat, where worship was performed. As Swamiji’s mortal remains were being taken in a boat to be immersed in the Ganga, a large flock of birds appeared suddenly in the sky flying in a “V” formation. They were headed in the direction of Badrinath, the abode of Lord Narayana, offering as it were a symbolic gesture of farewell.
Note: 14 **– November 19,2015_
Excerpts from: Divine Life Society Publication
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)
Place Yourself In Your Real Self
Spiritual Message for the Day – Place Yourself In Your Real Self by Sri Swami Padmanabhanandaji
| **Baba Times Digest© | 18 November 2015 14**.59 EST | New York Edition** |
Place Yourself In Your Real Self
Divine Life Society Publication: Online meditation & Satsang via Skype by Sri Swami Padmanabhanandaji
(Spoken on November 15,2015 via Skype to Bhagavadgita Study group – Australia, New Zealand, USA)
I am happy to be here to meet you all and to participate in this Satsang via Skype especially the study group those who are studying Gita and the transit from the third chapter to the fourth chapter.
I will give an outline of what you have studied so far.
The first chapter of Bhagavadgita is the chapter of delusion. The Sastras declare that we are basically divine. You are not this mortal being. We are immortal, changeless immortal. Everlasting peace and happiness is our nature but unfortunately we are not aware of it.
This non-awareness of our real self and in that place awareness of a wrong person and another self which is full of problems, facing miseries in life, so that condition is created by an agent we call it as moha. Arjuna was under the grip of moha because of that moha he had shoka. Moha is delusion and because of the delusion he has sorrow in life. Because of this moha we are under the grip of shoka. Shoka means sorrow. To overcome that Bhagavan says in the second chapter which according to Sankaracharya is the beginning of the Bhagavadgita. The first chapter, he says is only an introduction, a presentation of what the situation is like.
So in the second chapter Bhagawan says: Ashochyaan anvashochastwam prajnaavaadaamshcha bhaashase; Gataasoon agataasoomshcha naanushochanti panditaah.(2.11)
Bhagavan says, ‘what is this worrying about a thing about which you should not be worried at all’.
The real Gita begins from that slokha (verse). To overcome that shoka, to overcome that grief, and to overcome that pain we are undergoing in life, the delusion we are having, what is needed is discrimination. Knowledge is needed. So, in the second chapter Bhagavan goes on to speak about our imperishable nature. Your nature is full of Ananda. Your nature is Sat-chid-ananda svarupa. You are not this body, nor this mind, and all this thoughts you are entertaining are not your real thoughts. They are the creations of the mind. The mind makes you feel like that. So you go beyond the mind.
Keep your position, yourself, in your real Self. You shall be your real Self. That is achieved through discrimination, through understanding. So, the second chapter deals with the discrimination – Jnana. Bhagavan speaks about this and gives the nature of the person - one who is established in the real Self. He is called stitha prajna. He is established in the real Self. And what are his qualities, how he will look like, how he will behave, are told in the end of the second chapter. So the second chapter concludes here.
Bhagavan says to Arjuna, ‘understand that you need knowledge; Supreme knowledge so you can place yourself in your Real Self and thereafter there is no shoka. There is no delusion. There is no sorrow’.
‘Then in that case I will go to Himalayas, go to Sivananda Ashram, have a room there and enjoy food and remain there. I will not do any work’, like that people begin to think. Then Bhagavan says, ‘No, No, it is not correct. You have to do your activities also’. With this knowledge you should place yourself in that condition and carry on all activities. Place yourself in your Real Self and carry on all your duties – worldly duties. Because you are here in this world, you cannot neglect this. You have to do all your activities here. While you are doing all your activities here, you should place yourself in the original nature that is what he says.
Suppose a person is acting in the drama as a villain and his own brother or son or somebody close to him is the hero. While he is fighting with the hero, he knows very well that it is only a drama, it is only acting. That is the requirement of the stage. In reality our relationship is different. Likewise you should be aware of your real nature and carry on with the activities of this world. He explains that as Yajna.
Yajna means you have to do your duties in this world and while you are performing your duties you must also place yourself in your real position (Self).
Do not identify with the mind. Do not identify with the desire. Do not identify with your intellectual concepts. Identify with your real self and discharge your duties as it comes before you. Then that is what is called the Yajna. It is called Karma Yoga. That has been explained in the third chapter.
Now in the fourth chapter, Bhagavan says that this knowledge although I have told you and you keep on contemplating on that, you forget and you get deluded due to the flux (continuous change) and every time I shall re-establish this. People understand but in the course of time again they are deluded and then I have to come back here again to reestablish he says.
So Bhagavan says that he has to come back again and again whenever it is needed. A bulb which is glowing collects dust. Every week you wipe it and make it clean, as you wash your clothes, as you wash your room and the walls again and again to make it clean. Because of the constant contact with the outer world, it gets dirty. Clean it up again and make it look clean and neat. Likewise this also has to be done. For that, I, again and again take this avatara and re-establish this truth. That is the fourth chapter.
Hari om.
Audio link and download : Place Yourself In Your Real Self by Sri Swami Padmanabhanandaji
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)
Skanda Sashti
Spiritual (Festival) Message for the Day – Skanda Sashti by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 17 November 2015 18**.58 EST | New York Edition** |
Skanda Sashti
Divine Life Society Publication: Hindu Fasts and Festivals ** by**Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
PROSTRATIONS and humble salutations to Lord Subramanya, the Supreme Being, who is the ruler of this universe, who is the indweller of our hearts, who is the second son of Lord Siva, who is the beloved of Valli and Deivayanai, who bestows boons easily on His devotees, who is the embodiment of power, wisdom, love and bliss.
Lord Subramanya is an incarnation of Lord Siva. All incarnations are manifestations of the one Supreme Lord. Lord Subramanya and Lord Krishna are one.
Lord Krishna says in theGita:”Among the army generals, I am Skanda”.
The Lord manifests Himself from time to time in various names and forms, for the sake of establishing righteousness and subduing wickedness.
Lord Subramanya is a ray born of the Divine Consciousness of Lord Siva. Valli and Deivayanai are His two wives. They represent the power of action and the power of knowledge respectively. He is a Godhead easily accessible in this dark age of ignorance and lack of faith. In this He is no different from Hanuman. He gives material and spiritual prosperity and success in every undertaking of His devotees, even if they show a little devotion to Him. He is worshipped with great devotion in South India. Lord Subramanya’s other names are Kumaresa, Kartikeya, Shanmukha, Guha, Muruga and Velayudhan.
In His picture, Lord Subramanya holds a spear in His hand, just as Lord Siva holds the trident. This is an emblem of power. It indicates that He is the ruler of the universe. His vehicle is the peacock. He rides on it. This signifies that He has conquered pride, egoism and vanity. There is a cobra under His feet, which indicates that He is absolutely fearless, immortal and wise. Valli is on His one side, Deivayanai on the other. Sometimes He stands alone with His spear. In this pose He is known as Velayudhan; this is His Nirguna aspect, which is free from the illusory power of Maya.
The six heads represent the six rays or attributes, namely, wisdom, dispassion, strength, fame, wealth and divine powers. They indicate that He is the source of the fourVedas,theVedangasand the six schools of philosophy. They also indicate His control over the five organs of knowledge as well as the mind. They denote that He is the Supreme Being with thousands of heads and hands. His head turned in all directions signifies that He is all-pervading. It indicates that He can multiply and assume forms at will.
Lord Subramanya’s temples can be seen in Udipi, in Tiruchendur, in the Palani Hills, in Ceylon, and in Tiruparankundrum. Lord Subramanya spent His days of childhood in Tiruchendur and attained Mahasamadhi at Kathirgamam. If you go to Kathirgamam with faith, devotion and piety, and stay in the temple there for two or three days, the Lord will grant you His vision. You will get rich spiritual experiences. A huge festival is held in the temple every year on Skanda Sashti. Thousands of people visit the place. Massive amounts of camphor are burnt on this occasion.
Skanda Sashti falls in November. It is the day on which Lord Subramanya defeated the demon Taraka. On this day elaborate festivals are held with great pomp and grandeur. Devotees organise Bhajan and Kirtan programs on a grand scale. Thousands are fed sumptuously. Many incurable diseases are cured if one visits Palani and worships Lord Subramanya there. In South India, the Lord’s Lilas are dramatized on the stage.
In addition to the Skanda Sashti, devotees of Lord Subramanya observe weekly and monthly days in His honour. EveryFriday, or the Kartigai Nakshatram day every month, or the sixth day of the bright fortnight,–all these are sacred days for His devotees. The sixth day of the month of Tulam (October-November) is the most auspicious of them all. This is the Skanda Sashti day.
In many places the festival commences six days prior to the Sashti itself and concludes on the day of the Sashti. During these days, devotees recite various inspiring hymns and read stories connected with Lord Subramanya. They worship the Lord and take Kavadi. They go on pilgrimage to the various Subramanya shrines.
TheTirumurukatrupadaihas been composed in His praise by the famous Nakkerar. He who studies this eminent work daily with devotion and faith, gets certain success in life as well as peace and prosperity. TheTiruppugalis another well-known book in Tamil, which contains the inspiring devotional songs of Arunagirinathar in praise of Lord Subramanya. TheKavadichindusongs are also in praise of the Lord. TheSkanda Sashti Kavachamis another famous hymn in praise of Lord Subramanya and is sung particularly on festive occasions.
At the Sivananda Ashram in India, Skanda Sashti is observed for six days, preceding and including the Sashti day. Devotees of Lord Subramanya live on milk and fruit and do rigorous Sadhana. They get up at4amduring Brahmamuhurta and meditate on the Lord.
On each of the six days, all the participants do Japa of the Mantra,Om Saravanabhavaya Namah,as much as possible. They even greet one another with this Mantra.
Yogis and learned scholars deliver lectures on Subramanya Tattwa, or the divine sport of the Lord. During the evening Satsang, hymns in praise of Lord Subramanya are sung. Readings are taken from my book,Lord Shanmukha and His Worship.Devotees sing inspiring songs on the Lord.
An elaborate ceremonial worship is performed daily to the sacred image of Lord Subramanya. On the last day a grandhavanis performed. The evening Satsang is devoted entirely to the adoration of Lord Subramanya.
Pray from the bottom of your heart: “O my Lord Subramanya, O all-merciful Lord, I have neither faith nor devotion. I do not know how to worship Thee in the proper manner, or to meditate on Thee. I am Thy child who has lost his way, forgotten the goal and Thy Name. Is it not Thy duty, O compassionate Father, to take me back? O Mother Valli, will you not introduce me to Thy Lord? Thy love for Thy children is deeper and truer than that of anyone else in this world. Though I have become Thy worthless and undutiful child, O beloved Mother Valli, pardon me! Make me dutiful and faithful. I am Thine from this very second; always Thine. All is Thine. It is the Mother’s duty to correct, educate and mould Her reckless child when it strays aimlessly on the wrong path. Remove the gulf or the veil of delusion that separates me from Thee. Bless me. Enlighten me. Take me back to Thy holy feet. I have nothing more to say. This is my fervent prayer to Thee and Thy Lord, my beloved and ancient Parents.”
May Lord Subramanya shower His Grace upon you! May His blessings grant you peace, bliss and prosperity!
Note: Skanda Sashti celebrations in Sivananda Ashram –November 17,2015
Excerpts from: Skanda Sashti – Hindu Fasts and Festivals ** by**Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
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Being Cosmically Conscious
Spiritual Message for the Day – Being Cosmically Conscious by Sri Swami Krishnananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 16 November 2015 15**.04 EST | New York Edition** |
Being Cosmically Conscious
Divine Life Society Publication: An Introduction to The Philosophy of Yoga by Sri Swami Krishnananda
Our life is inseparable from our experience. What we call life is nothing but experience, and this is important to remember. And experience, whatever be the nature of it, is inseparable from a consciousness of that experience. There is no experience without a consciousness of it. We are aware that we are undergoing a process or are in a state of experience. If the awareness is absent, we cannot be said to be in a state of any experience at all. To have no experience is to have no awareness of what is happening. Now, our life being identical with a conscious experience, and our search for reality being observational and experimental in the scientific fashion, we have to find out how the panorama of external nature, as it stands before us from the point of view of science, is connected with our personal life.
The world is as unmanageable today as it was many years back. Merely because we say that there is a continuum of energy in the universe, instead of the five elements, we have not bettered the things. It means the same thing, finally. Why is it the same thing, and why cannot there be a difference? Because our disconnection from the world remains today the same thing as it was before. Our sorrow is due to the dispossession of ourselves from things we call real or reality. We cannot control the earth or the water, the fire or the air. And the vast space outside is enough to take one’s breath away.
Likewise, today, we cannot control the atoms or the electrons or the energies or the forces that be, because we are outside them. Our life, to repeat again, is a function of consciousness, and so long as our consciousness is not en-rapport with the reality that we are in search of, we are not in possession of that reality, and so long as we are not in possession of it, we have practically nothing to do with it. It is like a treasure that belongs to somebody else, about which we have only a theoretical information and with which there is, practically, no relationship. Our disconnection from reality - let us be contented just now with the scientific definition of reality as external objects, the world that we see – is also our weakness. Our strength enhances as we gain more and more control or possession of reality.
The more do we possess reality, the more is the power that we wield. And what is possession? To possess an object, to possess anything for the matter of that, is to be invariably connected with it, in an inseparable manner. We have a power over the limbs of our body. I can lift my hand at my will; there is no difficulty about it. Even if the leg of the elephant is very heavy, the elephant can lift its leg. The elephant can lift its whole body, though even a hundred people cannot lift an elephant. What is this mystery? Wherefrom comes this strength by which I can lift my body and walk? The reason is that my consciousness is one with my reality, which is this body; it is not outside. But you cannot lift my body, nor can I lift your body, because your consciousness is disconnected from my body, and mine from yours. The analogy is simple, and clear enough.
The reason is that power is identical with the union of consciousness with its object. The content of consciousness should not be outside consciousness, if real power is to be there. As long as the content remains outside, consciousness loses control over it. So, no scientist can control the universe or have any reasonable or appreciable relationship with it, because the scientist remains a puppet in the hands of the powers which he has discovered and of which, he, now today, realises, is an inseparable part. But, with all these defects of science, it has awakened us to one important truth, that to know the world is to know our own selves.
We cannot know the universe unless we know ourselves. While this is true, the reverse also is true, at the same time. We cannot know ourselves truly, unless we know the whole universe. The one is the same as the other. Now, how does science lead us to this conclusion? The secret is the discovery of an indivisible continuum of nature, outside which no individual, nothing, can exist. The space-time continuum which scientists speak of today, in the relativity cosmos, is inclusive of yourself and myself and all things. We cannot stand outside it. Also, it becomes more obvious on account of the fact that to know is to have an awareness of the fact; and awareness is an essentiality of our being. Our being and our consciousness of our being are the same; they are not two different things.
The moment we say that we exist, we imply we are conscious that we exist. The existence of things is inseparable from the consciousness of the existence of things. In as much as it has been decided that existence is a continuity, inseparable in its meaning, with no gulf whatsoever, to know the universe would be to have a consciousness of the universe. But in what manner? Not in the form of the consciousness of the world that we have today. I am having the consciousness of a mountain in front of me; that is not the consciousness we are referring to. As consciousness cannot be separated from the existence of things, and inasmuch as the existence of things has been identified with a continuity and a wholeness of process or energy, the revelation would imply a strange conclusion which will startle us beyond our wits.
It would imply that to know anything would be the same as to be cosmically conscious. We cannot know anything in this world, unless we are universally awakened. Neither can we know ourselves, nor can we know even a particle of sand on the bank of the river, unless we are omniscient. And what religion calls God is nothing but this state of consciousness, where knowledge is identical with being.
How did life originate? This is an age-old question. Geologists and astronomers tell us that this earth has come from the Sun. Once upon a time, there was no earth. The earth is a chip of the boiling mass of the Sun and, due to a whirling motion of the Sun, as some people think, or, due to a tremendous friction created in the body of the Sun on account of the proximity of another star passing near it, a piece was cut off from the Sun. This is the theory of the creation of this planet. The fire cooled into liquid, which solidified itself into earth, gradually; this is the story.
How can living beings originate from the hot masses of stars? There are cases of germs manufacturing themselves from stagnant water. How can life come from non-life? So, biology has a dark screen in front of it finally, and the discovery of life, somehow, becomes an inference rather than an observation.
What is life? When I say, “I am living, I am alive,” I mean something quite different from a mere motion of the body. life is a purposiveness in being; it is to be teleologically conscious. Our movements are purposive, directed, filled with an aim, and this is what is meant by teleological movement.
What do we mean by a purposive existence? It would mean, at least in outline, the consciousness of an aim in front of oneself. To be conscious that there is an aim before us is to be purposive. Life is, again, inseparable from a state of consciousness. Somehow we cannot escape the dilemma of it being impossible for us to be without the principle of consciousness, in whatever we do, in whatever direction we move. The basic sciences – astronomy, physics, chemistry and biology – have a common thing to say, finally. In the end they tell us the same thing and by this proclamation of a truth, which is beyond their own jurisdiction, they, as sciences, are exceeding their limits. Science becomes philosophy.
Being Cosmically Conscious - An Introduction to The Philosophy of Yoga by Sri Swami Krishnananda
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Restraints (Yama)
Spiritual Message for the Day – Restraints (Yama) by Sri Swami Chidananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 15 November 2015 17**.05 EST | New York Edition** |
Restraints (Yama)
Divine Life Society Publication: Path to Blessedness by Sri Swami Chidananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
You find that the external gross physical manifestation of the mind is in the form of the activities of the body. Therefore Sage Patanjali says, “All right, I have to remove the impurities of the mind. For that first of all, let me try to close up the effects. Let me suppress the symptoms”. He says that the cause is kept up by the play of the symptoms. The functions of the mind are fattened more and more when you give expressions to them in the form of actions. The real thing is to control the mind, yet the wise experience of Patanjali during his meditations was that actions also react upon thought. Every time you act, you strengthen the thought. Thoughts gain momentum when they are taken up to their logical conclusion—external act. At least stop its grossest physical manifestation. Of course, the perfectionist would at once raise the objection that there is no use of suppressing action and that the actual thing is to change your mind.
But it is not so easy a job. Directly controlling the mind is very difficult. Mind does whatever it wants to do. Whatever fancy it takes, it is made into action. First of all put a number of checks. Where it tries to manifest itself as activity say ‘No’. Declare a war against the mind in its most external manifestations. The various resolves and vows which appear to be foolish for the unthinking man who says that transformation of the mind is real Yoga, may not be useful for one who has transcended the stage; but we cannot afford to disregard them in the initial stages. We who are on the threshold should know that these things are as important as the next stages. Supposing there is a ladder where the rungs are so placed that you cannot just manage to avoid any rung. If you say that you do not want the first rung, you will always be on the ground.
The mind is very deceptive. It will bring in subtle excuses. It will bring philosophy: “I have passed that stage in my previous lives. It does not matter if I take five cups of tea and go on eating meat”. One who says like this is a slave to his tongue. He cannot give up eating meat. What is giving up of meat? It means you assert your mastery over your mind. If you say: “I will get up at 4 a.m. and take bath in cold water”, it all means a continuous process of again and again asserting the superiority of your spiritual nature over the pull of your unreal lower nature. You cannot all of a sudden separate your higher spiritual nature and the lower material nature. In order to separate them, you have to observe spiritual vows. But one must remember that giving up certain things that you like alone is not Yoga, but such practices are important for the attainment of real Yoga. Therefore, Sage Patanjali said, “First of all put a check on your external nature”. At least control your physical actions, if you cannot control your desires all of a sudden.
Everyone knows that the physical action has got the greatest effect on mind. You can go on thinking about certain indulgence, but the shock that is given back on the psyche by actually putting into action the indulgence is the greatest. The shock through an imagination is not so very great as the shock given to the psyche by the actual action. Action becomes a concrete part of man’s memory and agitates him much more than mere thinking, fancying or imagining. Therefore, Patanjali said, first of all purify every activity and put a check on all of them. How to do it? He said, take certain vows and conform your conduct to certain universal laws. What are they? They constitute the Yamas. Take up a vow that I shall act according to the laws of truth, non-injury, non-covetousness, non-stealing, etc.
There are five Yamas. Why only five, why not ten? This is also based upon wisdom and experience. He found that if the five fundamental universal laws are made to prevail in your life, then all the other lesser good qualifies will come to you of their own accord. He calls these five fundamental virtues as universal vows, i.e., vows which should be observed under all conditions, at all places and at all times. They are Ahimsa (non-injury), Satya (truth), Brahmacharya (celibacy), Asteya (non-stealing) and Aparigraha (non-covetousness). The resolutions taken and the aspirants’ struggle to observe these vows will be found to have their effect of putting a stop to almost all wrong activity of human being. All unrighteous actions are due to either falsehood, dishonesty, cunningness or due to greed, impurity, lust, passions, or due to cruel nature, harming others, or causing loss to others. In this way, all the actions of a bad or wicked man will be found to pertain to one or other of these evil qualities—falsehood, cruelty, lust, greed and the tendency to deprive others of what belongs to them. So this is the conclusion of Patanjali. He asks the aspirants to stop all external manifestations of evil thoughts in the mind, evil motives and evil feelings, and see that their actions are made to conform to these five great universal laws of love, truth, purity, absence of greed and non-stealing. In these, he first laid the foundation for bringing about a thorough transformation of the lower nature of the mind, and freeing it from its outermost manifestations. From the circumference he goes to the centre.
We have found how external discipline is very necessary, because it has got a very great influence on the mind. If evil thoughts arise in the mind, the duty would be to inhibit the actions which come as their result. You know if a particular muscle is not exercised, it shrinks and becomes atrophied. Just like that, the physical action of the mind becomes atrophied. So a habit is formed. If a thought comes, the mind goes to the action constantly checking the senses, and this habit acts as a sort of Nirodha. Nirodha means something that checks. You make use of the pernicious nature of mind itself to counteract it. Counter the bad actions by good actions. This is Yama. This is the first stage in the attack directed against the lower mind for subduing it.
Om Tat Sat Brahmaparnamastu
Excerpts from: Restraints (Yama) - Path to Blessedness by Sri Swami Chidananda
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Seclusion and Sattvic Diet
Spiritual Message for the Day – Seclusion and Sattvic Diet by Sri Swami Chidananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 14 November 2015 11**.14 EST | New York Edition** |
Seclusion and Sattvic Diet
Divine Life Society Publication: Path to Blessedness by Sri Swami Chidananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
One thing that you must try, as much as possible, is to avoid all outside contacts when you are trying to be a Yogi. You must try to avoid all those contacts in your daily life, which go against Yoga—contacts with such of those places, persons, environments and things which make the mind outgoing and which stimulate desires. All things which are of this nature, which drag us outward towards the sense-world and which shake up our Vairagya should be avoided. Therefore it is that when a Yogi reaches the stage of concentration, the wise say: “Do not read newspapers or novels, and do not keep contacts with worldly people. Do not have attachment to anybody. Be in places where the scenery is spiritual. Have ideal surroundings, lead an ideal life and have contacts with holy people. Move always with saintly people and true aspirants.”
If you move always with worldly-minded people, what will happen? Their company will completely vitiate your inner life. Therefore, if you are earnest in concentration and meditation, you will have to see that your external life is also made conducive, as much as possible, to your inner Sadhana. There is the factor of food. Suppose you indulge in food which is extremely Rajasic or Tamasic. It will completely pull the mind out of balance and the process of concentration will be affected. The most harmful habit is that of drinking. The effect of liquor is demoralising, whereas the purpose of Yoga is to get complete control over your whole personality. Supposing you persistently go on taking such items of food which are not Sattvic and not conducive to concentration—what happens? The mind gets disturbed. So the diet should be Sattvic. This is the general rule.
Diet which is Sattvic in quality is always the most conducive to Yoga. From the point of view of immediate daily practice also, you must see that the daily diet is not such as that will upset your concentration. One common universal cause of diet upsetting concentration is overeating and immoderation. If you fill your stomach with too much food the entire blood is drawn to the stomach. When you do concentration all your blood has to go to the brain. Concentration requires a lot of blood. By sitting on an Asana, maximum supply of blood is made available to the brain. But if you have eaten heavily, the blood will go to the stomach and if you then try to take the blood to the head, your system revolts, and instead of concentrating you become drowsy. Drowsiness is the result of too much food.
Even if you have not erred through immoderation, there are such food-stuffs which cause wind (Vayu). Wind is a thing which upsets the Prana. Prana is thrown out of balance if there is wind in the system. Therefore, Sadhakas should take great care. If they desire to have successful sitting in concentration, they should avoid things like potato, pumpkin, etc. If unavoidable, you may take them in moderation. There are some foods which may not be generally wind-producing by themselves but in certain persons they may produce wind. The diet may be good generally speaking, but to your peculiar constitution it may not be suitable. You must avoid those things. The immediate effect of your daily food should also be taken into consideration if your daily sitting should be successfully attempted and done. This is on the physical level.
Be careful about taking food and also about the external environment. Make the mind introvert. When you move in the midst of company you should develop such a technique that minimum impression alone is taken during daily Vyavahara. In the early morning the mind is all right after a sound sleep. But throughout the day you are moving with too many people. Perhaps you may lose your temper with some persons, and such impressions may fill your mind with nervous agitation. So mind may be in a condition of nervousness at the end of the day’s work. All those things that happened from morning till night begin to worry you, and what is the technique to avoid this? You must try to keep up a balance even when you are in Vyavahara. Only by an earnest practice you can develop serenity and equanimity. Whatever experience you undergo, always try to keep up the mind in a state of balance.
Have a sort of Pratyahara, so that even when you come into contact with objects, you do not allow the impressions of the objects to interest themselves too deeply in the mind. There must be a spontaneous indrawn state. This does not mean that we should neglect our works. A part of our mind should be given in all alertness to work and the major part of the mind should always be indrawn. This process of attention outside and a state of indrawnness is a great help to have constant remembrance of the Lord. Or repeat Om or any other Mantra and also have a background thought in the mind. At no moment of your life the mind should be blank.
Many people do not have a background. All sorts of thoughts come to people who do not have a background. Immediately a work is over, the aspirant should have a background in the form of a mental picture of his Ishta. It must be a background into which, through force of habit, the mind will go back. So what happens? Even when you move about, the mind will be resting on this background and only a portion of the mind will be working outside. In this state, even when you are engaged in a thing, you are not totally possessed by it. Once you have developed this technique, all the while you are engaged in your daily activities, the background will always be there in the consciousness. This indrawnness is a great help to keep the mind free from the impressions obtained in daily life.
Om Tat Sat Brahmaparnamastu
Excerpts from: Seclusion and Sattvic Diet - Path to Blessedness by Sri Swami Chidananda
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Vritti-Nirodha
Spiritual Message for the Day – Vritti-Nirodha by Sri Swami Chidananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 13 November 2015 13**.14 EST | New York Edition** |
Vritti-Nirodha
Divine Life Society Publication: Path to Blessedness by Sri Swami Chidananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
Every process of thought has its root in the activity of the mind. Because the mind is active there arise feelings, emotions and all types of wrong perceptions. Therefore, stop the activity of the mind. I have told you what the very first manifestation of the active mind is. A ripple arises in the mind-lake. Afterwards imagination arises and then desire. The first and foremost thing is a mere idea. That is the simplest projection in the mind-stuff, simple thinking devoid of any bias. It is only when imagination and egoism are attached to the idea, the whole process arises. Idea as such has no power. If you go and attach yourself to it, it will become an effective mischief-maker. The wise have said: “Completely inhibit all ideas. Do not allow even a single ripple to manifest itself in the mind-lake. Make it absolutely calm, without a single Vritti. Stop the primal manifestation of the mind itself”. Therefore, the first Sutra of Sage Patanjali is Yogas-Chitta-Vritti-Nirodhah—Yoga is the inhibition of the modifications of the mind.
When the mental processes are completely stopped, the superconsciousness is given a chance to manifest itself. The favourable condition necessary for the manifestation of the higher consciousness is absolute stillness of the mind. So when the highest consciousness arises in Samadhi, all Vasanas are fried. This analogy is taken out of the experience in the physical world. Every seed is a potential tree. But if you fry the seed and then put it in good soil and water it, it will not germinate. Yoga says that Vasana is fried in the fire of knowledge. Sage Patanjali went to the very root of Adhyasa. He said, stop this mischief-maker once for all. And Raja Yoga gives the technique of completely stopping the activity of the mind. Therefore, you find that all these Yogas attempt to tackle the mind in its different aspects—different aspects which hold down the individual consciousness firmly to this wrong lower self. And these different aspects are suited to different people in whom some one or other aspect is predominant. Swami Sivanandaji has said that you should not be lop-sided. As you do Raja Yoga, you should keep up the other Yogas also as accessories. Swamiji advocates the synthesis of Yogas. You should have all Yogas, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. You will find this unity of Sadhana very beneficial. All the various Yogas try to work out the same process of transformation of the mind from a state of nescience resulting in wrong identification, activity and emotion, to a higher state. The approaches are different in respect of the different individuals in whom some aspect or the other is predominant.
Every thought that is entertained gains strength and creates in the mind a tendency for the repetition of that thought. If you think a thought, the natural tendency of the mind is to think it again. Any thought deliberately held in the mind at once demands repetition, and whatever thoughts you think they tend to become manifest as actions. If you hold a compassionate thought, it somehow or other makes you do a compassionate deed. If you hold a sensual, gluttonous thought, it forces you to perform a sensual, gluttonous activity. An angry thought will want you to do a harsh action, and a passionate thought will force you to do a passionate action. Any thought tends to make the individual perform a corresponding type of action. This is the second thing you have to understand.
Action once done also tends to repeat itself. That is the habit of action. Actions if repeated become a habit in man. Unconsciously you begin to follow that particular type of action. Habit is the third phase which takes place by holding to a particular type of thought, and by your habits your character becomes affected. Character moulds your destiny. Thus, from thoughts arise actions, from actions habits, from habits character, and from character destiny. So you see the importance of holding to the right type of thought. You should carefully remove all thoughts that are inimical to progress and inner unfoldment.
Om Tat Sat Brahmaparnamastu
Excerpts from: Vritti-Nirodha - Path to Blessedness by Sri Swami Chidananda
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