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Adaptability, A Means To Peace
| **Baba Times Digest© | 9 August 2014 20.16 EST | New York Edition** |
Adaptability, A Means To Peace
Divine Life Society Publication: World Peace by Sri Swami Sivananda
Adaptability is a virtue or noble quality by which one adapts or fits himself with others, whatever their nature may be. The man of adaptability accommodates himself with others, whatever their temperament may be. This is a most desirable quality for success in life. This has to be developed slowly. The vast majority of persons do not know how to adjust themselves with others. Adaptability is a peculiar knack or pluck to win the hearts of others by a little bending.
The clerk does not know how to adapt himself with his boss or superior. He quarrels with the superior and gets an immediate sack. The disciple does not know how to adapt himself with his Guru. He misbehaves, and leaves the Guru. The businessman does not know how to adapt himself with the customers and loses his customers and business. The Diwan does not know how to adapt himself with the Maharajah. He has to leave the State Service. The world runs on adaptability. He who knows this art or science of adaptability pulls on quite well in this world and is always happy under any conditions of life.
The man must be pliable if he wants to adapt himself. It does not need much wisdom or ingenuity for developing adaptability. If the clerk understands well the ways and habits and temperament of his superior and adjusts himself nicely to suit his ways, his superior becomes a slave of the clerk. You will have to use some kind, sweet words. Speak gently and sweetly. Carry out his orders to the very letter. Never retort him. “Obedience is greater than sacrifice.” Remember this maxim at all times. The superior wants a little respect. Say, Hanjhi, Hanjhi. Ji huzur, very well Sir.” It costs you nothing. Then your superior becomes your slave. He has for you a soft corner in his heart. You become his pet. He will do whatever you want. He will excuse your mistakes. Humility and obedience are necessary for developing adaptability. An egoistic, proud man finds it very difficult to adapt himself. He is always in trouble. He always fails in his attempts. Egoism and pride are two important obstacles in the way of developing adaptability.
When one student does not know how to adapt himself with his fellow-mate who is living in the same room, friction comes in and their friendship is broken immediately. Adaptability makes friendship last for a long time. Students fight for little things. One student says, “I gave Mr. X tea for several days. I took him to cinema on my own account for several days. I asked him to lend me the book “Boswell’s Life of Johnson” for reading. He has bluntly refused now. What sort of friend he is? I do not like him.” The friendship is broken now. A simple thing upsets the mind. Adaptability is a strong catgut ligature that links people in unbroken love and friendship. A man of adaptability can pull on with anybody in any part of the world. People unconsciously love a man of adaptability. Adaptability gives immense strength and profound joy. Adaptability develops will.
A man of adaptability has to make some sacrifice. Adaptability develops the spirit of sacrifice. It kills selfishness. A man of adaptability has to share what he has with others. He has to bear insult and harsh words. A man of adaptability develops the feeling of unity or oneness of life. For Vedantic Sadhana it is of great help. He who practises adaptability has to destroy the feelings of Ghrina and contempt and the idea of superiority. He has to mix with all. He has to embrace all. Adaptability develops universal love and kills the feeling of hatred.
A man of adaptability has to put up with the unkind words and harsh treatment of his friends. He has to develop patience and endurance. These virtues develop by themselves unconsciously when he tries to adapt himself with others. A man of adaptability can live in a cool place. He can bear the heat of Benares or Africa. He develops balance of mind. He can bear extreme heat and cold. Adaptability brings eventually Atma-Jnana. He who has this noble virtue is a great man in this world. He is always happy and successful.
Excerpts from: Adaptability, A Means To Peace - World Peace by Sri Swami Sivananda
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Vara Lakshmi Vrata
| **Baba Times Digest© | 8 August 2014 14.26 EST | New York Edition** |
Vara Lakshmi Vrata
Divine Life Society Publication: Hindu Fasts and Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda
LORD SHIVA describes the glory of this Vrata in the Skanda Purana. It is performed by a woman whose husband is still living. Maha Lakshmi is the abode of all auspiciousness and prosperity. This worship of Maha Lakshmi is done to obtain good progeny, and for the health and long life of the husband.
The Vrata is observed on the Friday immediately preceding the full moon day of the month of Sravan (August-September). After a purificatory bath, the lady should put on a clean, fresh cloth and make a mandala with the drawing of a lotus upon it. A kalasha filled with rice and topped with fresh mango leaves, a coconut and cloth are placed on the mandala and Lakshmi is invoked therein. Fresh grains are used in the worship as they convey the idea of growth and prosperity.
After the worship of the kalasha, follows the worship of Ganesha, then the worship of the raksha or the sacred thread. Now the main worship of Vara Lakshmi begins and the raksha is worshipped a second time. It is then tied to the right hand of the lady. After the worship various auspicious articles are given as charity to some deserving lady whose husband is alive. This lady is also fed with dainties.
Lakshmi not only bestows wealth and all sorts of material prosperity, but also imparts divine wisdom to all Her devotees. She is Vidya Shakti. She introduces Her devotees to Her Lord. She recommends them to Her Lord for their salvation.
She is the power of Lord Narayana who is also known as Lord Vishnu or Lord Hari. Narayana is God’s aspect of preservation. He is an embodiment of Shuddha Sattwa. Lakshmi is His causal body. She is Maya, the illusory power of Nature. She deludes the whole world by Her veiling power and projects it through Her projecting power. She Herself as Vidya-Lakshmi enlightens the spiritual aspirant. Beauty, grace, a picturesque scenery or charming landscape, modesty, love, prosperity, music, the five elements and their combinations, the internal organs, mind, Prana, intellect—all these are Her manifestations.
Without Lakshmi even Sannyasins cannot do propaganda or preaching work or run their institutions. They are in fact more in need of Lakshmi than the householders because they have to do great dynamic work for human weal. Sri Shankara worshipped Devi, Lakshmi and Saraswathi for success in his work. All great prophets and divine messengers who have done great spiritual work in the past were devotees of Mother Lakshmi, Devi and Saraswathi.
May Goddess Lakshmi bless you all! Let us repeat Her Mantra:
Om mahaadevyai cha vidmahe;
Vishnu patnyai cha dheemahi
Tanno lakshmi prachodayat.
Excerpts from: Vara Lakshmi Vrata - Hindu Fasts and Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda
Additional Reading : Daily Invocations - Sri Sukta by Swami Krishnananda
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The Struggle for Perfection
| **Baba Times Digest© | 8 August 2014 14.06 EST | New York Edition** |
The Struggle for Perfection
Divine Life Society Publication: The Struggle for Perfection by Sri Swami Krishnananda
Life is characterised by effort at existence. This inherent urge within every human being is a permanent feature observable through history. Effort and struggle are directed towards the achieving of an end which is realised as one’s ideal and which mostly remains as a future to the reality of the present state of affairs. The all-round struggle of humanity through the passage of history for achievements of different kinds in the various fields of activity is an indication that life is involved in a restlessness of the human spirit which is eager to overcome its barriers of action and limitations of understanding.
Life’s struggle has been, at least at its lowest level, for the overcoming of difficulties in the form of hunger and thirst, heat and cold and the fear of death, all which ever remain as the invariable concomitants of life in general. These features of life’s limitations have been never known to change, and they have existed always. There is no hope that they will ever change or cease. Man has also been obsessed with a curiosity to know more and more of himself and the world outside, and this urge for knowledge, too, has not reached its limit as yet. The problems of history are the problems of life, and they are always the same, wherever one is, or whatever one be.
To avoid the turmoils incumbent upon these pressures which come upon him in spite of himself, man has been contemplating in various ways to find a solution and means of encountering them with proper method and technique. From birth to death, it is a long chain of unending effort to fight the difficulties which seem to be preventing him from being at peace with himself and living in ease, with freedom from fear. But these efforts of his have not been of avail in the ultimate sense, for the problems that were besetting him centuries ago are the same to him even today. By no herculean means has man succeeded in getting immune to the onslaughts and the urges of hunger and thirst, or heat and cold. He also lives in a perpetual state of anxiety and fear. The uncertainty concerning oneself comes from three sources: Nature; other living beings; and one’s own self. One may within oneself develop complexes and diseases, and none can be completely free from this contingency. There are the fundamental facts of life weighing heavy on one’s head, in spite of the limits of education that one might have reached. There is bound to be the dread of death which can unhinge a person at any moment. The fear of death can be occasioned by three factors; viz., errors committed by oneself; attacks from others outside; and calamities caused by the wrath of Nature itself. For all these things there is no remedy anywhere, though social laws and governmental systems based on ethical and political structures have been framed by the ingenuity of man. But man-made things have never lasted for long. That which had a beginning did also have an end. He who is born has to die.
This frightening atmosphere has not, however, deterred man from endeavouring to face oppositions at every stage they came. Though it would appear that all his attempts were almost akin to the effort at pushing the horizon beyond its boundaries, a futile adventure bringing no result whatsoever, the hopes of man have never ceased, and they will never cease. There is, at the background of his personality, an inkling of his being capable of breaking boundaries and overstepping limitations of understanding and gaining sway over all things. Though he has never done this in all history, the passage of history itself is a testimony of human aspiration to reach unlimited suzerainty over everything. It is not merely this much; human desire goes further into the deep longing to make the world one’s own, nay, to enjoy it. This is a profound psychological secret behind effort and activity.
Man’s longing to exercise power, possess things and enjoy pleasure is ostensibly the hidden aim behind every form of his effort both in his private and public life. But it is surprising that this goal is lost sight of in the process of the struggle, and the struggle itself is deified, in some way or other, the means getting confused with the end. This, obviously, is a travesty of affairs, for nothing can be worse than mistaking the toil of the journey for the delight of having reached the destination. Notwithstanding the cautious and investigative processes adopted by man with various techniques of working, he has not been able to avoid this common mistake of humanity in general – the mistake of taking the process for the goal. The reason for this persisting error in all activity is the inability on one’s part to distinguish between the form and the content of experience. While the form is identical with the tedium and effort involved in any kind of adventure or activity, the content is the principle of satisfaction in the achievement, which is immanent, though invisible in the process. It is true that man struggles for bread and most of his life is spent in finding ways of earning it. Now, this need to earn one’s bread is easily mistaken for the important end to be achieved in life. Unfortunately, the purpose behind earning of bread is quite different, it being a novel type of satisfaction of one’s being able to keep one’s body and soul together. This is the aim of the search for food, clothing and shelter and the various amenities of life that are regarded as unavoidable essentials to everyone. But, as long as the content is not discovered in the form, life in the world will ever remain a hopeless and unending conflict of conditions and vicissitudes. The significance of this curious difficulty does not come to the surface of man’s consciousness, due to which he continues fighting against odds and suffering his life from inception to the grave. The seeking of the meaning implicit in life’s processes is philosophy. The working out of philosophy in one’s life is the practice of Yoga.
Excerpts from: The Struggle for Perfection 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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Self-Analysis
| **Baba Times Digest© | 7 August 2014 15.44 EST | New York Edition** |
Self-Analysis
Divine Life Society Publication: Essence of Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda
Daily self-analysis or self-examination is an indispensable requisite. Then alone can you remove your defects and can grow rapidly in spirituality. A gardener watches the young plants very carefully. He removes the weeds daily. He puts a strong fence around them. He waters them at the proper time. Then alone they grow beautifully and yield fruits quickly. Even so, you should find out your defects through daily introspection and self-analysis and then eradicate them through suitable methods. If one method fails, you must adopt a combined method. If prayer fails, you should take recourse to Satsanga or association with the wise, Pranayama, meditation, dietetic regulation, enquiry, etc. You should destroy not only big waves of pride, hypocrisy, lust, anger, etc., that manifest on the surface of the conscious mind, but also their subtle impressions which lurk in the corners of the subconscious mind. Then only are you perfectly safe.
These subtle impressions are very dangerous. They lurk like thieves and attack you when you are napping, when you are not vigilant, when your dispassion wanes, when you slacken a bit your daily spiritual practice, and when you are provoked. If these defects do not manifest even under extreme provocation on several occasions, even when you are not practising daily introspection and self-analysis, you can be rest assured that the subtle impressions also are obliterated. Now you are safe. The practice of introspection and self-analysis demands patience, perseverance, leech-like tenacity, application, iron will, iron determination, subtle intellect, courage, etc. But you will gain a fruit of incalculable value. The precious fruit is immortality, Supreme Peace and Infinite Bliss. You will have to pay a heavy price for this. Therefore you should not murmur when you do daily practice. You should apply your full mind, heart, intellect and soul to spiritual practice. Then only rapid success is possible.
Keep daily spiritual diary and practise self-analysis (self-examination) at night. Note down how many good actions you have done, what mistakes you have committed during the course of the day. In the morning resolve: “I will not yield to anger today. I will practise celibacy today. I will speak truth today.”
Excerpts from:
Self-Analysis - Essence of Yoga by 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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Attitude of Gratitude
| **Baba Times Digest© | 6 August 2014 14.43 EST | New York Edition** |
Attitude of Gratitude
Divine Life Society Publication: The Great Drama of Creation by Sri Swami Krishnananda
(Spoken on June 22, 1997)
You are intelligent, I am intelligent; we have intelligence in us. This intelligence is a drop of cosmic intelligence. Just as a drop of water is a part of the ocean, our intelligence, our intellectuality, our rationality, whatever it is, is a drop in the sea of the universal intelligence. We are called jivas, individuals, because of the droplet of intelligence that we have got; and the universal intelligence is God. So we cannot stand without it. Without the organic cooperative activity of the body, no limb can operate, and whatever we are today is due to a blessing we have received due to the good karma that we did in the past. If we are enjoying life today with status, with finance, with power, with good health, and everything is okay, it is because we have done some good deeds in the past. We cannot deserve comfort which we have not given to other people. There is no such thing as free service. It is not possible. All of you are great people today because you have done great deeds in the previous birth, though you may not remember what deeds you have done. Now, if you want to become still greater in the next birth, in this birth you must do good deeds because you are exhausting all your virtuous deeds of the previous birth by enjoying them this birth. What about the next birth? Whatever you have done now will come there. So you should not imagine from your individual point of view that everything is okay in one second.
We belong to a kingdom of heaven, as it is called. The kingdom of heaven is not in the skies. The whole universe is the kingdom of heaven, and we are living inside it. We are within it immanently. We are breathing it, we are enjoying it, we are happy because of that. The joys of life, the happiness we feel in our own heart is the pura punya phala, the result of good actions that we have performed. We have done great charities, great good deeds, and great services in the previous life. Therefore, now we are like a king. And if we want to become a greater king in our next birth, we must do some more work now in this birth.
What can be a greater service than prayer to the Almighty God? Be grateful. We have to show our gratitude to the Creator of the universe, and He will show us His willingness to serve us. It is difficult to get a thing in the world; it takes time. But to contact God it takes one second because eternity does not require time to come here. That is the blessing.
Excerpts from: Attitude of Gratitude - The Great Drama of Creation by Sri Swami Krishnananda
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True Happiness
| **Baba Times Digest© | 5 August 2014 17.11 EST | New York Edition** |
True Happiness
Divine Life Society Publication: God-Realisation by Sri Swami Sivananda
True happiness lies in virtue and inner soul and not in earthly possessions. Man has to rise up above the world consciousness through daily meditation. He should ever attempt to enter the divine consciousness. He should manifest the divine through Sadhana or concentration. He should transform the human nature into divine nature by developing Daivi Sampat. He should cut asunder the network of desires which brings distress and misery in the end through Japa, prayer, meditation and Satsang.
Blessed householders! Remember that ignorance is always the root-cause of fear. Wherever there is duality, there is fear. In Adwaita alone, there is no fear. Who is to be afraid of whom, when one beholds oneness everywhere? The spiritual journey is long and weary. There is much to be done by way of spiritual Sadhana. Life is very short. Time is fleeting. There are many obstacles on the spiritual path. One should apply oneself diligently in spiritual practices and discipline the Indriyas, in the control of mind and lead the most regulated life. Concentration and meditation are the two essential wings of the spiritual Sadhak. With these, he can simply fly round the entire world. Realise this and rest in your Satchidananda Swaroopa. Know thy real Self and be ever free.
Beloved children of the Lord! Scrutinise your motives. Look before you leap. Don’t repent later on. Think very seriously. Remember Him always and attain immortality and eternal and lasting peace right now. Work unselfishly with redoubled force and energy. Universal love is the gateway to Moksha. Do not brood over the past. Live in the living present. Have intense faith. Aspire fervently. Surrender yourself at the Lotus Feet of the Lord. The Divine Grace is bound to descend upon you.
Feel the same Atman that is in you or in the temple, resides in the innermost recesses of the heart of those poverty-stricken ignorant masses also. Love them as you love your own Ishta Devata. Serve them with Atma Bhav. You may meet with apathy and even hostility in the beginning. But if you always entertain thoughts of love, you will surely win. Rest assured in this simple truth. Love is life and hatred is death. Expansion of heart is life, contraction is death. Man should die, but once. A miser dies a thousand times; a weak selfish man dies a million times; one filled with hatred dies every second of his lifetime. Ever have a broad heart. Feel the Atmic strength within yourself. Be ever perfectly selfless. Love all. Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma. All indeed is Brahman. These is naught else, naught else.
Blessed aspirants! You should always try to find out the defects in sensual object or sensual life. The cause of birth, death, or old age, disease, pain, etc., is only sensual desires. By entertaining Mithya Drishti (the unreal nature of worldly objects) and Dosha Drishti, the mind will not run towards worldly objects. Pratyahara will come by itself. Then only, the double withdrawal will be more effective and producing lasting results. Withdrawal of senses from objects can be done through the practice of devotion to the Lord also. When the subtle undercurrents of Vasanas die, when all Rajas is squeezed out, when the lurking appetites in the corners of your Antahkarana are destroyed, when the subtle pride or egoism is eradicated, then only, you will enjoy eternal lasting bliss. Therefore direct your efforts in purifying the mind first.
Do not worry about repeated failures in your Sadhana. Despair not. Do not give up the struggle or the Sadhana. Stand up and again fight the turbulent senses and the mind. Each failure is a stepping-stone to success. You are nearer to success every time. You should succeed in the long run. Make courage your rosary, desirelessness your holy thread, discrimination your deer-skin, dispassion your silk cloth and meditation your sacred Bhasma or the holy sacred ash. Burn the fire of lust and anger through purity and forgiveness. The body idea, lust and egoism are very deep-rooted in men. Hence, O Man! Struggle hard to eradicate these simple enemies of your body and mind. Continue the fight unceasingly. You will succeed eventually in their annihilation.
Never run away from your jobs. A man can afford to lead a well-regulated moral life in any plane he lives. Where there is will, there is a way. One should do all actions in a spirit of detachment. One should leave the world and the objects of the world, as everything is perishable. Love the Lord seated in all. It is the only Reality. Do not apply reasoning to what is unthinkable. For knowing what is beyond mind, one must not rely on logic, but on the sacred scriptures or Srutis or revelations. Do you know what are hatches, matches and despatches. Hatches are births, matches are marriages, and despatches are deaths. Find out that one Supreme undying Being who is above all these matches and despatches and live in the blissful for ever. Give the foremost place to religion and Sadhana and a very secondary place to domestic and social life.
Craving is an intense desire. Through repeated action, every habit has been deeply rooted in man’s nature. Do not give any kind of leniency to your weaker mind, which is deluding you every moment. Every evil habit can be easily eradicated, provided the eradication is taken up immediately as a solemn ideal. All evil habits can be eradicated by constant Abhyas and absolute Vairagya. Ever feel they are the impediments in the spiritual path. Develop a strong desire for God-realisation only. May the Divine light lighten your spiritual path! May you enter into the Kingdom of God where alone you can have true happiness. May the blessings of your Guru be upon you!
Excerpts from: True Happiness – God-Realisation by 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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Philosophy of Proverbs
| **Baba Times Digest© | 4 August 2014 16.13 EST | New York Edition** |
Philosophy of Proverbs
Divine Life Society Publication: Essence of Vedanta by Sri Swami Sivananda
Very often we run after the shadow, discarding the substance in the background. In the spiritual sense, this theory is the very root of bondage. Instead of seeking God and realising his oneness with Him, man runs after His shadow, the world. This is the cause of all misery on earth.
Even in the case of the meaning of the word ‘God’ itself we more often than not understand the ‘shadow’ rather than the real ‘substance’ that is God. We concentrate so much on this unreal thing that in course of time we lose consciousness of the existence of the real. In our admiration of the tree, we miss the grand spectacle of the wood!
This is true of our understanding of the scriptures, too. How often have not reformers had to thunder forth to antagonistic millions the true significance of the teachings of the Prophets and Saints and dispel the darkness of wrong notions that had covered up the essence! The origin of most of the religions of the world could be traced out to this sort of renaissance. The source was only one religion. In course of time, people of deluded understanding began to interpret its tenets variously and started forming parties. They split themselves into opposing camps, each owning to be the sole votaries of the real purport of the ancients’ utterances. Then will arise a star who will dive deeper into the ocean of wisdom and bring out the pearl of Truth. Some will follow him; others will still strike the discordant note. The new Seer will get together a band of followers to propagate his teachings; and these will establish a new religion. And, so the game has gone on for ages!
Besides the scriptural teachings, all religions have had the ‘sayings’ of their prophets. These are also classed under proverbs, though these include other ideas. Those of the proverbs which have such a spiritual background have as much of deep, secret and mystical meaning as the scriptural utterances themselves. This makes the real idea which they wish to convey to be misconstrued by posterity; and often some nonsensical notes are sounded in a futile attempt to give a true rendering of this sublime music!
Let us take a few examples from the Tamil literature. There is a beautiful (and amusing as it has become nowadays) proverb which means: “When you see (the) dog, there is no stone; when you see (the) stone, there is no dog.” This has come to be regarded as a remark made by someone in a light vein, or at least not in a very serious mood. The proverb is taken to convey what it literally does. A man is passing along the road in a village. Several dogs stroll about him. “What a pity!” he is made to think, “There are so many dogs all about me. How I wish there was a stone near at hand so that I could enjoy a throw at them!” During a pilgrimage the same man looks at beautiful, well-polished stones lining the banks of the Ganga; then he thinks, “What a pity, again! Here there are any number of the most lovely stones. But, not a dog to hit them with!” This is the interpretation of the vulgar proverb. Even the serious amongst humanity nowadays will at best interpret it to man that this proverb merely restates an old idea regarding earthly fortunes. Where money is most needed, it is usually absent; where it is already superfluous, it is found in more and more abundance. Few care to stop to think what the proverb really has to convey.
Before we proceed to examine the underlying sense of this proverb let us divert our attention to ‘God’ vis-a-vis the world. What is this world and what is God? “Brahma satyam jaganmithya jivo brahmaiva na aparah”, roared the ancient seers. God alone is truth; the world does not exist at all, they said. But, we see it?—posed the uninitiated.
Yes, we see it as we see snake in the rope; as we see water in the mirage; as we see silver in the mother-of-pearl. That is what the world is. It is a superimposition on Brahman. In essence, it is not there; at least, as what it seems to be. So long as you see it in darkness, it appears as the snake. Light the lamp of wisdom and in its effulgence, the world as such will disappear, and you will perceive the Essence (Brahman in all Its grandeur). Several Tamil saints have conveyed this idea in very beautiful and sublime verses. He who sees God, does not perceive the world made up of the five elements; and who is engrossed in the play of the elements is blinded to the vision of God.
To arrive at the real purport of the proverbs, we should know the context in which that proverb took its birth. Only then can we understand the sense which the letters wish to convey.
A sculptor moves around an old temple, with every one of his senses and the mind absorbed in the beauty of the carvings on the walls of the temple. He feels the tail of a cat; ah, how beautiful it is! There, the mouth of that lion with that stone-ball inside! So, he moves from one carving to another. He takes a turn. “Lo! That huge dog! If only it jumps on me! Look at its sharp teeth; and its bloodthirsty tongue flowing out of its mouth! It is looking directly at me. O my God, what am I to do now?” Perplexed, he closes his eyes. One minute passes, two, three, and four. Still the dog is hesitant. “Why, probably it is chained.” He throws a small stone at it. It does not move. He goes nearer. Still it stands where it was, staring at him all the time. “Why, it does not even wag its tail. Peculiar dog it must be.” He goes yet nearer and touches its tail. His whole body rocks with laughter at his own idiotic behaviour. It is made of stone! Yet, such was the workmanship, the colouring and the art that it actually looks like a living dog. This is what was meant by the poet who said, “When there is the dog, there is no stone; when there is the stone, there is no dog.” When you see the dog, there was no idea that it was of stone. When you realise it is made of stone, the idea of dog vanishes! What travesty of truth it is to superimpose all sorts of ludicrous ideas on this proverb which conveys the highest truth! When you see the diversity, Unity disappears; and vice versa. When you realise God, world disappears; when you lose yourself in the world, you cannot realise God!
This idea is beautifully expressed in many a couplet in Tamil literature. One says: “The elephant screened the wood; and in the wood disappeared the elephant.” It sounds mystic! Take an instance. A young child has an elephant made of mango-wood which he got as a present from his fond parent. A carpenter is working on the verandah. It runs to him and shows the elephant to him. “See, how big are his legs. Look at his winnow-like ears. Booh! The tusks will pierce your chest.” The child plays with it as if it were an elephant in reality. The carpenter takes the doll in his hand and examines it. “Why, child, it is not a good one.” “What, my elephant?” “Yes. It is made of mango-wood. It will get spoiled soon.” To the carpenter, it is not an elephant; but a piece of wood! Such is the difference in the attitude towards the world between the worldly man and a saint. The worldly man sees the world as a diversity, as a mixture of pleasure and pain, as a conglomeration of objects; the saint perceives the one Hidden Essence which pervades the whole universe—to him it is an ‘Abhasa’ of that Existence-Knowledge-Bliss-Absolute, Brahman.
Excerpts from:
Philosophy of Proverbs - Essence of Vedanta by Sri Swami Sivananda
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Our World Viewpoint
Spiritual Message for the Day – Our World Viewpoint by Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 3August 2014 22.32 EST | New York Edition** |
Our World Viewpoint
Divine Life Society Publication: Early Morning Meditation Talks by Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda
Each one of us has our own individual world viewpoint, the way we see the world. If we were born in a very rich family, we see the world in a certain way. If we were born in a very poor family, we see the world in another way. If we were born a Hindu, we have a certain world viewpoint. If we were born a Muslim, we have another one. During the cold war, if we lived in the West, we saw the world from one point of view; if we were living in Russia, from another point of view.
Unfortunately these different points of view, which usually depend upon our circumstances of birth, frequently lead to clash and to quarrel. But actually, there is less difference between those of us born in different circumstances than we would think. We all think we are individuals, we all think we are separate from other individuals and that God is somewhere else.
The real difference we actually have is with the scriptures and the saints. They are the ones that have a radically different point of view than we do. And often throughout history we have treated the saints and prophets like enemies—persecuted them and sometimes even put them to death. But even when we worship them, honour them, love them, we don’t recognise how different our viewpoint is from theirs. We see everything as separate. They see the oneness of all things.
We talk about the oneness of all things, but we don’t see it. Why don’t we see it? Because there is a tremendous force within us that doesn’t want to see it from that point of view. There is a tremendous force within us that wants to be separate, that wants what we want. We don’t want to be the same as everyone and everything else. When this is discovered, then, so to speak, the gauntlet is thrown down. We are called on to face up to what we profess. Do we really want God, do we really want the saint’s point of view or do we not?
If we do, there is a battle to be fought. Our teachers tell us that the Puranas are only about us. The battle between good and evil is not some battle outside, but it is a battle that each one of us has to fight within ourselves. And it is literally a fight to the death. That force of separation has no intention of giving up easily. Kill it one place; it appears in another. Kill it there; it appears somewhere else in another form. It is a never-ending battle and a battle that all the scriptures tell us can only be won when, one way or another, we take refuge in the Lord.
But however we view it, the real battle of life is not with those who think differently from us, the real battle of life is against our limited view of ourselves. We must fight this battle until we achieve the world viewpoint of the scriptures and the saints.
Excerpts from: Our World Viewpoint - Early Morning Meditation Talks by Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda
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The Doctrine of Grace
Spiritual Message for the Day – The Doctrine of Grace by Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 2August 2014 13.21 EST | New York Edition** |
The Doctrine of Grace
Divine Life Society Publication: Essence of Bhakti Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda
You can notice Lord’s grace in every inch of His Creation. In a hot summer you enjoy the delicious sweet juice of grapes, cucumber, oranges and pomegranates and cool Ganga water of Rishikesh and Haridwar. This is Lord’s grace. When you suffer from any serious ailment, you get immediate relief and cure from herbs. This is Lord’s grace. When you walk in a dark night, the stars twinkle and throw light on your path. This is Lord’s grace. When you are unable to bear extreme pain you become unconscious. This is Lord’s grace. When the weather is sultry, a gentle breeze blows and refreshes you. This is Lord’s grace.
Lord’s grace will descend in proportion to the degree of surrender. The more the surrender, the more the grace.
Kathopanishad says in a thundering voice: “Not by study or discourses, not by argument, not by intelligence is the Self attained. He whom the Lord chooses attains Self-realisation. He reveals Himself to such a chosen person.”
The subtle forms of lust, anger, egoism, pride, etc., can only be totally destroyed through the grace of the Lord. However hard you may strive and do Sadhana, these subtle forms cannot be eradicated through your Sadhana alone. The Lord’s grace completely purifies your heart.
It is the Lord only who stirs the aspirants to do Purushartha or right exertion.
You should not sit idle and say “Lord’s grace will do everything for me. Why should I do any Sadhana?” This is wrong philosophy. God helps those who help themselves. God’s grace will descend on those persons only who exert. You cannot expect the Lord to do self-surrender for you. Be up and doing. Strive. Plod. Persevere. The Lord will shower His grace upon you.
Mira abandoned everything. She renounced kingdom, husband, relatives, friends and property. She remembered her Lord Krishna, whole day and night. She shed tears of Prem. She sang His praise with single-minded devotion. She gave up food. Her body got emaciated. Her mind was ever absorbed in Lord Krishna. Only then, did Lord Krishna shower His grace upon her.
The Lord has five duties. He is Karta (actor), Akarta (non-actor), Anyatha Karta. He veils the Jiva (Tirodhana, Tirobhava). He removes the veil through His grace (Anugraha).
People will become idle and say “The Lord will do everything for me. Why should I do any Sadhana? I depend upon His grace alone.” In order to remove the inertia, Sri Vasishtha and others have preached the “Purushartha Vada.” In reality it is all Lord’s grace only. Even a leaf or an atom will not move without the sanction of the Lord.
May you all obtain Lord’s grace through faith and devotion! May Lord shower His grace upon you all.
Glory to the Lord and His grace (Kripa, Anugraha, Prasad).
Excerpts from: The Doctrine of Grace - Essence of Bhakti Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda
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Sai Satcharita Chapter 1 (2)
Sai Satcharita Chapter 1
Around the year 1910, Shirdi was plagued by the epidemic of Cholera. The people of Shirdi asked Baba for help, claiming that they did not know what to do to help their loved ones. After hearing many such requests, Baba awoke one morning, washed his hands and face, and started to grind wheat using a hand mill. The villagers were confused as to how this practice would help their sick families, but still helped Baba with His task. Finally, when all the wheat was ground into flour, Baba told the villagers to take scatter the flour around the village borders. When the villagers asked why, Baba smiled knowingly and told them that the Cholera would subside. Baba’s devotees believed that it was not wheat, but the disease, that had been ground and thrown away from the village. Shirdi was no longer plagued by Cholera within a few months, and the villagers lived well.
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