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This website is devoted to Philosophy, Religion, Spirituality and Science. We bring in articles on teachings by Great Saints like Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, Adi Shankara, Swami Sivananda, Swami Krishnananda, Aurobindo, Mother of Auroville and others.
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We Want Two Identities
Spiritual Message for the Day – We Want Two Identities by Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 1August 2014 12.11 EST | New York Edition** |
We Want Two Identities
Divine Life Society Publication: Early Morning Meditation Talks by Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda
The call to the spiritual life is a call from God to a better life. Whether our life has been a difficult one or whether it has been one with a minimum of difficulties, the spiritual call is a call to a higher life, a life of greater satisfaction. Ultimately, in Pujya Swamiji’s words, total satisfaction.
In the beginning our spiritual life does seem to bring about some changes; but after some time, no matter how many changes we may see, there seems to be something that fundamentally hasn’t changed at all. We still seem to be a long ways from the total satisfaction that our hearts long for.
We blame it on our behaviour. We see so many weaknesses in ourselves, so many virtues that we do not have. But if we will analyse it very carefully, we will find that the reason we don’t feel total satisfaction or even partial satisfaction is because at the core we haven’t changed. Our fundamental identity hasn’t shifted.
Gurudev put his finger on it. He said, “You are not the body, not the mind, Immortal Self you are. Realise this and be free.” We have been trying to realise the Immortal Self without, at the same time, realising clearly that we are not the body, not the mind. Indeed, the truth seems to be that we want to have two identities. We want to realise that we are the Immortal Self without giving up our identity with the body and mind.
But to have a double identity is neither logical, nor is it possible. Therefore, there is another way to describe the beginning of the spiritual life. That is when we recognise clearly that we cannot have two identities and that the fundamental change that is required is the willingness to give up our identity with the body and mind so that we can realise the Immortal Self that we already are.
The classic methods of doing this are to totally surrender our body and mind and our identity to God or to enquire into who I really am. The enquiry of “Who am I?” is actually to constantly discover who we are not. A fundamental error of the spiritual life is to think that the Immortal Self or who we really are is something that we can grasp, is some experience. The fact is that it is what is left over when time and time again we have recognised “Not this, not this.”
Whether our basic sadhana is one of surrender or whether it is one of “Not this, not this,” success is not something that normally happens overnight. As Pujya Swamiji would say, “Perhaps it happens suddenly once in a million times, but it would not be wise for you to think that you are that one in a million.” It is something that we must work on constantly, and indeed, integral yoga is the best way. Sometimes our path should be surrender. The next moment it may be “Not this, not this.” We must use every weapon that God suggests to us in this battle against our stubborn identification with the body and mind.
But above all, we must first recognise that if we want to see a fundamental change in ourselves, then that fundamental change must start with our identification. The identification with the body and mind is a false one and must be clearly recognised as such.
Excerpts from: We Want Two Identities - Early Morning Meditation Talks by Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda
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Ideal of Yoga
Spiritual Message for the Day – Ideal of Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 31 July 2014 17.54 EST | New York Edition** |
Ideal of Yoga
Divine Life Society Publication: Yoga and Realization by Sri Swami Sivananda
The understanding of Yoga and Vedanta is not an intellectual acceptance. Salvation from birth and death in this phenomenal world is possible only through Yoga. Miseries start due to ignorance by which the soul gets attached to human name and form. All the elements of the body are subject to change, disease and death. The mind, too is subject to change. The only changeless entity is the Immortal Soul, and its realisation is the ideal of Yoga.
The individual soul’s identification with the physical sheath is so deep-rooted that it is difficult to break oneself free from the thralldom of earthly life. The human life is a continuous process of self-perfection. No one is born perfect. In the childhood, when the scope of reason and discrimination is yet unfolded, we acquire various impressions from the environments. We acquire habits, tastes, likes and dislikes which go to form what is called character.
In the common parlance what we mean by character is just a pattern of correct, dignified, honest and suave manners or behavior. But character means much more than that. It essentially implies self-culture, purity, self-restraint, unselfishness and nobility of thought, word and action. The process of Yoga is a means to the attainment of the finest of character.
Life opens up two paths before every individual—one is called the Preyo Marga and the other Sreyo Marga, i.e., the path of pleasure and the path of goodness or righteousness. The path of pleasure has an easy access; it is momentarily very exhilarating, titillating, tantalising and fascinating but in spite of all these, the Preyo Marga is always fraught with deceit, fear and ignomity, hostility and dissension, frustration and derision. Yet, the power of illusion is such that people invariably prefer the path of pleasure, irrespective of all its calcining ill-effects. While, on the contrary, the path of righteousness or goodness is very hard to tread and its exacting demands might often deny one the common pleasure of life, and yet this Sreyo Marga is the only way out of mundane unrealities. It is the only consolation of our existence.
The ideal of Yoga points out to man the transitoriness of earthly pleasure, or the finitude of temporal objects. It extols the value of righteousness and emphasises the need of detachment and selflessness in the performance of that which is good. Through this process of selfless actions, one purifies the heart.
Through the process of Raja Yoga, one restrains his senses and the mind, cultivates ethical propensities, cleanses and strengthens the internal vital organs, and thereby prepares oneself for spiritual enlightenment.
Then there is the process of Bhakti Yoga. It is the process of pulverising one’s ego and emptying oneself of all impurities for the love of God. It is the path of self-dedication or self-surrender. All loyalties are centered here in God alone. He alone is perceived in all creations. He alone is worshipped everywhere. He alone is sought at all times and in all places.
Bhakti has several stages. From gross stages, it takes one to subtler states. It has to be cultivated gradually and must find its expression in one’s every action and behavior with others.
Then the final stage of evolution is the fruition of the process of Jnana Yoga. It is the path of self-enquiry and self-analysis. Here one attempts to penetrate into the very core of things and perceive the Reality behind. Here one identifies oneself with the absolute Consciousness that replete all creations and yet remains unaffected by the pairs of the opposites, by change and finitude. This Consciousness is the real nature of man. The veil of illusion envelopes this Consciousness and its forgetfulness entails sufferings and fruitless groping in the void of unreality. The process of rending asunder this veil is called Jnana Yoga, and one’s identification with the supreme Consciousness and merging ones individuality in it is called Self-realisation.
All paths are interconnected and interdependent. One has, therefore, to take the aid of all the processes of Yoga in order to effect a harmonious development of the human personality. The ideal of Yoga enables one to live a happy and fruitful life, conducive to one’s own personal usefulness as well as to that of others. No crude denial or suppression is implied in the ideal of Yoga. What is required of us is a rational, judicious attempt in purifying and perfecting ourselves, to sublimate carnal drags, to dedicate to and submerge our individuality in the cosmic Will, to rise above the pairs of the opposites, to be ever intent in grasping the lessons that Nature provides us, to evaluate between the right and the wrong, the real and the unreal, and to direct our attitudes accordingly, and finally to fruitfully use our capacities in the service of the creations of God.
Hindu and Buddhist thinkers, with a singular unanimity declare that Avidya (ignorance) is the source of our anguish and all our trouble. Man’s nature of oneness with the living universe is lost. He develops an egocentric view of life and puts his individual preference above social welfare. He develops an acquisitive instinct and looks upon every other being as his potential enemy. He clings to nature, to his neighbours, in short, to everything, which is evanescent. He becomes a divided being, tormented by doubt, fear and suffering. There is a split in his oneness. The world in which we live today is the world of incessant fear. But the tragedy is that we are not as yet fully conscious of our ignorance. The more sick we are, the less sensible we become. Religion is the conquest of fear, an antidote to failure and death. We cannot dispel our doubts by drugging ourselves with myths and illusions. A temporary psychological peace may be obtained, but it cannot endure. True freedom from fear can only be obtained by Jnana, Wisdom.
Excerpts from:
Ideal of Yoga - Yoga and Realization by Sri Swami Sivananda
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Intellect and Intuition
Spiritual Message for the Day – Intellect and Intuition by Sri Swami Krishnananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 30 July 2014 14.52 EST | New York Edition** |
Intellect and Intuition
Divine Life Society Publication: The Foundations of Philosophy by Sri Swami Krishnananda
In intellectual analysis truth is distorted and falsified to some extent, for here existence gets separated into the subject and the object. Without duality there is no intellectual function, and with duality there is no knowledge of reality. The intellect breaks up the unity of being into a system of isolated terms and relations. The predicate is differentiated from the subject and then dovetailed into the subject itself by being made an adjective of the latter. The unitary existence is thus divided into a primary and a secondary aspect, which occasions false perception. An aggregate of an infinite number of particulars cannot give us the Absolute. Sense, feeling, thought and understanding, together with volition, are below the level of intuition.
In intuition there is no adjectival predicate required to qualify the subject, for it is knowledge of existence in essence. Logical knowledge takes one away from insight into the truth of things; it gives us a superficial glimpse of the manner in which objects appear to us in the world. Man’s powers of knowledge are not adapted to comprehend reality. It is intuition alone that is capable of bringing the various particulars together to form a harmonious whole and enable the self to enter the portals of Reality.
Intellect and intuition are not really opposed to each other. Intellect is lifted up and universalised in the purified state of intuition. Intuition does not negate intellectual perception but transfigures it in a higher perception. The purpose of the intellect is fulfilled in the illumination of intuition. While intellect gives us a shadow, intuition takes us to the substance. Intellect functions on the belief in the partiteness of things, but intuition enters directly into the whole object, right up to the essence. What intellect achieves is understanding, while that which is gained in intuition is practical wisdom. The intellect functions on the wrong basis of the assumption that the results achieved by the process of the distinction of the knower and the known are fully trustworthy. The complete synthesis of knowledge would be a union of principles where the intellect is overcome, where reason rises above itself and where differences are obliterated. This achievement is not possible as long as the seeker rests contented in the human consciousness. The moral urge within him to reach perfection points to the existence of a knowledge which is unlimited in every way. There can be a fulfilment of this aspiration only in Aparoksha-Anubhava (non-mediate experience).
Reason always bases itself on sense-perception. The test of truth is not verifiability by sense, but non-contradiction and agreement with the revelations of the deepest source of knowledge.
Intuition in its highest reaches is not knowledge of being but knowledge as being. Self-knowledge is the summit of intuitive perception, and it is inseparable from self-existence. It is the only true and direct knowledge. All else is relational, mediate, inferential and presupposes the characteristics of knowledge as attained in intuition. It is the light of the Self that flashes forth and overshadows all knowledge which man is acquainted with in the world. The possibility of an intuitive knowledge is demonstrated in the metaphysical acceptance of the absoluteness of the Self. There is, ultimately, only one ‘I,’ the universal Self asserting itself everywhere in creation. This Self is at the back of all thought-processes, all rational knowledge, all psychical operations.
Strictly speaking, we should not equate Self-realisation with intuition in the sense of any kind of perception, even if it be the highest perception, for Self-experience is being itself. Swami Sivananda remarks: “Knowledge through the functioning of the causal body (Karana-Sarira) is intuition.” “Atma-Jnana (knowledge of the Self) is above intuition. It transcends the Karana-Sarira. It is the highest form of knowledge. It is the only reality” (Mind and Its Mysteries: p. 83).
The universe is presented as a collection of fragments due to the discursive and dividing activity of the intellect. An intuitive knowledge of an object bestows supreme power on one over that object. The intuition of Reality is, verily, omniscience, and omniscience is at once omnipotence. This is to attain to existence, knowledge, power and freedom in their completeness.
Inspiration, revelation, insight, intuition, ecstasy, divine sight and supreme bliss are the seven planes of knowledge. And there are four sources of knowledge, viz. instinct, reason, intuition and super-intuition or Brahma-Jnana. Instinct is found in animals, birds, etc. In birds (for example) the ego does not interfere with the free divine flow and divine play. Hence the work done by them through their instincts is more perfect than that done by human beings. Have you not noticed the excellent work done by birds in their building of wonderful nests? Reason is higher than instinct, and is found only in human beings. It collects facts, generalises, reasons out from cause to effect, from effect to cause, from premises to conclusions, from propositions to proofs. It concludes, decides and comes to judgment. It takes one safely to the door of intuition and leaves him there. In intuition there is no reasoning. There is direct perception of truth. We know things by a flash. Intuition transcends reason, but does not contradict it”.
Intuition is the voice of the inner man, the faculty by which the individual tries to apprehend itself in eternity.
The knowledge of the limitations of reason is an acceptance of there being a knowledge transcending reason. Knowledge of a boundary implies the knowledge of what extends outside the boundary. The aspiration for infinite knowledge, the urge for perfection, points to an experience which speaks, in the language of silence, of its supremacy over all things known to man. Intuition is, as it were, the antenna by which the Absolute feels its own self in the objects of the universe. Intuition heralds the coming of the experience of Brahman. It establishes in the universe a divine family, and fulfils the promise of a universal brotherhood of all created beings. A feeling of kinship with all things is possible only on the foundation of the perception of oneness. Perfect knowledge has the characteristic mark of uniformity, for it depends on self-accomplished and truly existing objects. Whatever is permanently of one and the same nature and endures without undergoing change in the history of time is acknowledged to be true. The knowledge of truth is perfected knowledge. In it a mutual conflict of opinions is not possible, for it is rooted in what is equally true to all persons and things, everywhere and at all times. Intuition is the golden key to blessedness.
Excerpts from: Intellect and Intuition – The Foundations of Philosophy 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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A Simple But Powerful Spiritual Practice
Spiritual Message for the Day – A Simple But Powerful Spiritual Practice by Swami Atmaswarupananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 29 July 2014 20.56 EST | New York Edition** |
A Simple But Powerful Spiritual Practice
Divine Life Society Publication: Trust God by Swami Atmaswarupananda
It is common thinking throughout the world to make a division between the spiritual life and the secular life. But if all is one, if God alone is, then perhaps the purpose of our spiritual life is to recognise that there is no such thing as secular life, that all life is spiritual. It is a question of where our consciousness is. The purpose of our spiritual practices is to raise our consciousness to a point where we recognise the fact that all life is divine.
Most of the time our consciousness seems to be in what we could call a secular level. Is there a simple practice that we could observe during the day that would help raise our consciousness in a steady and consistent fashion?
We may not be able to find time during the day for longer periods of spiritual practice, but usually we can find times when we can just sit—in the kitchen, in the office, no matter where—for a few moments, and close our eyes and relax. That practice alone will help to steady our consciousness. If we add to it repetition of God’s name, our mind will become focused, our consciousness will be raised. And as we are repeating God’s name we can recognise that something is aware of that repetition. We don’t create a witness, because that’s just another thought, but whatever is in our mind, we recognise that something is knowing it.
That something can never be grasped, but it is never absent whether we are sitting quietly, whether we are active, whether we are dreaming or whether we are in deep sleep. The remembrance of that ungraspable witness raises our consciousness and puts us in another dimension. And all this can be done in a few moments.
The spiritual life is not, at its core, something dramatic. Except in very rare circumstances, it is a step by step journey that continues for years. Some time ago one of our senior devotees passed away. She was a housewife who for years and years had followed regular spiritual practices. She didn’t seem to be anything special, but when she was having her health crisis—even though she could have expected to have many more years to live—she was totally resigned to whether she lived or not. Swamiji (Swami Chidananda) marvelled. He said it is a result of her many years of consistent spiritual practice.
So we shouldn’t underestimate the inner spiritual power of something like simply—for a few moments as frequently as we can—sitting quietly, repeating God’s name and being aware that there is an unknowable witness who is always silently knowing everything.
Excerpts from:
A Simple But Powerful Spiritual Practice - Trust God by Swami Atmaswarupananda
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Parable of The Poor Man and His Treasure-Trove
Spiritual (Story) Message for the Day – Parable of The Poor Man and His Treasure-Trove by Sri Swami Sivananada
| **Baba Times Digest© | 28 July 2014 20.40 EST | New York Edition** |
Parable of The Poor Man and His Treasure-Trove
Divine Life Society Publication: Parables of Sivananda by Sri Swami Sivananda
There was a poor man in a village who had an all-consuming desire to become rich. God took the form of a fortune-teller and told the poor man: “O man, dig a pit near the wall at the back of your house. You will find a rich treasure-trove in it.” The poor man rejoiced greatly when this proved correct. Having obtained much wealth, the poor man relaxed and became indifferent to the acquisition or even maintenance of the wealth. Coming to know of his carelessness, one day a thief entered the house and carried away the treasure-trove. When the poor man found that his wealth was gone, he was terribly shocked. He cried himself hoarse and began running here and there in search of the treasure-trove. In the meantime, the same fortune-teller found the thief running away with the treasure-trove and caught hold of him; the treasure-trove was duly returned to the poor man, who rejoiced greatly. From that moment he never relaxed his vigilance and was ever guarding the treasure-trove and exerted himself to add to it.
Similarly, a good man aspires to realize God. His aspiration is so intense that God, in His Supreme Mercy and Compassion, sends him a Guru. The Guru points out that within the chambers of his heart resides the Supreme Bliss, God. The good man exerts himself and attains some measure of success in his Sadhana. This success turns his head and makes him relax his efforts. Finding him thus callous, Maya overpowers him and carries away his spiritual progress. He is where he was before he started Sadhana. He suddenly discovers this truth and laments over his fate. The Guru comes to him again and recaptures for him the experiences he had previously gained by Sadhana. He also warns him against lax in Sadhana. From that moment, the good man never relaxes his vigilance. He guards the treasure-trove of spiritual experience that has been granted to him and exerts to add to it day after day. Once having known the consequences of non-vigilance, viz., great misery, he never relaxes his vigilance once again.
Excerpts from:
Parable of The Poor Man and His Treasure-Trove - Parables of Sivananda by Sri Swami Sivananda
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Mind, Its Manifestations and Resistances
Spiritual Message for the Day – Mind, Its Manifestations and Resistances by Sri Swami Sivananada
| **Baba Times Digest© | 27 July 2014 13.26 EST | New York Edition** |
Mind, Its Manifestations and Resistances
Divine Life Society Publication: Mind, Its Manifestations and Resistances by Sri Swami Sivananda
I. THOUGHT AND FACIAL EXPRESSION
Face is the index of Mind. Face is the mould of the mind. Every thought cuts a groove in the face. A divine thought brightens the face. An evil thought darkens the face. Continued divine thoughts increase the aura or halo. Continued evil thoughts increase the depth of dark impressions just as the continued striking of a vessel against the edge of a well while drawing water makes deeper and deeper hollow on the vessel. The facial expression truly advertises the inner state of the mind or the true contents of the mind.
II. THE INNER WAR
So long as there are desires or Vasanas, you cannot have knowledge of the Self. So long as you have no knowledge of the Self, you cannot destroy desires completely. This is a Chakrika or paradox. The more you thin out desires or Vasanas the more you are near to Atman or the Goal. Subha Vasanas will not bind you. Japa, meditation, Vichara are subtle Vasanas. A desire for liberation is a subtle Vasana. Increase the subtle Vasanas. The evil Vasanas will perish by themselves.
III. FIGHT WITH EVIL
Fight with evil is fight with the mind. Fight with senses is fight with evil. Fight with desires is fight with the mind. Fight with matter is fight with evil. Fight with matter is breaking all attachments, that bind you to this world. Fight with desires and cravings is fight with ignorance. Conquest over mind, senses, desires and matter is the greatest victory. It bestows Immortality and eternal bliss, and makes you real King of kings.
IV. REMOVE THE DIRT IN THE MIND-RADIO
A new Radio is fixed. All its parts are quite all right. But the message is not received. This is due to a particle of dirt in it. If the dirt is removed, all the messages and songs will be heard distinctly. Even so in the big radio of the mind if there is dirt of bad character of evil quality, it cannot express true joy, bliss, love, the spirit of self-sacrifice, the aroma of truth. Remove the dirt of evil trait. Fill the mind with divine virtues. You will shine with Brahmic aura. You will shed the light of Self-illumination.
V. THE CREEPER-MIND
A creeper grows. You allow it to ascend on a stick. Every day you tend it, and move it in the direction you want. If you do not tend it for a week, it will move in its own way. It will not serve your purpose. It will look ugly. Even so, you must tend the creeper-mind daily. Then alone can you bend it easily. You can mould it properly, you can control it easily.
Excerpts from:
Mind, Its Manifestations and Resistances by Sri Swami Sivananda
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Sadhana – The Main Purpose of Life
Spiritual Message for the Day – Sadhana – The Main Purpose of Life by Sri Swami Sivananada
| **Baba Times Digest© | 26 July 2014 15.16 EST | New York Edition** |
Sadhana – The Main Purpose of Life
Divine Life Society Publication: Sadhana – The Main Purpose of Life by Sri Swami Sivananda
Sadhana means any spiritual practice that helps the aspirant to realise God. It is a means to attain the goal of human life. Sadhana is steadying the mind and fixing it on the Lord.
Everyone must take to some kind of Sadhana to attain the state of final beatitude.
Sadhana is the real wealth. It is the only thing of real and everlasting value. There is butter in milk, but it can be got only after churning. Similarly if you want to realise God, do Sadhana and worship constantly in right earnest.
Whatever spiritual practice you do, either Japa, practice of Asanas, meditation or Pranayama, do it systematically and regularly every day. You will attain immortality or eternal bliss.
If your persist in your Sadhana vigorously and diligently, if you are regular, systematic and punctual in your Sadhana, you will attain success.
Be contented with whatever you get by chance and apply yourself to Sadhana with a dispassionate mind.
Regularity in Sadhana is of paramount importance. He who meditates regularly gets Samadhi quickly. That man who is irregular and does his actions by fits and starts cannot reap the fruits of his efforts.
Keep your mind always busy in doing Japa, concentration, meditation, study of religious books, Satsanga or in doing something useful to others.
Little acts of virtues, little acts of purity will help you a lot in your Sadhana. Removal of Vrittis and impurities is the most important Sadhana. The wandering mind must be controlled by sticking to one place, one preceptor and one progressive method of Sadhana.
That Sadhaka who has turned the mind inward by the practice of Sama and Dama and who has keen longing for liberation sees the Self in his own Self by constant and deep meditation.
You can move the whole world by your spiritual force.
A spiritual diary is a whip for goading the mind towards righteousness.
Selfishness retards spiritual progress. If anyone can destroy his selfishness, half of his spiritual Sadhana is over.
You must get up at 4 a.m. and start meditation. Have concrete meditation in the beginning. Feel the indwelling presence of God in the form and think of the attributes-purity, perfection, all-pervading intelligence, bliss absolute, omnipotence, etc. When the mind runs again and again bring it to the point. Have another sitting for meditation at night. Be regular in your practice.
Write your Ishta Mantra in a notebook for one hour daily. Discipline the senses. Observe the vow of silence. Develop right thinking, right feeling, right acting and right speaking. Eradicate vicious qualities, such as anger, lust, greed, egoism, hatred, etc. He who regulates his life on the above lines, is sure to attain success in this very birth, nay, in this very second.
Excerpts from:
Sadhana – The Main Purpose of Life by Sri Swami Sivananda
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Vedanta is Living Experience
Spiritual Message for the Day – Vedanta is Living Experience by Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 25 July 2014 14.49 EST | New York Edition** |
Vedanta is Living Experience
Divine Life Society Publication: - Vedanta is Living Experience by Sri Swami Sivananda
VEDANTA is today a much abused term. All sorts of vanity, hypocrisy and self-conceit have been masquerading in its name. It has become the fashion of the day to pass for a Vedantin as it is then convenient to give up all sorts of responsibilities, rituals and restrictions of the Varnashrama Dharma and enables one to lead a happy-go-lucky life to ease, lethargy and inertia. Most people take great pride in calling themselves Vedantins, whether or not they understand the philosophy, whether or not they do any practice. All retired officers who have not done any selfless service or any Sadhana or worship or charity take to Vedanta as a sort of fancy.
Thus Vedanta has become a very comfortable philosophy, because one can do whatever he chooses and eat whatever he likes. Licentiousness is mistaken for a life of expansion. If a man can eat anything in any hotel in any part of the world, if he can move socially with any man or woman, that does not mean, he is a Vedantin. There is much tall talk of Vedanta now-a-days. There is idle Vedantic gossiping. But there is no practical Vedanta. Nobody wants to do any real solid Vedantic Sadhana. Man feels ashamed to call himself a Bhakta, but he takes great pride in calling himself a Yogi or a Vedantin, because he foolishly imagines he will respected by the public. Many ignorant Vedantins have mistaken the body for Brahman and hence there is corruption amongst the so-called loose Vedantins. This is not only lamentable but also highly deplorable.
Wholesale preaching of Vedanta to the Masses is not advisable. It will result in chaos, bewilderment and stagnation. Grasping of Vedantic principles and a right understanding of the philosophy and Sadhana are very difficult. Vedanta is for a select few who are equipped with the four means of salvation or Sadhana Chatushtaya and who have removed the impurities of their minds and mental oscillation through constant practice of Nishkama Karma Yoga and Upasana. The path of Vedanta is not so easy as it is generally supposed to be. It is a sharp razor-edge path. Therefore, those who preach Vedanta to the masses do more harm than any good. They are misleading the people.
It is very very easy to say, Soham - I am He, Sivoham - I am Siva, Aham Brahma Asmi - I am Brahman like a parrot, but to live in the very spirit of Vedanta, to feel the oneness or unity of consciousness, to become ‘That’ in reality and to radiate the Brahmic Bliss, Joy and Peace is an extremely difficult affair. While repeating ‘Soham’, if his mind is easily upset when another utters a single harsh word, and if he begins to fight with that man vehemently, there is no use at all in that repetition. It is mere hypocrisy. He will not be able to influence others. People will take him for a cheat.
Vedanta is not merely a concept or a dogma. It is neither a theory nor a dry philosophy for contention and argumentation. It is the actual life of perennial joy in Brahman or Truth. A single practical Vedantin like Sankara could move the whole world. A practical Vedantin will outweigh a thousand and one Sandows when weighed in a balance. A practical Vedantin possesses tremendous inner spiritual strength. The whole world rejoices at the sight of a real practical Vedantin. Practical Vedanta is a living experience, the melting of the individual self in the ocean of consciousness or the Supreme Self. The experiencer exclaims with inexpressible joy, All indeed is Brahman. All differences, distinctions, qualities have vanished. I see Brahman and Oneness everywhere. I am Brahman.
Excerpts from:
Vedanta is Living Experience by Sri Swami Sivananda
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Paths of Yoga
Spiritual Message for the Day – Paths of Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 24 July 2014 16.25 EST | New York Edition** |
Paths of Yoga
Divine Life Society Publication: - Paths of Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda
The four main spiritual paths for God-realization are Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. Karma Yoga is suitable for a man of active temperament; Bhakti Yoga for a man of devotional temperament; Raja Yoga for a man of mystic temperament; Jnana Yoga for a man of rational and philosophical temperament or enquiry. The practice of Yoga leads to communion with the Lord. Whatever may be the starting point, the end reached is the same.
Karma Yoga is the way of selfless service. The selfless worker is called the Karma-Yogin. Bhakti Yoga is the path of exclusive devotion to the Lord. He who seeks the union through love or devotion is called the Bhakti-Yogin. Raja Yoga is the way of self-restraint. He who seeks to have union with the Lord through mysticism is called the Raja Yogin. Jnana Yoga is the path of wisdom. He who seeks to unite himself with the Supreme Self through philosophy and enquiry is called the Jnana Yogin.
Man is a strange complex mixture of will, feeling and intellectual thought. He wills to possess the objects of his desires. He has emotion and so he feels. He has reason and so he thinks and ratiocinates. In some the emotional element may preponderate, while in some others the rational element may dominate. Just as will, feeling and thought are not distinct and separate, so also work, devotion and knowledge are not exclusive of one another.
Some maintain the practice of Karma Yoga alone is the means to salvation. Some others hold that devotion to the Lord is the only way to God-realisation. Some believe that the path of wisdom is the sole way to attain the eternal beatitude. There are still others, who hold that all the paths are equally efficacious to bring about perfection and freedom.
To behold the One Self in all beings is Jnana, wisdom ; to love the Self is Bhakti or devotion, to serve the Self in all is Karma, or action. When the Jnana-Yogi attains wisdom, he is endowed with devotion and engaged in selfless activity. Karma Yoga is for him a spontaneous expression of his spiritual nature, as ha sees the One Self in all. When the devotee attains perfection in devotion, he is possessed of wisdom and activity. For him also Karma Yoga is a spontaneous expression of his divine nature, as he beholds the one Lord everywhere. The Karma Yogi attains wisdom and devotion when his actions are wholly selfless. All the paths are in fact one, in which the different temperaments emphasize one or other of its inseparable constituents. Yoga supplies the method by which the Self can be seen, loved and served.
The Yoga of Synthesis is the most suitable and potent form of Sadhana. In the mind there are three defects, Mala or impurity, Vikshepa or tossing, Avarana or veil. The impurity should be removed by the practice of Karma Yoga. The tossing should be removed by worship or Upasana. The veil should be torn down by the practice of Jnana Yoga. Only then Self-realisation is possible. If you want to see your face clearly in a mirror, you must remove the dirt in the mirror, keep it steady and remove the covering also. You can see your face clearly in the bottom of a lake only if the turbidity is removed, the water that is agitated by the wind is rendered still and if the moss that is lying on the surface is removed. Even so is the case with Self-realisation. The Yoga of Synthesis will bring about integral development. The Yoga of Synthesis develop the head, heart and hand harmoniously and lead to perfection.
Note:
In this section a detailed in depth study of the four main paths of yoga i.e. Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Karma Yoga from the writings of Worshipful Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj is compiled. The unique synthesis of all the four paths and its practice, which Gurudev called as Yoga of Synthesis, is also given in this section. Please explore the subsections for a thorough study.
Excerpts from:
Paths 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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Story of an Old Man and a Donkey
Spiritual (Story) Message for the Day – Story of an Old Man and a Donkey by Sri Swami Sivananada
| **Baba Times Digest© | 23 July 2014 16.48 EST | New York Edition** |
Story of an Old Man and a Donkey
(You cannot please the world)
Divine Life Society Publication: Yoga in Daily Life by Sri Swami Sivananda
An old man was riding a donkey, while he was returning from a Sunday fair. His young son was walking. The passers-by saw this and remarked: “Look at this cruel fellow. The young boy is walking all along. This stout man is riding on the donkey. Merciless wretch!” As soon as the old man heard these harsh words, he got down from the donkey and put his boy on the donkey. Some other people who were passing along the road saw this and remarked: “Loot at this cruel boy. The old, weak man is walking. Cheeky, arrogant, young, stout boy is enjoying a ride. Cruel boy!” Then the old man also got upon the donkey. They both rode the old animal. Some other people criticised: “Look at these two cruel fellows. The animal is old and weak. These two stout fellows are riding. Both are very, very cruel and heartless indeed!” They both got down and allowed the animal to walk freely. Some other passers-by remarked: “Look at these two fools. They have no brains. There is a good animal. They can quite easily ride and enjoy. They are walking now.” Thus the old man was kicked and tossed about from both sides, like a drum.
If you marry, people will say that you are a passionate man. If you remain unmarried, people will say that you are a eunuch or impotent man. If you perform Japa, Sandhya, people will remark that you are a great religious hypocrite. If you do not perform Sandhya they will still criticise you and say that you are an atheist. You can never please the world.
Bhima advised Yudhishthira: “O Dharmaputra, you can never please the world.” Be above the Dvandva of Ninda and Stuthi, censure and praise. Do not bother yourself. Have no fear of public opinion. Rest in Samata.”
Fear of public opinion is a great weakness. One may not be afraid of the knife of surgeons. He may submit himself fearlessly to extraction of a strong tooth without cocaine-injection or to an operation without chloroform. One may not have the least fear for wild animals in thick forests; he may move about fearlessly in forests. One may not be afraid of the machine gun in the battlefield; he may fearlessly expose his chest to the bullets. Such fearless people may be afraid of slight public criticisms! They may even die of such criticisms. He who is leading a spiritual life, who has outgrown society’s fragile man-made rules, must be above public opinion and criticisms. He will have to hear the shrill pure, inner voice within, the voice of the soul and follow this voice at all costs, despite public criticisms of all sorts.
Many spiritually great men have given up their lives to keep up their convictions in the path of Truth. You can grow spiritually if you are above public opinion. Mark how Gandhiji stuck tenaciously to his principles despite public criticisms. Even if the whole world opposes you, you will have to stick to your principles and fight out, single-handed, even if it be.
Excerpts from:
Story of an Old Man and a Donkey (You cannot please the World) - Yoga in Daily Life 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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