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Sri Rama
| **Baba Times Digest© | 8 April 2014 17:28 EST | New York Edition** |
| Sri Rama
Divine Life Society Publication: Hindu Gods and Goddesses by Sri Swami Sivananda
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram
O Lord Rama! O Raghava!
Thou art an ocean of mercy.
Thou art Maryada Purushottama.
Thou art the refuge of devotees.
I have filled my being
With Thy love.
I installed Thee
In my heart.
Om Sri Ramaya Namah.
The Birth of the Lord
King Dasaratha who was endowed with good fortune, who was devoted to truth, who vas brave and famous, was without a son. Dasaratha brought the Rishi to Ayodhya and performed the sacrifice. The God of Fire appeared from the fire of the sacrifice. He had a golden vessel full of divine Payasa(sweet porridge). He said, “O best of kings! Take this Payasa made by the gods in heaven. Give it to your worthy wives. You shall beget by them mighty sons.”
Dasaratha obtained the permission of Vasishtha and Rishya Sringa and gave the Payasa half and half to his queens Kausalya and Kaikeyi. Sumitra also went there. She also wanted to take a portion of the Payasa. Kausalya joyfully gave her half of her share. Kaikeyi also gave her half of her share with immense joy. All the queens became pregnant.
On the ninth lunar day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra, under the star Punarvasu, and Lagna Karkata (the auspicious zodiacal sign of cancer), the five constellations in the ascendent, appeared on earth the great and prosperous Sri Rama with mighty arms, the eternal Lord, the Master of the world, the joy of Dasaratha was born to queen Kausalya. Bharata was born to Kaikeyi. Sumitra gave birth to two sons, twins, Lakshmana and Satrughna.
Vasishtha conferred the names. Kausalya’s son was named Rama, because He gave joy and happiness to all, because the Munis found in Him delight through Knowledge in order to cross this ocean of ignorance.
Bharata was so named, because he protected all, Lakshmana, because he was endowed with auspicious attributes, and Satrughna was given that name, as he was the destroyer of enemies.
Sri Rama was an Avatara of Lord Hari; Lakshmana was an Avatara of Adisesha; Bharata and Satrughna were Avataras of Conch and Discus. Sita was an Avatara of Sri Lakshmi.
All the sons of Dasaratha were heroic and virtuous. They were patient, brave, truthful and firm. They soon captivated the heart of the public. Sri Rama excelled His brothers in bravery and truthfulness.
The Divine Virtues of Rama
Rama was well accomplished, beautiful and endowed with royal marks. He was valiant and glowing with splendor. He was in no way inferior to Indra himself in battle. He was well-versed in holy scriptures and equal to Brihaspati in wisdom. He was skilled in every science. He was an object of love and reverence with all people. He had His senses under perfect control. Even His enemies were pleased to see Him. He was the terror of the wicked and the protector of the virtuous. He was endowed with keen intelligence. He could never be vanquished by anyone.
Sri Rama’s glory and powers were unlimited. He was peerless on earth. He was free from malice. He was gentle and was the protector of His people. He always addressed the people in gentle words. He never used any harsh words even when somebody addressed Him rudely.
Sri Rama was wise and virtuous. He was effulgent like the sun, in forgiveness like the earth, in intelligence like Brihaspati, in frame (physique) like Vasava, in prowess like Indra. He observed ascetic vows and honored saints. He would forget hundreds of evils done to Him, but would gratefully remember a single act of kindness ever shown.
In the leisure when He was not engaged in His martial exercises, He had discussions on the Shastras with the wise and the aged people. He always followed the right in every walk of His life and never swerved from His royal duties.
Rama was a friend of the poor and chastiser of the wicked. He was a cosmic benefactor. He was well-versed in religion, social customs and laws. He looked after the welfare of His subjects, and the people too loved Him immensely.
Sri Rama never spoke a lie even in extreme danger or peril. He was brave, candid and modest. He was the source of all good. He always respected His superiors. He was free from idleness. He was ever vigilant. He sought no evil. He had perfect control over anger.
Sri Rama was happy in adversity, calm in miseries, intrepid in dangers.
Sri Rama’s Dedication to Truth and Duty
Sri Rama, the hero of Valmiki’s Ramayana, is an embodiment of every social and domestic virtue. His sense of filial duty is unparalleled in the history of the world.
He kicked off the throne and the pleasures of the senses and the world to fulfil the words of His father.
Sri Rama’s life was a life of holy obedience, of stainless purity, of matchless simplicity, laudable contentment, commendable self-sacrifice, and remarkable renunciation. He paid equal respect to His mother and His step-mothers, and revered His Guru.
Sri Rama is known as Maryada Purushottama. He adhered to the injunctions of the Shastras. He led the life of an ideal householder to teach the world the Dharmas of a Grihastha. He never swerved an inch from truth and duty.
Sita once told Rama to seek shelter in a safe place and to let the forest dwellers alone, as there was much danger there. Rama’s reply revealed His firm determination to adhere to truth and to His duty, as a king, to protect those who took shelter under Him. Sri Rama said, “O Sita, I may even give up life, or you, or Lakshmana; but can never give up the performance of My word, given particularly to helpless Brahmins. Rama speaks but once and never fails to keep up His promise.”
Rama Rajya
Lord Rama was Maryada Purushottama. He was a Prema Murti. He was an ideal son, an ideal brother, an ideal husband, an ideal friend, and an ideal king. He can be taken to embody all the highest deals of man. He led an ideal life of a householder to teach humanity. He ruled His people so nicely that His rule came to be called Rama Rajya, meaning the rule of righteousness, the rule which bestows on all happiness and prosperity.
Rama Nama Mahima
Rama Nama or the Name of Lord Rama is a blessing which millions of Hindus have treasured in their hearts since ages past. It is the supreme purifier of the mind of man, the bestower of perennial joy, the giver of peace and the key to the gate of immortality.
You must learn to take the Name of Rama with full devotion and faith. When you study the Ramayana of Tulsidas, you will learn how great the divine power of that blessed Name is.
The word Rama is interpreted in the Ramarahasyopanishad as the combination of the essence of the Narayana-Ashta-Akshara and the Siva-Pancha-Akshara, i.e., Ra and Ma, without which the Ashtakshara and the Panchakshara not only do not give their proper meaning, but give the opposite meaning. Rama Nama is also considered as the essence of the Thousand Names of the Lord. It is the Taraka Mantra, the vessel which takes the mortal across the ocean of Samsara or death. The power of the Name is well realized when it is known that even the incorrect pronunciation thereof turned rogue Ratnakara into sage Valmiki.
Rama Nama burns ignorance, passion and sin. With knowledge or without knowledge, correctly or incorrectly, when the word Rama is pronounced, it showers a rain of good on the devotee. Sri Rama Brahma Tarakam.: Sri Rama is Brahman who takes one across Samsara. Rama is one in whom Yogins sport (Ramante) i.e., the Self within. Once you take refuge in Him, your welfare becomes His responsibility.
The Name of Sri Rama is sweeter than the sweetest objects. It is the haven of peace. It is the very life of pure souls. It is the purifier of all purifying agencies. It quenches the consuming fire of worldly desires. It awakens the knowledge of God which is dormant in our hearts. It bathes the aspirant in the ocean of divine bliss. Glory to Sri Rama and His Name.
Let no ideas of purity or impurity enter your mind. There is no unholy object in this world. Should there be any, it becomes the holiest of the holy by contact with the Lord’s Name. Illusion, notwithstanding all her efforts, fails to get hold of him who remains deeply absorbed in the Lord’s Name and love.
Why Lord Rama Behaved Like a Man
Why did Rama, the Supreme Being, forget His real divine nature? If Rama always knew His true Self, why did He grieve for the loss of His wife Sita?”
The answer to this question is that verily Rama was the Supreme Self. He never moved or did anything. He was never subject to joy or sorrow, birth or death, pleasure or pain. Through His life, Sri Rama behaved like an ordinary man only. He had to do that, because Ravana had a boon that he could not be killed by Devas, Asuras, Rakshasas, Yakshas, serpents, bears, etc. He belittled the strength of man in his pride. Ravana could only be killed by a man. So Sri Rama had to show that He was an ordinary man only. Otherwise, He would be disqualified for destroying Ravana, if He exhibited Himself to be a God, according to the boon of Brahma.
The Transcendent Divinity That Is Rama
To a devotee, Rama is not simply a good and great person, but God Himself. Rama is the son of Dasaratha, the King of Ayodhya, as well as the divine, omnipresent God; Self, Atman or Brahman. The destruction of the ten-headed Ravana by Rama is the annihilation of the mind with the ten senses. Worship of Rama is the worship of the Virat Purusha Himself. Read the prayers offered by Mandodari and Brahma in the Yuddha-Khanda of the Valmiki Ramayana. They refer to Rama as the one Creator of the universe, the God of all, the Ruler of all.
Sri Rama Navami
Rama Navami falls on the ninth day of the bright half of the month Chaitra (March-April). This is the birthday of Sri Rama, the seventh divine Incarnation. In India, Sri Rama Navami Utsava is celebrated for nine days with great fervor and devotion by the devotees of Lord Rama. Some keep strict fast. Temples are decorated and the image of Rama adorned with costly ornaments. The Ramayana is read in the temples.
May you all attain the final beatitude of life through intense devotion towards Rama! May you live immersed in the ecstasy of divine love and Suddha Prem! May Sri Rama, who is effulgent like million suns, who is adored by the gods and devotees, protect you all!
May Lord Rama bestow His choicest blessings on you all! May you all live drowned in the ocean of divine ecstasy through constant repetition of Lord Rama’s Name.
May peace be unto all! May prosperity be unto all! May happiness be unto all!
Let us all sing:
Om Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram
Om Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram.
Excerpts from:
Sri Rama - Hindu Gods and Goddesses by Sri Swami Sivananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition or audio CD, 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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Svadhyaya – Its Practical Value
| **Baba Times Digest© | 7 April 2014 17:45 EST | New York Edition** |
| Svadhyaya: Its Practical Value
Divine Life Society Publication: God as Mother by Swami Chidananda
Mother Saraswati is actually an embodiment of the Vedas. Vedas mean transcendent knowledge of the Supreme Being. Upanishads are the highest reaches of the Vedas. We have been told how the very quintessence of these Upanishads was given to humanity in the form of the Bhagavad Gita. Therefore, Mother is present to the aspirant in the form of this unique universal scripture, Srimad Bhagavad Gita. Therefore, all great spiritual teachers, Acharyas, have enjoined upon the seekers to regularly, daily, study the Gita. We must always worship the Mother in Her form as the Gita, by unfailingly going to the Gita every day and trying to imbibe the gospel of the Gita gradually into our own lives. This instruction to read the Gita has been specially stressed in the Dinacharya which Gurudev has given to all aspirants living the divine life at his sacred feet. We also know that in the Niyama of the Patanjali Darshana, Svadhyaya is one of the important items.
We have seen how Mother Saraswati the Parashabda or the Primal Sound is manifest in Her various progressive aspects as Dhvani, then the articulate sound or Vak, and the specific Vak in the form of letters of the alphabet, and combination of letters giving us the Nama or the name and the Artha of the Nama appearing before us in the form of Rupa. As Mother is thus embodied in and through the sacred letters of the scriptures, all spiritual books and also Dharma-Granthas and all scriptures are therefore a mass of Saraswati Tattva. She gives us the knowledge of the Transcendent Being in and through Her Form as the written letter and the word. Therefore, when we take up the spiritual scripture and study it as part of our daily routine, we actually come into contact of Saraswati and try to be instructed by Her directly as She is manifest in the word.
Svadhyaya is an important Anga of daily Sadhana. Its importance to the spiritual aspirant is manifold; but at least one very significant part which Svadhyaya plays in the realm of Sadhana may just be touched upon, for it will show us how it helps to increase the Sattva and spiritual qualities in the thoughts, in the Bhava or consciousness of the seekers.
We know the entire nature and the make-up of the spiritual Sadhana is decided by one’s Samskaras. The mind is everything; and the mind is but a bundle of Samskaras. These Samskaras are acquired by Vyavahara. Contact with external objects, moving with persons, the experience of these contacts, go to form more and more Samskaras in the being. If these Samskaras go on increasing day by day, they become a terrible downward pull, a force tending to externalize and making the mind more and more Vishayakara. But they cannot be completely avoided. It is impossible to completely cut off all Vyavahara for the vast majority of spiritual seekers. Therefore, as a supreme psychological method of counteracting these Samskaras, these spiritual ideas are made to get into the mind through daily study of elevating scriptures. For by daily, diligent and regular study of scriptures, every day the spiritual aspirant takes into himself a whole mass of sublime spiritualizing, life-transforming ideas; and they form powerful, positive, Sattvic, spiritual Samskaras in the mind of the seeker. Thus, they help to overcome the unfortunate unspiritual Samskaras that are gathered inevitably during the course of daily Vyavahara. They have got the power to give a fresh Bhava to the aspirant. They change the thoughts, the Samskaras and the very Bhava of the aspirant. This daily feeding of the nature of the seeker with spiritual and Sattvic food in the form of ideas is achieved by our contact with Mother Saraswati in Her form of sacred scriptures—the lives of Saints, Gita, Bhagavata, Ramayana, Bible, Quran, Zend Avesta, Dhammapada.
Also, we find this creation of a set of powerful positive spiritual ideas in the mind help the aspirant during Dhyana, during the practice of concentration and inward meditation. We find that when an aspirant tries to do Dhyana, the mind wanders. In the beginning stages of Dhyana, this wandering is very powerful. The entire process becomes a see-saw, a sort of tug of war; the mind is brought to the Lakshya and it wanders again. There is one very undesirable thing here; when it wanders, the field of its idea in which this wandering takes place is all sensual, gross and worldly. This wandering cannot be arrested except by gradual practice and Vairagya. But in the meantime a change can be brought about; even if the mind wanders, provided that a whole set of powerful spiritual ideas are daily pushed into the mind through Svadhyaya, the field of ideas through which the mind wanders in its Vikshepa becomes gradually Sattvic. Instead of wandering in a vicious set of ideas, the mind has now a field of pure ideas, great ideas, elevating, Sattvic ideas through which it wanders. The wandering then becomes less harmful to the aspirant. The daily Svadhyaya is an invaluable asset to the aspirant.
Excerpts from:
Svadhyaya: Its Practical Value - God as Mother by Swami Chidananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition or audio CD, 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:
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The Yoga of Devotion
| **Baba Times Digest© | 6 April 2014 18:47 EST | New York Edition** |
| The Yoga of Devotion
Divine Life Society Publication: - Bhagavadgita – Summary of Twelfth Discourse by Sri Swami Sivananda
The twelfth discourse indicates that the path of devotion is easier than the path of knowledge. In this path the aspirant worships God in His Cosmic Form of the Supreme Personality. He develops a loving relationship with Him, adores Him, remembers Him and chants His glories and Name. He thus effects union with the Lord and attains not only His formless aspect but also the Lord as the manifest universe.
The path of knowledge, whereby the aspirant meditates on the formless Brahman, is more difficult as he has to give up his attachment to the body from the very beginning. He has to have dispassion for the things of the world.
How to practice devotion? Krishna asks Arjuna to fix his entire mind on Him. As often as the mind wanders it should be brought back to the Lord. If this process of concentration is difficult he should dedicate all his actions to Him, feeling that it is His power that activates everything. If this also is beyond his ability, he should offer all his actions to the Lord, abandoning the desire for their fruits. He should take complete refuge in Him. The devotee who surrenders himself to the Lord attains perfect peace.
The Lord goes on to describe the qualities that a true devotee possesses. He neither attaches himself to anything nor does he have any aversion to things. He has a balanced mind under all circumstances. He is not agitated by the happenings of the world, nor does he himself cause any agitation in others. He is perfectly desireless and rejoices in the Lord within. He sees equality everywhere, being untouched by sorrow, fear, and honor as also dishonor. He is perfectly content as he has surrendered his entire being to the Lord.
Excerpts from:
The Yoga of Devotion - Bhagavadgita – Summary of Twelfth Discourse by Sri Swami Sivananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition or audio CD, visit:
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Overcome The Great impediments to Spiritual Progress
| **Baba Times Digest© | 5 April 2014 20:28 EST | New York Edition** |
| Overcome The Great impediments to Spiritual Progress
Divine Life Society Publication: Discourse 3 - The Secret of the Katha Upanishad by Sri Swami Krishnananda
“Overcome Avidya (ignorance), Kama (desire) and Karma (action) by Yajna ( sacrifice), Dana (charity) and Tapas (discipline)”
The Great impediments to spiritual progress
The great impediments to spiritual progress are known as avidya, kama and karma—ignorance, desire and action. These three aspects of the obstacle are really a single obstacle presenting itself in three different ways. An ignorance of the true and ultimate nature of things is called avidya. We call it ignorance, or nescience, or the absence of knowledge, or darkness, etc. This ignorance, avidya, breeds a desire for the external objects of sense—kama. An ignorance of the character of reality, which is avidya, at once presupposes an affirmation of personality, ahamkara—and a desire to contact other personalities. Avidya causes ahamkara simultaneously. They are almost inseparable, like the heat and the light of fire. The moment there is this self-affirmation born of ignorance, there is a necessary consequence of it following, viz. a longing to make good what has been lost, by way of contact with things. That is called kama. To fulfil kama or desire there is karma or action. So the whole of one’s life is a threefold effort of avidya, kama and karma— ignorance, desire and action. This is the tripura or the threefold fortress of the demoniacal powers, which Lord Siva is supposed to have broken through with a single arrow. These are the three citadels made of gold, silver and iron, as they say in the Puranas. These are the three knots or granthis—Brahma-granthi, Vishnu-granthi and Rudra-granthi —which the hatha-yogins and the kundalini-yogins and the tantrikas speak of—avidya, kama, karma. It is a single power appearing as three independent impediments to the expression of knowledge.
Overcoming the threefold bondage
The three fasts of Nachiketas may be compared to the soul’s endeavor to break through these three fortresses, a withdrawal gradually effected from the outer to the inner, overcoming the force of karma, overcoming the power of kama and finally overcoming avidya. Three forms of tapas or austerity have to be undergone with three aids and with the help of three sadhanas or spiritual practices. You overcome birth and death with these three processes. You gain mastery over those conditions which limit you to the body in all its three layers of expression and to the three planes—the physical, the astral and the celestial. These are the essential bondage of the soul inwardly as well as outwardly limiting its expression and confining it to samsara or earthly existence and suffering. The overcoming of this threefold bondage is the implication of the term ‘trinachiketa’ mentioned in the Upanishad.
The instruments that have to be made use of in this effort are the mind, the intellect and the spirit (manas-buddhi-atma), all combined in a single-pointed effort—tribhiretya sandhim. You have also to perform three actions, to which a reference has been made in the eighteenth chapter of the Bhagavadgita: trikarma—yajna, dana, tapas. Yajna is the sacrifice which one performs for attaining union with Reality. It includes all forms of self-abnegation and dedication. The Lord himself is compared to yajna—Yajno vai vishnuh, and in the masterly Purusha-Sukta of the Vedas the whole creation is compared to a yajna of the Supreme Being. Yajna is, therefore, the supreme effort of the soul to unite itself with God. Dana is the charitable disposition of the soul towards others. Charity does not mean only parting with a few rupees or dollars. Charity is an attitude of the mind. It may be expressed in the form of physical action, or it may not be so expressed. It includes charitable feelings, a charitable attitude, conduct and behavior towards others. The capacity to appreciate the situation of others is charity. When you are in a position to enter into the feelings and the actual conditions and circumstances of other souls and other persons and feel as they feel and think as they think and act as they act, not with a sweating effort but with a spontaneous expression of your nature, that would be the essence of a charitable nature—dana. Tapas is personal discipline, bodily, verbal as well as mental. One who puts forth this threefold spiritual endeavor overcomes birth and death—Tarati janma-mrityu.
Excerpts from:
Overcome The Great impediments to Spiritual Progress - ** **The Secret of the Katha Upanishad** **by Sri Swami Krishnananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition or audio CD, visit:
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Sense-Control
| **Baba Times Digest© | 4 April 2014 17:14 EST | New York Edition** |
| Sense-Control
Divine Life Society Publication: - Essays on the Upanishad - Kathopanishad by Sri Swami Krishnananda
“Meditation is the way to perfection, knowledge, power and bliss”
The Subject and the Object
The senses are always projected outward to their respective objects. Therefore, no individual has consciousness of the Self. By aspiring for immortality and turning the consciousness to itself within, the Atman is beheld. It is not possible to have at the same time the consciousness of both the subject and the object. The subject can know itself only when it does not know the object. When the object is known fully, the subject is entirely forgotten. Because true bliss is found in the subject alone, this bliss is, never experienced as long as the subject is not known, i.e., as long as there is consciousness of an object. The whole universe is not an object of the Subject that is Consciousness. Self-realization, therefore, is the absorption of the consciousness, of objectivity into Simple Consciousness not infected by thought or affected by any object. The doors of the senses and the intellect have to be closed if the light is to be beheld within. The light of the Self is dissipated ordinarily because of external consciousness. These rays of consciousness should be collected and centered in one thought or one idea of one nature. This practice puts an end to external awareness and makes the mind break its boundaries and expand itself beyond the limitations of causation. Further, when concentration is practiced, all rajas is put an end to, and there is the revelation of sattva through which the bliss of Truth is reflected. Bliss always comes after knowledge, and knowledge is always accompanied by power. This means that meditation is the way to perfect, knowledge, power and bliss, which know no decay.
Sense-knowledge and Self-knowledge
Since it is evident that worldly consciousness and Divine Consciousness do not co-exist, it is also clear that sensuality is the opposite of Self-knowledge. Sense knowledge is natural to the individual, whereas Self-knowledge is extra-ordinary. This is the reason why everyone is by force made to experience the Anatman or something objective. They are children who follow the course of the objects of the senses. They fall into the widespread net of destruction. Those who have consciousness of the Immortal do not ever seek it among things impermanent. Since all desires are connected with their respective objects and not with the entire existence, it is not possible for one who desires, to escape death. Death is the process of the extension of one’s consciousness by casting off the obstructing factors, viz., limited experiences. The spiritual heroes do not find Reality among shadows, because the Infinite Subject, viz., the Atman, never becomes an object of itself. This Self does neither increase by good action nor decrease by bad action. Its glory is eternal, because it is independent of all externals. The wise ones, therefore, have no desire for anything at all, for they do not find anything as valuable as their own essential consciousness. They experience every objective condition as an intense opposition to what is absolutely Real, and cast it off as pain. In short, absorption into the Self is the same as absence of sense-experience and the negation of thought in pure awareness.
Self is absolutely Perfect
The Self has the knowledge of every kind of existence. This knowledge, however, is not the pain-giving temporary knowledge acquired through contact, but the knowledge of every fiber of being, in essence. Every constituent of existence is known by it in the most perfect manner, because all these constituents are parts of itself alone. Its knowledge is knowledge of itself, and is not separative knowledge that is possible only in terms of space, time and causation. Hence the Self is omniscient and, therefore, absolutely perfect.
Experiences and Desires
Whatever is here is there, and whatever is there is here. He goes from death to death, who perceives diversity here. The substance of immediate existence is the same as that of remote existence. Persons move from place to place in search of things, because of the ignorance of the fact that everything can be found everywhere. The different forms of experience do not mean that they are really different. These differences belong to the cognitive organs or the modes of knowledge, and not to the objects of knowledge.
The whole universe of creation is a gradual unfoldment of one substance alone. Through meditation on this Reality of oneness of substance, it is possible for one to actualize or make manifest anything, at any place, in any form. Truly, there is no diversity here. Those who perceive diversity due to the defects of the inner organs experience birth and death, as they have to conform to what they believe in. What one intensely believes in, that one experiences, because every belief pertains to an aspect of reality. But because individual beliefs are partial, the experiences corresponding to these, too, are partial. This is the reason, why desirers or perceivers of quality and multiplicity do not have absolute experience, but are caught in the meshes of the effects of their own desires. Meditation should, therefore, be practiced in the form of the affirmation of the divisionless being which is full, and which includes everything. This is the same as meditation on one’s own Self.
The Absolute Self as One whole being
Even as water that is dropped by rain on the top of a mountain runs here and there, and is wasted, one who perceives manifoldness and follows different paths runs to waste with them. But, even as pure water poured into pure water becomes pure water alone, the sage who knows the Self as one whole being becomes the whole being itself, without dissipating his energy. Whenever there is thought of something, at once energy is sent, to that thing, whereby the energy is spent out. Weakness and distraction are caused by spending out energy in contemplation of external objects and states. But, true withdrawal of thinking of externals means complete conservation of energy and the dissolution of itself in Self-consciousness. The mind should not be allowed to follow diverse methods of practice, as, thereby, it distracts itself and attains nothing substantially. But, when it follows one method of practice, concerned with one goal, and concentrates itself completely on this goal, it integrates itself and becomes identical with the Absolute.
The Atman - The Self of all
A person does not live by prana or apana, but he lives by something on which prana and apana, also, depend. A person lives by the conscious Spirit within. The pranas move the senses, because they themselves are moved by the internal consciousness. This means that all life belongs to the Atman, and all values also belong to it. Even as fire which has got only one form appears in form corresponding to the media through which it burns, this Atman, which is one, appears in form corresponding to the form through which it manifests. Even as the sun who is the eye of all is not sullied by the defects of the eye, the one Atman, the Self of all, is not sullied by the defects of the world, because it is transcendental and unconnected with objective experiences. The Atman, the controller of all, the Self of all, is really the essence of all the diverse forms of existence. Happiness belongs to those who realize the Self within themselves, not to anybody else, who is busy with the externals. The peace belonging to those is eternal, who realize the Self within, the eternal among all impermanent beings, the one consciousness beyond all ordinary consciousness, and the one goal of all aspirations and desires. Peace does not belong to anyone else. The sun does not shine there, nor the moon and the stars; these lightnings, too do not shine; what to speak of this fire! Everything shines after Him who shines. This whole universe is illuminated by His Light. Excerpts from:
Sense-Control - Essays on the Upanishad - Kathopanishad by Sri Swami Krishnananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition or audio CD, visit:
The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at:
generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
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The Key to Effort
| **Baba Times Digest© | 3 April 2014 21:05 EST | New York Edition** |
| The Key to Effort
Divine Life Society Publication: - The Key to Effort by Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda
Gurudev never tired of reminding his disciples both in writing and by word that the goal of life is God-realization. Indeed, it is only when those words become real to us that we become a seeker. Whether they become real through the words of a guru or through a spiritual experience doesn’t matter. Suddenly we know that there is something more important in life than what we have been previously seeking.
Normally, we have worked hard to achieve what we have been previously seeking. And so it is natural that we want to put effort into achieving the highest goal of all, God realization. As a result sometimes we can tackle our sadhana in a fairly aggressive manner, being determined that we are going to achieve the goal, being determined to pay whatever sacrifices that are required.
However, the normal experience of most seekers is to discover that God-realization is not a goal like most goals. Somehow it doesn’t yield to our normal way of making effort. Ultimately, we begin to understand that it is because we’re going in the wrong direction. We’re trying to achieve something for me, the ego, on our terms, whereas to realize God requires a reversal in our approach. We’re told to let go and let God, because He is everything. Surrender, and trust in Him.
Thus we can become somewhat confused. What about me? What am I to do? Maybe I can just do what I want and leave it to God. Sometimes we find that in spite of the fact that the gurus tell us to make effort, we find we just can’t make effort any more.
This is the time when we need to imbibe another of Gurudev’s admonitions. He also constantly reminded his disciples, “Use your common sense.” Yes, everything is God. One alone is. The plants are God, the animals are God and you too are God. Without God’s sunshine and the nutrition in the ground, how can a plant grow? It is helpless. But still, unless the plant has within itself that which makes it put down its roots and lift its leaves to the sun, it will not grow. No doubt, God guides the birds in their migration, but unless they do what they can do—flap their wings and fly—there will be no migration.
As human beings we too have certain faculties, including an intellect, including the power of devotion. And so if we want to realize God we have to use our intellect and our devotion to the very best of our ability—at all times acknowledging that the power to think and the ability to be devoted comes from God, just as the nourishment in the soil and the sunshine does.
Our effort is to realize that God alone is, to acknowledge Him in all things. Without that effort nothing is going to happen. With this properly directed effort, with this selfless effort, our gurus promise us that success is assured.
Excerpts from:
The Key to Effort by Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda
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The Yoga of The Vision of the Cosmic Form
| **Baba Times Digest© | 2 April 2014 17:03 EST | New York Edition** |
| The Yoga of The Vision of the Cosmic Form
Divine Life Society Publication: - Bhagavadgita – Summary of Eleventh Discourse by Sri Swami Sivananda
Arjuna’s doubts having been removed through a clear description of the nature of the Atman and the origin and destruction of all created things, he is now ready to behold the Cosmic Vision.
Krishna grants him the divine sight by means of which Arjuna beholds the Lord as the vast Cosmic Manifestation. The vision is at once all-comprehensive and simultaneous. In every direction Arjuna sees the Lord as the entire universe. All the created worlds, gods, beings, creatures and things stand revealed as the one gigantic body of the Lord.
Arjuna further sees that the great cosmic drama is set in motion and controlled by the all-mighty power of the Lord. His Will alone prevails in all things and actions, both good and bad. The Lord exhorts him to fight, he being only an apparent cause of the destruction of his enemies.
Arjuna is unable to bear the pressure of the sudden expansion of consciousness and is filled with fear. He begs the Lord to assume once more His usual form.
Krishna reiterates that this vision cannot be had through any amount of austerities, study, sacrifices or philanthrophic acts. Supreme devotion is the only means by which one can have access to His grand vision.
Excerpts from:
The Yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form - Bhagavadgita – Summary of Eleventh Discourse by Sri Swami Sivananda
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Perceptions and the Practice of Yoga
| **Baba Times Digest© | 1 April 2014 17:39 EST | New York Edition** |
| Perceptions and the Practice of Yoga
Divine Life Society Publication: The Path to God Realisation - Part 1 (Preparing for the Practice of Yoga)
by Swami Krishnananda
In our perceptions of the world of persons and things, there is a continuous negation taking place of the indivisibility of the Self. It is so because of the fact that perceptions are based on a divided consciousness. There has to be a division between the subjective side and the objective side, between the perceiver and the perceived, in order that there may be perception at all.
This dichotomy between the location of the seer and the seen is precisely the contradiction of the indivisible nature of the Self. Thus, we may say that we are perpetually negating the existence of the Self in everything that we do and in everything that we see, cognize, or perceive through our sense organs.
The moment the Self is negated, the consequence thereof follows automatically: the character of non-Self inundates us. We become at once other than what we are. We become fear-struck from every side because of the fact that we have lost our Self. The greatest fear is the loss of one’s own Self, and that fear is perpetually on our head like a Damocles Sword – because of the fact that there is a continuous negation of the Self taking place in our perceptions through the sense organs.
It is, therefore, no wonder that we are unhappy throughout our life. We have fears from all sides – tapa, as we call it; adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika tapa harass us. We have fear from our own psychophysical constitution also: It may fall ill, or it may even die. That is a fear that we have in regard to our own self. We also have fear of the people around us. And above all, there is fear of nature, whose wish and will are not known to us even a little. From every side there is insecurity, as it were, and, therefore, there is not a moment of peace for anyone in the world.
Perceptions are of two kinds. These categories may be designated as general and abnormal perceptions. If we can see a thing, be conscious of its existence but not be emotionally disturbed about it, we may consider it as general perception. But if any perception disturbs our feelings, this is certainly not a normal perception. It is not normal because we seem to be dualistically involved in the knowledge of the existence of some person or thing in front of us, and not indivisibly involved or, more properly, normally involved. Very rarely do we get disturbed in this manner.
Finally that none of our perceptions are commensurate with what we may call spiritual perception. The world perception is not spiritual, as it usually goes in our day-to-day life. It is so because the character of Selfhood cannot be recognized in any object, in spite of the fact that every object has a Self of its own.
In the same way as in every pool of water, multiple though the pools be, the same sun is reflected, the Universal Self is reflected in every individual person as the Self of that particular person or thing. Therefore, everyone has a Self – not a Self, the very Self Itself. Yet, in perceptions, the Self is not recognized. Neither can you see my Self, nor can I see your Self. You see me as a personality seated here, and I also do the same thing in regard to you. If this is the way in which the world goes on, world experience cannot be regarded as spiritual experience. Therefore, we call life in the world as samsara, which means an aberration from the nature of Selfhood. A deviation from truth is called samsara. We move away from the center of our personality, away from the root of the Self, to that which is other than Itself.
You may ask me, “Is there anything other than the Self?” There is certainly nothing other than the Self. Then what is the meaning of the deviation of consciousness from the Self to the not-Self? The not-Self actually is not a person or a thing. It is the manner in which consciousness adapts itself to persons and things outside. Your judgment of values is what will determine the spirituality or the unspirituality of things. The things in the world are neither spiritual nor unspiritual; they just are, as they ought to be. But the perceptions differ on account of the non-recognition of the Selfhood, or the character of subjectivity in things.
When I look at you, I see you as an object outside – a person who is not me. The whole point is that: Here is a person who is not me, and how will I deal with that person who is not me? If it is not me, I cannot deal with that person in the way I deal with myself. So immediately there is a conflict arising between the seer and the seen. The not-me is the whole problem. When we say ‘mine’ or ‘not mine’, we make a distinction in our judgments of values.
I mentioned that in our perceptions there are two modalities, the general and the abnormal, and we are prone to both these types of perception every day. Unless we are free from it, we cannot actually even commence the practice of yoga.
Excerpts from:
Perceptions and the Practice of Yoga – The Path to God Realisation - Part 1 (Preparing for the Practice of Yoga) by Swami Krishnananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition or audio CD, visit:
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Vasanta Navaratri
| **Baba Times Digest© | 31 March 2014 17:39 EST | New York Edition** |
| Vasanta Navaratri
Divine Life Society Publication: Hindu Fasts and Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda
THE DIVINE MOTHER or Devi is worshipped during the Vasanta Navaratri. This occurs during the spring. She is worshipped by Her own command. You will find this in the following episode in the Devi Bhagavata.
In days long gone by, King Dhruvasindu was killed by a lion when he went out hunting. Preparations were made to crown the prince Sudarsana. But, King Yudhajit of Ujjain, the father of Queen Lilavati, and King Virasena of Kalinga, the father of Queen Manorama, were each desirous of securing the Kosala throne for their respective grandsons. They fought with each other. King Virasena was killed in the battle. Manorama fled to the forest with Prince Sudarsana. They took refuge in the hermitage of Rishi Bharadwaja.
The victor, King Yudhajit, thereupon crowned his grandson, Satrujit, at Ayodhya, the capital of Kosala. He then went out in search of Manorama and her son. The Rishi said that he would not give up those who had sought protection under him. Yudhajit became furious. He wanted to attack the Rishi. But, his minister told him about the truth of the Rishi’s statement. Yudhajit returned to his capital.
Fortune smiled on Prince Sudarsana. A hermit’s son came one day and called the eunuch by his Sanskrit name Kleeba. The prince caught the first syllable Kli and began to pronounce it as Kleem. This syllable happened to be a powerful, sacred Mantra. It is the Bija Akshara (root syllable) of the Divine Mother. The Prince obtained peace of mind and the Grace of the Divine Mother by the repeated utterance of this syllable. Devi appeared to him, blessed him and granted him divine weapons and an inexhaustible quiver.
The emissaries of the king of Benares passed through the Ashram of the Rishi and, when they saw the noble prince Sudarsana, they recommended him to Princess Sashikala, the daughter of the king of Benares.
The ceremony at which the princess was to choose her spouse was arranged. Sashikala at once chose Sudarsana. They were duly wedded. King Yudhajit, who had been present at the function, began to fight with the king of Benares. Devi helped Sudarsana and his father-in-law. Yudhajit mocked Her, upon which Devi promptly reduced Yudhajit and his army to ashes.
Thus Sudarsana, with his wife and his father-in-law, praised Devi. She was highly pleased and ordered them to perform Her worship with havan and other means during the Vasanta Navaratri. Then She disappeared.
Prince Sudarsana and Sashikala returned to the Ashram of Rishi Bharadwaja. The great Rishi blessed them and crowned Sudarsana as the king of Kosala. Sudarsana and Sashikala and the king of Benares implicitly carried out the commands of the Divine Mother and performed worship in a splendid manner during the Vasanta Navaratri.
Sudarsana’s descendants, namely, Sri Rama and Lakshmana, also performed worship of Devi during the Vasanta Navaratri and were blessed with Her assistance in the recovery of Sita.
It is the devout Hindu’s duty to perform the worship of Devi for both material and spiritual welfare during the Vasanta Navaratri and follow the noble example set by Sudarsana and Sri Rama. He cannot achieve anything without the Divine Mother’s blessings. So, sing Her praise and repeat Her Mantra and Name. Meditate on Her form. Do worship. Pray and obtain Her eternal Grace and blessings. May the Divine Mother bless you with all divine wealth!
Excerpts from:
Vasanta Navaratri - Hindu Fasts and Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda
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Overcome the sources of trouble
Overcome the sources of trouble by Swami Krishnananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 30 March 2014 14:05 EST | New York Edition** |
| Overcome the sources of trouble in this world
Divine Life Society Publication: The Positivity and Negativity of Experience by Swami Krishnananda
In the Sixteenth Chapter, we have the definition of the twofold forces acting in different ways, centripetal and centrifugal, the daiva and the asura sampat. The asura sampat, which is the devilish form it takes when it becomes uncontrollable, is psychologically engendered by certain operations in us, to which a reference is being made towards the end of the chapter.
Trividhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ, kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet (Gita 16.21): The road to hell is threefold. The undivine nature can take you to the lowest perdition; and its seed is sown in our own hearts. Life and death are both operating in our own selves in a mysterious way, right from the time of our birth from the womb of the mother.
Desire, anger and greed are the sources of trouble in this world: kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas. Intense longing for a thing is kama: “It is impossible to exist without it. I want it, and I want it in any way.” This kind of unquenchable thirst or longing for things is kama. And if any obstruction comes in the way of the fulfilment of your desire, you are angry at the source of that obstruction. You want to see the end of it. This is krodha. Therefore, kama and krodha are dual factors operating as a single force of longing. One is longing per se, as it is in itself; the other is the longing itself acting in a different way against that which is derogatory to the fulfilment of the longing.
It appears that gods, demons and men went to Prajapati, the Creator. “Give us some instruction.” Prajapati, the great Creator, answered: “Da,” to the gods, demons and also to human being. What is it that they understood?
Three people understood the one sound da in three different ways. The gods understood “da” to mean damyata, “be self-controlled”, because the celestials in heaven are supposed to be engrossed in the pleasures of life. The senses become highly rarefied in heaven. We cannot properly enjoy things in this world because physicality hampers cognition of things to a large extent. The weight of this body and the weight of the object obstruct a real satisfaction taking place in us, whereas in heaven there is no physicality; therefore, there is lightness, buoyancy of spirit, and enjoyment is more intense. Hence, inclination to rejoicing is more in heaven than even on this Earth. So the gods understood, “Yes, he is telling us not to be too engrossed in the joys of the senses – damyata. We understood. You are telling us that we must be self-controlled. We should not enjoy through the senses.”
“Do you understand?” Prajapati asked the demons. “Yes. We understand.” Demons are always angry. They are ferocious. They kill. They destroy. Their only work is destruction. They do not want anybody else to exist. “What do you understand?” “Dayadhvam: be compassionate. This is what you are telling us. We are very cruel. We understand that you are telling us we must be compassionate.” Da means damyata in the case of gods: be self-controlled; but da means dayadhvam, “Be compassionate,” in the case of the demons.
What about human beings? “What did you understand?” “We understood ‘Datta: give in charity’.” Human beings are greedy, they want to possess, and go on accumulating land, property, gold and silver. So human beings understood da to mean give in charity: “Don’t be greedy. Give! Give in charity.” Be self-controlled, be compassionate, be charitable in nature. These three instructions Prajapati gave to the threefold manifestations of these three gunas: passion, anger and greed. These are the road to hell. Excerpts from:
Overcome the sources of trouble in this world - The Positivity and Negativity of Experience by Swami Krishnananda
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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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