Sivananda - June

june 1

unflinching devotion

when you repeat the lord's name, you must evince unflinching devotion from the bottom of your heart, devotion to god, without love for any other object.
you must drive off all worldly thoughts from your mind.
fill the mind with thoughts of god, and god alone.
you must struggle.
you must exert hard.
remain absorbed in him.

if you love krishna, then love him alone till the end.
just as you see wood alone in the chair, table, bench, stick, cupboard etc., see the antaratma - the hidden indwelling self - krishna alone in flowers, trees, fruits, and all objects.
this is ananya bhakti - total devotion.
this is para - supreme - bhakti.

just as you remember all the qualities of your son when you think of his name, so too you should remember the qualities of god - omnipotence, omniscience etc., when you think of his own name.

when you repeat the mantra, have satvic bhava or shuddha bhava - the pure mental attitude.
bhava comes slowly when the purification process goes on.
even mere mechanical repetition has an effect, a very great effect.
the vibration in the mind set up by the repetition, purifies the citta - mind-stuff, and brings citta shuddi - purity of mind.

a beginner should have a japa-mala or rosary.
later on he can take recourse to manasika japa - mental repetition.
if a man repeats his mantra for six hours daily, his heart will be purified quickly.
he can feel the purity.
have great faith in your guru-mantra - the mantra learnt from your guru, and keep it a secret.

constant repetition of the mantra with
faith,
devotion,
purity, and
one-pointed mind,
awakens the mantra caitanya - the dynamic consciousness of the mantra, latent in the mantra, and
bestows
mantra siddhi - perfection or psychic power inherent in the mantra - on the aspirant,
illumination,
freedom,
peace,
eternal bliss, and
immortality.
the repetition of the mantra, again and again, generates a great spiritual force and momentum, and intensifies the spiritual samskaras or impressions.

june 2

singing god's name

bhakti - devotion - in essence is two-fold.
on the one hand there is an intense attachment towards god, nurtured by deep emotion and,
on the other, an earnest urge of love for him.
when these two elements are combined, we find bhakti to be
either an attachment emerging out of love
or love manifesting itself as attachment.

the essential feature in bhakti is that this feeling is in relation to the highest - the supreme lovable one who is real and imperishable - and not in relation to the objects of the world that are transitory and therefore unreal.
such love or devotion assumes various forms of expression, and goes by different names.
narration in poetry or prose, singing the glory of the lord, and more popularly, singing the name of the lord, are some of them.

a harmonious, rhythmical note produces a distinctive image.
this is not imagination - for every sound there is a particular image.
it has been scientifically proved that certain sounds produce certain particular figures over some distinct surface.
so, it is reasonable to believe that the respective names of god, associated with their respective forms, can also produce their images on the mental surface.
through continuous repetition, the name forms a deep-rooted impression in the mind of the repetitioner, who ultimately attains god-vision.

god and his name are identical and inseparable.
he dwells where his name is sung.
the whole atmosphere is sanctified by his name - peace, purity and bliss prevail there.
his name carries the message of love.
his name frees the soul from affliction, unrest and bondage.
his name knows no barriers, no distinctions.
his name purifies the vicious lower self, and elevates it to sublimity, to universal consciousness and transcendent god-head.

bhajana is meditation on god.
life without bhajana of some sort is useless, my dear friends.
life without worship is dull, dreary.
it is a mere burden on this earth.
all religionists do their own bhajana in their own way.
the goal is the same.
the paths are different.
the object of doing worship is to attain infinite, eternal peace, immortality and freedom from the wheel of birth and death.

june 3

the power of prayer

prayer elevates the mind.
it fills the mind with purity.
it is associated with praise of god.
it keeps the mind in tune with god.
prayer can reach a realm where reason dare not enter.
prayer can work miracles.
prayer frees the devotee from the fear of death.
it makes him feel nearer to god.
it makes him feel the divine presence everywhere.
prayer awakens the divine consciousness in him, and makes him feel his essential immortal and blissful nature.

prayer has a tremendous influence.
if the prayer is sincere, and if it proceeds from the bottom of your heart - antarika, it will at once melt the heart of the lord.
sri krishna had to run bare-foot from dwaraka on hearing the heart-felt prayer of draupadi.
you all know this.
lord hari, the mighty ruler of this universe apologised before prahlada for coming a little late, when the latter prayed.
how merciful and loving is the lord.

say even once, from the bottom of your heart:
'o lord, i am thine.
thy will be done.
have mercy on me.
i am thy servant and devotee.
forgive.
guide.
protect.
enlighten.'
have a meek, receptive attitude of mind.
have bhava in your heart.
your prayer is at once heard and responded to.
do this in the daily battle of life, and realize for yourself the high efficacy of prayer.

prayer is the first important limb of yoga.
preliminary spiritual sadhana or practice is prayer.
god helps even a dacoit - robber - when he prays.
pray to god for purity, devotion, light and knowledge.
you will get all these things.

get up early in the morning, and repeat some prayers for getting mental and physical brahmacarya - purity.
pray in any manner you like.
become as simple as a child.
freely open the chambers of your heart.
sincere devotees know well the high efficacy of prayers.

pray fervently, right now, from this very second.
do not delay friend, that 'tomorrow' may never come.

'o lord, i do not know what i should ask thee.
thou only knowest what i want.
i surrender myself unto thee.
i open my heart unto thee.
thou art merciful and omniscient.
thou knowest the interior of my heart.
let me accomplish thy will.
make me a fit instrument for thy unhampered play - lila.
prostrations unto thee.'

june 4

prayer is spiritual food

prayer elevates, inspires, redeems.
through prayer divine grace and divine light descend.
prayer is spiritual food for the soul.
prayer is a spiritual tonic.
prayer is a master-key to open the realms of elysian bliss.
prayer helps the devotee to be in tune with the infinite.
prayer should come from the inner recesses of the heart - then it will be heard at once.

prayer works wonders.
its power is ineffable.
through prayer the devotee sits by the side of the lord.
prayer expands and purifies the heart.
prayer is a strong spiritual injection.
it fills the heart with immense power and strength.

every religion has its own prayer.
pray in the early morning - it is more effective.
let prayer become habitual pray at all times.
pray not for wealth, position, wife and children, success in lotteries or horse racing - ask for darshan - vision - of the lord.
pray for devotion and communion.

recite the beautiful upanishadic prayer morning and night:
'asatoma sat gamaya,
tamasoma jyotir gamaya,
mrtyorma amrtam gamaya'.
'lead me on from the unreal to the real,
from darkness to light,
from mortality to immortality'.

during mass prayer a huge spiritual current is generated.

gayatri japa is a prayer - the devotee asks for illumination of the intellect, so that he can know his real, essential, divine nature.
this is an unselfish prayer.
mrityunjaya mantra also is a prayer.
it is a prayer to the lord siva.
the devotee asks:
'free me from bondage and death, make me immortal'.

- gayatri mantra -
om bhur bhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam
dhimahidhiyo van bhargodevasya yo nah pracodayat.

'let us meditate on the glory of isvara,
who has created this universe,
who is fit to be worshipped,
who is the remover of all sins and ignorance.
may he enlighten our intellect.'

- gayatri mantra -
om bhur bhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam
dhimahidhiyo van bhargodevasya yo nah pracodayat.


'we worship the three-eyed one - lord siva, who is fragrant and who nourishes well all beings.
may he liberate us from death for the sake of immortality, even as the cucumber is severed from its bondage.'

june 5

selfless prayer

according to ghazali, the muslim, prayer has three stages: verbal, mental, and when merging with the lord's will.
at the first stage the devotee sings the glory of god, chants his praises, and pours out the anguish of his heart in melodious hymns.
secondly, when the mind becomes calm, when the out-going senses have been restrained by sustained practices, when the mind cannot be easily affected by evil influences, prayer becomes mental.
there, no physical effort is needed.
at the third stage, when the mind gets concentrated in the divine, when it loses its outward attraction and becomes serene, devoid of desires or cravings, then prayer becomes automatic, natural and habitual.

this is the highest stage - the lord's will has become his own will.
for god, who is invoked by his prayer, merges in his mind and in his will.
there is no self-consciousness for him - he abides in the lord - his mind entirely saturated with god.
he perceives nothing external nor anything internal.
he even forgets that he is praying to the lord, or that he is absorbed in the lord's will.
there is a vague sense of duality, but he has only one experience, and that is his oneness with the lord.

prayer is full of emotions: deep, serene emotions filled with sincerity.
but when there is too much emotion and not so much natural sincerity, then prayer becomes rather jejunical, and therefore ineffective.
then we do not receive a direct response from god.

prayer has its consequences.
the nature of its response mainly depending on the inner nature of the person who prays,
his temperament,
his object in view,
his requirements,
his faith, and
his sincerity.
these are the sine qua non of prayer.

do you want god?
do you really want god?
do you really thirst for his vision - darsana?
have you got real spiritual hunger?
you may deliver thrilling lectures on bhakti - devotion, you may write volumes on bhakti - and yet you may not possess a grain of true devotion.
he who thirsts for the darsana of god, will develop bhakti.
if there is a sincere demand for god, then the supply must come.
by regular sadhana - practice - may you attain peace, bliss, knowledge, perfection and god-realization.

june 6

prayer

as children we pray to our parents, elders and guardians at the time of our need.
we seek their help and guidance.
when we grow into adolescence, we learn to pray to ourselves - to our latent abilities and strength.
we try not to be dependent on others.
but there is a limitation to this prayer.
when we feel we are in need of something else, something beyond our capacity, we resign ourselves to god and pray for his help and guidance.
evidently we feel his response - an all-potent inner force that listens to our prayers and fulfils our wishes the moment we are a little sincere and faithful.

as for the devotee, he resigns himself to god, surrendering his ego at his feet.
he forgets all about the world, and thinks of nothing else but god alone, who would surely save him and who alone would be able to help and guide him.
he communes his will with god's, and acts as per his guidance.
there is no sense of individuality or doer-ship in him.
he knows that god's will is his will, and that he must act up to it.
does that mean that he is devoid of self-effort?
certainly not.
for he negates himself and resigns himself to the lord.
to him flows the divine grace instantly.
his nature is divinized, and so he naturally exerts himself in the right direction.
indeed the very act of self-surrender is purusartha - self-effort - of the highest order.

for the vedantin however, his prayer is essentially the prayer to the self within - to himself - to the cosmic consciousness that is immanent in all.
in the initial stage he considers his prayer as a sort of desire - either earthly or spiritual - either with motive or without motive.
then when he advances sufficiently in his sadhana - practice, he considers his - so-called - desire as divine will, which finally opens his intuitive spiritual sight, and becomes one with the cosmic will.

the power of prayer is indescribable.
its glory is ineffable.
only sincere devotees realize its usefulness and splendour.
prayer should be done with reverence, faith, and non-expectation of fruits.
it should be done with a heart full of devotion.
o ignorant man, do not argue about the efficacy of prayer.
you will be deluded.
there is no arguing in spiritual matters.
intellect is a finite and frail instrument.
do not trust this.

remove the darkness of your ignorance now, through the light of prayer.

june 7

test of sincerity

essentially, prayer should be selfless as far as possible.
we should first pray
for the good of others,
for the welfare and peace of the world, and
for our own spiritual evolution.
we should pray for
the eradication of our evil qualities,
for wisdom and knowledge,
for goodness and saintliness.

an aspirant should always pray for the removal of his ignorance.
his goal is to realize the truth, and to free himself from the meshes of those things that are unreal.
his goal is to realize his essential divine nature.

at times even sincere prayer is not responded to, but this should not be allowed to mar our faith or sincerity, or to discourage or depress us.
it should be considered as a necessity, as a test of our sincerity, our serenity and our faith in god.

at times this irresponse is often repeated.
the devotee becomes bewildered.
he begins to lose faith in god.
he may even be diverted from the path.
indeed it is here we must show our patience, our steadfastness, and our faith in his grace.
god often tests us with severest trials, but does it mean that he is unkind, that he does not wish to pay heed to our prayers?
obviously not.
it is a test that the aspirant must pass through.
his faith may not be strong enough.
the dross of his mind may not have been cleaned yet.
his heart may not be pure yet.

how can the aspirant strengthen his faith?
how can he cleanse his mind?
how can he purify his heart?
only through tests, trials, tribulations.
just as gold is purified by passing it through the crucible several times,
so also the heart must become pure,
the faith must become unflinching,
through passing through the crucible of trials again and again.

but at the ultimate end all prayers are fulfilled and gratified with the highest fulfillment.
therefore when we pray to god, or wish to receive grace from him, we must be prepared to accept joyfully his irresponse and the trials and tribulations.

june 8

service of god

padasevana is serving the lord's feet.
actually this can be done only by lakshmi or parvati.
no mortal being has got the fortune to practice this method of bhakti - devotion, for the lord is not visible to the physical eyes.

however, it is possible to serve the image of god in idols, and, better still,
by taking the whole of humanity as god.
padasevana is service of the sick, service of the poor - service of the whole of humanity at large.
service of the lord's feet can be done through formal worship to murtis - or idols - or to a mental image of god.

observing the sacred feet of the lord, again and again, with devotional and eager eyes,
worshipping them,
serving them,
sipping the sacred water with which the lord's feet have been washed,
worshipping the wooden sandals of the lord,
meditating on them,
praying to them,
taking the dust of the lord's feet and applying it to the forehead,
washing the heart with the dust of the lord's feet,
respecting the holy shrines and places of pilgrimage and places where god incarnated himself for the good of humanity,
regarding the ganga as directly flowing from the feet of the lord,
worshipping, bathing in and drinking of such divine water of the ganga -
all these are different forms of serving the lord's feet.
this kind of devotion destroys all worldly attachments, and allows the mind to think exclusively of god.

worship god.
praise him.
seek enlightenment.
realize divine bliss.
do not put any conditions to god - worship for worship's sake.
in worship the sense of individuality is lost in contemplation of the object worshipped.

to gaze daily at the divine pictures, even for some moments, is a great blessing.
it will purify your mind.
meditation is mental worship of the lord.
singing the lord's name - or kirtan, is vocal worship.
service of living beings with love and bhava, is physical worship.
if the worshipper of the deity thinks that he is separate from the deity, he is a beast.
devout worship of the lord's lotus feet means perfect freedom from all fear.

june 9

worship

an idol - murti or vigraha,
sun,
fire,
water,
ganga,
saligram - symbol of visnu,
linga - symbol of siva,
are all symbols of god,
which help the aspirants to attain one-pointedness of mind and purity of heart.
a symbol is absolutely indispensable for fixing the mind.
the christians also have the symbol - the cross.
a gross mind needs a concrete symbol.
a subtle mind needs an abstract symbol.
even a vedantin has the symbol 'om' for fixing the wandering mind.
in the beginning concentration or meditation is not possible without a symbol.

the mind is disciplined in the beginning, by fixing the mind on a concrete object or symbol.
later, when it has been rendered steady and subtle, it can be fixed on an abstract idea, such as aham brahma asmi - i am the infinite.

the devotee superimposes, on the concrete idol, the lord and his attributes.
he does sodasopacara puja for the idol - the sixteen kinds of respect or service of the lord.
this consists of
padyam - water for washing the feet,
arghyam - water to wash hands,
asana - seat,
snana - bathing,
offering of clothing,
applying sandal paste,
offering flowers - arcan,
burning incense, waving of lights and camphor,
food offering - maha naivedyam, etc.
the wandering mind is fixed now in this form of worship.
the aspirant gradually feels the nearness of the lord.
he attains purity of heart and slowly annihilates his egoism.

he who has done puja - worship - with flowers and other articles of worship for some time, can take to mental worship.
in mental puja the devotee offers all offerings to the lord mentally.
this is an advanced form of worship.
it purifies the heart and steadies the mind.
it fills the mind with pure love for the lord, and gradually transmutes man into a divine being.

even in worshipping a small idol, he has to repeat the purusa sukta - a sacred hymn - and to think of the virat purusa - cosmic form with countless heads, countless eyes, countless hands, who extends beyond the universe - and also of the lord or atman who dwells in the hearts of all.

the aspirant gradually begins to feel that the lord he worships is in the idol, in the hearts of all creatures, and in the names and forms of all in this universe.
he begins to feel his presence everywhere.

june 10

worship

one can realize god through worship of murti - or idol.
the worship of the lord in saguna - concrete - form is a great aid for vedantic realization also, and for the realization of the lord in his all-pervading, formless aspect.
the worship of the murti is very essential for the purpose of concentration and meditation in the beginning.
such worship is not in any way a hindrance to the attainment of god-consciousness.
those who vehemently attack murti puja - worship - are groping in the darkness of extreme ignorance.
they have no real knowledge.
they enter into vain debates to show that they are learned persons, and have not done any sadhana - spiritual practice.
idle talking is their real profession.
they have unsettled the minds of countless persons.
the whole world worships symbols and murtis in some form or other.
as one advances in meditation, the form melts into the formless, and the aspirant becomes one with the formless essence.

empty vessels only make sound.
a practical man who does meditation and worship, who is full of knowledge and real devotion, keeps always silence.
he influences and teaches others through silence.
he only knows whether a murti is necessary in the beginning or not.

prasada is 'that which gives peace'.
during kirtan - chanting, worship - puja, havan and arati, milk, sweets and fruit are offered to the lord.
puja is done with bael - wood apple - leaves, flowers, tulsi - basil, sacred ash, and these are later given as prasada from the lord.
they are charged with mysterious powers, by the chanting of mantras - sacred hymns - during puja and havan - worship with the fire as the sacred symbol.

prasada is a great purifier.
prasada is a panacea for all ills; it is a spiritual elixir.
prasada is the grace of the lord.
it is an embodiment of shakti - divine energy.
prasada is divinity in manifestation.
many sincere aspirants get wonderful experiences from prasada alone.
many incurable illnesses are cured by prasada alone.
prasada energises, vivifies, invigorates and infuses devotion.
it should be taken with great faith.
those brought up in modern education and culture have forgotten the glory of prasada.
prasada gives good health, long life, peace and prosperity to all.
the sacred ash is the prasada of lord siva.
it is applied to the forehead.
kumkum - vermilion powder - is the prasada of sri devi or shakti.
it is applied at the space between the eyebrows.

june 11

worship

a devotee repeats the mantra - mystic formula - of the lord during worship, and touches his heart, his head, tuft of hair, arms and hands.
there is caitanya - consciousness, power - in every letter of the mantra.
through repetition of the mantra and the touching of the parts of the body with the repetition of the mantra, the aspirant is gradually divinised.
there is spiritual awakening.
spiritual currents are generated.
tamas - inertia - and rajas - impurity - are destroyed, and he is filled with pure satva - purity.
he becomes identical with the object of worship.
he attains the same world of, or proximity with, or the same form of, or absorption into, the lord.

for a sage there is no such thing as insentient matter.
everything is vasudeva or caitanya.
the devotee actually beholds the lord in the idol.
but the worship does not stop there.
the sadhaka - seeker - is taken step by step to higher stages of devotion and samadhi - or communion - through the worship of the idol.
though he worships the idol, he has to keep before his mental eye the all-pervading lord.
he has to feel the lord's presence in his heart and in all objects also.

the ways and rules of worship, described in the hindu scriptures, are scientifically accurate and highly rational.
it is only ignorant people who have not studied the scriptures, who have not associated with the devotees and great souls, that vilify worship of idols or murtis.

the aspirant who worships the idol in the beginning, beholds the lord everywhere and develops para bhakti - supreme devotion,
he beholds the whole world as the lord.
all ideas of good and bad, right and wrong, etc., vanish.
his vision baffles description.
glory to such exalted devotees who are veritable gods on earth, who live to lift others from the quagmire of samsara - world-existence, and save them from the clutches of death.

tulsidas realized the all-pervading essence.
he had cosmic consciousness.
he communed with the all-pervading, formless lord.
and yet his passion for lord rama, with bow in hand, did not vanish.
when he went to brindavan, and saw the murti of lord krishna, with flute in hand, he said: 'i will not bow my head to this form'.
at once the form of lord krishna assumed the form of lord rama.
then only tulsidas bowed his head.
mira also realized her identity with the all-pervading krishna, and yet she never tired of repeating, again and again, 'my giridhar nagar'.

june 12

prostration

vandana is prayer and prostration.
humble prostration,
touching the earth with eight limbs of the body, with faith and reverence, before a form of god, or
prostration to all beings, knowing them to be the forms of the one god, getting absorbed in divine love of the lord,
is termed prostration to god.

the bhagavatam says: 'the sky, air, fire, water, earth, stars, planets, trees, rivers, seas and all living beings, constitute the body of god.
the devotee should bow before everything in absolute devotion, thinking that he is bowing before god himself.'

sri krishna says to uddhava: 'giving no attention to people who laugh in ridicule, forgetting the body, and insensible to shame, one should fall prostrate on the ground.'
doing prostrations to others makes a man humble.

if a man entertains narayana bhava - feeling the presence of god in all - when he does prostrations, this will help him to realize that whatever he sees is god, that there is nothing but god, that the manifestation is the virat - cosmic - aspect of brahman.
this will help to develop devotion.
always feel that you are prostrating to the lord himself - all living creatures, all objects are forms of god only.

may you all attain god-consciousness through the practice of prema - love - yoga.
may your heart be filled with prema for the lord.
may the blessings of the lord be upon you all.
may you shine as bhagavatas, singing the lord's name, disseminating divine prema and radiating joy, peace and bliss everywhere!

siva's final teaching

purify your heart through selfless service,
be devoted to the lord and obtain his grace,
through japa - repetition of god's name, kirtan - chanting, prayer and self-surrender.
practice asanas - postures, pranayama - yoga breathing, etc.
abandon egoism, desire, anger and greed.
control all the senses.
cultivate discrimination and dispassion.
practice the four means.
hear the srutis - scriptures.
reflect and meditate ceaselessly.
you will attain self-realization.

june 13

god as master and friend

dasya bhakti is love of god, as the servant of god.
to serve god and to carry out his wishes - realising his virtues, his nature, his mystery, and his glory, and considering oneself as a slave of the supreme master - this is dasya bhakti.
serving and worshipping the murtis - images - in the temples, sweeping the temples, meditating on god and serving him like a slave - mentally, serving the saints and the sages, serving the devotees of god, serving the poor and the sick, is also included in dasya bhakti.

to follow the words of the scriptures, to act according to the injunctions of the vedas considering them to be direct words of god, is dasya bhakti.
association with and service of love-intoxicated devotees, and service of those who have knowledge of god, is dasya bhakti.
the purpose of this is to be ever with god, in order to offer your services to him and win his divine grace and thereby attain immortality.

arjuna prays with the sentiment of a servant and a disciple in order to get the grace of lord krishna: 'o lord! i am your disciple. i have taken refuge in you. teach me.'
the aspirant should completely give himself up to god and should not retain any personal reservations.
ananya bhakti is total relinquishment of the self to god.

sakhya bhava is the cultivation of the friend-sentiment with god.
the bhagavatam says: 'oh! how wonderful is the fortune of the people of vraja, of cowherd nanda, whose dear friend is the perfect, eternal brahman or absolute bliss.'

to be always with the lord, to treat him as one's own dear relative or friend, belonging to one's own family, to be in his company at all times, to love him as one's own self, is sakhya bhava of bhakti-marga - the path of devotion.
the devotee takes up with eagerness any work of the lord, leaving aside even the most important and pressing personal work, and totally concerning himself with the love of the lord.
how do real friends love in this world?
what an amount of love passes between them.
such love is developed for god - physical love is turned into spiritual love.
there is a transformation of the mundane into the eternal.

it is a great pity that sakhi bhava - the attitude of god's beloved - is misunderstood.
the jiva caitanya - individual soul - is the real sakhi.
sakhi bhava is purely an internal state, not a mere external show.
the individual soul is united with the supreme soul by self-surrender.
the lover and the beloved become one.
this is the acme of bhakti.
this is the culminating point.
bhakti begins with two, and ends with one.

june 14

the nature of surrender

in atma nivedana - self-surrender - the devotee offers everything to god, including his body, mind and soul.
he keeps nothing for himself.
he has no personal, independent existence.
he has become part and parcel of god.
god takes care of him, and god treats him as himself.
grief and sorrow, pleasure and pain, the devotee treats these as gifts sent by god.
he does not attach himself to them.
he considers himself a puppet, as an instrument in the hands of god.
he does not feel egoistic, for he has no ego - his ego has gone over to god.

this devotee does not feel it is his duty to look after his wife, children etc., for he himself has no independent existence apart from god.
god will take care of all, for he knows how to lead the world in the right path.
he has no sensual craving, for he has no body; it has been offered to god.
he only feels the presence of god, and nothing else.
he has no enemies or friends, for he has given himself up to god, who has no enemies or friends.
he has no anxiety, for he has attained everything by attaining the grace of god.
he does not even have the thought of salvation - he merely wants god, and nothing but god.

this devotee is satisfied with the love of god, for by that there is nothing that is not attained.
what is there to attain when god has sent his grace upon the devotee?
the devotee does not want to become sugar, but to taste the sugar - there is pleasure in tasting sugar, but not in becoming sugar itself.
the devotee feels that there is supreme joy, more in loving god, than in becoming god.
'i am thine', says this devotee, knowing that god will take complete care of him.

mira abandoned everything.
she renounced her kingdom, husband, relatives, friends and property.
she remembered lord krishna all day and all night.
she shed tears of love - prema.
she sang his name with devotion.
she gave up eating food, and her body became emaciated.
her mind was ever absorbed in lord krishna.
only then did lord krishna shower his grace upon her.

june 15

surrender

surrender is isvarapranidhana.
the devotee consecrates all his works and their fruits to the lord.
he has no will of his own.
he says unto the lord, 'i am thine.
all is thine.
thy will be done.
thou art just.
thou doest everything for me.
i am an instrument in thy hands.'

in surrendering one's will to the lord, his will becomes one with the cosmic will.
he becomes one with the lord.
there is no loss in surrendering one's will to the lord.

self-surrender is atma-nivedana, or prapatti.
this is the highest bhakti - devotion.
the gopis of vrindavan, radha and mira, surrendered everything at the feet of lord krishna.
lord krishna was their all.
in kathopanishad it is said, 'the lord chooses that man who has surrendered himself, reveals himself unto him, and bestows the highest wisdom on him.'

the two obstacles to self-surrender are egoism and desire.
egoism and desire wage guerilla war.
they assume various forms and assail the devotee again and again.
be on the alert.
be ever vigilant.
slay the egoism and desires beyond resurrection.
then alone will you be safe.

your sadhana shakti - ability to practice - is grace of the lord.
guru is grace of the lord.
sticking to the spiritual path is grace of the lord.
progress in sadhana is grace of the lord.
revelation and intuition is grace of the lord.
descent of divine light is grace of the lord.
human birth is lord's grace.
all sorts of aids to sadhana you get such as kutir - cottage, food, clothing, medical aid, good place for meditation, books, satsanga - good company, etc., are his grace only.

it is difficult to eradicate the self-assertive nature.
every man has built his personality from the beginning of time.
he has allowed the rajasic - impure - mind to have its own way.
this personality has grown very strong, it is hard to make it pliable and elastic.
the self-assertive man wants to dominate over others.
he does not want to hear the opinions of others, even though they may be sound, logical and tenable.

june 16

i am thine, o lord

do not bother about taking care of your body.
god will save it if he needs it for further service.
surrender it at his feet, and rest in peace.
he will take care of it.
a real devotee says,
'let me take millions of births, it does not matter; but let me be attached to the lotus-feet of lord hari.
let me have spontaneous devotion to the lord.
let me be endowed with purity, spiritual strength, the spirit of selfless service and other divine virtues.'

if you simply say, without real inner feeling, 'i am thine, o lord,' this will not constitute real integral self-surrender.
this should come right from the core of your heart.
you must be prepared for a radical change.
you should not stick to your old habits, ways and motives.
you should not expect that everything should happen in the way you want.
you should live to carry on the divine purpose.
you should not think of those ambitions which the mind likes to gratify.
you should not think of using divine grace or the divine force for your own purposes - then the irrepressible ego will assert itself in various ways and refuse to give up its old habits.

the ego tries to get everything from the divine, but it totally declines to give itself to the divine.
that is the reason why aspirants do not make any substantial progress on the spiritual path, even after doing sadhana - spiritual practice - for several years.

there is no loss in self-surrender.
you get from the lord everything.
you enjoy all the divine aisvarya - wealth of divine attributes - of the lord.
the whole wealth of the lord belongs to you.
siddhis - psychic powers - will roll under your feet.
you become one with the lord.
you are freed from all wants and desires and cravings.
the spiritually hungry and the really thirsty aspirant who yearns for the vision of the lord, turns towards the divine and is quite willing, eager and happy to consecrate his body, life and mind and soul at the feet of the lord.

the first stage of self-surrender is only a firm resolve to surrender oneself to god, or to his preceptor.
a sadhaka - seeker - who has dedicated his life for the service of his teacher or the service of humanity or for attaining self-realization, is not bound by the actions he performs subsequent to his self-surrender.

self-surrender becomes perfect only after god-realization.

june 17

god-realization

divine love overflows to others once it has filled your heart.
love god with all your heart and your neighbour as yourself - this is the secret of god-realization.
love breaks down all barriers.
love is an 'open sesame' to an infinite realm of bliss immortal.
the learned talk of god, but the poor love him in their hearts.

beyond logic, beyond intellect, beyond reason is the feeling of love and the embodiment of love - which is god.
argue not.
realize him.
talk to him with the language of the heart.

do not gauge the lord's love and mercy by the material prosperity he gives you.
infinitely more valuable is the spiritual treasure he bestows upon his true devotee.
love is the dew-drop of divine grace.
cosmic love is the threshold to the limitless domain of brahmic bliss.

cosmic love is synonymous with supreme self-sacrifice or egolessness.
in all beings lives the one god - the supreme being, the eternal lord.
therefore bow to all beings with reverence, faith and devotion.

feel that another's difficulty is yours, and relieve him of his difficulty.
then alone you will grow in cosmic love.
love is an actual substance that you can use with confidence.
love is a positive, concrete thing.

love vibrates in the form of service, charity, generosity and benevolence.
there is unity of life.
love of one's self is the true love of all life.
all patriotism, love of one's own nation, one's own race, one's own religion, are but limited kinds of love.
human love is but the stepping-stone to divine or universal love.

love all.
behold the one common consciousness that indwells all beings, that is immanent in all names and forms.
spread the message of divine love, light and worship wherever you go.
love knows no fear.
love is the greatest power.

love is the divine force of this universe.
the purer you make your heart, the greater will be the power of your love.
be kind,
be compassionate,
be humble,
be tolerant,
be good,
be just,
be natural.
love the eternal in every being.
make no distinctions between one being and another.

june 18

supreme love is self-knowledge

a devotee of para bhakti type is all-embracing and all-inclusive.
he has cosmic love, and the whole world is holy for him.
he does not visit temples for worship, seeing the lord in everything.
he feels that the world is a manifestation of the lord, and that all movements and actions are his sport.
he has no dislike for faecal matter or dirt, for the outcaste, the scavenger, the cobbler, the beggar, the prostitute, or the thief.
he says: 'i see my sweet lord everywhere. it is hari who is playing the part of the prostitute, the thief, the dacoit, the scavenger.'
he has an all-embracing, all-inclusive, exalted mental state.
this cannot be described adequately in words, but must be felt.
mira, gouranga, hafiz, tulsidas, kabir, ramdas - all enjoyed this state.

namdev said to the dog: 'o vittala, my dear, in the form of a dog, do not run away with the dry bread. it will affect your soft throat. pray let me apply ghee - clarified butter - to the bread.'
he ran with ghee in a cup to the dog.
sri ramakrishna prostrated before an outcaste girl: 'o mother kali, i see thee in this girl.'
eknath, a maharashtrian bhakta, gave his ring voluntarily to the thief when the latter entered the house.
'o thief, take this ring also. your duty is to steal things. thou art krishna. keep up this sport.'
have you understood the sublime state of these exalted bhaktas who had a new angle of vision?
a day will come to you also.
exert and struggle.
para bhakti is self-knowledge only.
sri sankara, who was established in the wisdom of pure non-dualism, was a great bhakta of lord hari and devi.
sri ramakrishna worshipped kali and obtained self-knowledge through swami totapuri, his guru.
appayya dikshitar was a devout bhakta of lord siva.

para bhakti and self-knowledge are one.
the only slight difference is that a bhakta uses his emotion, while a sage of wisdom uses his will and intellect.
bhakti begins with love, while jnana or self-knowledge begins with thinking and self-analysis.
the end of both is the same - union with the divine.

june 19

grace purifies the heart

behold the lord's grace in every inch of his creation.
on a hot summer day you enjoy the delicious sweet juice of grapes, cucumber, oranges and pomegranates, and the cool ganga water of rishikesh and hardwar - this is the lord's grace.
when you suffer from a serious ailment, you get immediate relief and cure from herbs - this is the lord's grace.
when you walk in the dark night, the stars twinkle and throw light on your path - this is the lord's grace.
when you are unable to bear extreme pain, you become unconscious - this is the lord's grace.
when the weather is sultry, a gentle breeze springs up and refreshes you - this is the lord's grace.

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 - spiritual practice, these subtle forms cannot be eradicated through your sadhana alone.
only the lord's grace completely purifies your heart.

it is the lord's grace only that stirs the aspirants to do right exertion.
but do not sit idle and say: 'oh, the lord's grace will do everything for me, why should i do sadhana?'
this is wrong philosophy.
god helps those who help themselves.
god's grace will only descend on those persons who exert themselves.
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.

it is the grace of the lord that gives rise to sincere satsankalpa - good and true thoughts and pure resolves.
you can be transformed in the twinkling of an eye.
one moment you may be groping in the darkness, the next moment you can attain illumination.

there is an ignition point of the soul.
when it is connected, man is transformed.
his life is turned from its former worldly ways into a new divine life.
he is awakened spiritually.

this serenity will deepen into unshakable peace amidst all the troubles and difficulties of life.
then only insight and intuition will dawn.
then only you will attain wisdom, perfection and freedom.

june 20

the devotee's vision

the bhakta is blissful at all times.
his mind cannot think of anything, for everything is god.
'yatra yatra mano yati tatra tatra samadhayah -
wherever the mind goes, there it experiences samadhi',
for it does not find any object of enjoyment.
god fills every speck of space, and the whole world is clothed in the glory of god.

the saint and the sinner, the virtuous and the vicious, the good and the bad, the man and the animal, all are forms of god.
how can the mind deal with them in any undivine way?
there, the mind experiences samadhi, it has consciousness but no object.
samadhi is thoughtless consciousness, objectless consciousness - this is para bhakti.
this is the same as vedantic realization.
the effect is the annihilation of the ego, or the destruction of the mind.

god, who is supremely powerful, supremely wise and supremely blissful, pervades the entire atmosphere and the earth.
he is the earth and the heaven;
he is father, mother, brother, sister;
he is the consummation of all love and aspiration, of all desire and ambition;
he is the stoppage of all mental vrttis, and he is the ideal to be attained.

control the mind and annihilate the ego - this is the essence of all yogas.
it is the ideal of bhakti yoga, which is a very sweet and easy method or procedure.
one has not got to curb one's emotions, and one has not to run away to the forests.
he has to direct his emotions towards god.
he has to see god as present in the world.
this is the essence of bhakti sadhana - practice.

bhakti is thus only a reflection of the love for the self, which the upanishads declare.
only the names are different.
one calls it self, and the other calls it god.
names do not matter.
it is the feeling that counts, and that is the same in both.

self-surrender is the highest form of bhakti.
it is surrender of the ego or individuality.
what remains after that is the 'absolute' of the vedantins.
bhakti surrenders the ego, and a vedantin disintegrates the ego.
in both the ego is not there - their ideals are the same.
whether one eats rice or wheat, it is all the same - the purpose of both is to appease the hunger.
whether you follow bhakti or vedanta, the effect is the annihilation of the ego.
this is the truth.

june 21

supreme love of god

life is complex nowadays.
the struggle is very keen.
here is an easy way of worshipping the lord.
consider your house as the temple of the lord.
your wife and children and others as the holy company of the bhaktas - devotees.
consider every word you speak as the japa - repetition - of the lord's name and as praise of him.
consider every action as service of the lord.
and your lying in bed as prostrations before the lord.
and your daily walk and moving about, as perambulations of the lord.
consider the lights you burn in the evening as the waving of lights to the lord.
consider sleep as samadhi - super conscious state.
give food and drink as offering to the lord, then take it as his prasad - gift.
this is an easy way to worship the lord.

'how shall i wash thy feet with holy water, o lord, when the very ganga flows from thy feet?
how shall i give thee a seat, o lord? thou art all-pervading.
how shall i wave lights for thee, o lord? the sun and the moon are thy eyes.
shall i offer flowers to thee? thou art the essence of the flowers.'
this attitude is called para-puja - highest worship.
feel the presence of the lord everywhere.
he dwells in the chambers of your heart too.
he glitters in your eyes.
he is the breath in your nostrils.
he is nearer to you than your jugular vein.
behold him in every face.
you will attain happiness here and hereafter if you worship god in this way.
life is short and time is fleeting.
start doing this right now.
why should you roam hither and thither to find god, the supreme being?

why should you go in vain to the forests? why?
even as in the flower, fragrance resides, even as in the fire, heat dwells - even so doth the lord abide.
seek him within, my friend.
seek him earnestly too.

june 22

seek god within

seek god within you, in your heart.
seek him not elsewhere.
seek him with faith.
seek not god for favours.
such favours will not bring you near to god.
cultivate niskamya bhakti - motiveless devotion - pine for his grace and mercy.

quicken and enliven your faith in god.
let the flame of faith grow brighter and brighter daily.
feel his presence everywhere.
obtain his grace through faith, devotion and total self-surrender.

cling to the feet of the lord.
lead the life divine.
roll the beads and mentally repeat his name.
sing his praises, and remember him at all times.
fix your mind on the lotus-feet of the lord at all times.
see the lord in all objects.
sing the lord's names.

meditate on his form first, then meditate on his all-pervading essence.
withdraw the senses from their objects and gaze within.
concentrate on the heart - search for him there.

practice ahimsa, satyam and brahmacarya - non-violence, truth and purity.
say from the bottom of your heart, 'i am thine. thy will be done, o lord.'
stick to dharma - right conduct.
control the mind and the senses.
kill egoism, lust, greed, hatred, etc.

serve the saints.
serve your guru - guru and god are one.
chant the name and praises of the lord.
meditate on his divine attributes.
constantly remember the lord and his presence.
serve and worship the lord.

cling to the name of the lord.
practice the religion of sacrifice.
dedicate yourself to god.
walk in humility and love.
this is the way to god-realization.

here are some auxiliaries to bhakti.
study the lives of saints, again and again.
you will get new inspiration, and you will be elevated, renovated and transformed.

japa - repetition of god's name,
kirtan - chanting,
prayer,
service of saints,
meditation,
smarana - remembering god,
are aids to god-realization.
shun evil company.
live in the company of saints.
serve the sick and the poor.
lead a simple life.

cultivate divine virtues such as
humility,
tolerance,
mercy,
kindness,
courage,
selflessness,
cosmic love,
truthfulness,
purity, and
celibacy.

june 23

universal love

the only sara-vastu - thing of value - in this world is prema - or divine love.
it is eternal, infinite and undecaying.
physical love is moha - passion or infatuation.
universal love is divine love.
cosmic love - visva prema - and universal love are synonymous terms.
god is love.
love is god.
selfishness, greed, egoism, vanity, pride, hatred, contract the heart, and stand in the way of developing universal love.

develop universal love gradually through selfless service, satsanga - association with holy ones, prayer, recitation of guru-mantra - mantra or a holy word given by a guru, etc.
thus all barriers are broken, and now the heart will expand infinitely.

it is very easy to talk of universal love.
but when you want to put it into actual practice, it becomes extremely difficult.
petty-mindedness of all sorts comes in the way.
old, wrong samskaras - impressions - which you have created by your wrong mode of life in the past, act as stumbling blocks.
through iron determination, strong will-power, patience, perseverance and vicara - right enquiry, you can conquer all obstacles quite easily.
the grace of the lord will descend on you if you are sincere, my dear friends!

feel that the whole world is your body, your own home.
melt or destroy all barriers that separate man from man.
any idea of superiority is ignorance or delusion.
develop all-embracing love.
unite with all.
separation is death.
unity is eternal life.
feel that the body is a moving temple of god.
wherever you are, whether at home, at the office, the railway station or the market, feel that you are in this temple.

consecrate every act as an offering unto the lord.
transmute every work into yoga by offering its fruits to god.
have akarta-saksi-bhava - feeling : 'i am a non-doer, i am a witness' - if you are a student of vedanta.
have nimitta-bhava - feeling : 'i am an instrument' - if you are a student of bhakti.
feel that all beings are images of god, that this world is indwelt by the lord.
feel that one power, or god, works through all hands, sees through all eyes, hears through all ears.
you will become a changed being.
you will enjoy peace and bliss.

may lord hari take you all to his bosom, and bathe you with the waters of sweet love.
may your heart be filled with cosmic love.

june 24

the divine secret

true wisdom is love.
the way is only one - love divine - that is all.
love divine is a great power; it is the basis of all religious life.
divine love has no sex.
it sees god in all, and all in god.
where love is, there god is.
from love the world is born, by love it is sustained, and into love it enters.
he who loves not, knows not god, because god is love.

open the sluices of your heart for the inpouring of love divine.
the path is through love - every moment of separation is a pang of death to the lovers and the devotees.
day and night the flame of love burns in the hearts of the devotees.
solace comes to the devotee in the flow of tears.
the creeper of love is nourished by the eyes.

love is not a passing sentiment or a feeble emotion - it is strong, deep, enduring.
there is real love only when there is true inward identification with the life of another entity.
pure love divine communes with the beloved, with unity, with the one, the all-pervading essence of bliss.

the most important aspect of spiritual life is bhakti - devotion, and the secret of bhakti is love, a love which embraces all.
company of saints,
kirtan - chanting - of the lord's names,
study of the bhagavatam, and
service of the saints,
will create love for the lord.

love of the body or skin is passion.
love of god is prema - or devotion.
it is pure love, love for love's sake.
to love someone for attaining a selfish gain, is selfish love.
it binds you to this earth.
to love all beings, as manifestations of the lord himself, is pure love, and leads to liberation.
pure love redeems and purifies the heart, and transmutes you into divinity.
god is an embodiment of love - an ocean of love.
if you wish to attain god-realization, you must also become an embodiment of love.
love inspires, illumines, and leads the way.
love is giving and not taking.
love cements the broken heart.
it is the key to open the door to moksa.

love inspires love.
it is divine elixir.
it bestows immortality, supreme peace, and everlasting joy.
love is the golden link which binds heart to heart, mind to mind, and soul to soul.
love never reasons, but ever profusely gives.
it is not affected by offence or insult.
it looks only with the heart.

june 25

song of immortality

ram ram ram ram,
jaya sita ram
jaya jaya radheshyam.

turn the gaze, draw the indriyas,
still the mind, sharpen the intellect;
chant 'om' with feeling, meditate on atma,
chant 'ram' with feeling, meditate on sitaram,
chant 'shyam' with feeling, meditate on radheshyam,
o children of light, will you drink not,
won't you drink not, the nectar of immortality?
ram ram ram ram,
jaya sita ram
jaya jaya radheshyam.

all karmas are burnt now,
you have become a jivanmukta,
that blessed state turiyatita
no words can describe,
children of light, will you drink not,
won't you drink not, the nectar of immortality?
ram ram ram ram,
jaya sita ram
jaya jaya radheshyam.

the grass is green, the rose is red,
and the sky is blue,
but the atman is colourless,
formless and gunaless too,
o children of light, will you drink not,
won't you drink not, the nectar of immortality?
ram ram ram ram,
jaya sita ram
jaya jaya radheshyam.

life is short, time is fleeting,
the world is full of miseries,
cut the knot of avidya,
and drink the sweet nirvanic bliss,
o children of light, will you drink not,
won't you drink not, the nectar of immortality?
ram ram ram ram,
jaya sita ram
jaya jaya radheshyam.

feel the divine presence everywhere
see the divine glory all-round,
then dive deep into the divine source,
realize the infinite bliss,
o children of light, will you drink not,
won't you drink not, the nectar of immortality?
ram ram ram ram,
jaya sita ram
jaya jaya radheshyam.

do asana; kumbak, mudra,
shake the kundalini;
then take it to sahasrar
through chakras in the susumna,
o children of light, will you drink not,
won't you drink not, the nectar of immortality?
ram ram ram ram,
jaya sita ram
jaya jaya radheshyam.

june 26

song of govinda

god is truth - govinda
god is bliss - govinda
god is peace - govinda
god is knowledge - govinda
god is love - govinda
god is light - govinda

control the mind - govinda
control the senses - govinda

realize the self - govinda
this is the teaching - govinda
of all the scriptures - govinda

the goal of life - govinda
is god-realization - govinda

practice ahimsa - govinda
speak the truth - govinda

serve, love, give - govinda
be good, do good - govinda
be cheerful - govinda
be courageous - govinda
be patient - govinda
be forgiving - govinda
be moderate - govinda
in everything - govinda

be regular - govinda
get up at 4 a.m. - govinda
enquire who am i? - govinda

there is no pleasure - govinda
in the sensual objects - govinda

study daily - govinda,
gita, upanishads - govinda

do not smoke - govinda
do not drink - govinda

do not take bribes - govinda
this is bad - govinda

time is precious - govinda
do not waste a second - govinda
utilise it - govinda
in japa, kirtan - govinda
in meditation - govinda

june 27

song of vibhuti yoga

bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

i am neither mind nor body, immortal self i am,
i am witness of three states, i am knowledge absolute.
bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

i am fragrance in jessamine, beauty in flowers,
i am coolness in the ice, flavour in coffee.
bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

i am greenness in the leaf, hue in the rainbow,
i am taste-buds in the tongue, essence in orange.
bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

i am mind of all minds, prana of all pranas,
i am soul of souls, self of all selves.
bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

i am atman in all beings, apple of all eyes,
i am sun of all suns, light of all lights.
bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

i am pranava of all vedas, brahman of upanishads,
i am silence in forests, thunder in all clouds.
bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

i am velocity in electrons, motion in science,
i am effulgence in the sun, wave in the radio.
bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

i am support of this world, soul of this body,
i am ear of all ears, eye of all eyes.
bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

i am time, space, dik and the controller,
i am god of gods, guru and the director.
bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

i am melody in music, in rag and raginins,
i am sound in ether, shakti in virya.
bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

i am power in electricity, intelligence in mind,
i am brilliance in fire, penance in ascetics.
bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

i am 'reason' in philosopher, 'will' in jnanis,
i am prem in bhaktas, samadhi in yogis.
bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

i am that i am, i am that i am,
i am that i am, i am that i am.
bhajo radhe krishna, bhajo radhe shyama
soham soham, shivoham soham.
om om om om om, om om om om om.

june 28

the secret of yoga sadhana

i solemnly affirm that the disease of birth and death
can be removed only through
the divine panacea of mind-mastery,
not through any other means.
the path of annihilation of the mind
will be most beneficial to you, and
will never generate the least of pains.
if the mind is destroyed by dint of discrimination, then maya - illusion - will not afflict you.
to sail the ocean of rebirth, there is no other vessel on this earth than mastery of this turbulent mind.

tame the mind.
collect your thoughts.
keep the mind serene.
think not of evil.
you will enter the realm of deathlessness, dominion of eternal bliss.
withdraw the senses from their objects.
collect the rays of the mind.
direct the mind towards the ajna chakra - or the space between the eyebrows - and fix it there steadily.

understand the mind; know how to manage it.
mind abhors a vacuum.
aversion and desire,
both are binding - two monkeys, sitting on the tree of the heart.
while they continue to shake and agitate it,
there can be no peace.

man falls into the cycle of births and deaths, through his own thoughts, his own ignorance.
liberation means nothing but the destruction of the impurities of the mind.
if your mind is free and pure, you will not again enter into birth.

control of the mind is not done in a day, but by constant practice and sustained dispassion.
victory will be yours.
become a true hero.
have mastery over the mind.
enter the illimitable realms of bliss.
blessed is he who has controlled his mind and achieved self-conquest.

dispassion,
discrimination,
renunciation, and
meditation
are enemies of the mind.
you can destroy the mind easily, if you possess these virtues.
the mind manifests itself as the external world in the shape of pain and pleasure.
the mind subjectively is consciousness, while objectively it is this universe.
the mind has the potency of creating or undoing the world in the twinkling of an eye.

june 29

the source of the mind

creation,
preservation,
destruction,
veiling, and
blessing
are god's five kinds of actions.
god is
the ruler,
the knower of the heart, and
the prompter.
he helps the student in a variety of ways - through
dreams,
the inner voice,
talking through the mouths of others in conversation, and
in advice from friends.

eternal bliss,
supreme peace,
eternal satisfaction,
infinite happiness, and
unbroken joy
can be had only in god.
attain god-consciousness or self-realization,
through exclusive devotion to one aspect of the lord, or
by self-enquiry.

when, by analysing your own mind,
you come face to face with
something which is never destroyed,
something which by its own nature is eternally pure, perfect, self-luminous and unchanging,
you will no longer be miserable or unhappy.
the nature of brahman is sat-chid-ananda - existence-knowledge-bliss absolute.
what limits the individual soul's vision?
it is only the mind.

between the atman - self - and the organs of the senses, a connecting link is necessary.
we acknowledge the existence of an internal organ, the mind, through which perception takes place.
if we do not admit the internal organ, there would result either perpetual perception or perpetual non-perception.

perception results when there is conjunction of
atman,
the sense, and
the object
these are the three instruments of perception.
if this effect did not follow, perpetual non-perception would take place.

neither is the case however.
we have therefore, to acknowledge the existence of, an internal organ, on whose
attention and non-attention,
perception and non-perception
take place.
this is the argument for the existence of the mind.

mind is nothing but a collection of impressions.
it is a bundle of habits.
it is a collection of desires, arising from contact with different objects.
it is a collection
of feelings aroused by worldly botherations,
of ideas gathered from different objects.
these desires, ideas and feelings change constantly.
some of the old desires and feelings are constantly departing from the store-house - the mind - and being replaced by new ones.
this constant change does not in any way interfere with the harmony of mental operations.
some ideas and feelings depart, and those that remain work in healthy co-operation with the new arrivals.
they work in harmony, and this harmony sustains the identity of mental existence.

june 30

mind is all

mind alone is the whole world, with its pains, old age, death, sin, earth, water, fire, air and ether, and all the internal organs.
mind binds man.
he who has controlled his mind is a veritable god on earth.
we live in a world of thoughts.
first there is the thought, and then there is the expression of that thought through the organ of speech.

thought and language are intimately connected.
loving thoughts uplift and encourage others.
unkind thoughts, thoughts of anger, bitterness and malice injure others.
thoughts are things.
sound, touch, taste, form and odour, the waking, dream and deep sleep states - all are the products of the mind only.

thoughts such as passion, anger, bondage, time - know all these to be the results of the mind.
the only true laboratory is the mind.
study it, test it, and then go beyond it.
then you will realize the truth, then you will discover the hidden soul.
only if your mind is quiet, will you enjoy peace in your own home, as you will enjoy it in the forest.

man has a mind.
but mind is not man.
mind is a good servant.
it is an instrument only.
utilise it tactfully and properly.
the prime requisite for happiness is control of the mind or lower self.
your thought is imprinted on your face.
mind is a bridge that connects the human with the divine.

your body, your business, your house, are all only ideas within your own mind.
thought is a dynamic force.
good thought is the first perfection; it is the real wealth.
emotion is the driving force at the back of the mind.
will-power is the master key to success.
knowledge, thought, intellect and reason are one.

appetite, instinct, impulse and desire are one.
emotion, ambition, spirit and courage are one.
the mind is the master of the body.
the soul is the master of the mind.
thou art, in essence, immortal soul.
thou art above body and mind.
always remember this supreme fact, and
live in the awareness of thy spiritual nature.