*WORDS OF WISDOM* - Swami 'Yogananda' talks with 'Ramana Maharshi' - 'Suffering is the way for Realization of God'.

29th November, 1935. Talk 107


Later the Yogi (Swami Yogananda) asked: How is the spiritual uplift of the people to be effected? What are the instructions to be given them?

M.: They differ according to the temperaments of the individuals and according to the spiritual ripeness of their minds. There cannot be any instruction en masse.

D.: Why does God permit suffering in the world? Should He not with His omnipotence do away with it at one stroke and ordain the universal realisation of God?

M.: Suffering is the way for Realization of God.


D.: Should He not ordain differently?

M.: It is the way.

D.: Are Yoga, religion, etc., antidotes to suffering?

M.: They help you to overcome suffering.

D.: Why should there be suffering?

M.: Who suffers? What is suffering?


(No answer)

Finally the Yogi rose up, prayed for Sri Bhagavan' s blessings for his own work and expressed great regret for his hasty return. He looked very sincere and devoted and even emotional.

~RAMANA MAHARSHI

*WORDS OF WISDOM* - If a person realizes his position and stays in his own self, things that are to happen will happen. Things that are not to happen will not happen.

If the mind is happy, not only the body but the whole world will be happy. So one must find out the way of becoming happy oneself. One cannot do this except by finding out about oneself by Self-inquiry. To think of reforming the world without doing that is like thinking of covering the whole world with leather to avoid the pain caused by walking on stones and thorns when the much simpler method of wearing leather shoes is available. When by holding an umbrella over your head you can avoid the sun, will it be possible to cover the face of the whole earth by tying a cloth over it to avoid the sun?

If a person realizes his position and stays in his own self, things that are to happen will happen. Things that are not to happen will not happen. The shakti that is in the world, is only one. All these troubles arise if we think that we are separate from that shakti.


~RAMANA MAHARSHI

*Glimpses of Self-Realization* - Paths of Yoga- by 'Swami Sivananda' - The Yoga of Synthesis will bring about integral development. The Yoga of Synthesis develop the head, heart and hand harmoniously and lead to perfection.

The four main spiritual paths for God-realization are Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. Karma Yoga is suitable for a man of active temperament; Bhakti Yoga for a man of devotional temperament; Raja Yoga for a man of mystic temperament; Jnana Yoga for a man of rational and philosophical temperament or enquiry. The practice of Yoga leads to communion with the Lord. Whatever may be the starting point, the end reached is the same.

Karma Yoga is the way of selfless service. The selfless worker is called the Karma-Yogin. Bhakti Yoga is the path of exclusive devotion to the Lord. He who seeks the union through love or devotion is called the Bhakti-Yogin. Raja Yoga is the way of self-restraint. He who seeks to have union with the Lord through mysticism is called the Raja Yogin. Jnana Yoga is the path of wisdom. He who seeks to unite himself with the Supreme Self through philosophy and enquiry is called the Jnana Yogin.

Man is a strange complex mixture of will, feeling and intellectual thought. He wills to possess the objects of his desires. He has emotion and so he feels. He has reason and so he thinks and ratiocinates. In some the emotional element may preponderate, while in some others the rational element may dominate. Just as will, feeling and thought are not distinct and separate, so also work, devotion and knowledge are not exclusive of one another.

Some maintain the practice of Karma Yoga alone is the means to salvation. Some others hold that devotion to the Lord is the only way to God-realisation. Some believe that the path of wisdom is the sole way to attain the eternal beatitude. There are still others, who hold that all the paths are equally efficacious to bring about perfection and freedom.

To behold the One Self in all beings is Jnana, wisdom ; to love the Self is Bhakti or devotion, to serve the Self in all is Karma, or action. When the Jnana-Yogi attains wisdom, he is endowed with devotion and engaged in selfless activity. Karma Yoga is for him a spontaneous expression of his spiritual nature, as ha sees the One Self in all. When the devotee attains perfection in devotion, he is possessed of wisdom and activity. For him also Karma Yoga is a spontaneous expression of his divine nature, as he beholds the one Lord everywhere. The Karma Yogi attains wisdom and devotion when his actions are wholly selfless. All the paths are in fact one, in which the different temperaments emphasize one or other of its inseparable constituents. Yoga supplies the method by which the Self can be seen, loved and served.

The Yoga of Synthesis is the most suitable and potent form of Sadhana. In the mind there are three defects, Mala or impurity, Vikshepa or tossing, Avarana or veil. The impurity should be removed by the practice of Karma Yoga. The tossing should be removed by worship or Upasana. The veil should be torn down by the practice of Jnana Yoga. Only then Self-realisation is possible. If you want to see your face clearly in a mirror, you must remove the dirt in the mirror, keep it steady and remove the covering also. You can see your face clearly in the bottom of a lake only if the turbidity is removed, the water that is agitated by the wind is rendered still and if the moss that is lying on the surface is removed. Even so is the case with Self-Realization. The Yoga of Synthesis will bring about integral development. The Yoga of Synthesis develop the head, heart and hand harmoniously and lead to perfection.

'The Yoga of Wisdom' - by 'Swami Sivananda' - When there is universal dissolution, there is no destruction of the individual soul. He remains in a latent form in the Mula Prakriti or Avyakta, which is the condition of the equilibrium of all the three Gunas. At the time of creation, he is born again together with the Vasanas born of the mind. In this way he is forced to go round and round like the wheel for drawing water.

Sorrow has the body as its cause. The body has Karma for its cause. Action of Karma proceeds from man having the notion of 'I' in the body. The notion of 'I' which is unintelligent is beginning less, having Avidya (self-forgetfulness) for its root cause. Egoism is always associating with the reflection of Chit like a piece of iron heated in fire. Thus the body becomes independent with the Ahamkara (EGO)and becomes possessed of intelligence.

I am the body this notion arises by force of the connection between the Self and Ahamkara. Worldly life which is
The body is composed of the five elements and is unintelligent. It is made up of skin, flesh, blood and bones. It is produced by time, action and the attributes of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

The Atman is neither born, nor does it die, nor does it stop or go anywhere. It is neither male nor female nor neuter. It is all-pervading and everlasting. It is one without a second, unblemished like ether, eternal, pure and perfect Knowledge itself.
the giver of pleasure and pain has for its root this notion of 'I' in the body. On account of this identification of the Atman, which is without modification, with the Ahamkara, with the notion of I am the body, I am the doer of action, the individual soul always acts and is forcibly bound by the results. Possessed of virtue and vice he wanders up and down. I have surely done much good work through sacrifices, gifts and the rest, and shall therefore go to heaven and enjoy happiness there, thus he thinks. This is a false notion. He enjoys in heaven the celestial happiness for some time, and falls down as soon as the results of his meritorious deeds are exhausted.

So long as there is connection of the Ahamkara or the principle of egoism and the rest with the body and the sense-organs, there are pleasure and pain and trans migratory existence for the self or the know er. Ahamkara is the notion of 'I' and 'mine' in the gross and subtle bodies. The ignorant are attached to the body. They cannot rise above the sense of 'I' and 'mine' in the gross body. The discriminating few rise above it through Knowledge.

The Samsara (phenomenal world) or cause of worldly life exists so long as there is any thought of object of sense. When one awakens from the sleep of ignorance taking the unreal for the real, then it ceases to assert itself. The Samsara which has been erroneously imposed on the Self does not go of itself for one, who like a person in a dream cherishes objects of sense.

Non-existence appears to exist through the force of beginning less Avidya or ignorance. Man is agitated through attachment and aversion. The sense of 'I' is the effect of ignorance.

The mind is verily the world. The mind is bondage. The superimposition or identification of the mind with the Atman is the cause of bondage.

Just as a piece of crystal which is in fact colorless takes the red or other color from the object with which it is brought into contact, so also is the world-process or Samsara due to the contact of the Self with the intellect or the organs of sense. The mind cannot of itself cognize without a cognizing Self behind it. The Self on the other hand, making the objects created by the mind as its own, takes the form of the latter like the piece of crystal when it is brought into contact with colored objects, and thus becomes bound by the attributes of those objects and wanders about in Samsara as if helpless and powerless.

Having first created the attributes of attachment and aversion to actions of diverse kinds, the mind takes in various forms, such as white, red and black (the good, the active and the passive). In this way, the Jiva or the individual soul wanders through the influence of Karma till the period of universal dissolution. At the time of universal dissolution, the Self survives with Vasanas(latent impressions) taking impressions of past Karmas attracted under the influence of beginning less Avidya.

When there is universal dissolution, there is no destruction of the individual soul. He remains in a latent form in the Mula Prakriti or Avyakta, which is the condition of the equilibrium of all the three Gunas. At the time of creation, he is born again together with the Vasanas born of the mind. In this way he is forced to go round and round like the wheel for drawing water.

When, through special merit acquired by good Karmas in the past, he gets the company of pious devotees, his mind becomes directed towards the Lord. Then is produced in him faith, which is so difficult of attainment, in hearing stories relating to the Lord. Then comes to him without any trouble Knowledge of the Self. Then through the grace of the preceptor, as well as Knowledge of the meaning of the great sentences, 'Tat Tvam Asi' Thou art That, and the like, and his own experience, he forthwith realizes the distinction between the body, the organs of sense, egoism and the pure Atman and knows himself to be the intelligent and the blissful Self who is one without a second and becomes thenceforth released.

Know yourself, therefore, to be separate from the three bodies and beyond Prakriti. Relinquish all sense of 'I' in the body and become a Sage of Wisdom. Realize your own Self to be free from the conditions of waking, dream and deep sleep, as Truth, Knowledge and Bliss Absolute.

Raja Yoga Sadhana - by 'Swami Sivananda' - All methods of Yoga have ethical training and moral perfection as their basis. The eradication of vices, the development of certain virtues forms the first step in the ladder of Yoga.

The earliest Seers who realized the Truth have explained the cosmic process as the work of Maya, the inscrutable power of the Supreme Spirit. By the mysterious operation of this veiling power, the undivided Absolute Blissful One is made to reflect Itself in an infinite multiplicity of names and forms. As described in verse 6, Chap. IV of the Gita, Maya brings about this phenomenal existence with its duality and diversity. Each center of consciousness thus involved from the Infinite has therefore to transcend Maya to realize its essential identity with the Supreme Being.

Now Maya is the eternal negation as distinguished from the Ultimate Reality that shines as the Eternal 'I am', the Eternal 'SAT'. Maya is used to denote the sum-total of the forces of negativity. Nescience, oscillation, delusion, attachment, egoism, disharmony and discord, sensuality are some of the prominent forms in which it finds expression upon the human plane. Yoga then concerns itself in enabling the individuals to effectively deal with and overcome the above factors that keep him pinned down to the phenomenal existence. A state of knowledge through a constant discrimination between the real and the unreal, combined with a ceaseless assertion of an identification with the ideas of omniscience and perfection, a state of unshakable equilibrium and one-pointedness, non-attachment to everything mundane coupled with an intense unabated attachment to some particular aspect of the divine, a complete self-effacement and active selflessness, constitute, therefore, the major means of obtaining a victory over Maya. A determined development along any one or more of these lines broadly go to form the paths of knowledge, occult meditation, devotion or divine love and selfless action.

The process of Yoga embodies an ascent into purity, into that absolute perfection, which is the original state of man. It implies therefore the removal of the enveloping impurities, the stilling of the discordant vibratory tempo of the lower Kosas and the establishment of a state of perfect balance and harmony.

Now all the above-mentioned factors that bind down the Jiva may be seen to be operating upon a larger scale through humanity as a whole. The present age is enmeshed in ignorance, characterized by restlessness, a blind clinging to earthly existence; perverted individualism and voluptuous abandonment to pleasures of the flesh and violence, strife and discord in all walks of life.

Modern age is the machine age. As such, it is power-ridden. Discovery of newer ways of generating power, exploiting fresh aspects of known forces, inventing machine to make machine is the present craze under man's control but man himself does not have his senses and mind under his control. This has resulted in the misuse and abuse of the fruits of civilization and science, because all power corrupts. The adoption of the Yogic way of life is the release from and the guarantee against such abuse of power and the resultant disaster. Training in Yoga brings to man several super normal powers that no machine can ever generate. Yet the discipline laid down on the path ensures against their abuse.

All methods of Yoga have ethical training and moral perfection as their basis. The eradication of vices, the development of certain virtues forms the first step in the ladder of Yoga. Disciplining of your nature and the formation of a steady and pure character through a set of right habits and regular daily observances is the next step. This is Yama-Niyama in Raja Yoga. The acquiring of *Sadhana-Chatushtaya* by the neophyte on the path of knowledge and the insistence upon Sraddha, Sadachara and self-consecration, desirelessness, sacrifice for the devotee and the Karma Yogi respectively have as their aim the development of character and ethical perfection. Thus the ringing in of a new world order of love and sacrifice, of cooperation and brotherhood and the realization of the ideals of universal perfection can be effected by a willing unreserved allegiance to even the initial stages of Yoga. Upon this firm foundation of a well-established and virtuous moral character is built the further structure of Yoga.

The inherent restlessness of the mind constitutes the greatest problem to the follower of Yoga. By its very nature, mind is ever outgoing. Also it is always unsteady. The resolute turning away from earthly attachment, the determined effacement of the ego, deliberate stoppage of all inharmonious mental processes and the constant dwelling upon a single idea, all these methods require a firm control of the mind and the conscious direction of its powers towards the desired end.

The greatest external manifestation of the mental impulses is physical action. Actions when repeated crystallize into habits. In course of time, habits through indulgence get incorporated as definite traits in the individual's personality. The plan of Yoga Science, in obtaining mastery over the mind proceeds step by step most systematically, regulating and controlling first the grosser and then the subtler manifestation. *Yama* overcomes all vice and implants virtue. It weakens out all evil traits and implants godly qualities. *Niyama* regulates the habits and aims at giving the Sadhaka mastery over his behavior. Instead of being a slave to habits the aspirant now controls his conduct and develops certain habits by determined will. Next the inherent urge to activity is checked through *Asanology* (postures). By a practice of a system of steady postures, the tendency to unrestrained and aimless movements is curbed and overcome. Character developed, ennobling traits acquired, old habits overcome and replaced by new ones, activity regulated and checked, now the vagaries of the mind are next restrained by a control of its counterpart, namely the breath. This stage is *Pranayama*. Though thoughts are checked, the mind yet continues to agitate in the form of desires and cravings. Thus fifth limb of Yoga is the withdrawal of all the centripetal sense ward movements of the desire element in the mind, turning away from the external world and withdrawing the senses from the objects. *Pratyahara* paves the way for the sixth rung in the Yogic ladder, *Dharana* or concentration of the mind at a single point. The indrawn mind is made to fix upon any one given idea or image technically referred to as the Lakshya or object of meditation. Dharana deepened and made lengthened becomes meditation. When *Dhyana* (meditation) is intensified and made continuous *Samadhi* results. A state of blissful union with the Infinite Spirit, the Over soul, frees him from the thraldom of birth and death. This transcendental experience makes him transformed into a being endowed with the cosmic vision beholding everywhere a Divine unity behind apparent diversity. Henceforth his entire life becomes a spontaneous expression of the unhindered flow of the Supreme Energy through every act. He lives and acts purely for the welfare of all Humanity, carrying on the Divine Plan to its glorious consummation.

'Bhakti Yoga Sadhana' by 'Swami Sivananda' - OUTLINES OF 'BHAKTI YOGA' SADHANA -

What is Bhakti? Bhakti or devotion is supreme Love directed towards God.

There are two kinds of Bhakti...

'Kamya'.

'Nishkamya'.

The two kinds of Nishkamya Bhakti are...

Vaidhi or external Puja and Japa etc.

Ragatmika or Prema (internal) due to extreme Prema or intense Love.

Four kinds of Bhaktas (Gita, VII-16)...


'Aarta' (the sufferers as Draupadi and Gajendra etc.).

'Jijnasu' (the seeker as Uddhava).


'Artharthi' (he who has the desire to obtain some object. Dhruva
is an example).


'Jnani' (the Wise as Sukdeva etc.).

Five kinds of Muktis:


1. 'Salokya' (residence in the same abode as the Lord):

2. 'Sameepya' (to abide near God);

3. 'Sarupya'(similarity of form with the Lord);

4. 'Sayujya' (complete identity with the Lord) and

5. Sarishti (enjoyment of Divine Powers).

Nine modes of Bhakti (Bhagavatam: 7-5-23):


1. Sravanam (hearing of Lord's Lilas, Kathas etc.);

2. Kirtanam (musical chanting of his name and Lilas, Kathas etc.);

3. Smaranam (remembrance of the Lord);

4. Padasevanam (service of His feet and service of Guru, parents, country and humanity);

5. Archanam (offering of flowers, sacred leaves etc.);

6. Vandanam (prostrations before Lord and mental prostrations to every being);

7. Dasyam (servant and Master Bhava);

8. Sakhyam (friendship-attitude) and

9. Atma-Nivedanam (self-surrender, literally offering oneself up).

Five kinds of Bhavas:

1. Santa (peaceful, self-controlled and serene as Bhishma);

2. Dasya (servant and master Bhava, as Hanuman);

3. Sakhya (friendship as Arjuna);

4. Vatsalya (parental affection as Kausalya, Yasoda) and

5. Madhurya (wife and husband, or lover and beloved, like Gopis, Gauranga).

Six means of developing Bhakti:


1. Service of Bhagavatas, Sadhus, Sannyasins etc.;

2. Repetition of God's Name, Japa, Smarana etc.;

3. Satsanga;

4. Hari Kirtan (Loud repetition of Lord's Name);

5. Study of religious books as the Gita, the Ramayana, the Bhagavata etc., and

6. Pilgrimage and stay in Holy Places like Brindavan, Ayodhya, Pandarpur, Chitrakuta, etc.

Eight signs of Bhakti:


1. Asrupaata (tears),

2. Pulaka (horripilation),

3. Kampana (tremor),

4. Rodana (crying or weeping),

5. Haasya (laughing),

6. Sveda (perspiration or sweating),

7. Murchha (fainting) and

8. Svarabhanga (inability to speak).

Four qualifications of a Bhakta:

1. Humble as a blade of grass,

2. Forbearance like a tree,

3. Not to desire praise or respect for himself but to praise and respect others, and

4. Always repeating Lord's Name.

Five thorns in the path of Bhakti:


Pride of


1. Caste, 2. Learning, 3. Position, 4. Beauty and 5. Youth.

Two inner enemies in the path of Sadhana:

1. Lust and 2. Anger.

Ten vices that follow lust:


1. Love of hunting, 2. Gambling, 3. Sleeping in day time, 4. Slandering (abusing), 5. Company with bad women, 6. Drinking, 7. Singing love songs, 8. Dancing, 9. Music of vulgar nature and 10. Aimlessly wandering.

Eight vices that follow Anger:

1. Injustice, 2. Rashness, 3. Persecution, 4. Jealousy, 5. Captiousness (Fault-finding nature), 6. Cheating, 7. Harsh words and 8. Cruelty.

Three Eshanas:


1. Desire for wealth, 2. Desire for wife and children, and 3. Desire for name, fame and heaven etc.

Three great dangers in Bhakti:

Association with 1. Women, 2. Wealth and 3. Atheists.

Requisites in Bhakti:

1. Nishkamya (without any desire for fruits),

2. Ananya (undivided love towards God only),

3. Avyabhicharini (intense love towards the chosen Deity or Ishta-Devata),

4. Akhanda (Taila Dharavat, unbroken, continuous love),

5. Sadachara Sahita (with noble qualities and character) and

6. Deeply earnest and serious i.e. real and not for show.

Seven forms of Prema:


1. Sneha (Melting of heart by love or Prema);

2. Mana (that sentiment which interferes with the enjoyment of a couple who are at heart desperately in love with each other notwithstanding their being together for enjoyment);

3. Pranaya, (love which makes the lover think himself at one with the beloved, it is the thorough unification of the one with the other);

4. Raga-Sneha (when it makes its object feel happiness even when put to misery for the sake of the beloved one is called Raga);

5. Anuraga (Raga, when it discovers ever new sweetness in the beloved one is Anuraga-Raga);

6. Bhava (Bhava is the name of that emotional state the essence of which is likened unto the rays of the rising sun, i.e. it ushers in Prema just as the rays usher in the rising sun. It melts the heart by unquenchable desire for attainment of Sri Krishna); and

7. Maha-Bhava (the highest pitch or consummation of Bhava)

Twenty-Four Avataras:


1. Matsya Avatara brought the Vedas from the waters of Pralaya;

2. Kurma Avatara supported Mandara Mountain in the ocean churning;

3. Varaha Avatara to raise the earth from water after destroying Hiranyaksha;

4. Nrisimha from the Pillar destroyed Hiranyakasipu and gave Darshan to Prahlad;

5. Vamana Avatara put down the might of king Bali;

6. Parasurama destroyed 21 times Kshatriya Kings and gave land to Brahmins;

7. Rama destroyed Ravana;

8. Krishna destroyed Kamsa, and taught Brahma-Vidya to Arjuna and Uddhava;

9. Buddha preached Ahimsa to Asuras;

10. Kalki will appear in the end of Kaliyuga;

11. Yajna was born of Ruchi and Akuti. (The Suyama Devas were born of Yajna. He removed the fear of Triloki);

12. Kapila was born of Kardama Prajapati and Devahuti (Founder of Sankhya system of Philosophy. He taught Brahma-Vidya to his mother);

13. Dattatreya, the Avatara of Tri-Murtis (Brahma-Vishnu-Siva) born of Atri Muni and Anasuya Devi;

14. The Four Kumaras


i.e. Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanatkumara-mental sons of Brahma always about six years of age-Brahma-Vidya Gurus;

15. Nara-Narayana were born of Dharma and Murti and did Tapas in Badrikashrama;

16. Sri Hari gave Darshan to Dhruva (son of Uttanapada and Suneeti);

17. Prithu took out riches and eatables from earth;

18. Rishabha, (Paramahamsa) a great Brahma-varishta born of Nabhi and Sudevi, or Meru Devi;

19. Hayagreeva (the horse-headed Avatara) appeared in Vedic Yajna and promulgated the Vedas;

20. Hari saved Gajendra from Makara;

21. Hamsa narrated Bhakti Yoga, Jnana and Bhagavata Purana to Rishi Narada;

22. The Presiding Deity of each Manvantara;

23. Dhanvantari disseminated the science of Medicine (Ayurveda); and

24. Vyasa who compiled and edited the four Vedas and wrote eighteen Puranas.

Five forms of Vishnu:


1. Narayana, 2. Vasudeva, 3. Sankarshana, 4. Pradyumna and 5. Aniruddha.

Two kinds of Puja:

1. External and 2. Internal (Manasika).

Four kinds of Bhava in Puja :


1. Brahma-Bhava (Paramatma and Jivatma are one);

2. Dhyana-Bhava (constant meditation with Yoga process);

3. Stuti-Bhava (Japa and Hymns of worship) and

4. Bahya-Bhava (external worship).

Sixteen limbs of Puja:


1. Asana (offering of seat to the Deity or Image);

2. Svagata (welcoming the Lord or Devata);

3. Padya (water for washing the feet);

4. Arghya (water offering made in a vessel);

5. Achamana (water for sipping);

6. Madhuparka (honey, ghee, milk and curd);

7. Snanam (water for bathing);

8. Vastra (cloth or garments);

9. Bhushana (ornaments and jewels);

10. Gandha (perfume);

11. Pushpa (flowers offering);

12. Dhupa (incense);

13. Deepa (light);

14. Naivedya (food);

15. Tambulam (betel nuts, etc.) and

16. Vandana or Namaskara (prostrations and prayers).

Four kinds of sound:

1. Para (manifestation in Prana);

2. Pasyanti (manifestation in mind);

3. Madhyama (manifestation in Indriyas) and

4. Vaikhari (manifestation in articulate expression). The first three remain deep and unfathomable like an ocean.

Three kinds of Japa:


1. Vaikhari (by tongue with audible sound);

2. Upamsu (by tongue without sound-semi-verbal) and

3. Manasic (by mind-internal).

Three kinds of Kirtan:


1. Ekanta (alone);

2. Sankirtan (many persons together) and

3. Akhanda-Kirtan (continuous without break).

Ten offences against Divine Name:


1. Vilification of saints and devotees;

2. Differentiation among Divine Names;

3. Irreverence towards preceptor;

4. Speaking slightly of scriptures;

5. Treating the Glory of Name as nothing but exaggerated praise;

6. Commission of sins under the cover of Name;

7. Ranking the Name with other virtues, and practicing fasting, charity, sacrifices etc., without Name;

8. Recommending practice of Name to irreverent and ungodly persons who are not prepared to hear such advice;

9. Want of love for Name, even after hearing its Glory and

10. Emphasis on 'I' and 'mine,' attachment to objects of enjoyment.

Five acts of Isvara:


1. Creation, 2. Preservation, 3. Destruction, 4. Veiling and 5. Showering of Grace.

Six qualities of Bhagavan:

1. Aisvarya (Divine powers);

2. Dharma (righteousness);

3. Sri (wealth of all kinds);

4. Yasas (honour, praise, glory, etc.);

5. Jnana (knowledge) and

6. Vairagya (renunciation).

Three kinds of Karma:


1. Sanchita (accumulated actions done in innumerable previous births);

2. Prarabdha (that portion of Sanchita Karma which is to be enjoyed in this birth) and

3. Kriyamana or Agami (the action we do in this birth which will bear fruit in this or next birth).

Five kinds of Kriyamana or Agami Karmas:


1. Nitya (of obligatory nature);

2. Naimittika (incidental on certain occasions);

3. Kamya (proceeding from desire for wealth, wife, son, etc., or removal of illness);

4. Nishiddha (prohibited as stealing, untruth, eating meat and drinking etc.) and 5. Prayaschitta (expiatory or done for removal of sins etc.)

Nine stages in Bhakti:


1. Satsanga, Svadhyaya (study of devotional books);

2. Admiration;

3. Sraddha (faith in God);

4. Devotion (Sadhana, Bhakti or Japa, Kirtan, Smaran etc.);

5. Nishtha (Devoutness);

6. Ruchi (taste for hearing and chanting the names and glories of the Lord);

7. Rati (intense attachment);

8. Sthayee Bhava (steadiness or permanent Bhava of Bhakti Rasa) and

9. Maha Bhava-Premamaya (In this stage the devotee is dead to the world and its attractions. He becomes a Jivanmukta).

Four kinds of Purushartha are:


1. Dharma (fulfilment of Dharmic duties);

2. Artha (attaining wealth etc.);

3. Kama (satisfaction of desires) and

4. Moksha (liberation from birth and death).

*Glimpses of Self-Realization* - 'Karma Yoga' - Introduction - 'Swami Sivananda'- Karma, love and Yoga are the means to an end. Jnana is the end. Just as rivers join the sea, so also Karma, love and Yoga join the ocean of Jnana.

Karma, Bhakti, Yoga and Jnana do no mutually exclude each other. Karma Yoga leads to Bhakti Yoga which in its turn leads to Raja Yoga. Raja Yoga brings Jnana. Para Bhakti is Jnana only. Bhakti is not divorced from Jnana. On the contrary, Jnana intensifies Bhakti. Karma purifies the heart. Bhakti removes the tossing of the mind. Raja Yoga steadies the mind and destroys Sankalpas. Every Yoga is a fulfillment of the preceding one. Bhakti is the fulfillment of Karma. Yoga (i.e., Raja Yoga) of Bhakti is the fulfillment of Karma, and Jnana of all the preceding three.

The practice of Karma Yoga prepares the aspirant for the reception of knowledge of the Self. It makes him a proper Adhikari (aspirant) for the study of Vedanta. Ignorant people jumps at one to Jnana Yoga, without first having a preliminary training in Karma Yoga. That is the reason why they fail miserable to realize the Truth.

"Work for the sake of the work without any motive is all very well in words. But when it comes to the practical field, when one endeavors to put it into actual practice, he will have to encounter countless difficulties at every step."

A person's mind is saturated with many desires. He expects fruits for every action. But gradually he too can wean the mind from expectation of rewards. It is all a question of discipline of the mind. By and by his selfish nature will be destroyed. He will understand the glory of Nishkamya Karma Yoga. Then he will be able to do works without any motives, without expectation of fruits of action. Of course, it is a question of time. One must be patient and preserving.

One path does not exclude the other. The path of action is suitable for a man of Karmic tendency. The path of love is adapted for a man of emotional temperament. The path of Raja Yoga is fitted for a man of mystic temperament. The path of Vedanta or Jnana Yoga is suitable for a man of will or reason. Each path blends into the other. Ultimately all these paths converge and become one. It is very difficult to say where Raja Yoga ends and Jnana Yoga begins. All aspirants of different paths meet on a common platform or junction in the ling run.

Karma, love and Yoga are the means to an end. Jnana is the end. Just as rivers join the sea, so also Karma, love and Yoga join the ocean of Jnana.

Karma Yoga prepares the mind for the reception of light or knowledge. It expands the heart and breaks all barriers that stand in the way of unity or oneness. Bhakti and meditation are also Karmas. There cannot be Jnana without Yoga. The fruit of Bhakti is Janana. If you remove the hunger of man by giving food, it is only temporary physical help. It is removal of a physical want for three hours. Then the hunger manifests. The man remains in the same miserable state. Building of hospitals, rest-houses and choultries for the distribution of free food, distribution of clothes, etc., are not the highest kind of help. Miseries are nor eradicated. The world will continue to remain in a miserable state even if you build many millions of hospitals and feeding-places. Get Brahma Jnana or divine knowledge, and distribute this knowledge everywhere and remove the ignorance in men. The only will all kinds of miseries, tribulations and evils be completely eradicated.

That man who helps others really helps himself. This is another important point. This world does not want the help of anybody. There is one omnipotent Isvara who controls and guides this universe. He can immediately supply a thousand and one Tilaks, Newtons, Shakespeares, Napoleans, Valmikis and Yodhishthiras. When you serve a man, think God has given you an opportunity to improve, correct and mould yourself by service. Be grateful to that man who gave you a chance to serve.

People have various motives when they work. He who does selfless service without expectation of fruits of any kind becomes a powerful Yogi. A Karma Yogi knows the secret of work. He does not allow any energy to be unnecessarily frittered away. He conserves and regulates energy. He knows the science of self-restraint. He utilizes the energy for good purposes that can bring maximum good to a great number of people.

"The Karma Yogi, having abandoned the fruit of action, obtains eternal peace or release which comes of wisdom, while, he who, being prompted by desire, is attached to them, becomes bound." Gita: Chapter V-12.

What is Divine Life? - by *Swami Sivananda* - To be ever in communion with the Lord by annihilating mine-ness and egoism through faith, devotion and self-surrender is Divine life.

To shed the animal in man and to sublimate the human in him into the divine, to express this sublimation in his daily, hourly, life in thought, word and deed - that is truly divine life.

To speak the truth at all costs, to speak sweetly with love, to practice non-violence, celibacy, to behold the Lord in all forms is Divine life.

To be ever in communion with the Lord by annihilating mine-ness and egoism through faith, devotion and self-surrender is Divine life.

If you want to be a devotee of the Lord, you must also realize the evils of un divine life. This will surely save you, Repetition of the Lord's Names will purify the mind. But along with these you must also practice vichara, When the mind entertains unholy thoughts, remember the consequences, viz. pain, disease and death. Also think of the advantages of leading a pure life. Remember the lives of saints and draw inspiration from them. Pray to God for more and more strength. Read Ramayana, Bhagavata and the Gita. All that is beautiful, all that gives some pleasure, appears so because of the beautiful, blissful God who is behind them all. Real beauty, real joy can be had only in God who eternally lives in your own heart.

Every attempt to cultivate divine virtues, selflessness, straight-forwardness, courage, serenity, generosity, mercy and self-restraint, this in reality is Divine life or life in God. Ever keep up a balanced mind in success and failures, censures and praise, honor and dishonor, gain and loss, heat and cold. Give up identification with the body, wife, children and all kinds of property. Identify yourself with the all-pervading immortal blissful Atman and rest peacefully in Brahman.

Of all creations of the Lord, man alone can comprehend and love God and attain to liberation. Really, man's knowledge should embrace the whole universe. There is nothing in the universe that man cannot know. It is the love of knowledge for its own sake, not because it brings us food not because it enables us to practice a profession but love of truth for its own sake. That is the destiny and glory of man.

Man's life must not be confined to the limits of his family: but should take in the entire village or town, nay, the whole state, the whole country, the whole earth and the whole universe. His love must embrace the entire universe. Therefore, when he loves knowledge for its own sake and his love is universal and boundless, then the mighty protector God is pleased because man attains the summit of his glory.

The true goal of life is to get back to the source from which we came. Just as the river flow restlessly till they join the ocean, the ultimate source from which they got their supply of water, just as fire leaps and burns furiously till it merges in its own origin, so too, we should be restless here till we obtain His grace and become one with him.

All is God: God is all. This world is your best teacher or Guru. There is a lesson in each and every experience. Learn it and try to become wise. Every failure is a stepping stone of your faith in God. Every disease is a Karmic purgation. Every unpleasant incident is test of your inner spiritual strength.

If you have faith and absolute trust in the Lord the source for everything, your only deliverer, the only Reality, the power within you the powerful fountain of eternal Bliss and joy, you are indeed most blessed. He will surely take his seat in your noble and pure heart. Think of the beautiful lotus flower within your heart. Everything that comes your way is an expression of his beautiful grace. God is your Divine parent, friend, guide, goal and support. He is your all. Faith in the Lord will lead you to Him.

*WORDS OF WISDOM*

Bhagavan: Desirelessness is absolute bliss.

Question: We are asking you again because of our ignorance.
We pray to Sri Bhagavan to forgive us and give us a reply. It is said that one must do spiritual practice [abhyasa] to get rid of the mind.

How should this be done?

Bhagavan: Enquiring with the mind, 'Whose is the mind that ought to be destroyed?’ is the abhyasa to get rid of the mind.

Question: Who am I? I do not know.

Bhagavan: Without even knowing who we are we want to attain something else. That which we want to attain is that which we already are. The experience of any state or heavenly world that comes to us will eventually go away again. That which comes and goes is not the Self. That which is always within the experience of everyone, that alone is our real Self. That is moksha.

Question: What benefit can the Guru give to the disciple?

Bhagavan: Guru and God can only indicate the path by saying, ‘You are That'. Nothing else can be done. Walking along the path is the work of the disciple.

Question: I want to know myself. You must tell me the way.
Bhagavan: Do you agree that you have two ‘l's?

Question: That is what I do not know anything about. What should I do to make the mind calm down?

Bhagavan: It is sufficient to go on observing the place from where the mind arises.

~RAMANA MAHARSHI

*WORDS OF WISDOM*

The radiance of consciousness-bliss, in the form of one awareness shining equally within and without, is the supreme and blissful primal reality.

~ Sri Ramana Maharshi

*POINTS TO PONDER* - 'NAHAM DEHAM' (I am not the body) 'KOHAM SOHAM'( I am pure consciousness)- RAMANA MAHARSHI

NO BODY


You are under the impression you are the body. So you think the Jnani also has a body. Does the Jnani say He has a body? He may look to you as having a body and doing things with the body as others do. The burnt rope still looks like a rope but it cannot serve as a rope if you try to bind anything with it. As long as one identifies oneself with the body, all of this is difficult to understand.

~RAMANA MAHARSHI

*WORDS OF WISDOM* - 'VICHARASANGRAHAM' - 'SELF-ENQUIRY' - RAMANA MAHARSHI

Since the Self is the reality of all the gods, the meditation on the Self which is oneself is the greatest of all meditations. All other meditations are included in this. It is for gaining this that the other meditations are prescribed. So, if this is gained, the others are not necessary. Knowing one’s Self is knowing God. Without knowing one’s Self that meditates, imagining that there is a deity which is different and meditating on it, is compared by the great ones to the act of measuring with one’s foot one’s own shadow, and to the search for a trivial conch after throwing away a priceless gem that is already in one’s possession.

~RAMANA MAHARSHI

ESSENCE OF SPIRITUALITY - By H.H Sri 'Swami Sivanandaji' - 20 IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTIONS

These twenty instructions contain the very essence of all Yoga
Sadhana, Karma, Bhakti, Jnana and Yoga will all come to one who
follows them whole - heartedly. They are the unfailing keys to quick and effective development and culture of the physical, mental, moral and spiritual self of man.

1. 'BRAHMAMUHURTA'


Get up at 4 a.m. daily. This is 'Brahmamuhurta' which is extremely
favorable for Sadhana. Do all your morning spiritual Sadhana during this period from 4 a.m. to 6:30 or 7 a.m. Such Sadhana gives quick and maximum progress.

2. 'ASANA'

Sit on Padmasana (lotus pose), Siddhasana (adept's pose) or
S ukhasana (any pose you like) for your Japa and meditation for half an hour, facing east or north. Increase the period gradually to three hours.
Practice Sirshasana (headstand) and Sarvangasana shoulderstand)
for maintenance of health and Brahmacharya. Take light physical
exercises as walking, etc., regularly. Do twenty rounds of easy,
comfortable Pranayama (breathing exercises). Do not strain yourself while doing Pranayama

3. 'JAPA'

You can repeat any Mantra (sacred syllable), such as pure 'Om' or 'Om Namo Narayanaya', 'Sri Ram, Sita Ram, Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram', 'Om Namah Sivaya', 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya', 'Om Saravanabhavaya Namah', 'Hari Om', or Gayatri (a sacred Vedic Mantra), according to your taste or inclination, from 108 times to 21,600 times daily. Devotees of Christ may repeat the name Jesus or Hail Mary, Mother of Jesus. Parsis, Sikhs and Muslims may select a name or Mantra from the Zend Avesta, Granth Sahib or Koran respectively.

4. 'DIETETIC DISCIPLINE'

Take Sattvic food. Give up chillies, tamarind, garlic, onion, sour
articles, oil, mustard, asafoetida. Observe moderation in diet
(Mitahara). Do not overload the stomach. Give up those things which the mind likes best for a fortnight once or twice in a year. Eat simple simple food. Milk and fruits help concentration. Take food as medicine to keep the life going. Eating for enjoyment is a sin. Give up salt and sugar for a week or a fortnight. You must be able to live on rice, dhal and bread without any pickle. Do not ask for extra salt for dhal and sugar for tea, coffee and milk. People taking non-vegetarian diet should try their best to gradually give up flesh-eating as completely as possible. They will be immensely benefited.

5. 'MEDITATION'

Have a separate meditation room under lock and key. If this is not possible then a corner of the room should be set apart with a Small cloth screen or curtain drawn across. Keep the room spotlessly clean.

6. 'SVADHYAYA'
Study systematically the 'Gita', 'Ramayana', 'Bhagavatam', 'Vishnu-
Sahasranama', 'Lalita-Sahasranama', 'Adityahridaya', 'Upanishads', 'YogaVasishta', 'Bible', Imitation of Christ, Zend Avesta, 'Quran', the 'Tripitakas', the Granth Sahib and other religious books from half an hour to one hour daily, and have Suddha Vichara (pure thoughts).

7. 'ELEVATE THE MIND'
Get by heart some prayer-Slokas (prayer verses), Stotras (hymns)
and repeat them as soon as you sit in the Asana before starting Japa or meditation. This will elevate the mind quickly.
8. 'BRAHMACHARYA'

Preserve the vital force (Veerya (seminal energy)) very, very carefully. Veerya is God in motion or manifestation (Vibhuti). Veerya is all power. Veerya is all money. Veerya is the essence of life, thought and intelligence. This instruction is not for bachelors only. Householders also must follow it as far as possible. They must be extremely moderate in their marital connections with their spouse. This is very important.

9. 'CHARITY'

Do charity regularly, every month, or even daily according to your
means. Never fail in this item. If necessary forgo some personal
wants but keep up this charity regularly.

10. HAVE 'SATSANG'

Give up bad company, smoking, meat and alcoholic liquors entirely. Have constant Satsang (association with holy people). Do not develop any evil habits. Deliberately exert to develop positive virtuous qualities.
11. 'FAST'

Fast on Ekadasi (11th day of the Hindu lunar fortnight) or live on milk and fruits only. Christians must fast on alternate Sundays, Muslims on alternate Fridays, and Parsis on a suitable day every fortnight.
12. 'JAPA MALA'

Have a Japa Mala (rosary) around your neck or in your pocket or
underneath your pillow at night. This will remind you of God. Twirl the beads during your leisure. You should repeat the Name at all times, whatever task you may be engaged in.

13. 'OBSERVE MOUNA'

Observe Mouna (vow of silence) for a couple of hours daily. Do not
make gestures and inarticulate noises during the period of silence.

14. 'DISCIPLINE OF SPEECH'

Speak the truth at all cost. Speak a little. Speak sweetly. Always
utter encouraging words. Never condemn, criticize or discourage. Do not raise your voice and shout at little children or Subordinates.

15. 'BE CONTENT'

Reduce your wants. If you have four shirts, reduce the number to three or two. Lead a happy, contented life. Avoid unnecessary worry. Be mentally detached. Have plain living and high thinking. Think of those who do not possess even one-tenth of what you have. Share with others.

16. 'PRACTICE LOVE'

Never hurt anybody. Ahimsa Paramo Dharmah (Noninjury is
the highest virtue). Control anger by love, Kshama (forgiveness) and Daya (compassion). Serve the sick and the poor with love and affection. This is service of God.

17. 'BE SELF RELIANT'

Do not depend upon servants. Self-reliance is the highest of all virtues.

18. 'HAVE SELF-ANALYSIS'
Think of the mistakes you have committed during the course of the day, just before retiring to bed (self -analysis). Keep a daily spiritual diary and self-correction register as Benjamin Franklin did. Maintain a daily routine and resolve-form. Do not brood over past mistakes.

19. 'DO YOUR DUTY'
Remember that death is awaiting you at every moment. Never fail to fulfil your duties. Have pure conduct (Sadachara).

20. 'REMEMBER GOD'

Think of God as soon as you wake up and just before you go to sleep, and at all other times whether engaged in any work or not. Repeat His Name always. Surrender yourself completely to God (Saranagati).
This is the essence of all spiritual Sadhana. It will lead you to liberation. All these spiritual canons must be rigidly observed. You must not give any leniency to the mind. Within you is the Immortal soul, Within you is the fountain of joy and happiness,
So our high always in realms of spiritual knowledge and realize the goal of life.- Swami Sivananda

'SADHANA TATTVA' OR THE SCIENCE OF SEVEN CULTURES for Quick Evolution of the Human Being
************************************************************************************************************
INTRODUCTION

(a) An ounce of practice is better than tons of theory. Practice Yoga, Religion and Philosophy in daily life and attain Self-realization.

(b)These thirty-two instructions give the essence of the Eternal Religion (Sanatana Dharma) in its purest form. They
are suitable for modern busy householders with fixed hours of work. Modify them to suit your convenience and increase the period gradually.
(c) In the beginning take only a few practicable resolves which form a small but definite advance over your present
habits and character. In case of ill -health, pressure of work or unavoidable engagements replace your active
Sadhana (spiritual practice) by frequent remembrance of God.

'HEALTH CULTURE'

1. Eat moderately. Take light and simple food. Offer it to God before you eat. Have a balanced diet.

2. Avoid spicy and hot foods, like chilies, garlic, onions, tamarind, etc., as far as possible. Give up tea, coffee, smoking, betel, meat and wine entirely.

3. Fast on Ekadasi days or once in a fortnight. Take milk, fruits or roots only.

4. Practice Yoga Asana (Hatha Yoga exercises) or physical exercises for 15 to 30 minutes every day. Take a long walk or play some vigorous games daily.

'ENERGY CULTURE'

5. Observe silence (Mouna) for 2 hours daily and 4 to 8 hours on Sundays.
6. Observe celibacy according to your age and circumstances. Restrict the indulgence to once a month. Decrease it gradually to once a year. Finally take a vow of abstinence for whole life.

'ETHICAL CULTURE'

7. Speak the TRUTH. Speak little. Speak kindly. Speak sweetly.

8. Do not injure anyone in thought, word or deed. Be kind to all.

9. Be sincere, straightforward and open-hearted in your talks and dealings.

10. Be honest. Earn by the sweat of your brow. Do not accept any money, things or favor unless earned lawfully. Develop nobility and integrity.

11. Control fits of anger by serenity, patience, love, mercy and tolerance. Forget and forgive. Adapt yourself to men and events.

'WILL CULTURE'

12. Live without sugar for a week or month. Give up salt on Sundays.

13. Give up cards, novels, cinemas and clubs. Fly from evil company. Avoid discussions with materialists. Do not mix with persons who have no faith in God or who criticize your Sadhana (spiritual practices).

14. Curtail your wants. Reduce your possessions. Have plain living and high thinking.

'HEART CULTURE'

15. Doing good to others is the highest religion. Do some selfless service for afew hours every week, without egoism or expectation of reward. Do your worldly duties in the same spirit. Work is worship. Dedicate it to God.

16. Give 2 to 10 percent of your income in charity every month. Share what you have with others. Let the world be your family. Remove selfishness.

17. Be humble and prostrate yourself to all beings mentally. Feel the Divine Presence everywhere. Give up vanity, pride and hypocrisy.

18. Have unwavering faith in God, the Bhagavad-Gita and your Guru. Make a total self-surrender to God and pray: "Thy Will be done; I want nothing."Submit to the Divine Will in all events and happenings with equanimity.

19. See God in all beings and love them as your own Self. Do not hate anyone.

20. Remember God at all times or, at least, on rising from bed, during a pause in work and before going to bed. Keep a Mala (rosary) in your pocket.

'PSYCHIC CULTURE'

21. Study one chapter or ten to twenty-five verses of the Gita or your scriptures with meaning, daily. Learn the original language of your scripture, at least sufficient to understand it in original.

22. Memorize important and inspiring portions of your sacred scripture according to your capacity. Memorize also any inspiring quotations from other spiritual books. Keep a pocket version your scripture with you at all times.

23. Read the Ramayana,the Bible, the Quran, the Bhagavata, the
Upanishads, the Yogavasishtha or other religious books daily without fail.

Study more during holidays.

24. Attend religious meetings and seek Satsanga (company) with saints at every opportunity. If not, create opportunities. Listen to spiritual discourses from learned and holy people. If possible, organize such functions on Sundays or holidays.

25. Visit a temple or place of worship daily. Preferably before you leave and upon your return from work, even if only for 5 or 10 minutes.

26. Spend holidays and leave-periods, when possible, in the company ofsaints or practice Sadhana at holy places in
seclusion.

'SPIRITUAL CULTURE'

27. Go to bed early. Get up at four o'clock. Answer calls of nature, clean your mouth and take a bath.

28. Recite some prayers and Kirtan Dhvanis (devotional songs). Practice Pranayama (breathing exercises), Japa (repetition of the Divine Name of God) and meditation in the early morning. Sit on Padma, Siddha, or Sukha Asana throughout, without movement, by gradual practice. While you meditate, forget the outside world totally. Gradually increase the period of meditation.

29.
Perform the daily prayers of your religion. Do not fail to fulfill your
obligatory duties.

30. Write your favorite Mantra or Name of God in a notebook for ten to thirty minutes, daily.
31. Sing the Names of God (Kirtan) and pray for half to one hour at night with family and friends.
32. Make annual resolves on the above lines. Regularity, tenacity and fixity are essential. Record your Sadhana in a spiritual diary daily. Review it every month and correct your failures.

WHO AM I ? - Nor is there any such thing as the physical world apart from and independent of thought. In deep sleep there are no thoughts: nor is there the world. In the wakeful and dream states thoughts are present, and there is also the world. Just as the spider draws out the thread of the cobweb from within itself and withdraws it again into itself, in the same way the mind projects the world out of itself and absorbs it back into itself - Ramana Maharshi

If the mind, which is the instrument of knowledge and is the basis of all activity, subsides, the perception of the world as an objective reality ceases. Unless the illusory perception of the serpent in the rope ceases, the rope on which the illusion is formed is not perceived as such. Similarly, unless the illusory nature of the perception of the world as an objective reality ceases, the vision of the true nature of the Self, on which the illusion is formed, is not obtained.

The mind is a unique power (sakti) in the Atman whereby thoughts occur to one. On scrutiny as to what remains after eliminating all thoughts, it will be found that there is no such thing as mind apart from thought. So then, thoughts themselves constitute the mind.

Nor is there any such thing as the physical world apart from and independent of thought. In deep sleep there are no thoughts: nor is there the world. In the wakeful and dream states thoughts are present, and there is also the world. Just as the spider draws out the thread of the cobweb from within itself and withdraws it again into itself, in the same way the mind projects the world out of itself and absorbs it back into itself.

The world is perceived as an apparent objective reality when the mind is externalized, thereby forsaking its identity with the Self. When the world is thus perceived, the true nature of the Self is not revealed: conversely, when the Self is realized, the world ceases to appear as an objective reality.