Daily Messages - 2024

Messages from Swami Dayatmananda

2 January 2024

Jai Ramakrishna

(Teachings of The Holy Mother)

Amjad, a Muslim bandit, built the wall for Holy Mother’s new house. One day she invited him for a meal, which was arranged on the porch of her house. Nalini began to throw the food at Amjad’s plate from a distance. Mother noticed this and said, “How can one enjoy food if it is offered with such scorn? Let me wait on him properly.” After he had finished his meal, Mother cleaned the place with her own hands. Nalini shrieked, “Aunt, you have lost your caste!” “Keep quiet,” said Mother. “As Sarat (Swami Saradananda) is my son, exactly so is Amjad.”

When a woman who had led a bad life went to Mother in a mood of sincere repentance and made an unreserved confession of her sins, Mother embraced her with great warmth of feeling, saying, “Don’t despair for whatever you have done. You will get over all your sinful tendencies. Come, I shall initiate you. Lay everything at the Master’s feet and cast away all fear.”

A college student used to visit Mother’s place quite frequently. One day, while taking leave of her he suddenly said, “Mother, I am no good for this place; I am unfit to come to you. I am saying goodbye forever!” He quickly left the house. Mother ran after him, caught his shirt, and pulling him toward her she put her hands on his shoulders. Looking at him eye to eye she said in a firm voice, “Whenever any disturbing thought comes to your mind, think of me. Don’t worry!” With those words she let him go. While going home the boy repeated Mother’s words over and over again: “Think of me; think of me; think of me.” He couldn’t forget those two beautiful compassionate eyes of the Mother. Constantly he thought of those eyes of the Mother and those words, “Think of me.”

3 January 2024

Jai Ramakrishna

(Today is the most auspicious day of the Divine Mother Sri Sarada Devi. On this auspicious day may the Divine Mother bless us all with Bhakti and Jnanam.)

(Teachings of The Holy Mother)

REFLECTIONS ON HERSELF

“Do not fear, my child. Always remember that the Master is behind you. I am also with you. As long as you remember me, your mother, why should you be frightened? The Master said to me, ‘In the end I shall certainly liberate those who come to you.’”

“Whoever has come here, whoever is my son is already redeemed. Destiny dare not throw my children into hell. Free yourself from all anxiety by entrusting your future to me. And remember this always, that there is one behind you who will come to you at the right moment and lead you to the everlasting domain.”

“I am the mother of the wicked, as I am the mother of the virtuous. Never fear. Whenever you are in distress, just say to yourself, ‘I have a mother.’”

4 January 2024

(Teachings of The Holy Mother)

THE MYSTERY OF LIFE AND GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS

Mother: “The world is the Lord’s. He created it for His own play. We are mere pawns in His game. Wherever He keeps us and in whatever way He does so, we have to abide by it contentedly. We suffer as a result of our own actions; it is unfair to blame anybody for it. We have to surrender ourselves completely to the Lord with faith and devotion in Him, serve others to the best of our capacity, and never be a source of sorrow to anybody.”

Disciple: “If there is a God, why is there so much misery in this world? Does He not see? Or hasn’t He the power to remove these evils?”

Mother: “The creation itself is full of griefs. How can one understand joy if there is no sorrow? And how can everyone be happy at the same time?

There is a story that once Sita said to Rama, ‘Why do you not remove everybody’s miseries? Make everyone in your kingdom-all your subjects-happy. You can do it if you like.”

Rama answered, ‘Can everyone be happy at the same time?

‘Well, they can, if you so desire. Why not satisfy all their needs from the royal treasury?’

‘Just as you wish’.

“Then Rama called Lakshmana and said, ‘Go and tell everyone in my kingdom that all their needs will be supplied from my treasury.”

When the people heard this, they came and explained their needs. The treasury was laid open. Everyone lived in happiness.

But such was the dispensation of Rama that soon the roof of the royal palace showed cracks and water seeped through. Masons were sent for to repair the crack. But there were none to be found. Where was any labourer to be found?

The subjects also came and complained that because there were no masons or workmen, their houses and buildings were falling to pieces.

Then seeing no other way, Sita said to Rama, ‘We cannot suffer like this! Let everything be as it was. Then we can get workmen again. Everybody cannot be happy at the same time.’

‘So be it’, answered Rama.

In the twinkling of an eye everything was as it used to be. One could get workmen again.

‘Lord, it is true that this life is only a game of yours!’, said Sita.

“No one can suffer for all time. No one will spend all his days on this earth in suffering. Every action brings its own result, and one gets one’s opportunities accordingly.”

Disciple: ‘Then is everything the fruit of Karma?”

5 January 2024

(Teachings of The Holy Mother)

THE MYSTERY OF LIFE AND GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS

“Each has to get the results of the actions he earned for this life. A pin, at least, must prick where a wound from a sword was due.”

“Such is life, here today, gone tomorrow! Nothing goes with one, except one’s merit and demerit; good and evil deeds follow one even after death.”

“One suffers as a result of one’s own actions. So, instead of blaming others for such sufferings, one should pray to the Lord, and depending entirely on His grace, try to bear them patiently and with forbearance under all circumstances.”

“My son, forbearance is a great virtue: there’s no other like it.”

“One must be patient like the earth. What iniquities are being perpetrated on her! Yet she quietly endures them all. Man, too, should be like that. There is no treasure equal to contentment and no virtue equal to fortitude.”

“You see, my son, it is not a fact that you will never face dangers. Difficulties always come, but they do not last forever. You will see that they pass away like water under a bridge.”

“Do not be afraid. Human birth is full of suffering, and one has to endure everything patiently, taking the Name of God. None, not even God in human form, can escape the sufferings of the body and mind. Even Avataras, saints, and sages have to undergo the ordeal of suffering, for they take upon themselves the burden of sins of omission and commission of ordinary human beings and thereby sacrifice themselves for the good of humanity.”

Jai Ramakrishna 6 January 2024

(Teachings of The Holy Mother)

THE MYSTERY OF LIFE AND GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS

“The Mother of the universe is the Mother of all. From Her have come out both good and evil.”

Disciple: “Where does this initiative for good and evil originate? You may say from our previous life; but where is the source of it all?”

Mother: “Even a blade of grass cannot stir without the will of God, my son. When a creature falls on good times, his thoughts turn to prayer; when he falls on bad times, all is evil. It is all according to God’s will. It is God alone who expresses His will through the actions of man. What powers did Naren (Swami Vivekananda) have by himself? It was because God acted through him that he achieved what he did. The Lord knows what He is about to perform. But if man surrenders himself totally at His feet, He will do everything for him. One must bear with everything, because it is all due to cause and effect, according to one’s Karma. And Karma counteracts the effects of one’s previous Karma. If you do a good act, it cancels the effects of your evil deeds. If one prays, takes the Name of God, and thinks of Him, the effects of evil are cancelled.”

Disciple: “If God is the father and mother of all, then why does He make us commit sin?”

Mother: “No doubt, God alone has become all these objects, animate and inanimate, but in the relative world all beings act and suffer according to their past Karma and innate tendencies. The sun is one, no doubt, but his manifestation differs according to objects and places.”

Disciple: “If everything happens according to the will of God, then why does He not annul the law of Karma?”

Mother: “Yes, if He wills. He can shorten the period of evolution. But we do not know His will.”

6 January 2024

(Teachings of The Holy Mother)

THE MYSTERY OF LIFE AND GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS

‘The Mother of the universe is the Mother of all. From Her have come out both good and evil.”

Disciple: “Where does this initiative for good and evil originate? You may say from our previous life; but where is the source of it all?”

Mother: “Even a blade of grass cannot stir without the will of God, my son. When a creature falls on good times, his thoughts turn to prayer; when he falls on bad times, all is evil.

It is all according to God’s will. It is God alone who expresses His will through the actions of man. What powers did Naren (Swami Vivekananda) have by himself? It was because God acted through him that he achieved what he did. The Lord knows what He is about to perform. But if man surrenders himself totally at His feet, He will do everything for him.

One must bear with everything, because it is all due to cause and effect, according to one’s Karma. And Karma counteracts the effects of one’s previous Karma. If you do a good act, it cancels the effects of your evil deeds. If one prays, takes the Name of God, and thinks of Him, the effects of evil are cancelled.”

Disciple: “If God is the father and mother of all, then why does He make us commit sin?”

Mother: “No doubt, God alone has become all these objects, animate and inanimate, but in the relative world all beings act and suffer according to their past Karma and innate tendencies. The sun is one, no doubt, but his manifestation differs according to objects and places.”

Disciple: “If everything happens according to the will of God, then why does He not annul the law of Karma?”

Mother: “Yes, if He wills. He can shorten the period of evolution. But we do not know His will.”

7 January 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Shivanandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

Place: Belur Math, Time: 1922.

Some four or five months after the passing away of Swami Brahmananda, a high government officer came to see Mahapurushji at the Belur Math. He made his obeisance at the feet of Mahapurushji with great reverence and, taking his seat on the floor, introduced himself to the Swami.

Then he said: `I first met Raja Maharaj about three years ago, and from that day I had been visiting him off and on, whenever I got an opportunity. He was very kind to me and guided me with his instructions. Mentally, I had chosen him as my guru.

When I expressed the idea to him one day, he held out great hope by saying: "Initiation will come in due course; there is no need to be in such a hurry. Follow the instructions I give now.Let the mind be prepared, and everything will follow."

That day he told me much about spiritual practices etc. From that day on, I had been practising japa and meditation a little; I had also been visiting him now and then. But so unfortunate am I, I could not get initiation from him.

Now it is my heart's most earnest desire that you graciously give me initiation. You represent him; you are in his seat. His power now works through you. Please do take pity on me and do not disappoint me.'

Mahapurushji had never seen this devotee before. Still, he said to him with the sweetest words, as though speaking to a very intimate person: 'You are really very fortunate to have had the blessings of Maharaj, who gave you instructions out of his mercy.

Know what he said as the mantra itself; that itself will bring you the desired result.

8 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery.

Time: Friday, July 26, 1929.

It was afternoon.

Seeing a monastic worker of the orphanage at Baranagore, he called him to his side.

In the course of conversation, the Swami remarked: “How can you leave now? Let S. return; then perhaps you may go. And why do you want to go at all? Even here, after attending to your regular work, you will have plenty of time for spiritual practice. It is simply a matter of mental attitude. If the mind has a natural leaning towards God, one can make time and opportunity for spiritual practice. What is essential is earnestness. If you cannot carry on your spiritual practice here, you won’t be able to do so anywhere. The Master used to say, ‘He who has it here, has it there too.’”

That is a statement full of truth, my child.

Call upon God and pray to Him with great sincerity.

He will give you an abundance of devotion and faith.

Why should you go? You are doing the Lord’s work.

Is it a small matter?

Monk: “In season and out of season, K. says whatever comes to his mind.”

Saying this, the Swami started crying.

Mahapurushji: “I had a feeling there was a misunderstanding between you two. Why does he use abusive language? I know very well that you do not deserve that treatment. You are a gentle, good-natured person. Why don’t you ask K. to come and see me some time? I will explain matters to him. Do not take it to heart, my child. You know, when pots that are together are moved, friction is inevitable. Do not take it seriously. Misunderstandings are bound to occur sometimes, and they are straightened out eventually. It takes two hands to clap. Let him say whatever he wishes. Just endure it all quietly. That will prevent misunderstandings. You will have to be a little humble. You will have to sacrifice a little. You have dedicated your body, mind and soul to the Master’s work. You have renounced everything for his sake. You will have to do this much also for his work. You should practise forbearance, you should sacrifice—for his work. The Lord will bless you abundantly.”

9 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. Time: Friday, July 26, 1929.

A Monk: 'Please bless me.'

Mahapurushji: ‘You have my hearty blessings, my child. But you too must pray to the Master sincerely. He will give you greater strength. You have come here renouncing everything for his sake. There is nothing that he will withhold from you.

Be patient for his sake, paying no attention to what people say, good or bad. You are all sadhus and have come here with the idea of improving yourselves. You do not have any other desire or wish in your life. You want him alone.

Temporary misunderstandings are inevitable when many people work together. They aren't something to be blamed for; it is quite natural. Such misunderstandings come and go; they cannot touch your inner Self, because the main objective of your life is the realization of God. Such petty matters as attachment and aversion cannot deeply affect you.

This is what we feel. The work that you are carrying on is being done in a spirit of service. This work is purifying your mind day by day. You have no selfish motive in your work. You should carry on your spiritual practices along with your works of service. Whenever you can, practise japa, meditate upon God and pray to Him sincerely. The moment you have a feeling of weakness or of lacking in anything, tell the Master about it. If you pray very sincerely, you are bound to get a

response.

Repeat his name often. The repetition of his name will purify your body and mind, washing away. all impurities. You have renounced everything in order to be sadhus. The realization of God is the aim of your life, my child. Your ideal is "to remain unaffected by praise or blame, to be silent and contented with a little".

Balance in praise or blame, silence and being satisfied with whatever comes — this is the state at which you should aim. You should be absorbed in God. What does it matter to you what people say about you?'

After hearing these words, the monk burst into tears and caught hold of Mahapurushji's feet, saying: `Maharaj, please bless me that I may be unaffected by praise or blame, that I may remain absorbed in Him.'

10 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

The work that you are carrying on is being done in a spirit of service. This work is purifying your mind day by day. You have no selfish motive in your work. You should carry on your spiritual practices along with your works of service. Whenever you can, practise japa, meditate upon God and pray to Him sincerely. The moment you have a feeling of weakness or of lacking in anything, tell the Master about it. If you pray very sincerely, you are bound to get a response. Repeat his name often. The repetition of his name will purify your body and mind, washing away all impurities. You have renounced everything in order to be sadhus. The realization of God is the aim of your life, my child. Your ideal is "to remain unaffected by praise or blame, to be silent and contented with a little". Balance in praise or blame, silence and being satisfied with whatever comes — this is the state at which you should aim. You should be absorbed in God. What does it matter to you what people say about you?

After hearing these words, the monk burst into tears and caught hold of Mahapurushji's feet, saying: "Maharaj, please bless me that I may be unaffected by praise or blame, that I may remain absorbed in Him."

Place: Belur Monastery. Time: Friday, July 26, 1929. A monk burst into tears and caught hold of Mahapurushji's feet, saying: "Maharaj, please bless me that I may be unaffected by praise or blame, that I may remain absorbed in Him." The more Mahapurushji tried to pacify him, the more disconsolate he became, crying like a child. Mahapurushji said: "You will certainly reach that stage, my child. The Master has brought you to him because he is gracious to you." After a while Mahapurushji said with great affection: "Go to the shrine for a little while. Practise japa and pray to God; that will lighten the burden of your heart. Then take a little of the food offered to the Master. In future, whenever you have the leisure come here."

Place: Belur Monastery. Time: Friday, August 2, 1929. In the morning the sadhus and brahmacharins of the monastery started coming one by one to Mahapurushji's room to salute him. I hope you are all practising japa and meditation. Early in the morning, at dusk and at night you should meditate intensively. This place has a tangible spiritual atmosphere. Swamiji brought the relics of the Master on his head and installed him here. Here there is a special manifestation of Sri Ramakrishna. Besides, Swamiji, Maharaj (Swami Brahmananda), Baburam Maharaj (Swami Premananda) and others performed so much spiritual practice here. Swamiji even laid down his body right here. How holy this place is! Nowhere will you find another place more favourable for spiritual practice. This place is steeped in spirituality. How much meditation, study and singing of the names of the Lord has been done here and is still being done! How many devotees visit this place! How many times homa (fire ritual) has been performed here, and what other ceremonials have also been performed! The few days you live here be sure to enjoy the bliss of meditation and japa. The more you meditate, the more you will appreciate the holiness of this place. You are devotees of the Master. Call upon him; you will certainly get a response and your heart will be filled with joy.

11 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. Time: Friday, August 2, 1929.

A Brahmacharin: 'Often questions arise in my mind which I intend to refer to you, and sometimes I even have doubts; but the moment I come into your presence I forget them. I feel as if I have no doubts at all, and everything is settled. In your presence I feel satisfied.'

Mahapurushji (affectionately); 'Why don't you tell me the doubts that arise in your mind? You are welcome to speak to me about any questions that arise in your mind. But you know all your doubts will be solved from within.

The Lord is within us. He is the inner Self of us all. He solves all doubts from within. Of course, you will have to let Him know your problems.'

Saying this, he began singing this song:

Stay by yourself, O mind! Why wander here and there? Look within—in the inner chamber of your heart—And you will find, right there, whatever you desire.

`You have everything within you, only you must seek, my child.'

12 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery.

Time: Friday, August 2, 1929.

Swami Yatiswarananda came and saluted Mahapurushji, who greeted him saying, “Hello, Yatiswar. When are you going to Madras?”

Swami Yatiswarananda: “I am thinking of going on the ninth. Before that time there is no auspicious date. There are only inauspicious days. That is why I made up my mind to go on the ninth.”

Mahapurushji: “That’s fine. But you are men of action. It won’t do for you to look for auspicious days. Those who have nothing to do can afford to consult the almanac at every step. The Master also used to say, ‘Only those who believe in such things are affected by them; others are not.’ Besides, you are all devotees of the Mother. She is protecting you under all conditions and will always do so. If one takes the name of the Lord and starts on a journey, one will not come to grief. By the strength of His name even distress is transformed into a blessing.”

Saying this he sang:

Whoever starts upon a journey,

Chant the name of Mother Durga,

Shiva, with His almighty trident,

surely will protect him.*

“In a couplet composed by Tulasidas there is the same idea:

Every phase of the moon is auspicious,

every day is an auspicious day.

An inauspicious day affects him only who has forgotten the Lord.

The day one takes the name of the Lord whole-heartedly is a good day!’”

13 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. Time: Wednesday, August 7, 1929.

It was about 7.3O in the morning. Swami Sharvananda came, saluted him, and asked, 'Did you sleep well last night, Maharaj?'

Mahapurushji: 'Yes, I slept fairly well.'

Swami Sharvananda: 'How is your body?'

Mahapurushji (smiling): 'It is all right as long as it takes the name of the Lord.'

Later, in a serious mood, he remarked: 'On the whole, the body is not well. Day by day it is decaying. It will live as long as the Lord wishes it to live. He is having His work done even with this broken body.

Swami Sharvananda: 'Certainly, Maharaj. As long as your body lasts it will be for our good and for the good of the world. Real service is possible only through men like you.

Mahapurushji: 'Everything depends upon the will of the Master. One can do only as much as the Master graciously permits one to do. Blessed is the person whom the Master selects as an instrument for his work. The Master is God Himself born as a world teacher for the establishment of religion in this age. Is it an ordinary privilege to be an instrument for his work? What can an ordinary man understand about the Master's sublime ideas? Unless the Master graciously reveals himself, who is capable of understanding what stuff was in that little frame of his—what great power functioned in him!

Who indeed, can know Thee unless Thou revealest Thyself?

Veda and Vedanta grope in the dark, failing to fathom Thee.

Everything becomes clear if he graciously reveals himself; otherwise, who will understand him? Apparently, he was like an ordinary man—eating, sleeping, walking around and doing things of that sort— but within that frame of his there was so much power. How can people understand it?

14 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery.

Time: Wednesday, August 7, 1929.

Swami: With the passing of days people will see the play of the Master's tremendous power. There will be a great revolution in the realm of the Spirit. Whom shall I tell how much the Master is showing us? Whom shall I tell, and who will understand? I cannot explain to anyone how many things are going on inside here (placing his hands on his chest) about him. Nobody would understand them. I cannot even tell you. Even you would not understand. So long as Swami Brahmananda was alive, I could unburden my heart and have a feeling of relief. We would both enjoy discussing those things. Those were the most intimate experiences, and we would discuss them privately. He too would often tell some of his experiences. Now I cannot do that any more. Now we have to treasure those experiences within—not finding anyone with whom to discuss them. Everything is his will. I earnestly pray: May good betide the world! May you all be blessed and may you all live in peace!

15 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. Time: Thursday, August 15, 1929.

A devotee came to see the Swami and after saluting him, started talking about his spiritual practices.

Devotee: 'Maharaj, I seldom have peace in my heart, and feel a constant unrest within.'

Mahapurushji: 'Continue repeating His name, my child. Gradually you will find peace. If you cannot do much spiritual practice, try to meditate every morning and evening regularly.'

Devotee: 'I do that, but that doesn't satisfy my heart's desire. I wish I could do more, but I cannot make time.

Every morning and evening when I try to meditate, I have a feeling of great joy, so much joy that I do not feel like leaving my seat. But the pressure of work forces me to do so.'

Mahapurushji: 'That is something which is beyond your control; but mentally practise remembrance of the Lord. He dwells within and knows the earnestness of your heart. He is gracious to you and will be more so. He will certainly satisfy your unfulfilled desire.

He is the divine Wish-fulfilling Tree. He gives a devotee whatever the devotee asks of Him. Sincerely repeat His name, meditate upon Him, and whenever you find time, practise remembrance of Him. Remembrance of the Lord can be practised at all times and places.

Pray to Him very sincerely: "O Lord, have mercy upon me, be gracious to me. You have been gracious to so many people here and elsewhere. Will You not be gracious to me also? One of Your sons (meaning himself) has taught me how to call upon You, and so I am calling upon You for Your grace. It is Your son who taught me this way."

Pray in this way and He will certainly bless you. We are His servants and have dedicated our bodies, minds and souls at His feet. I assure you, He will certainly bless you.'

Devotee (with tears in his eyes): 'Please bless me and speak to the Master about me; then all will be well.'

Mahapurushji: 'Of course you have my blessings, my child! Otherwise, I would not say so much. The Master came to redeem souls. We are his servants; we do not have any other desire than this. Whatever spiritual practice we perform we do for the good of the world.

We ourselves do not need anything. He has made us full in every way. He has not withheld anything from us and yet for the good of people he is making us perform spiritual practice.'

16 January 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Saradanandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day, may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(REMINISCENCES OF HOLY MOTHER BY SWAMI SARADANANDA)

Holy Mother’s first vision of Mother Kali was in a wayside inn near Tarakeswar, on her way to Dakshineswar from Jayrambati. When Mother resided at Dakshineswar, Master used to consult her on various matters from time to time. Mother’s usual reply was, “I have nothing to say at the moment. I shall tell you later, after I have a clear understanding of the matter.”

The Master used to counter, “No, tell me now. Who is there for you to consult with that you will tell me after you have done so?”

Still, Mother used to persist, “Later I shall tell you when I have a clear understanding of it.”

Back at Nahabat, she used to beseech Mother Kali piteously, “Mother, tell me what I should say.”

This invariably resulted in a clear view of the matter presenting itself to her, which she would then communicate to the Master.

At Cossipore, when the Master’s condition was highly critical, one day Mother was lying down in a miserable state of mind when all at once she saw that dark woman [Mother Kali] with flowing tresses come and sit down beside her. Mother exclaimed, “Oh, it’s you!”

Mother Kali replied, “Yes, I have come from Dakshineswar.”

After they had conversed for some time, Mother noticed that the dark woman’s neck was bent sideways. Mother asked, “Why are your neck and head bent sideways?”

Mother Kali replied, “Because of the sore in the throat.”

“How strange!” Mother wondered. “He (the Master) has a sore in the throat, and you also have one?”

“Yes,” said Mother Kali. In this way, She [Mother Kali] brought it home to Mother that She and Master were one and the same.

One day when Mother was feeding the Master at Cossipore, during conversation Master asked her, “Have you ever played ashta-kashte?”

Mother said she had not. The Master continued, “When playing the game, if two pieces are paired, no piece can be struck off. Similarly, one should pair oneself with one’s Ishta, then there is nothing to fear. Else, one loses a piece on the point of winning it. If you lead a life linked to your Ishta, there is no fear of perdition.”

17 January 2024

(Spiritual talks of Swami Saradananda)

Disciple: "S instructs his disciples not to practise Japa without taking bath etc. Are such observances compulsory?"

Swami: "The Master came to make religion easy. People were being crushed under the weight of rules and regulations. To repeat the Lord's name and to worship Him, no special time and place are necessary. In whatever condition one may be, one can take His name. The Master never used to give too much importance to these external observances. As to means, adopt whichever suits you best. If you like God with form, that will also lead you to the goal. If you like God without form, well and good; stick to it and you will progress. If you doubt His very existence, then better put the question to Him thus: 'I do not know whether Thou existeth or not, whether Thou art formless or with form. Do Thou make known to me Thy real nature.'

As to changing of clothes, taking bath, and other external observances, if you can observe them, well and good; if not, go on calling on Him without paying much attention to all these. The Master once sang a song to me and told me, 'Assimilate any one of these ideas and you will reach the goal.'

The song runs as follows: 'O Lord, Thou art my everything, the sole support of my life, the quintessence of reality. There is no one else besides Thee in this world whom I can call as my own. Thou art happiness, peace, help, wealth, knowledge, intellect, and strength; Thou art the dwelling house and the pleasure garden; Thou art the friend and relative. Thou art this present life, the sole refuge; Thou art the life hereafter and the heaven; Thou art the injunction of the scriptures, the Guru full of blessings, and the store of infinite bliss. Thou art the way and the goal; Thou art the creator and preserver and the worshipped; Thou art the father that punishest Thy child, the loving mother and the storehouse of infinite bliss art Thou.'"

18 January 2024

(Spiritual talks of Swami Saradananda)

Disciple: "The Master used to say that Sraddha food (offered at the funeral rite) is harmful to Bhakti. Why is it so?"

Swami: "The object of food is to build a strong body and a fine intellect. Unless the body and the mind are pure, it is not possible to go through spiritual practices. It is the food offered to God that builds a pure body and mind. The Sraddha food is offered to the manes and not to God, and as a result, instead of building a pure mind and body, it affects people otherwise. Food builds the body and the mind, and the nature of the food also affects them. In Chaitanya's life we have a case where an ordinary man who happened to touch him in a state of ecstasy was also overpowered by religious emotions. He was prescribed to take Sraddha food to get over these emotions, and as a matter of fact, this food did put an end to that person's ecstatic moods."

Disciple: "Why is the time of an eclipse considered auspicious for the practice of Japa?"

Swami: "Man becomes thoughtful when such a natural phenomenon takes place. Eclipse brings about a great change in the sphere of nature. At such a juncture, when nature passes from one condition to another, the mind becomes calm, and so the time is favourable for the practice of Japa and meditation."

19 January 2024

(Spiritual talks of Swami Saradananda)

Disciple: "Has anyone realized God through mere work?"

Swami: "Through selfless work the mind gets purified. And when the mind becomes pure, there arise knowledge and devotion in it. Knowledge is the very nature of the Self but being covered with ignorance it is not manifest. The object of selfless work is to remove this covering. As a matter of fact, knowledge dawns as soon as the mind becomes pure. In the Mahabharata you have the story of the chaste lady who attained knowledge through service to her husband and through other household duties. In the Gita also you find, 'By work alone Janaka and others attained perfection.' Not one but many attained perfection through work, for the text adds 'and others'."

Disciple: "Does work here mean Japa, meditation, etc?"

Swami: "No. That meaning is given by the commentators. If it were so then Shri Krishna would have asked Arjuna to ring bells and wave lights before an image of God. Instead, he made him fight."

Disciple: "Did Arjuna fight without any sense of ego, as an instrument in the hands of the Lord?"

Swami: "Certainly. If the ego persists even after the vision of the Universal Form, then of what use is the vision? Arjuna says, 'My delusion is destroyed, and I have regained memory through Thy grace.'"

Disciple: "What is the meaning of the word 'memory' in that verse?"

Swami: "Arjuna had forgotten the teachings of the scriptures and of the Guru. All those principles, adhering to which Arjuna was progressing he had forgotten, overcome by delusion. Fear, love of relatives, and respect for his elders had created this delusion. The Advaitists interpret 'memory' as 'the regaining of the consciousness of his real nature'. They too have given a very fine interpretation."

20 January 2024

(Spiritual talks of Swami Saradananda)

"When the Vaishnavas progress in their spiritual practice and reach the Advaita consciousness, they avoid it and try to keep permanently a relationship with the Lord. They consider that to become one with Him is an obstacle in their way and so the moment they get a scent of this consciousness they become alert to ward it off. In fact, to Shanta-bhava, or the peaceful devotion, which is the culmination of Advaita Sadhana, they give the lowest place. They develop the emotional side and direct it towards the Lord—this they think to be the highest goal. From the highest pitch of emotion, we have the Madhura-bhava or the sweet conjugal relationship with the Lord."

Disciple: "What is the meaning of the verse, 'Relinquishing all Dharmas take refuge in Me alone' etc.?"

Swami: "Here Dharma means ritualistic works, Japa, etc. Tilak interprets it as the Dharma spoken of in the Mahabharata, viz., service to parents, guests, etc. But this is not correct, for even through such service some attained knowledge. His interpretation of the Gita is one-sided, for he wants to show that the object of the whole Gita is to establish the superiority of the path of work. The Gita praises highly self-effort (Purushakara). In this verse the Lord hints that this self-effort has a limit."

21 January 2024

(Spiritual talks of Swami Saradananda)

Disciple: “Which is the best season for spiritual practices?”

Swami: “The rainy season is not suited to them. Winter is best suited for meditation. Those who want to meditate must take healthy and substantial food. Ghee, butter, etc. are good.”

Disciple: “Why is the Kundalini imagined to be like a snake?”

Swami: “I am not sure of the exact reason; probably because of the impressions of myriads of lives heaped up in coils or of the upward motion of the awakened Kundalini which is in a zigzag way like that of a serpent. Describing the Kundalini, the Master once said, while in ecstasy, ‘Have you seen the serpent?’”

Disciple: “What is the nature of the meditation on the formless?”

Swami: “The meditation of the Lord in the Sahasrara, which you do at the time of Bhuta-Shuddhi in ceremonial worship, is meditation on the formless. When you do not like any form meditate on the formless. If the meditation on the form of the Guru is more appealing at any time, then better meditate on the Guru, for the Lord manifests through the Guru.”

22 January 2024

(Spiritual talks of Swami Saradananda)

Disciple: “Is mechanical repetition of the Mantra of any use?”

Swami: “The Tantras say that through the repetition of the Mantra, realization is attained. I should think so.”

Disciple: “I am trying to follow all your instructions, but somehow I find that I am not quite at home in my spiritual practices. Sometimes they are mechanical without any life in them.”

Swami: “If you follow the same routine every day it is but natural that you should feel so sometimes. But then on those days when you like any particular portion of the Sadhana, devote yourself to that and let the other parts go. In this way probably you may be neglecting particular practices for three or four days at a stretch. But that does not matter. When you renew these practices, you will find delight in them. Before you meditate think of the Master. If you do that you will see that whatever you do will yield good results. Sometimes think that he is in everything and everywhere. That you are, as it were, immersed in him even as a pot is immersed in the ocean. Think thus: ‘That Supreme State of the all-pervading Deity the sages realize for all time like the sky extending as far as sight can go.’ He knows everything about you. You cannot hide anything from Him. He knows even your inmost thoughts. Of course, one is much benefited by regular practice. If one practises regularly for some time every day, one gains strength and finds pleasure in spiritual practices.”

23 January 2024

(Spiritual talks of Swami Saradananda)

Swami: "To find pleasure in anything both the brain and the heart must unite. Through mere intellectualism one does not get pleasure.

Everything becomes lifeless. If what you have read about the Master appeals also to your heart, then alone you will get delight by thinking on his life. He would then seem to be living."

Disciple: "Is it due to want of imagination then?"

Swami: "All your doubts will get themselves solved in time."

Disciple: "Formerly I was eager to give up service and devote myself wholly to spiritual practices. Now I do not feel such hankering.

There is no desire for change of environment.

But then I find that the mind is more and more attracted towards Japa and meditation and the reading of the scriptures. How is it that I do not have nowadays that former longing for solitude?"

Swami: "What of that? The scriptures say that if one can attain knowledge through spiritual practices even when he is engaged in work then one need not give up work. Have you not heard of Dharma-Vyadha? Even the work of a butcher he did not think to be bad after he had attained knowledge. If the mind is drawn towards Him then where is the need for change of environment? When nothing is possible without His will, then what is the use of planning? It is better to depend on Him and do as He makes us do. Moreover, if you change your environment, it will require an effort to get yourself adjusted to the new conditions. Therefore, let the environment remain as it is.

In these circumstances go on calling on Him. When, through His will, the environment will change, then accept it."

24 January 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Turiyanandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of Swami Turiyananda)

But then I find that the mind is more and more attracted towards Japa and meditation and the reading of the scriptures. How is it that I do not have nowadays that former longing for solitude?

Swami: "What of that? The scriptures say that if one can attain knowledge through spiritual practices even when he is engaged in work, then one need not give up work. Have you not heard of Dharma-Vyadha? Even the work of a butcher he did not think to be bad after he had attained knowledge. If the mind is drawn towards Him, then where is the need for change of environment? When nothing is possible without His will, then what is the use of planning? It is better to depend on Him and do as He makes us do. Moreover, if you change your environment, it will require an effort to get yourself adjusted to the new conditions. Therefore, let the environment remain as it is. In these circumstances, go on calling on Him. When, through His will, the environment will change, then accept it."

June 1, 1915. It was morning.

SWAMI: “At one period of my life I used to live continually in an ecstatic state. Then the Lord suppressed this mood.”

DISCIPLE: “Why did He suppress such a wonderful mood?”

SWAMI: “You know that in our country if a young child is very handsome, his mother sometimes draws black marks on his cheeks so that people will not be envious of him. Perhaps in the same way the Lord suppressed this ecstatic mood to protect me from the envy of others. Troubles exist as long as we live in the domain of thought. There is no peace until we transcend thought itself. When one kills the mind, the senses come under control. What does it mean to kill the mind? It is to detach it from sense objects. The enlightened person has their senses under perfect control. ‘The tortoise can draw in his legs: the seer can draw in his senses. I call him illumined.’”

The Swami closed his fist to illustrate how the enlightened soul draws in the senses.

25 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Turiananda)

“‘Even a mind that knows the path well can be dragged from the path; the senses are so unruly. But one who is wise controls the senses; the person recollects the mind and fixes it on Me. I call such a person illumined.’ As long as one expects happiness, one stays restless. But the enlightened soul ‘knows bliss in the Atman [the Self within] and wants nothing else. Cravings torment the heart; he renounces all cravings. I call such a person illumined.’ Craving for happiness brings suffering in its wake. The illumined soul keeps himself detached from the mind and intellect and directs them to work, whereas the ordinary person identifies himself with the mind and intellect.”

DISCIPLE: “I would like to live a contemplative life.”

SWAMI: “Everybody works. The important thing is to awaken the Divine Mother within oneself. Of course, you must also work. You may even have to go through drudgery if the Lord commands it. But never work for name and fame! You have renounced all that! Ah, what a wonderful spirit of self-surrender Swamiji (Swami Vivekananda) had! When he was seriously ill at Rishikesh and we, his brother-disciples, were watching over him, sad at heart, he said: ‘Mother, if it is your will, let me die.’ Although the Lord made us his instruments and engaged us in his work, at least ninety per cent of our mind dwelled in him."

Jai Ramakrishna 26 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Turiyananda)

June 2, 1915. There was a reading of *The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna*. Swami Turiyananda remarked: “He who places too much emphasis upon diet is a fanatic. As one grows spiritually, one overcomes this tendency. Is our Lord only the Lord of the Hindus? God and mammon cannot be served at the same time. Those who try to compromise are still very much attached to the world. If you want to realize God, renounce all worldliness. Why should you care about public opinion? Good people never criticize others. It is only the wicked who speak ill of their fellow men. Ignore them! The idea of doing good to other people! First help yourself! The illumined souls alone are the true benefactors of this world. They know what is good for mankind. Having attained knowledge, they work for others. You must rub your hands with oil before you break open the jackfruit.”

26 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Turiananda)

June 2, 1915.

There was a reading of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Swami Turiyananda remarked: “He who places too much emphasis upon diet is a fanatic. As one grows spiritually, one overcomes this tendency. Is our Lord only the Lord of the Hindus?

“God and mammon cannot be served at the same time. Those who try to compromise are still very much attached to the world. If you want to realize God, renounce all worldliness.

“Why should you care about public opinion? Good people never criticize others. It is only the wicked who speak ill of their fellow men. Ignore them! The idea of doing good to other people! First help yourself!

The illumined souls alone are the true benefactors of this world. They know what is good for mankind. Having attained knowledge, they work for others.

“You must rub your hands with oil before you break open the jackfruit.”

27 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Turiyananda)

June 3, 1915. There was a reading of *The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna*. Swami Turiyananda observed: “The study of the scriptures is important. It engages the mind in holy thoughts. But in a higher state even study is a distraction. When you are established in contemplation, it is best to let the mind be absorbed in a single ideal. At one time, when I was staying in the Himalayas, I used to study the Upanishads for eighteen to nineteen hours a day and to meditate on their truth. Through the grace of the Upanishads, I had revelations. At the Baranagore Monastery we used to study scriptures and philosophy a lot. Swami Abhedananda particularly engaged himself in much study. Swamiji did too and also meditated many hours. We all practiced great austerities. Sri Ramakrishna made us do it. Then we attained the bliss of liberation while living through the Master’s grace. Free as the air we have lived—depending on none, feeling no lack, without cravings, fearless! Yes, we know the joy of liberation! We used to wander from place to place, depending entirely on the Lord. We would beg for alms when we were very hungry. Wherever it got dark we made our home. What freedom!”

28 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Turiananda)

June 7, 1915.

SWAMI: “A modern commentator on the Vedanta Sutras has made the remark that liberation cannot be attained by worshipping the personal aspect of God, that such worshipers after death only go to higher planes of existence.

To realize one’s true nature is to attain liberation.

Certainly, this realization also comes to the devotees of the personal aspect of God whenever they wish to erase their sense of individuality.

However, although they realize their union with the Chosen Ideal, they usually prefer to keep a sense of separation and live as servants of the Lord in order to taste his bliss.

God reveals himself to his devotees both as personal and impersonal. Look at our Master. He attained everything by worshipping God as personal.

He used to say, ‘He who has perfected himself by worshipping the Lord in one aspect knows all his aspects.’

“You must struggle to meditate and to become deeply absorbed in Him. Try to develop intense devotion to God throughout your life.

“You have to admit this truth: As long as you have physical consciousness, the Lord is the master, and you are his servant. When you think of yourself as an individual soul, you are a part of Him. And when you realize that you are the Atman, the Self, you are He. In that state there is no sense of ego.”

29 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Turiyananda)

June 7, 1915. There was a reading of *The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna*. Swami Shivananda remarked: “Ah, those days at Dakshineswar were like heaven itself!” He continued with a description of Sri Ramakrishna’s daily life: “From morning till one in the afternoon everyone was busy picking flowers and making other preparations for worship until the poor were fed. In the meantime, Sri Ramakrishna would discuss spiritual subjects and the devotees listened to him with rapt attention. Even fun and jokes were related to God. There was no other topic. Everything culminated in his samadhi [transcendental state of consciousness]. After lunch, Sri Ramakrishna used to rest for a short while. Then again, he spoke on spiritual matters. At vesper time he used to go to the temple of Mother Kali and fan her a little. He would become God-intoxicated and return to his room reeling in a state of ecstasy. He used to ask us, who were practicing spiritual disciplines under his guidance, ‘Tell me, do you feel divine inebriation when you meditate mornings and evenings?’ At night, Sri Ramakrishna slept very little. He used to get up and wake those who were sleeping in his room, saying, ‘Don’t sleep too much! Wake up and meditate!’ Again, he would lie down a short while, then rise before dawn and chant the sweet name of the Lord. The others would sit and meditate in their own ways. ‘May your hearts be filled with devotion for our Lord!’”

30 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Turiyananda)

June 11, 1915. It was noontime. Swami Turiyananda observed: “Is it easy to guard the mind from distracting thoughts? It demands heroic effort. Distractions constantly try to enter your mind and to take possession of you. Layers upon layers of rubbish are in the mind. What good is it merely to close eyes and ears?” In the evening, Swami Shivananda mentioned a devotee. He prayed for him: “Mother, may he not go away empty-handed! Give him a grain of your grace! He came to your sons.” Swami: “Sri Ramakrishna used to say: ‘I cannot stand anyone calling me guru. It irritates me. Who is the guru? Satchidananda [God] alone is the guru.’ The external guru shows the path; the inner guru quickens the spirit. Ordinary men who pose as gurus do not know this and ruin themselves by feeding their egos.” Upon returning from a walk, Swami Turiyananda said: “A. wants to study raja yoga in a hurry. We have given our life-blood for this task! As long as I can remember, I have devoted myself to nothing else, and yet—how far am I from attaining purity of heart! Still there is anger and envy! Make me, O Lord, thy servant’s servant’s servant!” Swami Turiyananda was lying down and I [Swami Raghavananda] was fanning him. Swami said: “Never let egotism control you. It ruins man. He loses all discrimination—just like a drunkard. Sri Ramakrishna used to say: ‘Water does not accumulate on high ground.’ An egotistic man holds his head high.” Swami Turiyananda lifted his head to illustrate. Swami continued: “Strong is the person who is elastic like steel and does not break.”

31 January 2024

(Teachings of Swami Turiyananda)

June 13, 1915. Swami Turiyananda continued: “Swamiji said at one time: ‘As long as you are born on this earth, leave an impression on it.’ At the Baranagore Math he remarked: ‘Our names will be recorded in history!’ Swami Yogananda and some other brother-disciples made fun of him. Swamiji retorted: ‘You will see if I am right or not! Vedanta is the only religion convincing to all. If you don’t listen to me, I will go to the quarter of the untouchables and teach them Vedanta!’”

Swami: “To preach religion is to give something tangible; it is not like teaching a class from the pages of a book. Religion is something that is transmitted. Hence, before you can give, you have to earn. Never take pride in the thought that you have controlled your passions. If you do, they will become active again. Always pray, ‘Lord, protect me from passions!’ As long as you live in a physical body, so long passions will exist, but through the Lord’s grace they will remain dormant and won’t overpower you.”

While we were walking, Swami Turiyananda told me a secret of meditation, which is to watch the mind when one passes from the waking state into dream, from dream into deep sleep, and back again from deep sleep to dream and waking. Swami: “I used to try to keep conscious in the dream state. I was able to do so, but I could not watch the mind in deep sleep. I would lose consciousness immediately.”

1 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

External Coverings

We see, then, that this human being is composed first of this external covering, the body; second, the finer body, consisting of mind, intellect, and egoism. Behind them is the real Self of man. We believe that every being is divine, is God. Every soul is a sun covered over with clouds of ignorance; the difference between soul and soul is owing to the difference in density of these layers of clouds. If a man stands up and says, “I am a sinner,” he makes an untrue statement because he does not know himself. The mistake is that we cling to the body when it is the spirit that is really immortal. He who says he is the body is a born idolater. We are spirit, spirit that has no form or shape, spirit that is infinite, and not matter. Some people are so afraid of losing their individuality. Wouldn’t it be better for the pig to lose his pig-individuality if he can become God? Yes. But the poor pig does not think so at the time. Mother, father, child, wife, body, wealth—everything I can lose except my Self. All desire is contained in the Self. This is individuality which never changes, and this is perfect. This Very Soul is the Self in All.

2 February 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Vivekananda Maharaj. On this Holy day, may the Swamiji bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

In this external world, which is full of finite things, it is impossible to see and find the Infinite. The Infinite must be sought in that alone which is infinite, and the only thing infinite about us is that which is within us, our own soul. The Seer, He to whom they all belong, the Soul of man, He who is awake in the internal man, alone is infinite, and to seek for the Infinite Cause of this whole universe we must go there. In the Infinite Soul alone we can find it.

The Soul is not composed of any materials. It is unity indivisible. Therefore, it must be indestructible. For the same reasons, it must also be without any beginning. So the Soul is without any beginning and end.

There is no such thing as good and bad; they are not two different things. The same thing is good or bad, and the difference is only in degree. The very thing I call pleasurable today, tomorrow under better circumstances I may call pain. The fire that warms us can also consume us; it is not the fault of the fire.

Thus, the Soul being pure and perfect, the man who does evil is giving the lie unto himself; he does not know the nature of himself. Even in the murderer the pure Soul is there; It dies not. It was his mistake; he could not manifest It; he had covered It up. Nor in the man who thinks that he is killed is the Soul killed; It is eternal.

3 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

After every happiness comes misery; they may be far apart or near. The more advanced the soul, the more quickly does one follow the other. What we want is neither happiness nor misery. Both make us forget our true nature; both are chains—one iron, one gold; behind both is the Atman, who knows neither happiness nor misery. These are states, and states must ever change; but the nature of the Soul is bliss, peace, unchanging. We have not to get it, we have it; only wash away the dross and see it.

Stand upon the Self, then only can we truly love the world. Take a very, very high stand; knowing our universal nature, we must look with perfect calmness upon all the panorama of the world. But as a man sees his own face in a mirror, perfect, distinct, and clear, so is the Truth shining in the soul of man. The highest heaven, therefore, is in our own souls; the greatest temple of worship is the human soul.

The whole universe is one. There is only One Self in the universe, only One Existence, and that One Existence, when it passes through the forms of time, space, and causation, is called by different names: buddhi, fine matter, gross matter, all mental and physical forms. Everything in the universe is that One, appearing in various forms. When a little part of it comes, as it were, into this network of time, space, and causation, it takes forms; take off the network, and it is all one.

4 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Therefore, in the Advaita philosophy, the whole universe is all one in the Self which is called Brahman.

That Self when it appears behind the universe is called God. The same Self when it appears behind this little universe, the body, is the soul. This very soul, therefore, is the Self in man.

And in the midst of the depths of misery and degradation, the Soul sends a ray of light, and man wakes up and finds that what is really his, he can never lose.

No, we can never lose what is really ours. Who can lose his being? Who can lose his very existence?

If I am good, it is the existence first, and then that becomes coloured with the quality of goodness. If I am evil, it is the existence first, and that becomes coloured with the quality of badness.

That existence is first, last, and always; it is never lost, but ever present.

Therefore, there is hope for all. None can die; none can be degraded forever. Life is but a playground, however gross the play may be. However, we may receive blows, and however knocked about we may be, the Soul is there and is never injured. We are that Infinite.

5 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

If I am God, I am beyond the tendencies of the senses and will not do evil. Morality, of course, is not the goal of man but the means through which this freedom is attained. You, as body, mind, or soul, are a dream, but what you really are, is Existence, Knowledge, Bliss. You are the God of this universe. You are creating the whole universe and drawing it in. All that is real in me is He; all that is real in Him is I. The gulf between God and man is thus bridged. Thus, we find how, by knowing God, we find the kingdom of heaven within us.

There is one thing to be remembered: that the assertion—I am God—cannot be made with regard to the sense-world. God is neither knowable nor unknowable, but something infinitely higher than either. He is one with us; and that which is one with us is neither knowable nor unknowable, as our own self. You cannot know your own self; you cannot move it out and make it an object to look at, because you are that and cannot separate yourself from it. Neither is it unknowable, for what is better known than yourself? It is really the centre of our knowledge. In exactly the same sense, God is neither unknowable nor known, but infinitely higher than both; for He is our real Self.

I have divided myself into God and me; I become the worshiped and I worship myself. Why not? God is I. Why not worship my Self? The universal God—He is also my Self. It is all fun. There is no other purpose.

6 February 2024

Jai Ramakrishna

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

The difficulty is not, that one body of men are naturally more intelligent than another, but whether this body of men, because they have the advantage of intelligence, should take away even physical enjoyment from those who do not possess that advantage. The fight is to destroy that privilege. A redistribution of pain and pleasure is better than always the same persons having pains and pleasures. The sum total of good and evil in the world remains ever the same. The yoke will be lifted from shoulder to shoulder by new systems, that is all.

If in this hell of a world one can bring a little joy and peace even for a day into the heart of a single person, that much alone is true; this I have learnt after suffering all my life; all else is mere moonshine. The day will come when men will study history from a different light and find that competition is neither the cause nor the effect, simply a thing on the way, not necessary to evolution at all.

The life of the married man is quite as great as that of the celibate who has devoted himself to religious work. The scavenger in the street is quite as great and glorious as the king on his throne. 7 February 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Take him off his throne, make him do the work of the scavenger, and see how he fares. Take up the scavenger and see how he will rule. It is useless to say that the man who lives out of the world is a greater man than he who lives in the world; it is much more difficult to live in the world and worship God than to give it up and live a free and easy life. It is the patient upbuilding of character, the intense struggle to realize the truth, which alone will tell in the future of humanity.

Our principle should be love, and not compassion. The application of the word compassion even to jiva seems to me to be rash and vain. For us, it is not to pity but to serve. Ours is not the feeling of compassion but of love, and the feeling of Self in all. Perfect sincerity, holiness, gigantic intellect, and an all-conquering will. Let only a handful of men work with these, and the whole world will be revolutionized.

FREEDOM. He whom the sages have been seeking in all these places is in our own hearts; the voice that you heard was right, says the Vedanta, but the direction you gave to the voice was wrong. The ideal of freedom that you perceived was correct, but you projected it outside yourself, and that was your mistake. Bring it nearer and nearer, until you find that it was all the time within you, it was the Self of your own self. That freedom was your own nature, and this maya never bound you. The people of old knew that fire lived in the flint and in dry wood, but friction was necessary to call it out. So, this fire of freedom and purity is the nature of every soul, and not a quality, because qualities can be acquired and therefore can be lost. The soul is one with Freedom, and the soul is one with Existence, and the soul is one with Knowledge. The Sat-Chit-Ananda—Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute—is the nature, the birth-right of the Soul, and all the manifestations that we see are Its expressions, dimly or brightly manifesting Itself.

8 February 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

God is self-evident, impersonal, omniscient, the Knower and Master of nature, the Lord of all. He is behind all worship, and it is being done according to Him, whether we know it or not. I go one step further. That at which all marvel, that which we call evil, is His worship too. This too is a part of freedom. So long as you have a body, so long as you are a slave to happiness, so long as time works on you, space works on you, you are a slave. The idea, therefore, is to be free of external and internal nature. Nature must fall at your feet, and you must trample on it and be free and glorious by going beyond. No more is there life; therefore, no more is there death. No more enjoyment; therefore, no more misery. It is bliss unspeakable, indestructible, beyond everything. What we call happiness and good here are but particles of that eternal Bliss. And this eternal Bliss is our goal.

In perfect concentration the soul becomes actually free from the bonds of the gross body and knows itself as it is. Desire, ignorance, and inequality—this is the trinity of bondage. The human soul has sojourned in lower and higher forms, migrating from one to another, according to the samskaras or impressions, but it is only in the highest form as man that it attains to freedom. Every action of man is worship, because the idea is to attain to freedom, and all action, directly or indirectly, tends to that. Only those actions that deter are to be avoided.

Jai Ramakrishna 9 February 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

The going from birth to death, this traveling, is what is called *samsara* in Sanskrit, the round of birth and death literally. All creation, passing through this round, will sooner or later become free. We want to know in order to make ourselves free. That is our life: one universal cry for freedom.

When we have become free, we need not go mad and throw up society and rush off to die in the forest or the cave; we shall remain where we were, only we shall understand the whole thing. The same phenomena will remain, but with a new meaning. We do not know the world yet; it is only through freedom that we see what it is, and understand its nature.

We shall see then that this so-called law or fate or destiny occupied only an infinitesimal part of our nature. It was only one side, but on the other side there was freedom all the time. We did not know this, and that is why we have been trying to save ourselves from evil by hiding our faces in the ground, like the hunted hare. Through delusion we have been trying to forget our nature, and yet we could not; it was always calling upon us, and all our search after God or gods, or external freedom, was a search after our real nature. We mistook the voice.

All nature is crying through all the atoms for one thing—its perfect freedom. Pray all the time, read all the scriptures in the world, and worship all the gods there are... unless you realize the Soul there is no freedom.

10 February 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

The universe itself can never be the limit of our satisfaction. That is why the miser gathers more and more money, which is why the robber robs, the sinner sins, which is why you are learning philosophy. All have one purpose. There is no other purpose in life, save to reach this freedom. Consciously or unconsciously, we are all striving for perfection. Every being must attain to it. We say that it is freedom that we are to seek, and that that freedom is God. It is the same happiness as in everything else; but Man must have education.

They speak of democracy, of the equality of all men, these days. But how will a man know he is equal with all? He must have a strong brain, a clear mind free of nonsensical ideas; he must pierce through the mass of superstitions encrusting his mind to the pure truth that is in his inmost Self. Then he will know that all perfections, all powers are already within himself, that these have not to be given him by others. When he realizes this, he becomes free that moment, he achieves equality.

He also realizes that everyone else is equally as perfect as he, and he does not have to exercise any power, physical, mental, or moral, over his brother men. He abandons the idea that there was ever any man who was lower than himself. Then he can talk of equality; not until then.

7 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Our principle should be love, and not compassion. The application of the word compassion even to jiva seems to me to be rash and vain.

For us, it is not to pity but to serve. Ours is not the feeling of compassion but of love, and the feeling of Self in all.

Perfect sincerity, holiness, gigantic intellect, and an all-conquering will. Let only a handful of men work with these, and the whole world will be revolutionized.

FREEDOM

He whom the sages have been seeking in all these places is in our own hearts; the voice that you heard was right, says the Vedanta, but the direction you gave to the voice was wrong. The ideal of freedom that you perceived was correct, but you projected it outside yourself, and that was your mistake. Bring it nearer and nearer, until you find that it was all the time within you, it was the Self of your own self. That freedom was your own nature, and this maya never bound you.

The people of old knew that fire lived in the flint and in dry wood, but friction was necessary to call it out.

So, this fire of freedom and purity is the nature of every soul, and not a quality, because qualities can be acquired and therefore can be lost.

The soul is one with Freedom, and the soul is one with Existence, and the soul is one with Knowledge. The Sat-Chit-Ananda—Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute—is the nature, the birth-right of the Soul, and all the manifestations that we see are Its expressions, dimly or brightly manifesting Itself.

8 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

God is self-evident, impersonal, omniscient, the Knower and Master of nature, the Lord of all. He is behind all worship, and it is being done according to Him, whether we know it or not.

I go one step further. That at which all marvel, that which we call evil, is His worship too. This too is a part of freedom.

So long as you have a body, so long as you are a slave to happiness, so long as time works on you, space works on you, you are a slave.

The idea, therefore, is to be free of external and internal nature. Nature must fall at your feet, and you must trample on it and be free and glorious by going beyond. No more is there life; therefore, no more is there death. No more enjoyment; therefore, no more misery.

It is bliss unspeakable, indestructible, beyond everything. What we call happiness and good here are but particles of that eternal Bliss. And this eternal Bliss is our goal.

In perfect concentration the soul becomes actually free from the bonds of the gross body and knows itself as it is.

Desire, ignorance, and inequality—this is the trinity of bondage.

The human soul has sojourned in lower and higher forms, migrating from one to another, according to the samskaras or impressions, but it is only in the highest form as man that it attains to freedom.

Every action of man is worship, because the idea is to attain to freedom, and all action, directly or indirectly, tends to that. Only those actions that deter are to be avoided.

The whole universe is worshiping, consciously or unconsciously; only it does not know that even while it is cursing, it is in another form worshiping the same God it is cursing, because those who are cursing are also struggling for freedom.

9 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

The going from birth to death, this traveling, is what is called samsara in Sanskrit, the round of birth and death literally. All creation, passing through this round, will sooner or later become free.

We want to know in order to make ourselves free. That is our life: one universal cry for freedom.

When we have become free, we need not go mad and throw up society and rush off to die in the forest or the cave; we shall remain where we were, only we shall understand the whole thing.

The same phenomena will remain, but with a new meaning. We do not know the world yet; it is only through freedom that we see what it is, and understand its nature. We shall see then that this so-called law or fate or destiny occupied only an infinitesimal part of our nature. It was only one side, but on the other side there was freedom all the time. We did not know this, and that is why we have been trying to save ourselves from evil by hiding our faces in the ground, like the hunted hare. Through delusion we have been trying to forget our nature, and yet we could not; it was always calling upon us, and all our search after God or gods, or external freedom, was a search after our real nature. We mistook the voice.

All nature is crying through all the atoms for one thing—its perfect freedom.

Pray all the time, read all the scriptures in the world, and worship all the gods there are . . . unless you realize the Soul there is no freedom.

10 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

The universe itself can never be the limit of our satisfaction. That is why the miser gathers more and more money, which is why the robber robs, the sinner sins, which is why you are learning philosophy.

All have one purpose. There is no other purpose in life, save to reach this freedom. Consciously or unconsciously, we are all striving for perfection. Every being must attain to it.

We say that it is freedom that we are to seek, and that that freedom is God. It is the same happiness as in everything else; but Man must have education. They speak of democracy, of the equality of all men, these days.

But how will a man know he is equal with all? He must have a strong brain, a clear mind free of nonsensical ideas; he must pierce through the mass of superstitions encrusting his mind to the pure truth that is in his inmost Self.

Then he will know that all perfections, all powers are already within himself, that these have not to be given him by others. When he realizes this, he becomes free that moment, he achieves equality.

He also realizes that everyone else is equally as perfect as he, and he does not have to exercise any power, physical, mental, or moral, over his brother men.

He abandons the idea that there was ever any man who was lower than himself. Then he can talk of equality; not until then.

11 February 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of Swami Brahmananda)

Maharaj, how did Sri Ramakrishna look upon mankind? Please tell us something about him.

A: Sri Ramakrishna saw God in all beings. Seeing his great love for his disciples, Swami Vivekananda once said to him: “You love us all so much. Is it not possible that, because of this love, you too may meet the same fate that Jada Bharat met?”

The Master replied: “True, by thinking of matter one becomes like matter. But you must understand that it is the God within you that I love. If my mind should ever become attached to any one of you as man or woman, I would at once dismiss all thought of you from my mind.”

Because Sri Ramakrishna taught the ideal of renunciation to his young disciples, he was often criticized by the worldly-minded, and to such criticism he would answer: “I have no objection to anyone living in the world. Neither do I teach that every man and woman should renounce lust and greed. I teach renunciation only to those in whom there is already some spiritual awakening. I want these young men to attain first knowledge and discrimination, and then, if they wish, they may enter into worldly life.”

Indeed, to many who came to him he would say: “First go out into the world. Gather your experiences, and then, when you have become sick of the world, come to me for the cure.”

His teachings varied to suit all temperaments.

12 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Brahmananda)

When Swami Turiyananda was quite a young lad, he asked Sri Ramakrishna how he could give up thoughts of lust. The Master said: “Give up lust? Why should you give up lust? Instead of trying to give up, you should increase your lust!”

This advice amazed the young disciple, but he said nothing, and the Master continued: “Direct all your thoughts of lust and all your passions toward God.”

Often, he would point to himself and say: “Everything will be achieved if you will love this. The more intensely you yearn for God, the greater will be your revelation of him.”

Sri Ramakrishna was many-sided. Whenever he talked about the intuitive knowledge of the Godhead, he would talk as one who was a pure jnani, a knower of God. And whenever he talked about love and devotion, he talked as a pure lover and devotee of God. He impressed upon us very clearly that mere secular knowledge is nothing but vanity, and that one should struggle hard to attain spiritual knowledge, and love, and devotion to God alone.

Q: Please tell us something about the Master’s samadhi.

A: The Master used to experience many kinds of samadhi. In some states his body would become stiff and motionless, like a log. It was easy for him to regain his normal consciousness from such a state, but at other times, when the samadhi was deeper, it would take him much longer to return to normal consciousness. At such times he would first draw a deep breath, like a drowning man coming up out of deep water. Then, for a while, he would reel and act like a drunken man; even his speech would be thick and incoherent. Gradually, however, he would regain his natural state.

13 February 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Trigunatitananda Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of Swami Trigunatitananda)

To repeat the Lord’s name and to worship Him, no special time and place are necessary. In whatever condition one may be, one can take His name. Through selfless work the mind gets purified. And when the mind becomes pure, there arise knowledge and devotion in it. Knowledge is the very nature of the Self; but being covered with ignorance, it is not manifest. The object of selfless work is to remove this ignorance. First you must attain knowledge. After attaining knowledge, when one returns to this world of diversity, one will see everything as before but will no longer be attached to anything in it. After one realizes God, the world seems to be a mere appearance like a mirage. There is nothing in it that can attract one. What really comes in the spiritual domain is this unswerving faith: faith in the words of the Guru, in the Lord, and in the scriptures. The Master would compare the mind to a packet of mustard seeds: “If the packet is once untied, the seeds get scattered in all directions. How difficult it is to collect them again! Some are perhaps lost forever.” But absolute faith makes the impossible possible. No man is wholly above defects. But some try to get rid of them, while others do not feel any need for that. Since you have taken refuge at the Lord’s feet, you certainly feel the need of eliminating them and have also the will to do so, and the Lord too will grant you the strength for this. We too have taken shelter under Him and are trying to free ourselves from all shortcomings—that is all. What power have we to do something for somebody? But I always pray whole-heartedly for the welfare of yourself and all others, and I do so even now. Whatever work stands in the way of God-realization and increases discontent is bad work. You should wholly discard it.

14 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Brahmananda)

Whenever you teach and give lectures, quote the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna. His words throw a clearer light on the scriptures and help to bring home the true import of their meaning.

Insincerity was the one thing Sri Ramakrishna could not stand. He loved those who loved God sincerely.

He used to say: “If a man prays to God with a sincere heart, he is quickly freed from all impurities.”

Most of the Master’s nights were spent in samadhi or in chanting the Lord’s name or in singing his praise. He seldom slept for more than an hour any night. Often, I have seen him completely absorbed in samadhi for more than an hour at a time. Sometimes he would try to speak to us, but no words would come.

Later he would say: “You see, I want to talk to you while I am in samadhi, but whenever I try to do so it seems as if the doors of my speech are locked.”

Many times, as he was coming down to the normal plane he would be muttering, as though addressing his words to God whom he was still seeing.

He used to say, “To find God you must yearn for him,” and he would tell this story:

“An aspirant approached his teacher and asked to be shown the way to the attainment of God. The teacher took the disciple by the hand and led him to the river. There, without a word, he held the disciple’s head under the water for some time. After a while he let go, and the disciple came up, choking and gasping for breath. He looked at his teacher in astonishment, and the teacher smiled at him and said: ‘Well, how did it feel?’

The disciple answered: ’I felt an intense longing for air!’ ‘Well,’ said the teacher, ‘when you can long for God with the same intensity as you longed for that breath of air you will surely attain him.’”

15 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Brahmananda)

When Swami Vivekananda first came to Sri Ramakrishna as a young man, he would often argue with him. At that time, Swamiji believed only in the formless aspect of God and even told Sri Ramakrishna that he considered his visions of God as mere hallucinations of the brain. He would also scold the devotees when they went to bow down to the deities in the temple. This attitude annoyed many of the Master’s disciples, but the Master himself was not disturbed. He could never be angry with Naren. He would say: “Naren is unique. There is none to equal him.”

Later, he gave Swamiji the vision of God in all his aspects, so that he too came to say: “Devote yourself to God — whether with form or without form — and you will reach him!”

Q: Maharaj, many people are of the opinion that those who met Sri Ramakrishna did not need to struggle to find God. To know him was quite sufficient. Even the great devotee Ram Dutta held this view.

A: Ram Dutta was unique. He had true faith, a faith which grew in intensity, and which lasted all his life. Few have such faith. With the majority, it is merely lip faith.

Q: Maharaj, many devotees who have seen the Holy Mother and have served holy men think it is not necessary for them to continue their spiritual struggles.

A: Merely to see the Holy Mother and to serve holy men is not enough. It is most necessary to practice renunciation and discrimination, and to live a contemplative life. The One Purpose of human life is to attain devotion to God and spiritual illumination; otherwise, life is vain and meaningless. Eating, drinking, sleeping, and procreating are not the sole ends of human birth; these belong to the brutes. God is greatly manifest in the human body. Try to understand this truth.

16 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Brahmananda)

Ah! Swamiji gave his heart’s blood to build this monastery so that you young men might have the opportunity to devote your lives to God and practice spiritual disciplines. In fact, in his effort to make your life easier he over-exerted himself and shortened his own life. What intense love he had toward all mankind!

Sri Ramakrishna was revealed to the world at large through Swamiji. Know that their words and teachings are not different.

Sri Ramakrishna was too great for the average mind to grasp; it was Swami Vivekananda who made his life and teachings understandable to all.

Study Swamiji’s works carefully, for unless you understand his teachings it is useless to try to understand Sri Ramakrishna.

Read and study the teachings of both, and at the same time devote yourself to the practice of japam and meditation. You are young now, and these are the best years of your life. Mold your minds now; when once the mind is moulded there is nothing to fear.

When you can bring the mind under control you will have achieved much. Whip it whenever it tries to run astray.

17 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Brahmananda)

Mold your minds now; when once the mind is moulded there is nothing to fear. When you can bring the mind under control you will have achieved much. Whip it whenever it tries to run astray.

HOLD FAST to the lotus feet of the Lord. Remember him constantly; do not waste any more time in worldly thoughts. Struggle! Struggle hard to control the outgoing mind and fix it on God. When you can do this, you will realize what joy there is in spiritual life, what fun it is! Ignorance must be overcome in this very life. This will not be easy unless you can devote yourself wholeheartedly to the work of the spirit. Faith is the one thing needed, intense faith! Let not doubts get hold of your mind.

Q: But if doubts come, Maharaj?

A: Doubts will come until you have realized God; therefore, you must hold fast to God and pray. Think to yourself: “God is! but because of the impurities of my mind I cannot see him. When my heart and mind have become purified, then, through his grace, I shall surely see him!”

God cannot be known by the finite mind. He is beyond the mind and far beyond the intellect. This apparent universe is a creation of the mind. The mind has conjured it up; it is its author, and the mind cannot go beyond its own domain. Behind this mind of ours there is a subtle, spiritual mind, existing in seed-form. Through the practice of contemplation, prayer, and japam, this mind is developed, and with this development a new vision opens up and the aspirant realizes many spiritual truths. This, however, is not the final experience. The subtle mind leads the aspirant nearer to God, but it cannot reach God, the supreme Atman. Having reached this stage, the world no longer holds any charm for the aspirant; he becomes absorbed in the consciousness of God. This absorption leads to samadhi, an experience which cannot be described. It is beyond both ‘is’ and ‘is not’. There, there is neither happiness nor misery, neither light nor darkness. All is infinite Being — inexpressible.

18 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Brahmananda)

Q: Maharaj, how should we perform our worldly duties?

A: Do your duties conscientiously, and without attachment. Always remember that you are an instrument in the hands of God, and that God himself is the only doer. Keep your mind fixed in God.

It is not always easy to keep the mind steady in God while working - the ego creeps in. But never be discouraged by your failures.

Repeated failure is inevitable in the beginning, but keep your faith and redouble your efforts. Try hard to live up to your ideal.

Let your watchword be: “I must realize God in this very life!”

After all, what is the use of this body and this mind if they do not help you to realize God? Do or die! What does it matter even if you die in the attempt!”

Q: Maharaj, what is the significance of all these gods and goddesses? Do they really exist? And what is the meaning and purpose of ritualistic worship?

A: The many gods and goddesses represent but so many different aspects of the one Godhead. Men differ in their temperaments and so are inclined to different ways of worship.

To meet the needs of all, the scriptures prescribe four distinct methods of worship.

One method is the ritualistic worship of God embodied in an image or symbol.

Higher than this is the worship of God with prayer and japam. By this means the aspirant prays and chants and meditates upon the shining form of his Chosen Ideal within his own heart.

Higher still is meditation. When a man practices this form of worship, he keeps up a constant flow of thought toward God and becomes absorbed in the living presence of his Chosen Ideal. He goes beyond prayer and japam, but the sense of duality remains.

The highest method of worship is meditation on the unity of the Atman and Brahman. This leads directly and immediately to God. The aspirant experiences Brahman; he knows that God is. It is an actual realization of the omnipresent Reality.

These are the different stages through which the aspirant progresses.

19 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Brahmananda)

It is of vital importance that man begins his spiritual journey from where he is. If an average man is instructed to meditate on his union with the absolute Brahman, he will not understand. He will neither grasp the truth of it nor be able to follow the instructions. For a while he may try, but sooner or later he will tire of the struggle and give up. However, if that same man is asked to worship God with flowers, incense, and other accessories of the ritualistic worship, his mind will gradually become concentrated on God, and he will find joy in his worship. Through such worship, devotion to the performance of japam grows. The finer the mind becomes, the greater is its capacity for the higher forms of worship. Through japam the mind inclines toward meditation; thus the aspirant gradually and naturally moves toward his Ideal.

Take the illustration of a man standing in the courtyard of a house. He wants to reach the roof, but instead of climbing the staircase step by step, he permits himself to be thrown up bodily. What happens? He is seriously hurt. So, it is with the spiritual life. One should follow the gradual path, for, just as there are laws governing the physical world so are there laws governing the spiritual world also.

Q: How may I check a distracting thought that persistently arises in my mind?

A: Think to yourself: “This thought is immensely harmful to me. It will be my ruin!” Impress the idea again and again upon your mind. The mind is extremely susceptible to suggestions and will learn whatever you teach it. Therefore, if through discrimination you can impress upon it the joy and fullness of the spiritual life and the folly of worldly attachments, it will devote itself more and more to God, and you will find yourself freed from all distracting thoughts.

20 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Brahmananda)

Swami: The supreme ideal of the human life is to know God. Everyone must have this ideal firmly established in his life, and the ideal must never be lowered. He “who is smaller than the smallest, greater than the greatest” shines forth always and everywhere. He dwells within all beings, great and small; He dwells in the plants and herbs. He dwells everywhere in greater or lesser manifestation.

Make that one supreme, all-pervading Spirit your ideal.

Even after a little effort to realize him you will see what fun it is! You will find in him an inexhaustible fountain of joy. You have seen enough of one side of life—now see the other side, the real side. “Knock and it shall be opened unto you.”

A veil is hiding the Reality. Remove that veil and you will find him. If you will apply yourself to the attainment of this ideal, the whole world will be transformed for you.

Q: Maharaja what rules of diet should one follow?

A: That is a difficult question to answer. Men differ so widely in their constitutions that it is hardly possible to lay down any hard and fast rule about food. One kind of food may be agreeable to your constitution, and yet may do me harm. For this reason, the scriptures do not specifically advise any diet but only warn against rich foods.

21 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Brahmananda)

Swami: Samadhi is generally classified as of two kinds. In the first, the savikalpa samadhi, one experiences the mystic vision of the spiritual form of God, while the consciousness of individuality remains. In the second, the nirvikalpa samadhi, a man loses his individuality and goes beyond the vision of the form of God. The whole universe disappears. Besides these two, there is yet another kind of samadhi called ananda (blissful) samadhi. If an ordinary man attains this experience, his body and brain cannot stand the intense ecstatic joy; he cannot live more than twenty-one days. Between the eyebrows there is a third eye, the eye of wisdom. When this eye is opened, a fountain of joy is released, and the whole universe seems merged in bliss. One day, in the course of his teaching, Sri Ramakrishna spoke about the manifestation of Brahman as sound — the Logos. Later, when I sat for meditation, I took this as my subject, and it was not long before the sound Brahman was revealed to me. Sri Ramakrishna one day told me: “Once, while I was meditating in the temple, screen after screen of maya was removed from my consciousness, and I saw a light more brilliant than a million suns. From that light there came forth a spiritual form which again melted away into the formless.”

The body is the temple of God, and one should practice worship and meditation within it. When the consciousness merges into the sahasrara, the mind does not feel inclined to come back. There you realize that what is outside is also within yourself. Though temples may serve as aids to the beginner, they are but symbols of God’s greatest of all temples, the human heart.

22 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Brahmananda)

Within the Palace of seven gates there dwells a king with whom a poor man begs an audience. The king’s minister grants his request and leads him through the gates to the royal presence.

At each gate there stands a richly dressed officer, and each time the poor man asks the minister if that is the king. The minister answers, “No,” each time, until they have passed the seventh gate, and the king stands before them in all his splendour and beauty. Then no question is asked; the man recognizes his king.

So, it is with the guru. Like the king’s minister, he leads the disciple through the different stages of spiritual unfoldment, until he leaves him with the Lord.

But know this! There is no greater guru than your own mind. When the mind has been purified by prayer and contemplation it will direct you from within.

Even in your daily duties, this inner guru will guide you and will continue to help you until the goal is reached. Have intense love for God and the mind will remain always tranquil and pure.

The easiest way to purify and steady the mind is to retire into solitude, control all cravings, and engage yourself in contemplation and meditation.

The more you occupy the mind with holy thoughts, the greater will be your spiritual unfoldment. Just as a cow yields much milk when it is well fed, so when the mind is fed spiritual food, it will yield greater tranquillity.

Spiritual food consists of meditation, prayer, contemplation, and japam.

An effective way to steady the mind is to let it wander, but to keep a steady watch over its wanderings. After a while the mind itself becomes tired and comes back to find peace in God. If you watch your mind, your mind will in turn watch over you.

It is good to rise early in the morning. The time best suited for contemplation is when night passes into day, and when day passes into night. It is then that the sushumna becomes active, and one breathes through both nostrils.

As a general rule, we breathe through only one nostril at a time. This causes restlessness of the mind.

Spiritual aspirants should observe when they are breathing through both nostrils; the sushumna is active then. Those times are the most helpful to contemplation, and we should take advantage of them.

23 February 2024

(Teachings of Swami Brahmananda)

Swami: Free your mind from cravings and attachments. Practice spiritual disciplines, and your mind will become pure and steady. If a man does not struggle hard to realize God, he remains steeped in ignorance. Therefore struggle, struggle, and God will be revealed. Accept all trials and tribulations boldly. Welcome them, for through them you shall surely find peace. The easiest method of realization is to remember God constantly. Even as a man welcomes his friend, and entertains him with food, drink, and conversation, so must you entertain God in your thoughts. Talk freely with him. Know him as your very own, and you will find peace in him. Who can fathom the mystery of God? He is infinite and formless, and yet he is also with form. He incarnates himself as man. Verily, it is beyond the power of the mind to understand the various ways through which God leads man to himself. Sometimes the path is smooth, sometimes it is thorny, and sometimes it is like an impassable mountain, but still, he leads man safely to himself, if he will only take refuge in him. It is maya which prevents the mind and senses from desiring to experience God, but a man who has realized Him has risen above all the charms and attractions of maya. Maya reveals her mysteries only to him who has gone beyond maya. Being chained to maya, man does not realize how great is his suffering as he whirls around on the wheel of birth and death. The body decays day by day while man still sleeps in maya, forgetting the sacred mission for which he was born. The one unique advantage of this human birth over all other forms of life is that it is by man alone that God can be realized. Therefore, forget the body and its comforts; shake off the delusion of birth and death. Shake off the illusory peace of maya and find the real peace—the everlasting peace of God.

24 February 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Adbhutanandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

A devotee: "Maharaj, you have realized God. Could you tell us what your understanding of the world is now?"

Latu Maharaj: "I have understood this much: If you keep a bowl filled with water somewhere by itself, the water will eventually evaporate; but this is not so if the bowl is immersed in the river Ganga. Likewise, if we can surrender our minds at the feet of the Lord, the wind of worldliness will not be able to dry our minds and make them dreary. Then the world no longer seems an unhappy place."

A devotee: "Maharaj, do you feel now that the world is a burden?"

Latu Maharaj: "Look, when you dive deep into the Ganga, though there are thousands of pounds of water above you, you don't feel that weight."

Jai Ramakrishna 25 February 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

ADVICE TO A DEVOTEE

Biharilal Sarkar: "Maharaj, why are there so many ups and downs in the mind of a householder?"

Latu Maharaj: "Because the mind of a householder is too involved with worldly objects. Sometimes it goes up as a result of spiritual practices, but it falls back again. The Master used to say: if one ties a rope with a brick at the end of it to the tail of a mongoose, it will be able to climb a wall only as far as the loose rope permits but no farther, because of the weight of the brick. Likewise, the mind of a householder may move toward God, but the weight of worldly objects pulls it back.' To keep the mind always in God is a great tapasya; such a mind does not fluctuate between high and low. A thread with stray fibres cannot pass through the eye of a needle; similarly, a mind with desires cannot be absorbed in God. When a man's mind becomes fully concentrated on God, he enjoys the bliss of the Atman. But this is very difficult in the householder's life. Disease, sorrow, enjoyment, desire — all these are constant companions of the householder, also physical lethargy and mental restlessness. In addition to all these if the man doubts the existence of God, there is no hope of his getting liberation. Often you will find that worldly people are busy with their families, their children, and other mundane matters, but they have no inclination to think about God. Such distracted minds cannot make progress in spiritual life."

26 February 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

ADVICE TO A DEVOTEE

Bihari Babu: "Then should we give up family life and call on God only?"

Latu Maharaj: "Why should you give up your family? Doesn't one's family belong to God? Therefore, call on him who is the real head of the family. One will have to do one's duty in this world. How can you escape it? Wherever you go, the world will follow you. Does it exist outside us? No, everything is in our own minds. If your mind desires enjoyment, you will seek enjoyment even in the forest; and if you don't have that desire for sense objects, you will not want them even if you are surrounded by them. Whether you live in a household or in the forest, you must call on God; otherwise, all is in vain. Brother Turiyananda used to say, 'Only a fool thinks that he will take his bath in the ocean after all the waves have subsided.' Do you think he will ever take his bath? The waves of the ocean will never stop; he will never get his bath, even if he waits his whole life."

25 February 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

ADVICE TO A DEVOTEE

Biharilal Sarkar: "Maharaj, why are there so many ups and downs in the mind of a householder?"

Latu Maharaj: "Because the mind of a householder is too involved with worldly objects. Sometimes it goes up as a result of spiritual practices, but it falls back again.

The Master used to say: if one ties a rope with a brick at the end of it to the tail of a mongoose, it will be able to climb a wall only as far as the loose rope permits but no farther, because of the weight of the brick. Likewise, the mind of a householder may move toward God, but the weight of worldly objects pulls it back.'

To keep the mind always in God is a great tapasya; such a mind does not fluctuate between high and low.

A thread with stray fibres cannot pass through the eye of a needle; similarly, a mind with desires cannot be absorbed in God.

"When a man's mind becomes fully concentrated on God, he enjoys the bliss of the Atman. But this is very difficult in the householder's life. Disease, sorrow, enjoyment, desire — all these are constant companions of the householder, also physical lethargy and mental restlessness.

In addition to all these if the man doubts the existence of God, there is no hope of his getting liberation.

Often you will find that worldly people are busy with their families, their children, and other mundane matters, but they have no inclination to think about God. Such distracted minds cannot make progress in spiritual life."

26 February 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

ADVICE TO A DEVOTEE

Bihari Babu: "Then should we give up family life and call on God only?"

Latu Maharaj: "Why should you give up your family? Doesn't one's family belong to God? Therefore, call on him who is the real head of the family.

One will have to do one's duty in this world. How can you escape it? Wherever you go, the world will follow you. Does it exist outside us? No, everything is in our own minds.

If your mind desires enjoyment, you will seek enjoyment even in the forest; and if you don't have that desire for sense objects, you will not want them even if you are surrounded by them.

Whether you live in a household or in the forest, you must call on God; otherwise, all is in vain.

"Brother Turiyananda used to say, 'Only a fool thinks that he will take his bath in the ocean after all the waves have subsided.'

Do you think he will ever take his bath? The waves of the ocean will never stop; he will never get his bath, even if he waits his whole life.

So, I say, wherever you may be, whatever your mental condition, dive deep in the name of God. He who can do this will attain the highest.

On the other hand, a man who decides to solve all his problems before he calls on God will never reach the goal; for as long as you have a body, you must experience disease, sorrow, fear, pain, and suffering.

'It is troublesome to have a body.'

Anyone who wants to escape from all these troubles will have to hold onto God. God is Satchidananda—Absolute Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss. His bliss removes all suffering."

27 February 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

ADVICE TO A DEVOTEE

A devotee: "Maharaj, please tell us about the bliss of Brahman."

Latu Maharaj: "Ah, you see, that bliss cannot be compared with any joy you may find in this world. It is inexpressible. Worldly happiness is the product of maya. Maya operates within the three states—waking, dreaming, and dreamless sleep. But beyond those three is another realm, turiya, which is extremely difficult to reach. The bliss of that realm is free from maya. You know how sweet the joy within maya is. Ordinary people are enchanted by it. They do not even think for a moment how immensely sweeter is God whose maya is so sweet!"

A devotee: "Maharaj, why do you say that maya's so-called joy is sweet? It is nothing but scorching flames."

Latu Maharaj: "But you see, most people love that burning sensation."

On another occasion Latu Maharaj said: "Nothing in this world is valuable except bliss. Do you know why people want money, property, wife, children? Because they think they will get physical and mental happiness from them. So, they are ready to work day and night for them. If they would divert that energy toward God, they could get the permanent genuine bliss of Satchidananda instead of the transitory happiness of the world."

28 February 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

ON SURRENDER

Latu Maharaj: "You speak about dependence on God so superficially! If you do not get any response after calling on God for a couple of days, you follow your own way according to your mood, as if you understood the situation better than he. Surrendering oneself to God means that one should move at his command. Do not do anything without his command. Even if it means a great loss for you, do not stray from that. Only when you have attained this state can you say that you have truly surrendered yourself to God. Brother Vivekananda used to say: 'If I cannot get Rama, shall I live with Shyama? If necessary, let this life be spent in vain for Sri Ramakrishna.' See how he surrendered himself to the Master! He was ready at any moment to give up his life for the Lord over the smallest thing. This is the way one should hold onto the Master; only then can he guide you in the right direction."

A devotee: "Maharaj, why do we not have that kind of dependence on God?"

Latu Maharaj: "It is because you value your intellect and ego more than God. You are not ready to wait for his command, and moreover, you lose patience in a minute."

29 February 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

FEELING FOR OTHERS

"Only a poor man can love the poor. A rich man cannot feel the sufferings of the poor, for no one can understand the sufferings of others unless he has undergone the same suffering. Brother Vivekananda once told Swami Turiyananda: 'Brother, I do not know exactly what I have gained by leading this monk's life, but one thing is certain: This [Swami Vivekananda pointed to his heart] has expanded enormously.'

"If the desire to do charitable works arises in the mind of a rich man, it shows that his heart has started to feel for the poor. God tests a man by making him wealthy, and that is a hard test to pass. Tests devised by men are easy to pass, but divine tests are very difficult. God may give plenty of riches to one man, but so delude him by maya that he will never in his life desire to be charitable. Again, God may give a generous heart to another person, but not give him much money. Blessed indeed are they who are rich yet feel for the poor.

"Money brings vanity. The more egotistic a man is, the farther he is from God, and thus the poorer he is. Do not measure the poverty of a man by his possessions. The real measure is how far he is from God. The nearer to the Lord, the richer the man; the more forgetful of the Lord, the poorer and unhappier he is."

1 March 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

ON LUST

A devotee: "How can one overcome lust?"

Latu Maharaj: "Keep a picture of Sri Ramakrishna with you. Whenever lustful feelings arise, you should look at the picture intently. You will find that the senses will gradually be gathered in, and the mind will be freed from lust."

ATTITUDE TOWARD WOMEN

Once Latu Maharaj told a group of men devotees: "Some men abuse women, but you should never raise your hand against them. You do not know how much they bear—they are forbearance itself. If you abuse them, where shall they turn? They are aspects of the Divine Mother, and if the Mother is insulted, the Lord is displeased. Thus, your well-being lies in making them happy. Their tears will ruin you, as Sita's tears destroyed the whole of Ravana's people."

ON RESTLESSNESS

Latu Maharaj once said to a restless devotee: "Why do you think of all sorts of nonsense when you sit to meditate? Can't you whip your mind? Even if you cannot control your mind and you become disgusted, please don't leave your seat: for if you get up from meditation with that attitude of disgust, you will be in a bad mood all day, and you will feel like beating one person, scolding another, and speaking harshly to a third. The Master told us, 'Do not get up from your seat immediately after meditation.' While you are still sitting on the asana [seat for meditation], sing devotional songs for ten or fifteen minutes, and then you will feel calmness in your mind throughout the day."

2 March 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

DESIRES AND SENSE OBJECTS

Latu Maharaj: "Worldly desires have taken up permanent residence in the mind. Sometimes they float on the surface of the mind, and sometimes they are so hidden that it seems they do not even exist.

But the closer you are to God. the more you will see the knots of desire hidden in the mind. The more your body and mind are purified, the more the dirt and dross which have accumulated during thousands of lives will be stirred up and will challenge your spirituality.

The energy generated by spiritual disciplines forces the impurities to leave the mind, their fort. How can they cope against the power of the Lord's name?

"You see. the desires are very shrewd. They take possession not only of the mind of a person but his sense organs as well. As soon as desire is aroused in the mind, the sense organs are awakened. The eyes want to see, the ears want to hear, the tongue to taste and speak, the nose to smell, and the body to feel. The hands want to work, and the feet carry the person to where the object is. The other sense organs are alert, and whenever the opportunity comes, they also enjoy.

"Do you know what the mind does? It conjures up enticing pictures with the imagination. The imagination is man's worst enemy, his greatest tempter, for it creates beautiful pictures of sense pleasures and nearly destroys man's conscience.

Thus, man is drawn to sense objects. Therefore, if you want to control the desire for worldly things, control the imagination and don't be deluded by sense enjoyments."

3 March 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

DESIRES AND SENSE OBJECTS

A devotee: "But how can one control the imagination?"

Latu Maharaj: "The imagination can be controlled by withdrawing the mind from the object, although that will not still the mind. Sri Ramakrishna said that three things are necessary in the process of perception: the object of perception, the sense organ, and the mind. Perception of the object is not possible if one of these three is missing. So, if you can eliminate one of them, the mind will not be able to cognize. It is hard to eliminate the objects of perception. They come and go. We must encounter them always. How can one live and avoid sense objects? So long as you can avoid the sense objects, your self-control may be intact; but as soon as you come near them again, you will find yourself deluded by their attraction. So instead, try to withdraw either the sense organ or the mind from the object. Then automatically the object will not be perceived. The nature of the mind can be changed by chanting the name of the Lord. Gradually desires and doubts cease and the mind dissolves into its causality. Then there is none to think or imagine. Waves of desire in the mind show that the mind is active; the mind becomes pure only when it becomes waveless. The power of God descends on the pure mind, and only then does one realize the Self."

4 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON DISCRIMINATION

A devotee: "Maharaj, you monks advise us to give up attachment to lust and gold, but we are householders. How can we renounce? Please tell us the way. Our minds are filled with worldly attachments. We see no possibility of fighting against them. The attachments are so strong that they won't allow us to develop ways and means to defend ourselves against them. You have asked us to chant the name of the Lord and to discriminate, but we are overpowered by attachments.

Now please tell us the secret: How did you overcome them?"

Latu Maharaj: "You people don't practice japam sincerely, so you always complain and make excuses. Look, if one makes a habit of repeating the holy name, the name itself will take hold of the mind. The mind craves the intoxication of worldly enjoyments.

Attachments are troublemakers; they fasten the mind with a noose, as it were, and drag it in all directions.

"Lord Krishna agreed with Arjuna that the mind is restless. He told Arjuna that the restless mind can be stilled by the renunciation of sense enjoyments and by repeated practice. Whenever your mind runs after sense enjoyments, use your discrimination. Look, the sense objects are impermanent. They come and go.

Be satisfied with whatever you need for your daily living and don't desire more. Too many worldly belongings displace the thought of the Reality from the mind.

The Reality is one, and that is Brahman.

Brahman alone is real and everything else is unreal. Impress these thoughts repeatedly upon the mind, and gradually true discrimination will arise.

5 March 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

ON MONASTIC LIFE

Latu Maharaj to a monk: "Never forget the goal of monastic life. Don't wear the gerua cloth [the ochre-coloured cloth of a monk] for outward show. The gerua cloth may bring you name and fame, but that will not help you realize God. Go into solitude and practice your spiritual disciplines with all your heart. Only then will you progress quickly. Avoid gossip and politics. Is it so easy to be a monk? A real monk longs for God, weeps for God. He does not think about himself and is not disturbed by physical discomfort. A real monk will not see faults in others, and he will have neither attachment nor aversion for anyone. He should be friendly with all. A real monk must try to ease the sufferings of others, and if he does not have the means, he should encourage them with inspired words so that they can fight against life's odds. He does not hoard for the future and seeks nothing except God. A real monk is free from fear and is straightforward. His behaviour is simple, like a child's. Wherever he goes, he hears the call of God."

6 March 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

CRUELTY AND COMPASSION

A devotee: "Maharaj, where is compassion in this world? There seems to be only an unbroken chain of cruelty. The crow attacks the sparrow, the kite attacks the crow, man hunts the kite, and the tiger and the bear attack man."

"If you see cruelty around you," responded Latu Maharaj, "you will find cruelty in God. If you see compassion everywhere, you will witness his infinite compassion. It all depends on your own mind. Always remember that to the pure mind all things are pure."

ON MIRACLES

A young man: "Maharaj, could you teach me something so that I will no longer suffer from poverty?"

Latu Maharaj: "You won't like what I tell you. You want the sort of trick that one uses to make gold out of a handful of dust; but I don't know that trick. I am a monk. I stay in this place and chant the name of the Lord. I can tell you something about God and spiritual life, but you won't be satisfied. You want miraculous powers. Are powers so easy to come by? Are you ready to exert yourself? If you can chant the Lord's name a hundred thousand times a day, then come and sit here."

After hearing these words, the young man hurried away.

7 March 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

SRI RAMAKR1SHNA: AN EXEMPLAR

"Sri Ramakrishna embodies an ideal for everyone. He was an ideal householder, an ideal monk, an ideal guru, and an ideal disciple. Moreover, his life can serve as an example for all faiths and all sects. He is an ideal for the worshipers of Shakti, as he practiced and attained perfection in all the important Tantric sadhanas. He is an ideal for the Vaishnavites, for his devotion to Hari is unparalleled. He is also an ideal for the Shaivites, as he attained the vision of Lord Shiva too. He is an ideal for the devotees of Ramachandra, for he saw Rama and Sita. He is an ideal for the Vedantins as well, having experienced nirvikalpa samadhi, the culmination of the Vedantic sadhana, within three days. He is also an ideal for the Christians and Mohammedans, because he had the vision of Christ and also of the Prophet."

SRI RAMAKRISHNA'S TEACHING ON SUFFERING

A devotee: "Maharaj, why should a knower of Brahman like Sri Ramakrishna, who was almost always immersed in samadhi, have suffered from such a terrible disease?"

Latu Maharaj: "What do I know about that? I heard Master Mahashay ["M."] say, 'It is because of the touch of impure people that he suffered so terribly." Girish Babu used to say, 'It is his divine play—a way to relieve the sufferings of mankind.' Ram Babu said: 'If the Master had not suffered from such a terrible disease, who could have recognized him? When one is in good health, one can easily fix the mind on God: but he is surely an avatar who can be continually in nirvikalpa samadhi, even when he is sick.'

"Brother Loren said at that time: 'He wants to be served by us, so he has contracted this disease. Don't worry. Could we have such a priceless opportunity to serve him if he didn't have this disease? We must not miss this opportunity. Let us serve him in such a way that he will not have the heart to leave us.'

"Brother Rakhal said. The Master is testing us.' Brother Sharat said, 'Although we may or may not understand it, a great mission is beginning through the Master's illness.' Brother Shashi said: 'Sweet Jesus allowed himself to be crucified for humanity's sake. Our Master, too, is suffering excruciating pain in order to remove man's burden of sin.'

8 March 2024

(TEACHINGS OF SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA)

SRI RAMAKRISHNA: AN EXEMPLAR

"Balaram Babu once said to the Master: 'Sir, I am tired of hearing people's critical remarks about your illness. They say, "Your Master is suffering from disease!"' The Master answered, 'Listen, he who forbears, survives and becomes great.' Many people held different opinions about his illness. I don't remember them all. The Master used to say, 'Let the body and the disease take care of each other; O mind, be happy.' He felt no pain. I saw that he was floating in bliss. If he had really suffered, could he have given us such joy? He told us: 'Brahman is stainless. Though the three gunas [sattva, rajas, and tamas] are in Brahman, he is separate from them, as the air carries odors but still remains different from and untouched by them. Brahman is Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute. In Brahman there is no sorrow or pain, no disease or death, no decay or growth. I see everything within this [Sri Ramakrishna pointed to himself]. Brahman and the One who is within the heart are the same.' Where is the suffering of one who, though sick, can maintain such a high level of spirituality? You people identify yourselves with the body, so when the body suffers you are frightened."

9 March 2024

(Teachings Of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON THE TRUTH OF BRAHMAN

Biharilal Sarkar: "Maharaj, the scriptures say that Brahman is seated in the heart of man. What does that mean?"

Latu Maharaj: "It is just a figure of speech. Words cannot really encompass the truth of Brahman, although the scriptures have tried to describe it in that way.

Brahman is everywhere. There is no in or out. high or low, east or west with him. He is one, inherent in everything. He is all-pervading, limitless, eternal. Various attempts have been made to describe Brahman, but what is beyond thought cannot really be expressed in language. He is in everything and, again, is beyond everything.

Sri Ramakrishna used to say, 'Everything has been defiled by the lips of man except the truth of Brahman."

Bihari Babu: "Maharaj, you monks are inscrutable! Instead of making positive statements, you speak only in vague terms!"

Another devotee: "Maharaj, please tell us what you have understood of this truth."

Latu Maharaj: "You see, this realization cannot be expressed. One uses language to express an idea, but so far, no adequate language has been discovered for talking about Brahman.

The Master used to say, "My boys, I would like to tell you many things, but the Divine Mother presses my lips, as it were, and does not allow me to talk.'

10 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON THE TRUTH OF BRAHMAN

“You speak thousands of words every day. Have you ever thought about where these words come from?”

The devotee: “They must come from the mind.”

Latu Maharaj: “Can you say, then, from which part of the mind they come and in what form? And then, where is the mind itself?”

The devotee could not reply. Bihari Babu ventured: “There is a neural connection between the brain and the tongue, so the mind must be in the brain.”

Latu Maharaj: “In what form?”

Bihari Babu: “As vibration.”

Latu Maharaj: “Now tell me whether that vibration is continuous or whether it stops and starts.”

Bihari Babu was surprised: “Maharaj, I haven’t thought about it.”

Latu Maharaj: “Then please think it over.”

Bihari Babu: “Perhaps it stops and then starts again, exciting the nerves of the brain and bringing out the response.”

Latu Maharaj: “If the vibration does stop, can you tell me what makes it start again, especially in the case where there is no external stimulus?”

Bihari Babu: “No, Maharaj, we really can’t say.”

Latu Maharaj: “So you see—you can express these things up to a point, but no further.”

After some time, both Bihari Babu and the other devotee saluted Latu Maharaj and took leave of him. As they were approaching their carriage, Bihari Babu said: “I have never heard such words before. This unlettered monk has thought over even such subtle things as these. It is really amazing! We are proud of our scholarship, but in reality, he is more learned than we are.”

11 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

MAYA AND FREEDOM

Biharilal Sarkar: "Maharaj. we read in the scriptures that God is man's inner guide. If that is true, then why does man suffer so much? How can one who is guided by the ever-pure Satchidananda get involved in evil actions?"

Latu Maharaj: "You have answered your own question. The essential nature of man. which is ever-pure, cannot be polluted by good and evil."

Bihari Babu: "Then do you mean that man has two natures, one affected by good and evil and the other not; or are you saying that good and evil do not really exist?"

Latu Maharaj: "Let me explain. Sri Ramakrishna said, 'Good and evil exist, and they are also non-existent.'

As long as God keeps the sense of ego in a man, he will perceive duality, good and evil. When God takes away the sense of ego, the perception of duality, good and evil, disappears. So long as a man is subject to the law of karma, he is aware of good and evil. When, through God's grace, a man is released from the bonds of karma, man's awareness of good and evil also goes; for good and evil are the fruits of karma.

As you sow, so you will reap. It is the Lord who established this law of karma for the benefit of the world and mankind. Divine Providence has given man the sense of free will and the principle of karma. It is left to man to do as he wishes. If he chooses to do actions which bring him less happiness and more misery, he alone is responsible, not God."

12 March 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Sri Ramakrishna. On this Holy day, may Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)*

(Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna)*

THE DESTINY OF MAN

You see many stars in the sky at night, but not when the sun rises. Can you therefore say that there are no stars in the heavens during the day? O man, because you cannot find God in the days of your ignorance, say not that there is no God.

He is born in vain, who, having attained the human birth, so difficult to get, does not attempt to realize God in this very life.

A man is rewarded according to his thoughts and motives.

The Lord is like Kalpataru, the wish-yielding tree of heaven. Everyone gets from Him whatever he seeks. A poor man's son, having received education and become a judge of the High Court by hard work, is apt to think, “Now I am happy. I have reached the highest rung of the ladder; it is all right now.” To him the Lord says, “Do thou remain so.” But when the Judge of the High Court retires on pension and reviews his past, he understands that he wasted his life, and exclaims, “Alas, what real work have I done in this life!” To him also the Lord says, “Alas! What hast thou done!”

Man is born in this world with two tendencies: Vidya, the tendency to pursue the path of liberation, and Avidya, the leaning towards worldliness and bondage. At his birth, both these tendencies are, as it were, in equilibrium like the two scales of a balance. The world soon places its enjoyments and pleasures in one scale, and the Spirit, its attractions in the other. If the mind chooses the world, the scale of Avidya becomes heavy, and man gravitates towards the earth; but if it chooses the Spirit, the scale of Vidya becomes heavier and pulls him towards God.

Know the One, and you will know all. Numbers placed after the figure one get the value of hundreds and of thousands, but they become valueless if you wipe out that figure. The many have value only because of the One. First the One and then the many. First God, and then the Jivas and the Jagat (creatures and the world). First gain God, and then gain wealth; but do not try to do the contrary. If, after acquiring spirituality, you lead a worldly life, you will never lose your peace of mind.

13 March 2024

(Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna)*

THE DESTINY OF MAN

Do you talk of social reform? Well, you may do so after realizing God.

Jai Ramakrishna 14 March 2024

(Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna)

THE DESTINY OF MAN

A Pundit: Sir, what is your opinion on Theosophy?

The Master: Bhakti alone is supreme; Bhakti or devotion to God. Do they care for Bhakti? If they do, that is well. It is well if they have God-realization for their aim and goal. But remember, to be engrossed in such trivial things as solar sphere, lunar sphere, astral sphere, etc., is not genuine search after God. One must do Sadhanas (spiritual practices) in order to get devotion to His lotus feet; one must weep for Him with the intense longing of the heart. The mind should be gathered up from the different objects and concentrated exclusively on Him. God is not in the Vedas or Vedanta or in any scripture. Nothing will be achieved unless one's heart yearns for Him. One must pray to Him with intense devotion, and practise Sadhanas.

Will all men see God?

No man will have to fast for the whole day; some get their food at 9 a.m., some at noon, others at 2 p.m., and others again in the evening or at sunset. Similarly, some time or other, in this very life or after many more lives, all will, and must see God.

Little children play with dolls in the outer room just as they like, without any care or fear or restraint; but as soon as their mother comes in, they throw aside their dolls and run to her crying, “Mamma, mamma”. You too, O man, are now playing in this material world, infatuated with the dolls of wealth, honour, fame, etc., and do not feel any fear or anxiety. If, however, you once see your Divine Mother, you will not afterwards find pleasure in all these. Throwing them all aside, you will run to Her.

14 March 2024

(Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna)

THE DESTINY OF MAN

A Pundit: Sir, what is your opinion on Theosophy?

The Master: Bhakti alone is supreme; Bhakti or devotion to God. Do they care for Bhakti? If they do, that is well. It is well if they have God-realization for their aim and goal.

But remember, to be engrossed in such trivial things as solar sphere, lunar sphere, astral sphere, etc., is not genuine search after God.

One must do Sadhanas (spiritual practices) in order to get devotion to His lotus feet; one must weep for Him with the intense longing of the heart. The mind should be gathered up from the different objects and concentrated exclusively on Him.

God is not in the Vedas or Vedanta or in any scripture. Nothing will be achieved unless one's heart yearns for Him. One must pray to Him with intense devotion, and practise Sadhanas.

Will all men see God?

No man will have to fast for the whole day; some get their food at 9 a. m., some at noon, others at 2 p.m., and others again in the evening or at sunset.

Similarly, some time or other, in this very life or after many more lives, all will, and must see God.

Little children play with dolls in the outer room just as they like, without any care or fear or restraint; but as soon as their mother comes in, they throw aside their dolls and run to her crying, “Mamma, mamma”.

You too, O man, are now playing in this material world, infatuated with the dolls of wealth, honour, fame, etc., and do not feel any fear or anxiety.

If, however, you once see your Divine Mother, you will not afterwards find pleasure in all these. Throwing them all aside, you will run to Her.

15 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

MAYA AND FREEDOM

Bihari Babu: "Maharaj, the scriptures say that God is guiding man; so, the responsibility is God's, not ours."

Latu Maharaj: "Yes. the scriptures are right. It is the responsibility of the operator, not the instrument. But tell me, who is guiding the individual soul who is bound by maya? Maya herself is acting as the operator.

Do you know the nature of maya's game? She loves to play and wants to play always. She enjoys ups and downs, pleasure and pain, creation and destruction. She loves to raise waves of desire in the mind and does not like to still them.

But God takes charge of the soul which is not bound by maya. When God guides a man, an uninterrupted current of happiness, peace, and bliss flows in his mind and no other waves of thought can be raised there. He becomes one with that unfathomable, waveless ocean of Satchidananda."

Bihari Babu: "Yes, Maharaj, 1 know the scriptures have compared Brahman with the ocean and maya with the waves on its surface. Now let me ask. what is the difference between the waves and the ocean when both are water? In that case wouldn't being guided by maya and being guided by God be the same?"

Latu Maharaj: "Yes, from one point of view they are the same, but there is another point of view, too. The Master used to say. The waves belong to the ocean, but no one can say that the ocean belongs to the waves.

Similarly, maya belongs to God, but maya is not God. So, you cannot say that being guided by maya is the same as being guided by God. Nevertheless, the ultimate purpose of maya's guidance is certainly to take the individual soul to God."

Bihari Babu: "But everybody says that maya deludes the individual soul and leads him astray."

Latu Maharaj: "Maya wants to play constantly. Because maya's play goes on and on, man cannot see where he is being taken on his journey, so he thinks maya is taking him in the wrong direction.

But look, how can she misdirect us? Isn't God everywhere? Maya has become manifest by God's will, and she is working for him."

16 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

Bihari Babu: "What! Maya is working for God?"

Latu Maharaj: "Yes, what other motive can she have?"

Bihari Babu: "But the scriptures describe maya as illusory and world-bewitching; she makes the unreal appear to be real, and her main concern is the delusion of mankind."

Latu Maharaj: "Do you know why people say so? The scriptures speak harshly against maya because she has qualified the unqualified Brahman.

And there is another reason: God alone is real; maya, by comparison, is unreal, illusory.

But maya is unreal only in relation to God. From man's standpoint, maya is avidya, ignorance, which is neither real nor unreal.

If you watch maya carefully, you will see that she is pushing man toward God step by step. With one hand she is deluding man and with the other she is unveiling consciousness before him. She works in a balanced way, without any motive of her own. She balances both happiness and misery, goodness and evil.

Do you know the intention behind all this? To teach us. If maya's purpose were to lead man astray, she would show us only one aspect, not both. But because maya shows us two aspects, she simultaneously deludes and enlightens.

True, she causes man much trouble and her path is very roundabout and time-consuming, but eventually it will lead one to God.

After you suffer repeated blows and much torment in this world and come to understand maya's ways, maya will not be able to hold you anymore. Then you will be released by her sattvic power.

That is why she is called the one who makes the impossible possible."

17 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

MAYA AND FREEDOM

Bihari Babu: “Does maya have a benign power too?”

Latu Maharaj: “Certainly. Maya is God’s power, and can that power be bad?”

Bihari Babu: “Maharaj, from the way you are talking, maya seems to be something great.”

Latu Maharaj: “Yes, that is true. Maya is great and that greatness is God himself. The other day a monk explained it nicely: ‘Man has already attained God; to try further for realization is useless. This universe belongs to God and man is living in it: thus, he has attained salokya-mukti, liberation by living in the same region as God. God made man in his own image: and thus, man has attained sarupya-mukti, liberation by having a form similar to God’s. God is everywhere, so man is always near him: and thus, he has attained samipya-mukti, liberation by living close to God. The only thing that he has not yet attained is sayujya-mukti, becoming one with God.’”

REMOVING THE COVERING OF IGNORANCE

One day a teacher from Malda asked Latu Maharaj: “Can the Atman be an object of knowledge?”

Latu Maharaj: “An object is something which cannot be known without the help of something else, but the Atman is self-revealing. So, you cannot say the Atman is an object of knowledge.”

The teacher: “Then why should we want to know the Atman?”

Latu Maharaj: “Because the Atman is our real nature.”

The teacher: “If the Atman is our real nature, then why are we not aware of it?”

Latu Maharaj: “Listen, can anyone deviate from his real nature? If he does, it cannot be called his real nature; for it becomes changeable. Man’s real nature is covered by a dense cloud of ignorance, and consequently he appears to be something different, but that does not mean he has deviated from his real nature.”

18 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

REMOVING THE COVERING OF IGNORANCE

Latu Maharaj: "Man does not think that he is something else. He may say, 'my body,' 'my mind,' 'my intellect.' but he never says, 'I am the body,' or 'I am the mind.' He knows that what he calls 'his' is not the same as 'himself.'

Man's I-consciousness is always there, he is not devoid of it, only he cannot express it. You can feel hungry or sleepy, but can you tell me who you really are?"

The teacher: "No, Maharaj. But I do feel hunger or fatigue."

Latu Maharaj: "That is what I mean. You are aware of your consciousness, but you are unable to express it."

The teacher: "Why can't I express it?"

Latu Maharaj: "Because your mind is so deeply covered with desires, doubts, and ignorance that your real nature is unable to express itself.

Haven't you seen those polishing shops at Mechuabazar in Calcutta where they have glass jars filled with coloured liquids? The metal worker takes a tarnished brass pot and dips it into a jar, and instantly all the stain goes away and the pot starts to glitter. Then he dips it into another jar, and it turns into golden colour.

Similarly, the cloudy stuff which has been covering our I-consciousness must first be washed away; then we shall see the brilliance of the inmost Self."

The teacher: "How can we wash it away, Maharaj?"

Latu Maharaj: "Dip your mind in the jar of the Lord's name, and all the unclean stuff will be washed away. Then dip it in the jar of the Lord's grace. You will see how beautifully your real nature will shine forth.

You will have to clean your mind first. There is no other way.

If you want happiness in this world, think of yourself as pure gold and not as gold-plated. The idea of ‘mine' produces misery, while the knowledge of the real I [the higher Self] brings bliss. The knowledge of the Self removes ignorance, and this Self is the Atman. the real nature of man."

19 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

REMOVING THE COVERING OF IGNORANCE

The teacher: "But the Atman is all-pervading while the ‘I’ [the lower self] is limited."

Latu Maharaj: "It does not matter. You have seen the jasmine flower, how small it is! On its tiny petal you may find a dewdrop in the morning, and in that dewdrop, you can see the reflection of the infinite blue sky. Likewise, the ‘I’ may be limited, but by the grace of God it can catch the reflection of the infinite Atman."

The teacher: "How can we attain God's grace. Maharaj?"

Latu Maharaj: "Control lust and greed. Practice japam and be charitable. If you can do this, you will find the Lord showering his grace upon you."

ON MEDITATION

A devotee: "Maharaj, is there any difference between the meditation of a jnani [one following the path of knowledge] and that of a bhakta [one who follows the path of devotion]?"

Latu Maharaj: "Yes. A bhakta meditates on the name and form of the Lord, while a jnani meditates on the identity of the individual soul and Brahman.

But whatever the object of meditation may be, eventually both aspirants will reach the same goal.

When meditation deepens, both the name and form of the Lord and also the knowledge of the identity of the individual soul and Brahman disappear. That is certain.

At that time, only a current of experience which is indescribable remains.

One day the Master told us, intensified meditation brings the knowledge of ‘Oneness’."

A devotee: "What is meant by the knowledge of Oneness?"

Latu Maharaj: "Can it be expressed in words? When that knowledge dawns, body consciousness disappears, the mind stops and even the intellect vanishes: only an uninterrupted Consciousness flows."

20 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

THE MYSTERY OF SAMADHI

Latu Maharaj: "Is samadhi merely a figure of speech? The human mind gets a little glimpse of God only after long and constant practice of concentration and meditation, and only then can one realize God's attributes and powers.

Infinite are his attributes, and infinite are his powers! Who can understand them? One could spend millions of lives concentrating on just the glories of God, but what would he gain from it? He might comprehend God's glory and power, but that does not mean he has truly experienced him.

Realization of God means that one becomes absorbed in him, transcending his attributes and powers. It is not an easy thing! An aspirant can reach God only if, out of his mercy, God helps him to go beyond his attributes and powers.

It is God's grace alone that enables an aspirant to stop the waves of the mind and dissolve the intellect; otherwise, who can stop the functioning of his mind and intellect by his own efforts?

And know for certain that one attains samadhi only after the dissolution of his mind and intellect."

A devotee: "Maharaj, do you mean to say that an aspirant cannot attain samadhi through self-effort? We have heard that one attains samadhi by practicing concentration and meditation."

Latu Maharaj: "What you have heard is true. The samadhi achieved through concentration and meditation is termed by Sri Ramakrishna as 'chetana samadhi.' In this samadhi there is an interplay of ecstasy and power. But the Master also used to speak of another kind of samadhi in which the mind dissolves and the ego disappears.

I am telling you the truth, no one can attain that samadhi without divine grace."

21 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

THE MYSTERY OF SAMADHI

A devotee: "Maharaj, people say, practice brings *siddhi* (success)."

Latu Maharaj: "Yes, you may attain *siddhi*, but not real *samadhi*. An aspirant attains *siddhi* and prosperity through exertion and power, but he realizes God through *samadhi*. Nobody can express the experience of *samadhi*. One can hint at God's attributes in words or speak of his power, but God is not limited by these. Infinite are his glories and infinite are his powers! Who can limit God? All spiritual powers and supernatural powers together cannot reveal him. God is in everything and again he is beyond everything. Just as you have many good qualities and you can do many things, so also you have many powers which you can either show or hide; but these do not reveal your real nature. Your real nature permeates through your qualities and powers, and again, it is beyond them. An aspirant can have a glimpse of the glory and power of God, but this does not mean he can comprehend God fully. An aspirant realizes God only when God reveals himself to him."

22 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

SPIRITUAL COUNSEL

One evening Dr. De Mello, who had spent some time at the Advaita Ashrama at Mayavati, came to see Latu Maharaj. As he approached the Swami, he could hear him saying to himself, "God is formless and with form too." Strangely enough, that had been the thought uppermost in Dr. De Mello's mind, and he asked, "If God is with form, then can one see him?"

Latu Maharaj: "Yes, by all means."

Dr. De Mello: "Maharaj, when I was at Mayavati I kept a picture of Jesus Christ on my desk and meditated on him. One day I saw that picture as a living form. All of a sudden that form vanished, and in its stead I saw Sri Ramakrishna. Then that form also disappeared, giving place to Buddha. Was this a hallucination?"

Latu Maharaj: "Oh, no, no. It was not a hallucination. That is quite common. You are on the right track, continue. One who has seen one great soul may see many others. Sri Ramakrishna used to see many divine forms."

Dr. De Mello: "Maharaj, I get confused sometimes. I do not know on whom I should meditate."

Latu Maharaj: "Whom do you love the most?"

Dr. De Mello: "I love Jesus Christ and Ramakrishna equally."

Latu Maharaj: "Whom have you loved all along?"

The doctor then told a little of the history of his family, which had been Christian for the four preceding generations. Then Latu Maharaj advised him: "Meditate on Christ. Have faith in him and pray to him. You will reach your goal."

23 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON PREACHING

"Can one preach religion simply by beating a drum? Is religion something external to us, something one person speaks about, and another person accepts? Religion is realization, and one cannot realize the truth through noise and fanfare. The more a preacher shouts, the more people's minds turn outward; and unless the mind is turned inward, God-realization is not possible.

"What an upsurge of religion there was here in Calcutta a few years ago! Preachers of the Salvation Army were found speaking on religion at every crossroads of the city. The Brahmo leaders used to preach their doctrines in their temples. The Vaishnavites would sing kirtan in their worship halls. Just think of all those meetings! One day Keshab Sen spoke on the New Dispensation in Beadon Square, the next day Reverend Kali Krishna Banerjee spoke on Christianity, and the third day Swami Krishnananda spoke on Hinduism. People would gather around them and listen. One preacher abused Hinduism, and another defended it. What a storm of religious preaching! But what has come of all that? Where are they now? Those religious leaders tried to attract people through their preaching. Meanwhile, another group was devoting their time to silent meditation and prayer and directing their energies to the realization of God. And now don't you see multitudes gathering around this second group?

"Inevitably, if there is no substance inside, a man's words are empty and carry no conviction. There must be renunciation, dispassion. and genuine love for God: only then will people believe you. The Lord's will works in this peculiar way.

Look at Swami Vivekananda's life. After practicing hard spiritual disciplines, he got the command from the Master to preach, and people have accepted what he said.

With one lecture Swamiji became world-famous."

24 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON THE GURU

A devotee: "Is it absolutely necessary to have a guru in order to make spiritual progress?"

Latu Maharaj: "If you are in earnest about spiritual practices, you should have a teacher, a guru. You can accept the Lord himself as your guru, if you have that much faith in him. But it is better to have a great devotee of God as your guru. Do you know why? What do you do when you feel thirsty and are looking for water? Don't you go to the nearest place where water is available?"

A devotee: "Yes, Maharaj."

Latu Maharaj: "You surely don't go to the ocean which is far away. Isn't that so?"

A devotee: "Yes. If we can get water near by, why should we go all the way to the ocean?"

Latu Maharaj: "So your question is answered. The human guru is like the water in the river near us, and the Lord is like the water in the ocean. When the thirst for God arises, one should go to a human guru who is near at hand, for he can satisfy your thirst very quickly."

25 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON CULTIVATING SPIRITUAL QUALITIES

A devotee: "Maharaj, what are the duties of a householder?"

Latu Maharaj: "If you want to live a happy, contented life, stop criticizing others. Do not find fault with others. It is better to pass time sleeping than gossiping and criticizing.

Keep away from places where you find such talk going on. Try to see the good qualities in others. This is the way to get rid of the habit of fault-finding.

Evil qualities pollute the mind of a person who searches for the lapses and shortcomings of others.

‘Feel others' sufferings as you feel your own. Take every opportunity to serve people, and do not injure anybody.

"Be grateful to all who help you. Be charitable to all, even to a person who abuses you.

And do not run into debt, for debts bring worries.

"Try to be pure and discriminate between good and evil.

Do not perform any action which will prick your conscience.

"Do not forget God. Chant his name in the morning and evening, and, if you can, try to meditate at night."

ON SADHANA

Latu Maharaj: "Without question, whatever I am now has come through the Master's grace. I am an unlettered man. How can I practice austerities? What do I know about sadhana [spiritual discipline]?

At first, I simply wanted to be the Master's attendant, but then he taught me how to meditate and practice spiritual disciplines. At that time, I did not know the value of sadhana. He also taught me the mystery of Lord Ramachandra."

26 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON CULTIVATING SPIRITUAL QUALITIES

A devotee: "What is the mystery of Lord Ramachandra?"

Latu Maharaj: "One day I was massaging the Master's feet. He asked: 'Tell me, what is your Ramachandra doing now?' I was surprised at his question. How could I know what Ramachandra was doing? He noted my silence and said, 'Your Ramji is now passing an elephant through the eye of a needle.'"

A devotee: "What does that mean?"

Latu Maharaj: "Don't you understand? I was such a small receptacle, yet he was pouring sadhana into me."

A devotee: "Maharaj, is it possible to pour sadhana into another person?"

Latu Maharaj: "Yes. But not everyone can do that. He who has seen God and been absorbed in his bliss, he can."

A devotee: "Maharaj, please pour a little sadhana into us."

Latu Maharaj: "The Master could do that. That does not mean I can."

The devotee said with feeling: "Yes you can, Maharaj. Please bless us. Please help us to make spiritual progress in this life."

Latu Maharaj: "You people always say the same thing. When you come here you are sure that you will pass the rest of your days in sadhana, but once you return home you think, 'Why should I care?' In the world all of your energy is spent in earning money. Remember, you will attain perfection in whatever you practice. You don't like to practice sadhana, so you do not attain God."

A devotee: "One needs money to live in the world. You know that nothing can be done without money."

Latu Maharaj: "Yes, yes, I know. Whatever you want you will get. But if you want to be spiritual, you cannot want anything else. The Master used to say: 'Whatever you want from God you will receive. But if you want him only, then all your other wants will be fulfilled as well.'"

27 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON CULTIVATING SPIRITUAL QUALITIES

A devotee: "Maharaj, we are unfortunate, for we cannot call on the Lord wholeheartedly. Do our prayers reach him?"

Latu Maharaj: "Yes, they do. But your prayers are mixed with the desire for money, so that is what he is sending. The day when you pray: I do not want money, name, or fame. I want you and you alone'— on that very day he will come to you.

The Master would say: 'The more you have bhoga [enjoyment], the less you will have yoga and the more you will burn in the world.'

The Master continually taught us: 'Always be awake in the practice of yoga. Call on God at dead of the night, remember him during the hours of the day, and serve him always.'"

SPIRITUAL DISCONTENT

Latu Maharaj: "Contentment is an obstacle to spiritual progress."

A devotee: "What do you mean, Maharaj? People practice sadhana (spiritual disciplines) to find peace of mind, and you are saying it is an obstacle to the aspirant's progress."

Latu Maharaj: "It is true, people do practice sadhana to find peace. But if the aspirant forgets God after finding some peace, how can he make any further progress? If there is no dissatisfaction, longing for God does not come."

A devotee: "Is there any higher state than the attainment of peace?"

Latu Maharaj: "Look, is peace the end of sadhana? There are many states higher than peace. But if you want to experience those states, you need to attain peace first.

Do you know what that peace is? One is then, as it were, satisfied with his life; and external trials and tribulations do not disturb the mind. The door to the spiritual path does not open unless the aspirant is filled with peace externally and internally.

But once the door to the spiritual realm opens, discontentment again begins. However, this is a mysterious kind of discontentment which I cannot explain to you. In this state the aspirant can neither sit idle nor can he progress quickly."

A devotee: "Maharaj. I do not understand what you are talking about. Please explain."

Latu Maharaj: "Spiritual disciplines and austerity are necessary to understand this. You have practiced very little austerity, hence, I may explain it to you a thousand times, but it will still remain a mystery to you."

28 March 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON AUSTERITY

In 1902, Latu Maharaj was staying at the Belur Monastery at the time of Shiva Ratri, an all-night vigil dedicated to Lord Shiva and observed by worship and fasting. That night he went to offer worship to Shiva at the nearby Kalyaneswar temple, accompanied by a number of devotees. He said to one of the devotees: "I think fasting is too difficult for you. You should take a little food."

The devotee responded, "No, I don't want to take anything before performing the worship."

Latu Maharaj said: "Such determination is good; but if fasting takes your mind away from God, what use is it? Rather, be determined to perform the worship with devotion. Don't place a higher value on fasting. That is mere obstinacy, which is of no real benefit. If your mind is dwelling on food instead of God, how can you perform the worship with love and devotion? Devotion is impossible if the mind is disturbed."

29 March 2024

((Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Yoganandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

Early Life

Yogin was born in the year 1861. From his boyhood he was of a contemplative temperament. Even while at play with his companions, he would suddenly grow pensive, stop play, and look listlessly at the azure sky.

He would feel that he did not belong to this earth, that he had come from somewhere in some other plane of existence and that those who were near about him were not really his kith and kin.

Yogin was about sixteen or seventeen when he met Sri Ramakrishna for the first time. He was then studying for the Entrance Examination.

At the very first meeting the Master recognized the spiritual potentiality of the boy and advised him to come to him now and then.

Yogin was charmed with the warmth and cordiality with which he was received; and he began to repeat his visits as often as he could. He had read of Sri Ramakrishna in the literature of the Brahmo Samaj; but his aristocracy and rural prejudice stood in the way of any personal acquaintance.

With Sri Ramakrishna

To the people of Dakshineswar Sri Ramakrishna was known as an ‘eccentric brahmin’. The orthodox section looked upon him with suspicion because of his seeming disregard for strict caste rules.

Therefore, Yogin did not dare to come to him freely and openly, for he was afraid there would be objections from his parents if they knew about it. So, he visited the Master stealthily.

Yogin was very much devoted to Sri Ramakrishna and spent most of his time with him.

His parents were perturbed to see him indifferent to his studies and so much under the influence of Sri Ramakrishna. But they did not like to interfere with him directly as they thought it would be of no avail.

Yogin thought that his continuance of studies was useless, for he had no worldly ambition.

So, he devoted his ample leisure to meditation and spiritual practices. He shunned company and liked to live alone with his thoughts. He spoke as little as possible.

30 March 2024

(Swami Yogananda)

Yogin was about sixteen or seventeen when he met Sri Ramakrishna for the first time. He was then studying for the Entrance Examination. At the very first meeting, the Master recognized the spiritual potentiality of the boy and advised him to come to him now and then. Yogin was charmed with the warmth and cordiality with which he was received; and he began to repeat his visits as often as he could. He had read of Sri Ramakrishna in the literature of the Brahmo Samaj; but his aristocracy and rural prejudice stood in the way of any personal acquaintance.

To the people of Dakshineswar, Sri Ramakrishna was known as an ‘eccentric brahmin’. The orthodox section looked upon him with suspicion because of his seeming disregard for strict caste rules. Therefore, Yogin did not dare to come to him freely and openly, for he was afraid there would be objections from his parents if they knew about it. So, he visited the Master stealthily.

Yogin was very much devoted to Sri Ramakrishna and spent most of his time with him. His parents were perturbed to see him indifferent to his studies and so much under the influence of Sri Ramakrishna. But they did not like to interfere with him directly as they thought it would be of no avail. Yogin thought that his continuance of studies was useless, for he had no worldly ambition. So, he devoted his ample leisure to meditation and spiritual practices. He shunned company and liked to live alone with his thoughts. He spoke as little as possible.

The uncle of Yogin, with whom he stayed at Kanpur, got alarmed lest he should go out of his mind. He wrote to the father of Yogin all about him and suggested marriage as the only remedy; for that might create in him an interest in worldly things. Yogin was too gentle to be able to resist the wishes of his parents—especially of his mother, and despite himself he consented to marry. His parents wrongly thought that marriage would wean his mind from other worldliness. But the effect was just the reverse.

He became moody and did not even like to show his face to the Master, who had high expectations about his spiritual future and would be sorely disappointed to learn that he had falsified all his hopes through a momentary weakness. When the news reached the Master, he sent information again and again to Yogin to come and see him.

Sri Ramakrishna was seated on his cot with his loincloth on his lap when Yogin came to see him. Putting his cloth under his arm, he ran like a child to receive Yogin as soon as he saw him. Beside himself with joy at the coming of Yogin, the first thing that the Master said to him was: “What harm if you have married? Hundreds of marriages will never interfere with your spiritual progress if God is gracious. One day bring your wife here. I shall so change her mind that instead of an obstacle she will be a great help to you.”

A dead weight was lifted, as it were, from Yogin’s heart, as he heard the Master utter these bold and encouraging words in an ecstatic mood. He saw light where it had been all darkness for him. He was filled with new hope and strength. Now his love and admiration for the Master became all the greater, and he began to repeat his visits.

31 March 2024

Swami Yogananda

Even after marriage Yogin was indifferent to worldly affairs just as before.

We have said that Yogin was very soft-natured. It was difficult for him to hurt even an insect.

Sri Ramakrishna noticed this unreasonable softness in the character of Yogin, and he wanted to set this right.

He once noticed that there were some cockroaches in his bundle of clothes and asked Yogin to take the bundle outside the room and kill the insects.

Yogin took the clothes outside the room. But as he was too gentle to kill the insects, he simply threw them away, hoping that the Master would not follow up the matter.

But strangely enough he did inquire whether the cockroaches had been killed. When the answer was in the negative, Sri Ramakrishna gave him a mild reproof, for not obeying his words in toto.

Once Yogin went to the market to make some purchases for the Master. The cunning shopkeeper feigned to be very religious - minded and Yogin took him to be such. But when he returned to Dakshineswar, he found that the shopkeeper had cheated him.

This called for a sharp rebuke from the Master. ‘A man may be religious; but that is no reason why he should be a fool’, said Sri Ramakrishna by way of correcting him.

But Yogin’s critical attitude once led him into a quandary. One night he slept in the same room with the Master, but when he woke up in the dead of night, he missed him and saw that the door was open.

At first, he felt curious, then he became suspicious as to where he could have gone at such an unearthly hour. He came outside, but Sri Ramakrishna could not be seen. Did he then go to his wife who was staying at the concert house just opposite? —Yogin thought. Then Sri Ramakrishna was not what he himself professed to be! He wanted to probe into the mystery and stood near the concert-house to see if he came out of the room.

After some time, Sri Ramakrishna came from the Panchavati side and was surprised to see Yogin standing near the concert-house. Yogin was stupefied and felt ashamed of himself for his suspicion.

The Master understood the whole situation and said encouragingly, ‘Yes, one should observe a sadhu by day as well as at night.’ With these words he returned to his room, followed mutely by Yogin.

1 April 2024

(Swami Yogananda)

Once Yogin asked the Master how one could get rid of the sex-idea.

When Sri Ramakrishna said that it could be easily done by prayer to God, this simple process did not appeal to him. He thought that there were so many persons who prayed to God, but nevertheless there came no change in their lives. He had expected to learn from the Master some yogic practice, but he was disappointed, and concluded that this prescription of a simple remedy was the outcome of his ignorance of any other better means. During that time there stayed at Dakshineswar a Hatha yogi who would show to visitors his dexterity in many yogic feats. Yogin got interested in him. Once he came to the temple precincts and without meeting the Master went straight to the Hatha yogi where he sat listening to his words spellbound.

Exactly at that moment the Master chanced to come to that place.

Seeing Yogin there, he very endearingly caught hold of his arms and while leading him towards his own room said, ‘Why did you go there? If you practise these yogic exercises, your whole thought will be concentrated on the body and not on God.’ Yogin was not the person to submit so easily. He thought within himself, the Master was jealous of the Hatha yogi and was afraid lest his allegiance be transferred to the latter. He always thought himself to be very clever.

But on second thoughts he tried the remedy suggested by the Master.

To his great surprise he found wonderful results and felt ashamed of his doubting mind.

Afterwards Swami Vivekananda used to say, ‘If there is any one amongst us who is completely free from sex-idea, it is Yogin.’

2 April 2024

(Swami Yogananda)

Afterwards Swami Vivekananda used to say, “If there is any one amongst us who is completely free from sex-idea, it is Yogin.” Yogin grew spiritually under the keen care of the Master. Afterwards, when Sri Ramakrishna fell ill and was under medical treatment at Cossipore, he was one of those disciples who laboured day and night in attending to the needs and comfort of their beloved Master. It soon became apparent that no amount of care on the part of the disciples could arrest the progress of the Master’s disease. His life was despaired of. One day he called Yogin and asked him to read out to him a certain portion of the Bengali almanac, date by date. When Yogin had reached a certain date and read it, Sri Ramakrishna told him to stop. It was the date on which the Master passed away.

Austerity and Pilgrimages

The Mahasamadhi of Sri Ramakrishna threw all into deep gloom. To recover from this shock, the Holy Mother went to Vrindavan with Yogin, Kali, Latu, Golap-Ma, Lakshmi Devi, and Nikunja Devi (wife of ‘M’). When in the middle of 1888 the Holy Mother came to live in Nilambar Babu’s garden-house at Belur, Swami Yogananda also returned to attend on her. His service to the Holy Mother was wonderful. In looking after the comfort of the Holy Mother, he threw all personal considerations to the wind.

3 April 2024

(Swami Yogananda)

Some time in 1891, Swami Yogananda went to Varanasi where he lived in a solitary garden-house absorbed in spiritual practices. It is said that during this period he would grudge the time he spent even for taking meals. He would beg some pieces of bread for his food, and for the following three or four days these pieces, soaked in water, would constitute his only meal. But the hardship which he was undergoing was too much for his constitution, which broke down completely. He never regained his normal health. From Varanasi he returned to the Math at Baranagore. He was still ailing, but his bright, smiling face belied his illness. When the Holy Mother came to Calcutta, Swami Yogananda again became her attendant. He spent about a year in devoted service to the Holy Mother.

Swami Yogananda commanded respect for his sterling saintly qualities. But what distinguished him among the disciples of the Master was his devoted service to the Holy Mother. He was one of the early monks who discovered the extraordinary spiritual greatness of the Holy Mother, hidden under her rural simplicity of manners. This conviction led to an unquestioning dedication to her cause. He looked to her comfort in every way. He considered no sacrifice too great for her.

Mahasamadhi

Swami Yogananda’s health was becoming worse every day, and his suffering soon came to an end. On 28 March 1899, he passed away. He was the first among the monastic disciples of the Master to enter Mahasamadhi. The blessed words that he uttered before death were: “My Jnana and Bhakti have increased so much that I cannot express them.” Swami Vivekananda was greatly moved at the passing away of Swami Yogananda and very feelingly remarked, “This is the beginning of the end.” The Holy Mother also said: “That’s like a brick falling out of the wall of a building; it is an evil omen.” He was one of those whom the Master spotted out as ‘Ishwarakotis’ or ‘eternally perfect’—one of the souls which are never in bondage but now and then come to this world of ours for guiding humanity Godwards.

4 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON DISCRIMINATION

A devotee: “Maharaj, you monks advise us to give up attachment to lust and gold, but we are householders. How can we renounce? Please tell us the way. Our minds are filled with worldly attachments. We see no possibility of fighting against them. The attachments are so strong that they won’t allow us to develop ways and means to defend ourselves against them. You have asked us to chant the name of the Lord and to discriminate, but we are overpowered by attachments. Now please tell us the secret: How did you overcome them?”

Latu Maharaj: “You people don’t practice japam sincerely, so you always complain and make excuses. Look, if one makes a habit of repeating the holy name, the name itself will take hold of the mind. The mind craves the intoxication of worldly enjoyments. Attachments are troublemakers; they fasten the mind with a noose, as it were, and drag it in all directions. Lord Krishna agreed with Arjuna that the mind is restless. He told Arjuna that the restless mind can be stilled by the renunciation of sense enjoyments and by repeated practice. Whenever your mind runs after sense enjoyments, use your discrimination. Look, the sense objects are impermanent. They come and go. Be satisfied with whatever you need for your daily living and don’t desire more. Too many worldly belongings displace the thought of the Reality from the mind. The Reality is one, and that is Brahman. Brahman alone is real and everything else is unreal. Impress these thoughts repeatedly upon the mind, and gradually true discrimination will arise.”

5 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

"Listen to a story. Once Rama presented a pearl necklace to his devotee Hanuman. Hanuman examined the necklace carefully, broke open one of the pearls with his teeth, and, not finding the name of Rama there, threw the necklace away. This upset Lakshmana, who said: 'How can a monkey appreciate the value of a pearl necklace? He destroyed such a valuable thing with his teeth!'

Rama then asked Lakshmana to inquire about the reason for Hanuman's action. Upon being questioned. Hanuman replied: I opened the pearl to see if the holy name was there. The necklace is worthless if Rama is not in it.'

"You will have to discriminate between the real and the unreal. To keep one's discrimination alert is a great austerity. He who has learned to discriminate can successfully overcome lust and greed. So, cultivate your discrimination and conscience.

How can you struggle against evil tendencies if your intellect is not trained to differentiate between good and evil?

First clear out the rubbish which has entered the mind through the gates of the sense organs, and then put a 'NO ADMITTANCE' sign in front of each gate. Those bad thoughts which ignore the notice and still come in, you will have to hand over to the police, which is your conscience. With the help of the police, you must evict the impure tendencies from the mind and then install the Lord there. This is the way to conquer lust and desire.

"The seed of lust is in the mind. That seed is nurtured by the sense organs within and the sense objects without, and thus it grows and produces innumerable fruits. These fruits are to be chopped off and the seeds are to be destroyed. Afterward, you must sow the seed of the Lord's name, and you will reap the harvest accordingly.

Now you are reaping the harvest of desire. The Master used to say, 'Where desire is, God is not; and where God is, there is no desire.'"

6 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON PURITY

"Be pure. Be pure. Be pure. You cannot know God without purity. If you are not pure, you won't realize God, who is the embodiment of purity. In order to serve God, the true Master of all, one must purify one's mind."

ON LOVE

A householder devotee of Sri Ramakrishna once conveyed his love to Latu Maharaj in a letter. Latu Maharaj remarked: "Is it so easy to convey love to a person? A lot of spiritual discipline is needed to be able to really transmit love. What do ordinary people know about love? God can truly love, and only illumined souls are really able to transmit love."

On another occasion he said: "Your love springs from worldly attachment. Dogs play together and also fight for food among themselves. Your love is like that. You people embrace each other and exchange sweet words, but the moment someone encroaches upon your self-interest, you become angry and are ready to hit him. Don't express that kind of love."

7 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON HUMILITY

One day a wealthy devotee saluted Latu Maharaj in the customary manner: that is, folding his hands and raising them to his head. At this Latu Maharaj said: "Look here, sir. One should bow down to gods, to monks, and to holy people with reverence. Sri Ramakrishna used to say, 'There is no merit in this sort of axe-raising salutation.'"

Another devotee who was present asked, "Maharaj, what is an axe-raising salutation?"

Latu Maharaj: "Touching the forehead with folded hands as you usually do is what the Master called an axe-raising salutation."

The wealthy devotee: "Maharaj, please forgive me. We do not know the real significance of the salutation. We merely follow the custom."

Latu Maharaj: "I don't mind. It is not your fault. But remember what the Master said: Between equals one should exchange salutations as you have just done; but if the person is superior to you in learning, intellect, fame, power or spirituality, you should bow down to him with reverence. You should be humble before him and do what he says. Let your thoughts and your words be united when you are paying respect to others. Salutations that are merely for show have no value."

8 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON THE NAME

"Sri Ramakrishna used to say that before starting to chant the name of the Lord, one should salute the name. One should take refuge in the name of the Lord.

The name and the named, that is, the Lord, are one. If one prays wholeheartedly to the name, one's prayer reaches the Lord.

"Look here. The name of the Lord itself is shakti, God's power, and the named is God himself. Without worshiping Shakti, one cannot realize God."

ASPECTS OF GOD

A devotee: "Maharaj, is it good to have visions of gods and goddesses other than the Chosen Ideal?"

Latu Maharaj: "It is always good to see divine forms. You will find that during meditation your Chosen Ideal will appear to you in many forms. That is his divine play. Since all forms are contained within him, why are you making distinctions between them?"

A devotee: "The scriptures have described the various forms of God differently, and for each deity there is a prescribed meditation, a method of worship, and certain mantras.

So how can it be possible to see other forms of God when one is meditating on one's own Chosen Ideal? Are these visions conducive to one's spiritual progress?"

Latu Maharaj: "You people think of the gods and goddesses as distinct from each other, but in reality, they are all the same. What is wrong if the forms are many? Look. You are a man. When you are angry, your face takes on one expression; when you laugh it assumes another; and when you cry it looks still different. Your facial expression changes with your emotions, but you, as a man, always remain the same. If someone calls you by name, you respond regardless of your mood. Sri Ramakrishna used to say: 'The chameleon changes its colour. Sometimes it is red, sometimes green, yellow, gray, violet, blue, and so on. One may think that the chameleon is always the same colour as he sees it.

But the man who stays under the tree where the chameleon lives knows that the chameleon changes colour at different times." Similarly, the man who meditates deeply on his Chosen Ideal ultimately realizes that the various names and forms are actually but different aspects of the same reality."

4/8/24, 2:11 AM - Vamsi Krishna Marri added +34 646 36 07 79

9 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON PRAYER

A devotee: "Maharaj, which is the easier method to dispel doubts about God—prayer or reasoning?"

Latu Maharaj: "Sri Ramakrishna used to say: 'Who can know God through reason? His powers and glory are infinite. Too much reasoning can create confusion and, moreover, may lead to an atheistic attitude. So, it is better to call on God with a longing heart.'"

The Master said further: "If you can become drunk with one bottle of wine, why should you bother to know how many barrels of wine there are in the grogshop? If your thirst is quenched with one glass of water, why should you rack your brain calculating how much water there is on the earth?"

A devotee: "Whom should we call on, Maharaj, the guru or the Chosen Ideal?"

Latu Maharaj: "You may call on either; it is the same. The guru and the Chosen Ideal are the same. Doubt arises in the mind of an aspirant if he does not practice spiritual disciplines, and doubt is the root of all troubles. Have faith in your guru. Be loyal to him, even like a dog that never leaves its master, whether it is fed or not. Say, 'I am your servant and you are my Master.'"

10 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON WORSHIP

"Do you know what worship is? Everything belongs to the Lord, so what is there to offer to him? But the Master used to tell us: 'Once a rich man went to visit his orchard. He saw the gardeners busy with their work. The caretaker approached him and presented him with a ripe papaya, saying: "Sir, I picked this ripe fruit for you yesterday. Please accept it."

Now the owner knows that the garden, the trees, the fruits all belong to him: but won't he appreciate the love and thoughtfulness of the caretaker? Worship is like this.'"

On another occasion, a devotee bought a small piece of cheap cloth for the Divine Mother's worship.

Latu Maharaj was very upset. He remarked: "Throw away that cloth. It is too short. Why did you buy such a cheap one? Always offer a good cloth to the Mother, and if you cannot afford it, say with tears: 'Mother, I am unable to offer anything to you. Please forgive me.'

Some people buy cheap, flimsy cloth, rotten fruit, or stale sweets for the worship of the Lord. Why do you offer the Lord these things which you yourself don't want to use or eat? It is better not to worship at all than to do worship negligently.

He who offers the Lord's things to the Lord with joy and love is really fortunate. The Lord does not accept anything that is not offered with devotion."

11 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION

A devotee: “Maharaj, we have not seen God: how can we depend on him? We do not know how to surrender to him. Can it be enough just to say, ‘Lord, be kind to us, bestow your grace on us?’”

Latu Maharaj: “Look, he is showering his grace on us unceasingly. It is through his grace that you even exist in this world. You are asking about prayer. Well, you know God’s name; you can begin with his name as your guide. Don’t you send your application for a job to the manager of a company without ever having seen him? Your interview with the manager depends upon sending your application to him. You write the application thus: ‘Sir, please appoint me for the job; I shall be extremely happy to serve you; I promise my unswerving obedience to you,’ and so on. And you write all this without having seen the manager, don’t you?

“Similarly, you can send an application to the Lord. However, this application is not to be written on paper, but on the pages of one’s heart. You must be careful about the wording and the address must be correct; otherwise, the letter will not reach its destination. Write the application thus: ‘O Lord, may I never forget your name. I take refuge in you. Please assign me to your service and destroy my ego and my doubts. You are my master, guru, father, mother, and all in all. I am your child. Please guide me to the path of blessedness. Make me your instrument. Do not delude me with your bewitching maya. O my sweet Lord, I have not seen you; I have only heard your name. Please make me your own.’

“You will have to pray like this daily. Only then will he choose to bestow his grace on you. Once you are chosen by him, you will not have to worry any more. He will guide you at every step and will tell you what to do.”

12 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

AFTER GOD-REALIZATION

A devotee: "Maharaj, you have realized God. Could you tell us what your understanding of the world is now?"

Latu Maharaj: "I have understood this much: If you keep a bowl filled with water somewhere by itself, the water will eventually evaporate, but this is not so if the bowl is immersed in the river Ganga. Likewise, if we can surrender our minds at the feet of the Lord, the wind of worldliness will not be able to dry our minds and make them dreary. Then the world no longer seems an unhappy place."

A devotee: "Maharaj, do you feel that the world is a burden?"

Latu Maharaj: "Look, when you dive deep into the Ganga, though there are thousands of pounds of water above you, you don't feel that weight. Similarly, if you plunge into God's creation yet still hold onto him, you will not feel its burden. Then the world becomes a place of merriment.

Remember this beautiful saying of Tulasidas: 'He who takes refuge in God is protected by him. A huge elephant may be swept away by the current of the river, but the small fish who lives in the river can even swim against its current.'

Remember that if you depend on God, he will take care of you in all circumstances."

13 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

"Be attached to no one but God. Only if you hold onto God will your life be meaningful."

"Who is a man of knowledge? Not he who has read a lot of books, studied scriptures and acquired some degrees, but he who knows the path to God and can direct people toward him."

"A man can attain peace if he gives up worldly enjoyment, for such enjoyment is the source of sorrows and sufferings, disease and despair."

"Don't be ungrateful to a person who has helped you. An act of kindness, however small it may be, can never be repaid."

"See your own faults. Never criticize anyone—it is a great sin. It contracts the mind and pollutes the heart. Always look for the good qualities in others. If fault-finding becomes your habit, you will always see faults in them. Everyone has both good and bad in him. Only God is free from fault and full of divine qualities."

"Don't be concerned whether someone agrees with your opinion or not. Don't argue unnecessarily just to prove your point. It ruins the spiritual atmosphere. Let people do whatever they like: you should live according to your own ideal."

"Don't ask for anything from God, for he knows everything. It is sometimes amazing how he fulfills the needs of his devotees."

"Desire begets wants in the mind of man. If he has no desire, he has no wants. Love for God destroys all desires."

"He who follows the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna will be saved by the Mother from the trials and tribulations of the world. If you want peace, read *The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna*."

14 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

"It is easy to fool human beings, but not God. He knows your shortcomings in spite of your best efforts to hide them. Pray to the Lord with a guileless heart: 'O Lord, please remove all my faults and weaknesses.' Man becomes stainless only after God-realization."

"Jealousy is a deadly poison. A jealous person cannot bear others' welfare and happiness. His heart breaks to see others progressing. If one can give up jealousy, one will understand God."

"On a moonless night one man cannot recognize another, however close they may be standing; similarly, a man cannot see his innermost self due to the dark covering of delusion."

"Dissatisfaction and craving for worldly enjoyments are signs of a diseased mind."

"If you always think of a holy person, you will become holy and pure; if you think of a thief, you will become a thief. Pure character is formed by close association with the holy."

"Do you think we salute trees and stones? We salute the Supreme Being, who pervades every atom of the universe. He who sees God in all creatures and all things attains the knowledge of Brahman."

"Although God is formless, he takes form according to our mental conception of him."

Jai Ramakrishna 15 April 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

If you think that you are bound, you remain bound; you make your own bondage. If you know that you are free, you are free this moment. This is knowledge, knowledge of freedom. Freedom is the goal of all nature.

So long as there is desire or want, it is a sure sign that there is imperfection. A perfect, free being cannot have any desire.

The monkeys of Varanasi [Benares] are huge brutes and are sometimes surly. They now took it into their heads not to allow me to pass through their street, so they howled and shrieked and clutched at my feet as I passed. As they pressed closer, I began to run, but the faster I ran, the faster came the monkeys and they began to bite at me. It seemed impossible to escape, but just then I met a stranger who called out to me, "Face the brutes." I turned and faced the monkeys, and they fell back and finally fled.

That is a lesson for all life—face the terrible, face it boldly. Like the monkeys, the hardships of life fall back when we cease to flee before them. If we are ever to gain freedom, it must be by conquering nature, never by running away. Cowards never win victories. We have to fight fear and troubles and ignorance if we expect them to flee before us.

The moment I have realized God is sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him — that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.

We are ever free if we would only believe it, only have faith enough. You are the soul, free and eternal, ever free, ever blessed.

16 April 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

FREEDOM

Have faith enough and you will be free in a minute. Our sole concern is to know the highest truth. Our goal is the loftiest. We have said big words to ourselves—absolute realization and all that. Let us measure up to the words. Let us worship the spirit in spirit, standing on spirit. Let the foundation be spirit, the middle spirit, the culmination spirit. There will be no world anywhere. Let it go and whirl into space—who cares? Stand thou in the spirit! That is the goal. We know we cannot reach it yet. Never mind. Do not despair, and do not drag the ideal down.

The important thing is: how much less you think of the body, of yourself as matter—as dead, dull, insentient matter; how much more you think of yourself as shining immortal being. The more you think of yourself as shining immortal spirit, the more eager you will be to be absolutely free of matter, body, and senses. This is the intense desire to be free.

Keeping Your Balance

No sooner a prophet feels miserable for the state of man than he sours his face, beats his breast, and calls upon everyone to drink tartaric acid, munch charcoal, sit upon a dung heap covered with ashes, and speak only in groans and tears! We must be bright and cheerful, long faces do not make religion.

17 April 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

RELIGION

Religion should be the most joyful thing in the world, because it is the best. The essential thing in religion is making the heart pure; the Kingdom of Heaven is within us, but only the pure in heart can see the King.

Jai Ramakrishna 18 April 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

In judging others, we always judge them by our own ideals. That is not as it should be. Everyone must be judged according to his own ideal, and not by that of anyone else. Intellectual gymnastics are necessary at first. We must not go blindly into anything. The yogi has passed the argumentative state, and has come to a conclusion, which is, like the rock, immovable. Books are infinite in number, and time is short; therefore, the secret of knowledge is to take what is essential. Take that and try to live up to it. Excessive merriment will always be followed by sorrow. Tears and laughter are near kin. People so often run from one extreme to the other. Let the mind be cheerful, but calm. Never let it run into excesses, because every excess will be followed by a reaction. In criticizing another, we always foolishly take one especially brilliant point as the whole of our life and compare that with the dark ones in the life of another. Thus, we make mistakes in judging individuals. A yogi must not think of injuring anyone by thought, word, or deed. Mercy shall not be for men alone, but shall go beyond, and embrace the whole world. Never talk about the faults of others, no matter how bad they may be. Nothing is ever gained by that. You never help one by talking about his fault; you do him an injury and injure yourself as well.

19 April 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Bless men when they revile you. Think how much good they are doing by helping to stamp out the false ego. Hold fast to the real Self, think only pure thoughts, and you will accomplish more than a regiment of mere preachers. Out of purity and silence comes the word of power. Blame neither man, nor God, nor anyone in the world. When you find yourselves suffering, blame yourselves, and try to do better. You must not criticize others; you must criticize yourself.

15 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

If you think that you are bound, you remain bound; you make your own bondage. If you know that you are free, you are free this moment. This is knowledge, knowledge of freedom. Freedom is the goal of all nature.

So long as there is desire or want, it is a sure sign that there is imperfection. A perfect, free being cannot have any desire.

The monkeys of Varanasi [Benares] are huge brutes and are sometimes surly. They now took it into their heads not to allow me to pass through their street, so they howled and shrieked and clutched at my feet as I passed. As they pressed closer, I began to run, but the faster I ran, the faster came the monkeys and they began to bite at me. It seemed impossible to escape, but just then I met a stranger who called out to me, "Face the brutes."

I turned and faced the monkeys, and they fell back and finally fled. That is a lesson for all life—face the terrible, face it boldly. Like the monkeys, the hardships of life fall back when we cease to flee before them. If we are ever to gain freedom, it must be by conquering nature, never by running away. Cowards never win victories. We have to fight fear and troubles and ignorance if we expect them to flee before us.

The moment I have realized God is sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him — that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.

We are ever free if we would only believe it, only have faith enough. You are the soul, free and eternal, ever free, ever blessed.

16 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

FREEDOM

Have faith enough and you will be free in a minute.

Our sole concern is to know the highest truth. Our goal is the loftiest.

We have said big words to ourselves—absolute realization and all that. Let us measure up to the words. Let us worship the spirit in spirit, standing on spirit.

Let the foundation be spirit, the middle spirit, the culmination spirit. There will be no world anywhere. Let it go and whirl into space—who cares? Stand thou in the spirit!

That is the goal. We know we cannot reach it yet. Never mind. Do not despair, and do not drag the ideal down.

The important thing is: how much less you think of the body, of yourself as matter—as dead, dull, insentient matter; how much more you think of yourself as shining immortal being.

The more you think of yourself as shining immortal spirit, the more eager you will be to be absolutely free of matter, body, and senses. This is the intense desire to be free.

Keeping Your Balance

No sooner a prophet feels miserable for the state of man than he sours his face, beats his breast, and calls upon everyone to drink tartaric acid, munch charcoal, sit upon a dung heap covered with ashes, and speak only in groans and tears!

We must be bright and cheerful, long faces do not make religion.

17 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

RELIGION

Religion should be the most joyful thing in the world, because it is the best.

The essential thing in religion is making the heart pure; the Kingdom of Heaven is within us, but only the pure in heart can see the King. While we think of the world, it is only the world for us; but let us come to it with the feeling that the world is God, and we shall have God.

Combine seriousness with childlike naivete. Live in harmony with all.

Every wave of passion restrained is a balance in your favour. It is therefore good policy not to return anger for anger, as with all true morality.

The chaste brain has tremendous energy and gigantic willpower.

Without chastity there can be no spiritual strength.

We should cultivate the optimistic temperament, and endeavour to see the good that dwells in everything.

If we sit down and lament over the imperfection of our bodies and minds, we profit nothing; it is the heroic endeavour to subdue adverse circumstances that carries our spirit upward.

This mind, so deluded, so weak, so easily led, even this mind can be strong and may catch a glimpse of that knowledge, that Oneness, which saves us from dying again and again.

As rain falling upon a mountain flows in various streams down the sides of the mountain, so all the energies which you see here are from that one Unit.

It has become manifold falling upon maya. Do not run after the manifold; go toward the One.

18 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

In judging others, we always judge them by our own ideals. That is not as it should be. Everyone must be judged according to his own ideal, and not by that of anyone else.

Intellectual gymnastics are necessary at first. We must not go blindly into anything. The yogi has passed the argumentative state, and has come to a conclusion, which is, like the rock, immovable.

Books are infinite in number, and time is short; therefore, the secret of knowledge is to take what is essential. Take that and try to live up to it.

Excessive merriment will always be followed by sorrow. Tears and laughter are near kin. People so often run from one extreme to the other. Let the mind be cheerful, but calm. Never let it run into excesses, because every excess, will be followed by a reaction.

In criticizing another, we always foolishly take one especially brilliant point as the whole of our life and compare that with the dark ones in the life of another. Thus, we make mistakes in judging individuals.

A yogi must not think of injuring anyone by thought, word, or deed. Mercy shall not be for men alone, but shall go beyond, and embrace the whole world.

Never talk about the faults of others, no matter how bad they may be. Nothing is ever gained by that. You never help one by talking about his fault; you do him an injury and injure yourself as well.

19 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Bless men when they revile you. Think how much good they are doing by helping to stamp out the false ego.

Hold fast to the real Self, think only pure thoughts, and you will accomplish more than a regiment of mere preachers. Out of purity and silence comes the word of power.

Blame neither man, nor God, nor anyone in the world. When you find yourselves suffering, blame yourselves, and try to do better.

You must not criticize others; you must criticize yourself. If you see a drunkard, do not criticize him; remember he is you in another shape. He who has not darkness sees no darkness in others.

What you have inside you is that which you see in others.

This is the surest way of reform. If the would-be reformers who criticize and see evil would themselves stop creating evil, the world would be better.

Beat this idea into yourself.

Whatever others think or do, lower not your standard of purity, morality, and love of God.

Come to God any way you can; only come. But in coming do not push anyone down.

The world has its code of judgment which, alas, is very different from that of truth's.

Though people believe in immortality, they do not know that immortality is not gained by dying and going to heaven, but by giving up this piggish individuality, by not tying ourselves down to one little body.

20 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

If you see a drunkard, do not criticize him; remember he is you in another shape. He who has not darkness sees no darkness in others. What you have inside you is that which you see in others. This is the surest way of reform. If the would-be reformers who criticize and see evil would themselves stop creating evil, the world would be better. Beat this idea into yourself. Whatever others think or do, lower not your standard of purity, morality, and love of God. Come to God any way you can; only come. But in coming do not push anyone down. The world has its code of judgment which, alas, is very different from that of truth’s. Though people believe in immortality, they do not know that immortality is not gained by dying and going to heaven, but by giving up this piggish individuality, by not tying ourselves down to one little body.

Immortality is knowing ourselves as one with all, living in all bodies, perceiving through all minds. We are bound to feel in other bodies than this one. We are bound to feel in other bodies. What is sympathy? Is there any limit to this sympathy, this feeling in our bodies? It is quite possible that the time will come when I shall feel through the whole universe.

Securing One's Own Good

I can secure my own good only by doing you good. There is no other way, none whatsoever. You are God, I am God, and man is God. It is this God manifested through humanity who is doing everything in this world. Is there a different God sitting high up somewhere? To work, therefore! Doing good to others is the one great, universal religion. It is only by doing good to others that one attains to one's own good. Our duty to others means helping others, doing good to the world. Why should we do good to the world? Apparently to help the world, but really to help ourselves. Devotion to the mother is the root of all welfare. Do not stand on a high pedestal and take five cents in your hand and say, "Here, my poor man," but be grateful that the poor man is there, so that by making a gift to him you are able to help yourself. It is not the receiver that is blessed, but it is the giver.

21 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Manifest the divinity within you, and everything will be harmoniously arranged around it.

By being nervous and fearful we injure others. By being so fearful to hurt we hurt more. By trying so much to avoid evil we fall into its jaws.

Get the mercy of God and of His greatest children; these are the two chief ways to God.

The company of these children of light is very hard to get; five minutes in their company will change a whole life; and if you really want it enough, one will come to you.

The presence of those who love God makes a place holy, "such is the glory of the children of the Lord."

They are He; and when they speak, their words are scriptures. The place where they have been becomes filled with their vibrations, and those going there feel them and have a tendency to become holy also.

The disciple must have faith in the guru (teacher)

In the West the teacher simply gives intellectual knowledge; that is all. The relationship with the teacher is the greatest in life. My dearest and nearest relative in life is my guru; next, my mother; then my father. My first reverence is to the guru. If my father says, "Do this," and my guru says, "Do not do this," I do not do it. The guru is one who frees my soul.

The father and mother give me this body; but the guru gives me rebirth in the soul.

When through the guru's instructions and your own conviction you will see, not this world of name and form, but the essence which lies as its substratum, then only you will realize your identity with the whole universe from the Creator down to a clump of grass, then only you will get the state in which "the knots of the heart are cut asunder and all doubts are dispelled."

22 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)*

The guru must teach me and lead me into light, make me a link in that chain of which he himself is a link. The man in the street cannot claim to be a guru. The guru must be a man who has known, has actually realized the divine truth, has perceived himself as the spirit. A mere talker cannot be the guru. The sine qua non of acquiring spiritual truth for oneself or for imparting it to others is the purity of heart and soul. A leader must be impersonal. I am sure you understand this. I do not mean that one should be a brute, making use of the devotion of others for his own ends, and laughing in his sleeve meanwhile. What I mean is what I am, intensely personal in my love, but having the power to pluck out my own heart with my own hand, if it becomes necessary, "for the good of many, for the welfare of many," as Buddha said. Madness of love, and yet in it no bondage. You are the greatest book that ever was or ever will be, the infinite depository of all that is. Until the inner teacher opens, all outside teaching is in vain. It must lead to the opening of the book of the heart to have any value. How are we to know a teacher then? In the first place, the sun requires no torch to make it visible. We do not light a candle to see the sun. When the sun rises, we instinctively become aware of its rising; and when a teacher of men comes to help us, the soul will instinctively know that it has found the truth. Truth stands on its own evidence; it does not require any other testimony to attest it; it is self-effulgent. It penetrates the inmost recesses of our nature, and the whole universe stands up and says, "This is Truth."

23 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)*

To See for Yourself: In order to prove religion—that is, the existence of God, immortality, etc.—we have to go beyond the knowledge of the senses. All great prophets and seers claim to have "seen God," that is to say, they have had direct experience. There is no knowledge without experience, and man has to see God in his own soul. When man has come face to face with the one great fact in the universe, then alone will doubts vanish and crooked things become straight. This is "seeing God." Our business is to verify, not to swallow. Religion, like other sciences, requires you to gather facts, to see for yourself, and this is possible when you go beyond the knowledge which lies in the region of the five senses. Religious truths need verification by everyone. To see God is the one goal. Religion does not consist in doctrines or dogmas. It is not what you read, nor what dogmas you believe that is of importance, but what you realize. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," yea, in this life. And that is salvation. There are those who teach that this can be gained by the mumbling of words. But no great Master ever taught that external forms were necessary for salvation. The power of attaining it is within ourselves. We live and move in God. Creeds and sects have their parts to play, but they are for children; they last but temporarily. Books never make religions, but religions make books.

Jai Ramakrishna 24 April 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

All pleasures of the senses or even of the mind are evanescent, but within ourselves is the one true unrelated pleasure, dependent on nothing outside. "The pleasure of the Self is what the world calls religion."

Each religion brings out its own doctrines and insists upon them as being the only true ones. And not only does it do that, but it thinks that he who does not believe in them must go to some horrible place. Some will even draw the sword to compel others to believe as they do. This is not through wickedness, but through a particular disease of the human brain called fanaticism. They are very sincere, these fanatics, the most sincere of human beings; but they are quite as irresponsible as other lunatics in the world. This disease of fanaticism is one of the most dangerous of all diseases. All the wickedness of human nature is roused by it. Anger is stirred up, nerves are strung high, and human beings become like tigers.

Are all the religions of the world really contradictory? I do not mean the external forms in which great thoughts are clad. I do not mean the different buildings, languages, rituals, books, etc., employed in various religions, but I mean the internal soul of every religion. I believe that they are not contradictory; they are supplementary. Each religion, as it were, takes up one part of the great universal truth, and spends its whole force in embodying and typifying that part of the great truth.

Now, as regards those of you that think that you understand truth and divinity and God in only one Prophet in the world, and not in any other, naturally, the conclusion which I draw is that you do not understand divinity in anybody; you have simply swallowed words and identified yourself with one sect, just as you would in party politics, as a matter of opinion; but that is no religion at all.

25 April 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

There are some fools in this world who use brackish water although there is excellent sweet water nearby, because, they say, the brackish-water well was dug by their father.

Now, in my little experience I have collected this knowledge—that for all the devilry that religion is blamed with, religion is not at all in fault; no religion ever persecuted men, no religion ever burnt witches, no religion ever did any of these things. What then incited people to do these things? Politics, but never religion; and if such politics takes the name of religion whose fault is that?

So, when each man stands and says, "My prophet is the only true prophet," he is not correct—he knows not the alpha of religion. Religion is neither talk, nor theory, nor intellectual consent.

Jai Ramakrishna

24 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda) All pleasures of the senses or even of the mind are evanescent, but within ourselves is the one true unrelated pleasure, dependent on nothing outside. "The pleasure of the Self is what the world calls religion."

Each religion brings out its own doctrines and insists upon them as being the only true ones. And not only does it do that, but it thinks that he who does not believe in them must go to some horrible place. Some will even draw the sword to compel others to believe as they do. This is not through wickedness, but through a particular disease of the human brain called fanaticism. They are very sincere, these fanatics, the most sincere of human beings; but they are quite as irresponsible as other lunatics in the world. This disease of fanaticism is one of the most dangerous of all diseases.

All the wickedness of human nature is roused by it. Anger is stirred up, nerves are strung high, and human beings become like tigers. Are all the religions of the world really contradictory? I do not mean the external forms in which great thoughts are clad. I do not mean the different buildings, languages, rituals, books, etc., employed in various religions, but I mean the internal soul of every religion. I believe that they are not contradictory; they are supplementary.

Each religion, as it were, takes up one part of the great universal truth, and spends its whole force in embodying and typifying that part of the great truth. Now, as regards those of you that think that you understand truth and divinity and God in only one Prophet in the world, and not in any other, naturally, the conclusion which I draw is that you do not understand divinity in anybody; you have simply swallowed words and identified yourself with one sect, just as you would in party politics, as a matter of opinion; but that is no religion at all.

25 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda) There are some fools in this world who use brackish water although there is excellent sweet water nearby, because, they say, the brackish-water well was dug by their father.

Now, in my little experience I have collected this knowledge—that for all the devilry that religion is blamed with, religion is not at all in fault; no religion ever persecuted men, no religion ever burnt witches, no religion ever did any of these things. What then incited people to do these things? Politics, but never religion; and if such politics takes the name of religion whose fault is that?

So, when each man stands and says, "My prophet is the only true prophet," he is not correct—he knows not the alpha of religion. Religion is neither talk, nor theory, nor intellectual consent. It is realization in the heart of out hearts; it is touching God; it is feeling, realizing that I am a spirit in relation with the Universal Spirit and all Its great manifestations.

Experience is the only source of knowledge. In the world, religion is the only science where there is no surety, because it is not taught as a science of experience. This should not be. There is always, however, a small group of men who teach religion from experience.

They are called mystics, and these mystics in every religion speak the same tongue and teach the same truth. This is the real science of religion. As mathematics in every part of the world does not differ, so the mystics do not differ. They are all similarly constituted and similarly situated. Their experience is the same; and this becomes law.

If there ever is going to be an ideal religion, it must be broad and large enough to supply food for all these minds. It must supply the strength of philosophy to the philosopher, the devotee's heart to the worshiper; to the ritualist, it will give all that the most Marvelous symbolism can convey; to the poet, it will give as much of heart as he can take in, and other things besides. To make such a broad religion, we shall have to go back to the time when religions began and take them all in.

Our watchword, then, will be acceptance, and not exclusion. Not only toleration, for so-called toleration is often blasphemy, and I do not believe in it.

I believe in acceptance.

26 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda) It is realization in the heart of our hearts; it is touching God; it is feeling, realizing that I am a spirit in relation with the Universal Spirit and all Its great manifestations. Experience is the only source of knowledge. In the world, religion is the only science where there is no surety, because it is not taught as a science of experience. This should not be.

There is always, however, a small group of men who teach religion from experience. They are called mystics, and these mystics in every religion speak the same tongue and teach the same truth. This is the real science of religion. As mathematics in every part of the world does not differ, so the mystics do not differ. They are all similarly constituted and similarly situated. Their experience is the same; and this becomes law. If there ever is going to be an ideal religion, it must be broad and large enough to supply food for all these minds. It must supply the strength of philosophy to the philosopher, the devotee's heart to the worshiper; to the ritualist, it will give all that the most marvelous symbolism can convey; to the poet, it will give as much of heart as he can take in, and other things besides.

To make such a broad religion, we shall have to go back to the time when religions began and take them all in. Our watchword, then, will be acceptance, and not exclusion. Not only toleration, for so-called toleration is often blasphemy, and I do not believe in it. I believe in acceptance.

27 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda) If the buffaloes desire to worship God, they, in keeping with their own nature, will see Him as a huge buffalo; if a fish wishes to worship God, its concept of Him would inevitably be a big fish; and man must think of Him as man. Suppose man, the buffalo, and the fish represent so many different vessels; that these vessels all go to the sea of God to be filled, each according to its shape and capacity. In man the water takes the shape of man; in the buffalo the shape of the buffalo; and in the fish the shape of the fish; but in each of these vessels is the same water of the sea of God.

All who have actually attained any real religious nature never wrangle over the form in which the different religions are expressed. They know that the life of all religions is the same, and, consequently, they have no quarrel with anybody because he does not speak the same tongue. The ultimate goal of all mankind, the aim and end of all religions, is but one—reunion with God, or, what amounts to the same, with the divinity which is every man's true nature. But while the aim is one, the method of attaining may vary with the different temperaments of men. We cannot imagine anything which is not God. He is all that we can imagine with our five senses, and more. He is like a chameleon; each man, each nation, sees one face of Him and at different times, in different forms. Let each man see and take of God whatever is suitable to him. Compare each animal absorbing from nature whatever food is suitable to it.

The soul finds expression through various nations, languages, and customs. Hence it follows that the difference between the religions of the world is one of expression and not of substance; and their points of similarity and unity are of the soul, are intrinsic, as the language of the soul is one, in whatever peoples and under whatever circumstances it manifests itself. The same sweet harmony is vibrant there also, as it is on many and diverse instruments. Realizing the Spirit. Worship of the Impersonal God is through truth. And what is truth? That I am He. When I say that I am not Thou, it is untrue. When I say I am separate from you, it is a lie, a terrible lie. I am one with this universe, born one. It is self-evident to my senses that I am one with the universe.

Jai Ramakrishna.28 April 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

This is the message of Shri Ramakrishna to the modern world: "Do not care for doctrines, do not care for dogmas, or sects, or churches, or temples; they count for little compared with the essence of existence in each man, which is spirituality; and the more this is developed in a man, the more powerful is he for good. Earn that first, acquire that, and criticize no one, for all doctrines and creeds have some good in them. Show by your lives that religion does not mean words, or names, or sects, but that it means spiritual realization. Only those can understand who have felt. Only those who have attained to spirituality can communicate it to others, can be great teachers of mankind. They alone are the powers of light."

With the thirst, the longing for God, comes real devotion, real bhakti. Who has the longing? That is the question. Religion is not in doctrines, in dogmas, nor in intellectual argumentation; it is being and becoming, it is realization. We hear so many talking about God and the soul, and all the mysteries of the universe, but if you take them one by one, and ask them, "Have you realized God? Have you seen your Soul?"— how many can say they have? And yet they are all fighting with one another!

Although a man has not studied a single system of philosophy, although he does not believe in any God, and never has believed, although he has not prayed even once in his whole life, if the simple power of good actions has brought him to that state where he is ready to give up his life and all else for others, he has arrived at the same point to which the religious man will come through his prayers and the philosopher through his knowledge. And so you may find that the philosopher, the worker, and the devotee, all meet at one point, that one point being self-abnegation.

29 April 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

It is a degradation to worship God through fear of punishment; such worship is, if worship at all, the crudest form of the worship of love. So long as there is any fear in the heart, how can there be love also? Love conquers naturally all fear. Realization of the truth is the essential thing. Whether you bathe in the Ganga for a thousand years or live on vegetable food for a like period, unless it helps toward the manifestation of the Self, know that it is all of no use. If, on the other hand, anyone can realize the Atman without the observance of outward forms, then that very non-observance of forms is the best means. The Lord is the great magnet, and we are all like iron filings; we are being constantly attracted by Him, and all of us are struggling to reach Him.

28 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

This is the message of Shri Ramakrishna to the modern world: "Do not care for doctrines, do not care for dogmas, or sects, or churches, or temples; they count for little compared with the essence of existence in each man, which is spirituality; and the more this is developed in a man, the more powerful is he for good.

Earn that first, acquire that, and criticize no one, for all doctrines and creeds have some good in them.

Show by your lives that religion does not mean words, or names, or sects, but that it means spiritual realization.

Only those can understand who have felt. Only those who have attained to spirituality can communicate it to others, can be great teachers of mankind. They alone are the powers of light."

With the thirst, the longing for God, comes real devotion, real bhakti.

Who has the longing? That is the question. Religion is not in doctrines, in dogmas, nor in intellectual argumentation; it is being and becoming, it is realization. We hear so many talking about God and the soul, and all the mysteries of the universe, but if you take them one by one, and ask them, "Have you realized God? Have you seen your Soul?"— how many can say they have? And yet they are all fighting with one another!

Although a man has not studied a single system of philosophy, although he does not believe in any God, and never has believed, although he has not prayed even once in his whole life, if the simple power of good actions has brought him to that state where he is ready to give up his life and all else for others, he has arrived at the same point to which the religious man will come through his prayers and the philosopher through his knowledge.

And so you may find that the philosopher, the worker, and the devotee, all meet at one point, that one point being self-abnegation.

29 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

It is a degradation to worship God through fear of punishment; such worship is, if worship at all, the crudest form of the worship of love. So long as there is any fear in the heart, how can there be love also? Love conquers naturally all fear.

Realization of the truth is the essential thing. Whether you bathe in the Ganga for a thousand years or live on vegetable food for a like period, unless it helps toward the manifestation of the Self, know that it is all of no use.

If, on the other hand, anyone can realize the Atman without the observance of outward forms, then that very non-observance of forms is the best means.

The Lord is the great magnet, and we are all like iron filings; we are being constantly attracted by Him, and all of us are struggling to reach Him. All this struggling of ours in this world is surely not intended for selfish ends.

Fools do not know what they are doing; the work of their life is, after all, to approach the great magnet.

All the tremendous struggling and fighting in life is intended to make us go to Him ultimately and be one with Him.

Through high philosophy or low, through the most exalted mythology or the grossest, through the most refined ritualism or arrant fetishism, every sect, every soul, every nation, every religion, consciously or unconsciously, is struggling upward, toward God; every vision of truth that man has, is a vision of Him and of none else.

30 April 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Like the Tide Rushing

No bhakta cares for anything except love, and to be loved. His unworldly love is like the tide rushing up the river; this lover goes up the river against the current. The world calls him mad.

I know one whom the world used to call mad, and this was his answer: "My friends, the whole world is a lunatic asylum.

Some are mad after worldly love, some after name, some after fame, some after money, some after salvation and going to heaven.

In this big lunatic asylum I am also mad, I am mad after God. If you are mad after money, I am mad after God. You are mad; so am I. I think my madness is after all the best."

The perfected bhakta no more goes to see God in temples and churches; he knows no place where he will not find Him. He finds Him in the temple as well as out of the temple, he finds Him in the saint's saintliness as well as in the wicked man's wickedness.

When this supreme love once comes into the heart of man, his mind will continuously think of God and remember nothing else.

He will give no room in himself to thoughts other than those of God, and his soul will be unconquerably pure and will alone break all the bonds of mind and matter and become serenely free. He alone can worship the Lord in his own heart; to him forms, symbols, books, and doctrines are all unnecessary and are incapable of proving serviceable in any way. It is not easy to love the Lord thus.

1 May 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Like the Tide Rushing

No bhakta cares for anything except love, and to be loved. His unworldly love is like the tide rushing up the river; this lover goes up the river against the current. The world calls him mad. I know one whom the world used to call mad, and this was his answer: "My friends, the whole world is a lunatic asylum. Some are mad after worldly love, some after name, some after fame, some after money, some after salvation and going to heaven. In this big lunatic asylum I am also mad, I am mad after God. If you are mad after money, I am mad after God. You are mad; so am I. I think my madness is after all the best."

The perfected bhakta no more goes to see God in temples and churches; he knows no place where he will not find Him. He finds Him in the temple as well as out of the temple, he finds Him in the saint's saintliness as well as in the wicked man's wickedness. When this supreme love once comes into the heart of man, his mind will continuously think of God and remember nothing else. He will give no room in himself to thoughts other than those of God, and his soul will be unconquerably pure and will alone break all the bonds of mind and matter and become serenely free. He alone can worship the Lord in his own heart; to him forms, symbols, books, and doctrines are all unnecessary and are incapable of proving serviceable in any way. It is not easy to love the Lord thus.

But those to whom the eternal interests of the soul are of much higher value than the fleeting interests of this mundane life, to whom the gratification of the senses is but like the thoughtless play of the baby, to them God and the love of God form the highest and the only utility of human existence. Thank God there are some such still living in this world of too much worldliness. That religious ferment, which at present is every day gaining a greater hold over thinking men, has this characteristic—that all the little thought-whirlpools into which it has broken itself declare one single aim, a vision and a search after the Unity of Being. As our human relations can be made divine, so our relationship with God may take any of these forms and we can look upon Him as our father, or mother, or friend, or beloved. Calling God Mother is a higher ideal than calling Him Father; and to call Him Friend is still higher; but the highest is to regard Him as the Beloved. The highest point of all is to see no difference between lover and beloved. The goal of all nature is freedom, and freedom is to be attained only by perfect unselfishness; every thought, word, or deed that is unselfish takes us toward the goal, and, as such, is called moral. That definition, you will find, holds good in every religion and every system of ethics. In some systems of thought morality is derived from a Superior Being—God.

Jai Ramakrishna 2 May 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

If you ask why a man ought to do this and not that, their answer is: "Because such is the command of God." But whatever be the source from which it is derived, their code of ethics also has the same central idea—not to think of self but to give up self. You can do anything and everything; you are almighty. What makes you weak? What makes you fear? You are the One Being in the universe. What frightens you? Stand up then and be free. Know that every thought and word that weakens you in this world is the only evil that exists. Whatever makes men weak and makes them fear is the only evil that should be shunned. Virtue is that which tends to our improvement, and vice to our degeneration. Man is made up of three qualities—brutal, human, and godly. That which tends to increase the divinity in you is virtue, and that which tends to increase brutality in you is vice. You must kill the brutal nature and become human, that is, loving and charitable. You must transcend that too and become pure bliss—Sat-Chit-Ananda, fire without burning, wonderfully loving, but without the weakness of human love, without the feeling of misery. Religion gives you nothing new; it only takes off obstacles and lets you see your Self. Sickness is the first great obstacle; a healthy body is the best instrument. Melancholy is an almost insuperable barrier. If you have once known Brahman, never after can you be melancholy. Doubt, want of perseverance, mistaken ideas are other obstacles.

3 May 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Perfect morality is the all in all of complete control over mind. The man who is perfectly moral has nothing more to do; he is free. The man who is perfectly moral cannot possibly hurt anything or anybody. Non-injuring has to be attained by him who would be free. No one is more powerful than he who has attained perfect non-injuring. No one could fight, no one could quarrel, in his presence. Yes, his very presence, and nothing else, means peace, means love wherever he may be. Nobody could be angry or fight in his presence. Even the animals, ferocious animals, would be peaceful before him. No man should be judged by his defects. The great virtues a man has are his especially; his errors are the common weaknesses of humanity and should never be counted in estimating his character.

Awakenings

Every soul is destined to be perfect, and every being, in the end, will attain the state of perfection. Whatever we are now is the result of our acts and thoughts in the past; and whatever we shall be in the future will be the result of what we think and do now. But this, the shaping of our destinies, does not preclude our receiving help from outside; nay, in the vast majority of cases such help is absolutely necessary. When it comes, the higher powers and possibilities of the soul are quickened, spiritual life is awakened, growth is animated, and man becomes holy and perfect in the end. Until the superconscious opens for you, religion is mere talk; it is nothing but preparation. You are talking secondhand, thirdhand.

4 May 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

No book, no person, no Personal God. All these must go. Again, the senses must go. We cannot be bound to the senses. At present we are tied down—like persons dying of cold in the glaciers. They feel such a strong desire to sleep, and when their friends try to wake them, warning them of death, they say, "Let me die; I want to sleep." We all cling to the little things of the senses, even if we are ruined thereby; we forget there are much greater things.

Jai Ramakrishna 5 May 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

And yet, how difficult it is to believe that we are infinite beings! In the midst of all this misery and trouble, when a little thing may throw me off my balance, it must be my care to believe that I am infinite. And the fact is that we are, and consciously or unconsciously we are all searching after that something which is infinite; we are always seeking for something that is free. Potentially, each one of us has that infinite ocean of Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss as our birthright, our real nature; and the difference between us is caused by the greater or lesser power to manifest that divine. Therefore, the Vedanta lays down that each man should be treated not as what he manifests, but as what he stands for. Each human being stands for the divine, and, therefore, every teacher should be helpful, not by condemning man, but by helping him to call forth the divinity that is within him. But the goal of all is the knowledge of the Self, the realization of this Self. To it all men, all beings have equal right. This is the view acceptable to all.

In Touch with Perfection

Man is the apex of the only "world" we can ever know. Those who have attained "sameness" or perfection, are said to be "living in God." All hatred is "killing the self by the self"; therefore, love is the law of life. To rise to this is to be perfect.

6 May 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Herein lies the whole secret of existence. Waves may roll over the surface and tempest rage, but deep down there is the stratum of infinite calmness, infinite peace, and infinite bliss. The finite, manifested man forgets his source and thinks himself to be entirely separate. We, as personalized, differentiated beings, forget our reality, and the teaching of monism is not that we shall give up these differentiations, but we must learn to understand what they are.

Jai Ramakrishna 7 May 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

We are in reality that Infinite Being, and our personalities represent so many channels through which this Infinite Reality is manifesting Itself; and the whole mass of changes which we call evolution is brought about by the soul trying to manifest more and more of its infinite energy.

We cannot stop anywhere on this side of the Infinite; our power, and blessedness, and wisdom, cannot but grow into the Infinite.

Infinite power and existence and blessedness are ours, and we have not to acquire them; they are our own, and we have only to manifest them.

Perfect Man

What we want is to see the man who is harmoniously developed. We want the man whose heart feels intensely the miseries and sorrows of the world; the man who not only can feel but can find the meaning of things, who delves deeply into the heart of nature and understanding; the man who will not even stop there, who wants to work. Such a combination of head, heart, and hand is what we want.

He is a giant who is equally active, equally knowing, and equally loving? Is it impossible? Certainly not. This is the man of the future, of whom there are few at present.

This mind is like a lake, and every thought is like a wave upon that lake. Just as the lake-waves rise and then fall down and disappear, so these thought-waves are continually rising in the mind-stuff and then disappearing, but they do not disappear forever. They become finer and finer, but they are all there, ready to start up at another time when called upon to do so. Memory is simply calling back into wave-form some of those thoughts which have gone into that finer state of existence.

Thus, everything that we have thought, every action that we have done, is lodged in the mind; it is all there in fine form, and when a man dies, the sum total of these impressions is in the mind, which again works upon a little fine material as a medium. The soul, clothed, as it were, with these impressions and the fine body, passes out, and the destiny of the soul is guided by the resultant of all the different forces represented by the different impressions.

Meditation has been laid stress upon by all religions. The meditative state of mind is declared by the yogis to be the highest state in which the mind exists. When the mind is studying the external object, it gets identified with it, loses itself. To use the simile of the old Indian philosopher: the soul of man is like a piece of crystal, but it takes the colour of whatever is near it. Whatever the soul touches, it has to take its colour. That is the difficulty. That constitutes the bondage.

The colour is so strong, the crystal forgets itself and identifies itself with the colour. Suppose a red flower is near the crystal: the crystal takes the colour and forgets itself, thinks it is red. We have taken the colour of the body and have forgotten what we are. All the difficulties that follow come from that one dead body. All our fears, all worries, anxieties, troubles, mistakes, weakness, evil, are from that one great blunder — that we are bodies. This is the ordinary person. It is the person taking the colour of the flower near to it. We are no more bodies than the crystal is the red flower.

8 May 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Turning the Mind Within. From our childhood upward we have been taught only to pay attention to things external, but never to things internal; hence most of us have nearly lost the faculty of observing the internal mechanism. 9 May 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

The mind has to be gradually and systematically brought under control. The will has to be strengthened by slow, continuous, and persevering drill. This is no child's play, no fad to be tried one day and discarded the next. It is a life's work; and the end to be attained is well worth all that it can cost us to reach it, being nothing less than the realization of our absolute oneness with the Divine. Surely, with this end in view, and with the knowledge that we can certainly succeed, no price can be too great to pay. The purer the mind, the easier it is to control it.

How has all the knowledge in the world been gained but by the concentration of the powers of the mind? The world is ready to give up its secrets if we only know how to knock, how to give it the necessary blow. The strength and force of the blow come through concentration. There is no limit to the power of the human mind. The more concentrated it is, the more power is brought to bear on one point; that is the secret.

It is easy to concentrate the mind on external things; the mind naturally goes outward. But not so in the case of religion, or psychology, or metaphysics, where the subject and the object are one. The object is internal; the mind itself is the object, and it is necessary to study the mind itself — mind studying mind.

10 May 2024 (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

We know that there is the power of the mind called reflection. I am talking to you. At the same time, I am standing aside, as it were, a second person, and knowing and hearing what I am talking. You work and think at the same time, while a portion of your mind stands by and sees what you are thinking.

The powers of the mind should be concentrated and turned back upon itself; and as the darkest places reveal their secrets before the penetrating rays of the sun, so will this concentrated mind penetrate its own innermost secrets. Thus will we come to the basis of belief, the real genuine religion. We will perceive for ourselves whether we have souls, whether life is of five minutes or of eternity, whether there is a God in the universe or more. It will all be revealed to us.

The mind-waves, which are gross, we can appreciate and feel; they can be more easily controlled. But what about the finer instincts? How can they be controlled? When I am angry, my whole mind becomes a huge wave of anger. I feel it, see it, handle it, can easily manipulate it, can fight with it; but I shall not succeed perfectly in the fight until I can get down below to its causes. A man says something very harsh to me, and I begin to feel that I am getting heated, and he goes on till I am perfectly angry and forget myself, identify myself with anger.

2 May 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

If you ask why a man ought to do this and not that, their answer is: "Because such is the command of God." But whatever be the source from which it is derived, their code of ethics also has the same central idea—not to think of self but to give up self.

You can do anything and everything, you are almighty.

What makes you weak? What makes you fear? You are the One Being in the universe. What frightens you? Stand up then and be free. Know that every thought and word that weakens you in this world is the only evil that exists.

Whatever makes men weak and makes them fear is the only evil that should be shunned.

Virtue is that which tends to our improvement, and vice to our degeneration. Man is made up of three qualities— brutal, human, and godly.

That which tends to increase the divinity in you is virtue, and that which tends to increase brutality in you is vice.

You must kill the brutal nature and become human, that is, loving and charitable. You must transcend that too and become pure bliss—Sat-Chit-Ananda, fire without burning, wonderfully loving, but without the weakness of human love, without the feeling of misery.

Religion gives you nothing new; it only takes off obstacles and lets you see your Self. Sickness is the first great obstacle; a healthy body is the best instrument. Melancholy is an almost insuperable barrier.

If you have once known Brahman, never after can you be melancholy.

Doubt, want of perseverance, mistaken ideas are other obstacles.

3 May 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Perfect morality is the all in all of complete control over mind.

The man who is perfectly moral has nothing more to do; he is free.

The man who is perfectly moral cannot possibly hurt anything or anybody. Non-injuring has to be attained by him who would be free. No one is more powerful than he who has attained perfect non-injuring.

No one could fight, no one could quarrel, in his presence. Yes, his very presence, and nothing else, means peace, means love wherever he may be. Nobody could be angry or fight in his presence. Even the animals, ferocious animals, would be peaceful before him.

No man should be judged by his defects. The great virtues a man has are his especially, his errors are the common weaknesses of humanity and should never be counted in estimating his character.

Awakenings

Every soul is destined to be perfect, and every being, in the end, will attain the state of perfection. Whatever we are now is the result of our acts and thoughts in the past; and whatever we shall be in the future will be the result of what we think and do now. But this, the shaping of our destinies, does not preclude our receiving help from outside; nay, in the vast majority of cases such help is absolutely necessary. When it comes, the higher powers and possibilities of the soul are quickened, spiritual life is awakened, growth is animated, and man becomes holy and perfect in the end.

Until the superconscious opens for you, religion is mere talk, it is nothing but preparation. You are talking secondhand, thirdhand.

4 May 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

No book, no person, no Personal God. All these must go. Again, the senses must go. We cannot be bound to the senses.

At present we are tied down — like persons dying of cold in the glaciers. They feel such a strong desire to sleep, and when their friends try to wake them, warning them of death, they say, "Let me die, I want to sleep."

We all cling to the little things of the senses, even if we are ruined thereby; we forget there are much greater things.

Every thought that we think, every deed that we do, after a certain time becomes fine, goes into seed form, so to speak, and lives in the fine body in a potential form, and after a time it emerges again and bears its results. These results condition the life of man.

Thus he moulds his own life. Man is not bound by any other laws excepting those which he makes for himself.

Our thoughts, our words and deeds are the threads of the net which we throw around.

The Fact of Divinity

The more I live, the more I become convinced every day that every human being is divine. In no man or woman, however vile, does that divinity die. Only he or she does not know how to reach it and is waiting for the Truth.

The infinite human soul can never be satisfied but by the Infinite itself.

Until we realize God for ourselves, we can know nothing about Him. Each man is perfect by his nature; prophets have manifested this perfection, but it is potential in us.

In practical daily life we are hurt by small things; we are enslaved by little beings. Misery comes because we think we are finite — we are little beings.

5 May 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

And yet how difficult it is to believe that we are infinite beings! In the midst of all this misery and trouble, when a little thing may throw me off my balance, it must be my care to believe that I am infinite.

And the fact is that we are, and consciously or unconsciously we are all searching after that something which is infinite; we are always seeking for something that is free.

Potentially, each one of us has that infinite ocean of Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss as our birthright, our real nature; and the difference between us is caused by the greater or lesser power to manifest that divine.

Therefore the Vedanta lays down that each man should be treated not as what he manifests, but as what he stands for. Each human being stands for the divine, and, therefore, every teacher should be helpful, not by condemning man, but by helping him to call forth the divinity that is within him.

But the goal of all is the knowledge of the Self, the realization of this Self.

To it all men, all beings have equal right. This is the view acceptable to all.

In Touch with Perfection

Man is the apex of the only "world" we can ever know. Those who have attained "sameness" or perfection, are said to be "living in God." All hatred is "killing the self by the self"; therefore, love is the law of life.

To rise to this is to be perfect.

6 May 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Herein lies the whole secret of existence. Waves may roll over the surface and tempest rage, but deep down there is the stratum of infinite calmness, infinite peace, and infinite bliss.

The finite, manifested man forgets his source and thinks himself to be entirely separate.

We, as personalized, differentiated beings, forget our reality, and the teaching of monism is not that we shall give up these differentiations, but we must learn to understand what they are.

We are in reality that Infinite Being, and our personalities represent so many channels through which this Infinite Reality is manifesting Itself; and the whole mass of changes which we call evolution is brought about by the soul trying to manifest more and more of its infinite energy.

We cannot stop anywhere on this side of the Infinite; our power, and blessedness, and wisdom, cannot but grow into the Infinite.

Infinite power and existence and blessedness are ours, and we have not to acquire them; they are our own, and we have only to manifest them.

Perfect Man

What we want is to see the man who is harmoniously developed.

We want the man whose heart feels intensely the miseries and sorrows of the world; the man who not only can feel but can find the meaning of things, who delves deeply into the heart of nature and understanding; the man who will not even stop there, who wants to work.

Such a combination of head, heart, and hand is what we want.

7 May 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

He is a giant who is equally active, equally knowing, and equally loving? Is it impossible? Certainly not. This is the man of the future, of whom there are few at present.

This mind is like a lake, and every thought is like a wave upon that lake. Just as the lake-waves rise and then fall down and disappear, so these thought-waves are continually rising in the mind-stuff and then disappearing, but they do not disappear forever. They become finer and finer, but they are all there, ready to start up at another time when called upon to do so.

Memory is simply calling back into wave-form some of those thoughts which have gone into that finer state of existence.

Thus, everything that we have thought, every action that we have done, is lodged in the mind; it is all there in fine form, and when a man dies, the sum total of these impressions is in the mind, which again works upon a little fine material as a medium. The soul, clothed, as it were, with these impressions and the fine body, passes out, and the destiny of the soul is guided by the resultant of all the different forces represented by the different impressions.

Meditation has been laid stress upon by all religions. The meditative state of mind is declared by the yogis to be the highest state in which the mind exists. When the mind is studying the external object, it gets identified with it, loses itself.

To use the simile of the old Indian philosopher : the soul of man is like a piece of crystal, but it takes the colour of whatever is near it. Whatever the soul touches ... it has to take its colour.

That is the difficulty. That constitutes the bondage. The colour is so strong, the crystal forgets itself and identifies itself with the colour.

Suppose a red flower is near the crystal: the crystal takes the colour and forgets itself, thinks it is red. We have taken the colour of the body and have forgotten what we are. All the difficulties that follow come from that one dead body. All our fears, all worries, anxieties, troubles, mistakes, weakness, evil, are from that one great blunder — that we are bodies. This is the ordinary person. It is the person taking the colour of the flower near to it. We are no more bodies than the crystal is the red flower.

8 May 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

Turning the Mind Within From our childhood upward we have been taught only to pay attention to things external, but never to things internal; hence most of us have nearly lost the faculty of observing the internal mechanism.

To turn the mind, as it were, inside, stop it from going outside, and then to concentrate all its powers, and throw them upon the mind itself, in order that it may know its own nature, analyze itself, is very hard work.

Yet that is the only way to anything which will be a scientific approach to the subject.

It is good and very grand to conquer external nature, but grander still to conquer our internal nature. It is grand and good to know the laws that govern the stars and planets; it is infinitely grander and better to know the laws that govern the passions, the feelings, the will of mankind. This conquering of the inner man, understanding the secrets of the subtle workings that are within the human mind, and knowing its wonderful secrets, belong entirely to religion.

9 May 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

The mind has to be gradually and systematically brought under control. The will has to be strengthened by slow, continuous, and persevering drill. This is no child's play, no fad to be tried one day and discarded the next.

It is a life's work; and the end to be attained is well worth all that it can cost us to reach it; being nothing less than the realization of our absolute oneness with the Divine. Surely, with this end in view, and with the knowledge that we can certainly succeed, no price can be too great to pay.

The purer the mind, the easier it is to control it.

How has all the knowledge in the world been gained but by the concentration of the powers of the mind? The world is ready to give up its secrets if we only know how to knock, how to give it the necessary blow. The strength and force of the blow come through concentration. There is no limit to the power of the human mind.

The more concentrated it is, the more power is brought to bear on one point; that is the secret.

It is easy to concentrate the mind on external things, the mind naturally goes outward; but not so in the case of religion, or psychology, or metaphysics, where the subject and the object are one.

The object is internal, the mind itself is the object, and it is necessary to study the mind itself — mind studying mind.

10 May 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vivekananda)

We know that there is the power of the mind called reflection. I am talking to you. At the same time I am standing aside, as it were, a second person, and knowing and hearing what I am talking.

You work and think at the same time, while a portion of your mind stands by and sees what you are thinking.

The powers of the mind should be concentrated and turned back upon itself, and as the darkest places reveal their secrets before the penetrating rays of the sun, so will this concentrated mind penetrate its own innermost secrets.

Thus will we come to the basis of belief, the real genuine religion.

We will perceive for ourselves whether we have souls, whether life is of five minutes or of eternity, whether there is a God in the universe or more. It will all be revealed to us.

The mind-waves, which are gross, we can appreciate and feel, they can be more easily controlled; but what about the finer instincts? How can they be controlled? When I am angry, my whole mind becomes a huge wave of anger.

I feel it, see it, handle it, can easily manipulate it, can fight with it; but I shall not succeed perfectly in the fight until I can get down below to its causes.

A man says something very harsh to me, and I begin to feel that I am getting heated, and he goes on till I am perfectly angry and forget myself, identify myself with anger.

When he first began to abuse me, I thought, "I am going to be angry." Anger was one thing, and I was another; but when I became angry, I was anger.

These feelings have to be controlled in the germ, the root, in their fine formfc, before even we have become conscious that they are acting on us.

11 May 2024

(Teachings of Sri Sankaracharya)

Swami Vivekananda said that the Advaita philosophy has saved India twice from materialism, once by Lord Buddha who worked out its moral side, next by Sri Shankaracharya, who rigorously worked out its intellectual side. Advaita has, with Sri Ramakrishna's appearance, saved India and the world for the third time. Sri Ramakrishna reestablished not only its moral and intellectual sides but also made it intensely practical and open to all.

This year Adi Sankaracharya's Jayanti falls on 12th of this month. It is said that, once someone asked Sankaracharya to summarise his teachings. Sankaracharya replied:

"Brahma satyam, jagat-mithya, jivo brahmaiva naparah."

Brahman alone is real, this world is mere appearance, and you are none other than Brahman.

We present some of the core teachings of Sri Sankara below.

IGNORANCE

Just as a piece of rope is imagined to be a snake (in semi-darkness) and an oyster to be a piece of silver, so is the Atman determined to be the body by an ignorant person. Just as the stump of a tree is mistaken for a human figure and a mirage for water, so is the Atman determined to be the body by an ignorant person. The illusion of samsara is due solely to an illusory notion and is not an absolute reality. Atman is verily one and without parts, whereas the body consists of many parts; yet people see these two as one! What else can be called ignorance but this?

Action cannot destroy ignorance, for it is not in conflict with ignorance. Knowledge alone destroys ignorance, as light destroys darkness. It is only because of ignorance that the Self appears to be finite. When ignorance is destroyed, the Self, which does not admit of any multiplicity whatsoever, truth reveals itself by itself, like the sun when the cloud is removed. Avidya or nescience, indescribable and beginningless, is called the cause, which is an upadhi superimposed on Atman. As the movement that belongs to water is attributed, through ignorance, to the moon reflected in it, so also agency, enjoyment and other limitations which belong to the mind are falsely attributed to Atman. Just as the trees are thought to be moving in a direction opposite to that of a moving boat by a man in it, so transmigratory existence is considered to belong to the Self.

12 May 2024

((Today is the Janma-Tithi of Sri Sankaracharya. On this Holy day may Sri Sankaracharya bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.))

(Teachings of Sri Sankaracharya)

Ignorance is nothing but a superimposition of the non-self. The destruction of ignorance is liberation. Darkness cannot remove darkness. Wisdom, being incompatible with ignorance, puts it to flight. The ignorant long for results and engage in action with the idea of doership and enjoyership. The ignorant are deluded and think, "I act," "I cause others to act," "I enjoy," "I cause others to enjoy," and so on. Avidya or Maya is the power of the Lord. She is without beginning, is made up of three gunas and is superior to the effects. She is to be inferred by one of clear intellect only from the effects she produces. It is she who brings forth the whole universe.

Jai Ramakrishna. 13 May 2024

(Teachings of Sri Sankaracharya)

THE TEACHER AND THE DISCIPLE

A real teacher is he who is well-versed in the Vedas, sinless, unsmitten by desire and the best among the knowers of Brahman; who has withdrawn himself into Brahman; is calm like the fire that has consumed its fuel; who is a boundless reservoir of mercy that is ineffable, and a friend of all good people that prostrate themselves before him.

Worshipping such a teacher (Guru) with devotion and approaching him when he is pleased, with prostration, humility and service, the disciple should ask him what he has got to know: "O master, O friend of those that bow to you, you who is an ocean of mercy, I bow to you; save me, fallen as I am into the sea of birth and death, with a straight-forward glance of your eye which sheds supreme grace like nectar."

There are good souls, calm and magnanimous, who do good to others as the spring does, and who, having themselves crossed this dreadful ocean of birth and death, help others also to cross the same, without any motive whatsoever.

"O Lord, with your nectarlike speech, sweetened by the enjoyment of the elixir-like bliss of Brahman, do sprinkle on me who am tormented by worldly affliction as by the tongues of a forest fire."

14 May 2024

(Teachings of Sri Sankaracharya)

THE TEACHER AND THE DISCIPLE

"How to cross this ocean of phenomenal existence, what is to be my fate, and which of the means should I adopt—as to these I know nothing. Condescend to save me, O Lord, and describe at length how to put an end to the misery of this relative existence?"

To him who has sought for protection, thirsting for liberation, who duly obeys the injunctions of the scriptures, who is of a pacified mind, and endowed with calmness, the sage proceeds to inculcate the truth out of sheer grace:

"Fear not, O learned one, there is no death for you; there is a means of crossing this sea of relative existence; that very way by which sages have gone beyond it, I shall show to you."

13 May 2024

(Teachings of Sri Sankaracharya)

THE TEACHER AND THE DISCIPLE

A real teacher is he who is well-versed in the Vedas, sinless, unsmitten by desire and the best among the knowers of Brahman, who has withdrawn himself into Brahman, is calm like the fire that has consumed its fuel, who is a boundless reservoir of mercy that is ineffable, and a friend of all good people that prostrate themselves before him.

Worshipping such a teacher (Guru) with devotion and approaching him when he is pleased, with prostration, humility and service, the disciple should ask him what he has got to know: 'O master, O friend of those that bow to you, you who is an ocean of mercy, I bow to you; save me, fallen as I am into the sea of birth and death, with a straight-forward glance of your eye which sheds supreme grace like nectar.

'There are good souls, calm and magnanimous, who do good to others as the spring does, and who, having themselves crossed this dreadful ocean of birth and death, help others also to cross the same, without any motive whatsoever.

'0 Lord, with your nectarlike speech, sweetened by the enjoyment of the elixir-like bliss of Brahman, do sprinkle on me who am tormented by worldly affliction as by the tongues of a forest fire.

14 May 2024

(Teachings of Sri Sankaracharya)

THE TEACHER AND THE DISCIPLE

How to cross this ocean of phenomenal existence, what is to be my fate, and which of the means should I adopt—as to these I know nothing. Condescend to save me, O Lord, and describe at length how to put an end to the misery of this relative existence?

To him who has sought for protection, thirsting for liberation, who duly obeys the injunctions of the scriptures, who is of a pacified mind, and endowed with calmness, the sage proceeds to inculcate the truth out of sheer grace:

Fear not, O learned one, there is no death for you; there is a means of crossing this sea of relative existence; that very way by which sages have gone beyond it, I shall show to you.

'There is a sovereign means which puts an end to the fear of relative existence; through that you will cross the sea of samsara and attain Bliss Supreme.

'Reasoning on the meaning of the Vedanta leads to efficient knowledge, which is immediately followed by the total annihilation of the misery born of relative existence.

'Faith, devotion and the yoga of meditation—these are mentioned by the Vedas as the immediate factors of liberation in the case of a seeker; whoever abides by these, gets liberation from the bondage of the body, which is the conjuring of ignorance.

'It is verily through the influence of ignorance that you who are the supreme Self, find yourself under the bondage of the non-Self, whence alone proceeds the round of births and deaths.

'Who but oneself can get rid of the bondage caused by the fetters of ignorance, desire, action and the like, aye, even in a hundred crore of cycles?

15 May 2024

(Teachings of Sri Sankaracharya)

THE TEACHER AND THE DISCIPLE

A father has got his sons and others to free him from his debts, but he has got none but himself to remove his bondage. The trouble such as that caused by a load on the head can be removed by others, but none, except one's own self, can put a stop to the pain which is caused by hunger and the like. That patient alone who takes diet and medicine is seen to recover—and not through the work done by others. Who but oneself can get rid of the bondage caused by the fetters of ignorance, desire, action and the like, aye, even in a hundred crore of cycles?

Neither by Yoga, nor Sankhya, nor by work, nor by learning, but by the realisation of one's identity with Brahman is liberation possible, and by no other means. The scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest which merely causes the mind to wander in it. Hence the man of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

The first step to liberation is extreme aversion to all perishable things; then follow calmness, self-control, forbearance and the utter relinquishment of all work enjoined in the scriptures. Then, for the Muni, come hearing, reflection on That, and long, constant and unbroken meditation on the Truth. After that, the learned one attains the supreme Nirvikalpa state and enjoys the bliss of Nirvana even in this life.

My refuge is neither my mother, nor my father, nor sons, nor brothers, nor others. My supreme refuge shall be the foot placed by my master on my head.

16 May 2024

(Teachings of Sri Sankaracharya)

WHAT AM I?

I am the Lord of lords. I am devoid of even a touch of jealousy and hatred. I am He that fulfils the desired object for those who are bent on realizing the goal. I am undecaying, I am imperishable. I am the Lord, I am the consciousness of the inner self, I am full of supreme bliss, I am the supreme Self, I am the infinite.

I am full of Bliss, Knowledge and the realisation of the Self. I am far aloof from any thought of the objective. I am delighted at heart by that which is not objective. I pervade up and down and around with my own extraordinary glories. I am He who appears to be determined by means of argument, counter-argument and enquiry.

I am free from changes such as birth, growth, senility and death; for I am other than the body. I am unattached to the objects of the senses, such as sound and taste; for I am without sense-organs. I am free from sorrow, attachment, malice and fear; for I am other than the mind.

Jai Ramakrishna 17 May 2024

(Teachings of Sri Sankaracharya)

HYMN OF RENUNCIATION

When youth goes, of what good is passion; when the water dries up, what is the use of a lake; when money is exhausted, where are the kinsmen; and when the real Truth is known, what charm has this world?

Lust at the sight of a young woman springs from ignorance and delusion. Reason points out inwardly, time and again, that bodies are only the combinations of flesh, blood and fat.

Who are you? Who am I? Whence have I come? Who is my mother? Who my father? Pondering thus, perceive them all as only fancies without substance, and give up the world as an idle dream.

While a man's soul lives in his body, fondly his family ask about his well-being. But when the life-breath leaves its dwelling, even his wife flees in fear. So, worship only Govinda, the Lord.

He who yields to lust for (momentary) pleasure, leaves his body a prey to disease. Yet, though death is the only final ending, none forswears his sinfulness.

O fool! Abandon the desire for amassing wealth; cultivate good thoughts in your mind. Devote your mind to righteousness and let dispassion be your law. Content your mind with what you earn through the deeds performed by your previous Karma.

Ever remember that riches bring grief; indeed no joy abides in them. A rich man even fears his own son, this happens everywhere.

18 May 2024

(Teachings of Sri Sankaracharya)

SIX STANZAS ON NIRVANA (SALVATION)

I am neither the mind, intelligence, ego nor chitta (seat of memory); neither the ears nor the tongue nor the senses of smell and sight; neither ether nor air, nor fire, nor water nor earth—I am eternal bliss and awareness— I am Siva! I am Siva!

I am neither the prana (vital force), nor the five vital breaths, neither the seven elements of the body, nor its five sheaths, nor hands, nor feet, nor tongue, nor other organs of action. I am eternal bliss and awareness—I am Siva! I am Siva!

Neither greed nor delusion, nor loathing, nor liking have I; nothing of pride or ego, neither of dharma or object, nor of desire or liberation. I am eternal bliss and awareness—I am Siva! I am Siva!

Nothing of pleasure or pain or virtue or vice do I know, of mantra or sacred place, of Vedas or sacrifice; neither am I the eater, nor the food nor the act of eating; I am eternal bliss and awareness—I am Siva! I am Siva!

Death or fear have I none nor any distinction of caste; neither father nor mother; nor even a birth have I; neither friend nor comrade, neither disciple nor Guru. I am eternal bliss and awareness—I am Siva! I am Siva!

I have no form or fancy, the all-pervading am I; everywhere I exist, and yet am beyond the senses; neither salvation am I, nor anything to be known.

17 May 2024

(Teachings of Sri Sankaracharya)

HYMN OF RENUNCIATION

When youth goes, of what good is passion; when the water dries up, what is the use of a lake; when money is exhausted, where are the kinsmen; and when the real Truth is known, what charm has this world?

Lust at the sight of a young woman springs from ignorance and delusion. Reason points out inwardly, time and again, that bodies are only the combinations of flesh, blood and fat.

Who are you? Who am I? Whence have I come? Who is my mother? Who my father? Pondering thus, perceive them all as only fancies without substance, and give up the world as an idle dream.

While a man's soul lives in his body, fondly his family ask about his well-being. But when the life-breath leaves its dwelling, even his wife flees in fear. So, worship only Govinda, the Lord.

He who yields to lust for (momentary) pleasure, leaves his body a prey to disease. Yet, though death is the only final ending, none forswears his sinfulness.

O fool! Abandon the desire for amassing wealth; cultivate good thoughts in your mind. Devote your mind to righteousness and let dispassion be your law. Content your mind with what you earn through the deeds performed by your previous Karma.

Ever remember that riches bring grief; indeed no joy abides in them. A rich man even fears his own son, this happens everywhere.

18 May 2024

(Teachings of Sri Sankaracharya)

SIX STANZAS ON NIRVANA (SALVATION)

I am neither the mind, intelligence, ego nor chitta (seat of memory); neither the ears nor the tongue nor the senses of smell and sight; neither ether nor air, nor fire, nor water nor earth—I am eternal bliss and awareness— I am Siva! I am Siva!

I am neither the prana (vital force), nor the five vital breaths, neither the seven elements of the body, nor its five sheaths, nor hands, nor feet, nor tongue, nor other organs of action. I am eternal bliss and awareness—I am Siva! I am Siva!

Neither greed nor delusion, nor loathing, nor liking have I; nothing of pride or ego, neither of dharma

or object, nor of desire or liberation. I am eternal bliss and awareness—I am Siva! I am Siva!

Nothing of pleasure or pain or virtue or vice do I know, of mantra or sacred place, of Vedas or sacrifice; neither am I the eater, nor the food nor the act of eating; I am eternal bliss and awareness—I am Siva! I am Siva!

Death or fear have I none nor any distinction of caste; neither father nor mother; nor even a birth have I; neither friend nor comrade, neither disciple nor Guru. I am eternal bliss and awareness—I am Siva! I am Siva!

I have no form or fancy, the all-pervading am I; everywhere I exist, and yet am beyond the senses; neither

salvation am I, nor anything to be known. I am eternal bliss and awareness—I am Siva! I am Siva!

19 May 2024

(Teachings of Sankaracharya)

KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge is not brought about by any means other than *vichara* (enquiry), just as an object is nowhere perceived without the help of light. When the mind becomes purified like a mirror, Knowledge is revealed in it. Care should therefore be taken to purify the mind. I am free from all impurity, I am immovable, unlimited, I am undecaying and immortal. I am not the body which is non-existent. This is called true Knowledge by the wise. I do not undergo any change, neither do I have any form. I am free from all blemish and decay. I am not the body which is non-existent. This is called true Knowledge. I am without any attribute or activity. I am ever free, eternal and imperishable. I am not the body which is non-existent. This is called true Knowledge. Objects of Knowledge exist in the intellect as long as it is there; but they do not exist in the absence of the intellect. The Knower is always the Knower. Duality has, therefore, no existence. As fire is the direct cause for cooking, so Knowledge, and not any other form of discipline, is the direct cause of liberation; for liberation cannot be attained without Knowledge. Through constant and repeated practice, Knowledge purifies the embodied soul stained by ignorance and then itself disappears, as the powder of Kataka nut disappears after cleansing the muddy water. By constant meditation (comparable to the rubbing of two pieces of firewood) is kindled the flame of Knowledge which completely burns up the fuel of ignorance.

20 May 2024

(Teachings of Sankaracharya)

KNOWLEDGE

The Knowledge produced by the realisation of the true nature of the Reality destroys immediately the ignorance characterized by the notions of 'I' and 'mine' as the sun removes any error regarding one's direction. The yogi endowed with complete enlightenment sees through the eye of Knowledge the entire universe in his own Self and regards everything as the Self and nothing else. The cessation of superimposition takes place through perfect Knowledge and by no other means. Perfect Knowledge, according to the Vedas, consists in the realisation of the identity of the individual soul and Brahman. The result of dispassion is Knowledge, that of Knowledge is withdrawal from sense-pleasures which leads to the experience of the Bliss of the Self, whence follows peace. The nature of true Knowledge cuts at the very root of egoism and burns actions to ashes. There is then neither the doer of actions nor the experience of their results. For the sake of salvation, a man may go on pilgrimage to Gangasagara, keep his vows and give in charity to the poor, but without Knowledge none of these assures him freedom. Knowledge of the Self leads to instantaneous realisation here and now. The established proposition of all Upanishads is that final release results from Knowledge. While there was the darkness of ignorance, I saw the whole universe as a reality. But when the sun of Knowledge has risen, I see nothing at all.

21 May 2024

(Teachings of Sankaracharya)

THE ATMAN

The Atman that is Absolute, Existence and Knowledge, cannot be realised without constant practice. So, one seeking Knowledge should meditate long upon Brahman for the attainment of the desired goal. The mind, the sense-organs, and so on, are illumined by the Atman alone, as a jar or a pot is by a lamp. But these objects cannot illumine their own Self. As a lighted lamp does not need another lamp to manifest its light, so the Atman, being Consciousness Itself, does not need another instrument to illumine Itself. The Atman regarding Itself as a jiva is overcome by fear, just like the man who regards a rope as a snake. The soul regains fearlessness by realizing that it is not a jiva but the supreme Soul. As the sun appears after the removal of darkness by dawn, so the Atman appears after the removal of ignorance by Knowledge. The tangible universe is verily Atman; nothing whatsoever exists that is other than Atman. As pots and jars are verily clay and cannot be anything but clay, so to the enlightened, all that is perceived is the Self. He is a knower of the Self to whom the ideas 'me' and 'mine' have become quite meaningless. Just as the pure and limitless ether does not get attached to things nor is tainted, so the Self is always the same in all beings and free from old age, death and fear. The Self is without adjuncts, indescribable, without parts, without qualities and pure which the mind and speech do not reach.

22 May 2024

(Teachings of Sankaracharya)

ATMAN

Illumining the modifications of consciousness which have for their objects waking, dream and deep sleep, the all-pervading Self is the same in all beings and is the witness of them all. The Sruti says that the knots of the heart are torn asunder, all doubts disappear and one's actions come to an end when the Self is seen. Just as there is no darkness in the sun as it is of the nature of light only, so there is no ignorance in the Self as It is of the nature of eternal Knowledge. Similarly, the Self has no change of states as It is of a changeless nature. It would, no doubt, be destructible if It underwent any change. The Self should be regarded as Brahman Itself in accordance with the Srutis: 'The Self is here and now', 'All the knots of the heart are torn asunder', and so on. The Self is not an object of Knowledge. There is no charge of manifold in It. It is therefore capable of neither being accepted nor rejected by anyone else. Why should a man have even the least fear who knows that he is the Self comprising the interior and the exterior, beyond birth, decay, old age and death? How can one be born who has known the oneness of the Self and Brahman, and is sure of the non-existence of the seed called ignorance?

The Self is not a thing which is unknown to anyone at anytime, nor is it an object to be attained or got rid of. Just as there is no need for any external evidence to know one's own body, so also there is no necessity for any outside evidence to know one's own Self. The intense desire for the realisation of the Atman after renouncing all others, is alone the means for the attainment of the Atman.

23 May 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Lord Buddha, known as the Thrice Blessed Vaisakhi Poornima Day.

Buddha was born on, attained Bodhi or Realization and entered into Maha Nirvana on this same full moon day. So, it is known as 'Thrice Blessed Day'.

On this Holy day may the Lord Buddha bless us all with Nirvana.)

(Thus Spake Buddha)

THE FOUR ARYAN NOBLE TRUTHS

"I teach suffering, its origin, cessation and path. That's all I teach", declared the Buddha 2500 years ago.

The Four Noble Truths contain the essence of the Buddha's teachings. It was these four principles that the Buddha came to understand during his meditation under the bodhi tree.

The truth of suffering (Dukkha)

The truth of the origin of suffering (Samaya)

The truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha)

The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga)

The Buddha is often compared to a physician.

In the first two Noble Truths he diagnosed the problem (suffering) and identified its cause.

The third Noble Truth is the realisation that there is a cure.

The fourth Noble Truth, in which the Buddha set out the Eightfold Path, is the prescription, the way to achieve a release from suffering.

THE FIVE PRECEPTS

Take the precept to abstain from killing.

Take the precept to abstain from stealing.

Take the precept to abstain from adultery.

Take the precept to abstain from lying.

Take the precept to abstain from liquor.

THE WAY OR THE EIGHT-FOLD PATH

Right Understanding (free from superstition and delusion)

Right Thought (high and worthy of the intelligent)

Right Speech (kindly, open, truthful)

Right Actions (peaceful, honest, pure)

Right Livelihood (not bringing hurt or danger to living being)

Right Effort (in self-training and in self-control)

Right Mindfulness (the active watchful mind)

Right Concentration (in deep meditation on the realities of life)

SOME ACTS OF MERIT

Give charity to the deserving.

Observe the precepts of morality.

Cultivate and develop good thoughts.

Render service and attend on others.

Honour and nurse parents and elders.

Give a share of your merits to others.

Accept the merits that others give you.

Hear the doctrine of righteousness.

Preach the doctrine of righteousness.

Rectify your faults.

24 May 2024

(Teachings of Buddha)

THREE WARNINGS

Didn't you ever see in the world a man or a woman, eighty, ninety or a hundred years old, frail, crooked as a gable roof, bent down, resting on crutches, with tottering steps, infirm, youth long since fled, with broken teeth, grey and scanty hair or bald-headed, wrinkled with blotched limbs? And did the thought never come to you that you are also subject to decay that you also cannot escape it?

Did you never see in the world a man or a woman, who being sick, afflicted and grievously ill, and wallowing in his or her own filth, was lifted up by some people, and put to bed by others? And did the thought never come to you that you, that you also, are subject to disease, that you also cannot escape it?

Didn’t you ever see in the world the corpse of a man or a woman, one or two or three days after death, swollen up, blue-black in colour, and decomposing? And did the thought never come to you that you also are subject to death, that you also cannot escape it?

25 May 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

1. All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage.

2. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.

3. “He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me,”—in those who harbour such thoughts hatred will never cease.

4 . “He abused me, be beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me,"—in those who do not harbour such thoughts hatred will cease.

5. For hatred does not cease, by hatred at any time. hatred ceases by love; this is an old rule,

6. The world does not know that we must all come to an end here-but those who know it, their quarrels cease at once.

7. He who lives looking for pleasures only, his senses uncontrolled, immoderate in his food, idle, and weak, Mara (the Tempter) will certainly overthrow him, as the wind throws down a weak tree.

8. He who lives without looking for pleasures, his senses well-controlled, moderate in his food, faithful and strong, him Mara will certainly not overthrow, any more than the wind throws down a rocky mountain.

26 May 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

9. He who wishes to put on the sacred orange-coloured dress without having cleansed himself from sin, who disregards also temperance and truth, is unworthy of the orange-coloured dress.

10. But he who has cleansed himself from sin, is well grounded in all virtues, and regards also temperance and truth, he is indeed worthy of the orange-coloured dress.

11. They who imagine truth in untruth, and see untruth in truth, never arrive at truth, but follow vain desires.

12. They who know truth in truth, and untruth in untruth, arrive at truth, and follow true desires.

13. As rain breaks through an ill-thatched house, passion will break through an unreflecting mind.

14. As rain does not break through a well-thatched house, passion will not break a well-reflecting mind.

15. The evil-doer mourns in this world, and he mourns in the next; he mourns in both. He mourns and suffers when he sees the evil of his own work.

16. The virtuous man delights in this world, and he delights in the next; he delights in both. He delights and rejoices, when he sees the purity of his own work.

17. The evil-doer suffers in this world, and he suffers in the next; he suffers in both. He suffers when he thinks of the evil he has done; he suffers more when going on the evil path.

27 May 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

18. The virtuous man is happy in this world, and he is happy in the next; he is happy in both. He is happy when he thinks of the good he has done; he is still more happy when going on the good path.

19. The thoughtless man, even if he can recite a large portion (of the Law), but is not a doer of it, has no share in the priesthood, but is like a cowherd counting the cows of others.

20. The follower of the Law, even if he can recite only a small portion (of the Law), but, having forsaken passion and hatred and foolishness, possesses true knowledge and serenity of mind, he, caring for nothing in this world or that to come, has indeed a share in the priesthood.

ON EARNESTNESS.

21. Earnestness is the path of immortality (Nirvana), thoughtlessness the path of death. Those who are in earnest do not die, those who are thoughtless are as if dead already.

22. Those who are advanced in earnestness, having understood this clearly, delight in earnestness, and rejoice in the knowledge of the Aryas (the elect).

23. These wise people, meditative, steady', always possessed of strong powers, attain to Nirvana, the highest happiness.

21. If an earnest person has roused himself, if he is not forgetful, if his deeds are pure, if he acts with consideration, if he restrains himself, and lives according to Law, then his glory will increase.

25. By rousing himself, by earnestness, by restraint and control, the wise man may make for himself an island Which no flood can overwhelm.

26. Fools follow after vanity, of evil wisdom. The wise plan keeps earnestness as his best jewel.

27. Follow not after vanity, nor after the enjoyment of love and lust. He who is earnest and meditative, obtains ample joy.

28 May 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

The follower of the Law, even if he can recite only a small portion (of the Law), but, having forsaken passion and hatred and foolishness, possesses true knowledge and serenity of mind, he, caring for nothing in this world or that to come, has indeed a share in the priesthood.

ON EARNESTNESS.

21. Earnestness is the path of immortality (Nirvana), thoughtlessness the path of death. Those who are in earnest do not die, those who are thoughtless are as if dead already.

22. Those who are advanced in earnestness, having understood this clearly, delight in earnestness, and rejoice in the knowledge of the Aryas (the elect).

23. These wise people, meditative, steady, always possessed of strong powers, attain to Nirvana, the highest happiness.

24. If an earnest person has roused himself, if he is not forgetful, if his deeds are pure, if he acts with consideration, if he restrains himself, and lives according to Law, then his glory will increase.

25. By rousing himself, by earnestness, by restraint and control, the wise man may make for himself an island which no flood can overwhelm.

26. Fools follow after vanity, men of evil wisdom. The wise man keeps earnestness as his best jewel.

27. Follow not after vanity, nor after the enjoyment of love and lust. He who is earnest and meditative, obtains ample joy.

28. When the learned man drives away vanity by earnestness, he, the wise, climbing the terraced heights of wisdom, looks down upon the fools, serene he looks upon the toiling crowd, as one that stands on a mountain looks down upon them that stand upon the plain.

29. Earnest among the thoughtless, awake among the sleepers, the wise man advances like a racer, leaving behind the slack.

30. By earnestness did Maghavan (Indra) rise to the lordship of the gods. People praise earnestness; thoughtlessness is always blamed.

31. A Bhikshu (mendicant) who delights in earnestness, who looks with fear on thoughtlessness, moves about like fire, burning all his fetters, small or large.

32. A Bhikshu (mendicant) who delights in reflection, who looks with fear on thoughtlessness, cannot fall away (from his perfect state)—he is close upon Nirvana.

33. As a fletcher makes straight his arrow, a wise man makes straight his trembling and unsteady thought, which is difficult to guard, difficult to hold back.

34. As a fish taken from his watery home and thrown on the dry ground, our thought trembles all over in order to escape the dominion of Mara (the Tempter).

35. It is good to tame the mind, which is difficult to hold in and flighty, rushing wherever it listeth; a tamed mind brings happiness.

36. Let the wise man guard his thoughts, for they are difficult to perceive, very artful, and they rush wherever they list. Thoughts well guarded bring happiness.

37. He who bridles his mind which travels far, moves about alone, is without a body, and hides in the chamber (of the heart), will be free from the bonds of Mara (the Tempter).

29 May 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

If a man’s thoughts are unsteady, if he does not know the true law, if, his peace of mind is troubled, his knowledge will never be perfect.

If a man's thoughts are not dissipated, if his mind is not perplexed, if he has ceased to think of good or evil, then there is no fear for him while he is watchful.

Knowing that this body is (fragile) like a jar, and making this thought firm like a fortress, one should attack Mara (the Tempter) with the weapon of knowledge, one should watch him when conquered, and should never rest.

Before long alas, this body will lie on the earth, despised, without understanding, like a useless log.

Whatever a hater may do to a hater, or an enemy to an enemy, a wrongly-directed mind Will do us greater mischief.

Not a mother, not a father will do so much, nor any other relative; but a well-directed mind will do us greater service.

CHAPTER IV

FLOWERS

Who shall overcome this earth, and the world of Yama (the lord of the departed), and the world of the gods? Who shall find out the plainly-shown path of virtue, as a clever man finds out the (right) flower?

The disciple will overcome the earth, and the world of Yama, and the world of the gods. The disciple will find out the plainly-shown path of virtue, as a clever man finds out the (right) flower.

He who knows that this body is like froth, and

has learnt that it is as unsubstantial as a mirage, will break the flower-pointed arrow of Mara, and never see the King of Death.

30 May 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

CHAPTER IV

FLOWERS

Who shall overcome this earth, and the world of Yama (the lord of the departed), and the world of the gods? Who shall find out the plainly-shown path of virtue, as a clever man finds out the (right) flower?

The disciple will overcome the earth, and the world of Yama, and the world of the gods. The disciple will find out the plainly-shown path of virtue, as a clever man finds out the (right) flower.

He who knows that this body is like froth, and has learnt that it is as unsubstantial as a mirage, will break the flower-pointed arrow of Mara, and never see the King of Death.

Death carries off a man who is gathering flowers and whose mind is distracted, as a flood carries off a sleeping village.

Death subdues a man who is gathering flowers, and whose mind is distracted, before he is satiated in his pleasures.

As the bee collects nectar and departs without injuring the flower, or its colour or scent, so let a sage dwell in his village.

Not the perversities of others, not their sins of commission or omission, but his own misdeeds and negligences should a sage take notice of.

Like a beautiful flower, full of colour, but without scent, are the fine but fruitless words of him who does not act accordingly.

But, like a beautiful flower, full of colour and full of fragrance, are the fine and fruitful words of him who acts accordingly.

31 May 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

CHAPTER IV

FLOWERS

As many kinds of wreaths can be made from a heap of flowers, so many good things may be achieved by a mortal when once he is born.

The scent of flowers does not travel against the wind, nor (that of) sandal-wood, or of Tagara flowers; but the odour of good people travels even against the wind; a good man pervades every place.

Sandal-wood or Tagara, a lotus-flower, among these sorts of perfumes, the perfume of virtue is unsurpassed.

Mean is the scent that comes from Tagara and sandal-wood, — the perfume of those who possess virtue rises up to the gods as the highest.

Of the people who possess these virtues, who live without thoughtlessness, and who are emancipated through true knowledge, Mara, the Tempter, never finds the way.

As on a heap of rubbish cast upon the highway the lily will grow full of sweet perfume and delight, thus the disciple of the truly enlightened Buddha shines forth by his knowledge among those who are like rubbish, among the people that walk in darkness.

1 June 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

THE FOOL

Let a fool, month after month, eat his food (like an ascetic) with the tip of a blade of Kusa grass, yet he is not worth a sixteenth particle of those who have well weighed the Law.

An evil deed like newly-drawn milk, does not give result (suddenly); smouldering like fire covered by ashes, it follows the fool.

And when the evil deed, after it has become known, brings sorrow to the fool, then it destroys his bright lot, nay, it cleaves his head.

Let the fool wish for a false reputation, for precedence among the Bhikshus, for lordship in the convents, for worship among other people!

“May both the layman and he who has left the

world think that this is done by me; may people be subject to me in everything which is to be done or is not to be done;” in this manner, is the mind of the fool, and his desire and pride increase.

“One is the road that leads to wealth, another the road that leads to Nirvana;” if the Bhikshu, the disciple of Buddha, has learnt this, he will not yearn for honour, he will strive after separation from the world.

THE WISE

If you see an intelligent man who tells you where true treasures are to be found, who shows what is to be avoided, and who administers reproofs, follow that wise man; it will be better, not -worse, for those who follow him.

Let him admonish, let him teach, let him forbid what is improper! —he will be beloved of the good; by the bad he will be hated.

2 June 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

THE FOOL

An evil deed, like newly-drawn milk, does not give result suddenly; smouldering, like fire covered by ashes, it follows the fool. And when the evil deed, after it has become known, brings sorrow to the fool, then it destroys his bright lot; nay, it cleaves his head.

Let the fool wish for a false reputation, for precedence among the Bhikshus, for lordship in the convents, for worship among other people! “May both the layman and he who has left the world think that this is done by me; may people be subject to me in everything which is to be done or is not to be done.” In this manner is the mind of the fool, and his desire and pride increase.

“One is the road that leads to wealth, another the road that leads to Nirvana.” If the Bhikshu, the disciple of Buddha, has learnt this, he will not yearn for honour; he will strive after separation from the world.

THE WISE

If you see an intelligent man who tells you where true treasures are to be found, who shows what is to be avoided, and who administers reproofs, follow that wise man; it will be better, not worse, for those who follow him.

Let him admonish, let him teach, let him forbid what is improper—he will be beloved of the good; by the bad he will be hated.

Do not have evil-doers for friends; do not have low people for friends. Have virtuous people for friends; have for friends the best of men.

He who drinks in the Law lives happily with a serene mind: the sage rejoices always in the Law, as preached by the elect Aryas.

Well-makers lead the water wherever they like; fletchers bend the arrow; carpenters bend a log of wood; likewise, wise people fashion themselves.

As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind, wise people falter not amidst blame and praise.

Wise people, after they have listened to the laws, become serene, like a deep, smooth, and still lake.

Good people walk on whatever befall; the good do not prattle or long for pleasure. Whether touched by happiness or sorrow, wise people never appear elated or depressed.

If, whether for his own sake or for the sake of others, a man wishes neither for a son, nor for wealth, nor for lordship, and if he does not wish for his own success by unfair means, then he is good, wise, and virtuous.

Few are there among men who arrive at the other shore (become Arhats); the other people here run up and down the shore. But those who, when the Law has been well preached to them, follow the Law, will pass across the dominion of death, however difficult to overcome.

3 June 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

THE WISE

A wise man-should leave the dark state (of ordinary life), and follow the bright state (of the Bhikshu).

After going from his home to a homeless state, he should in his retirement look for enjoyment where there seemed to be no enjoyment.

Leaving all pleasures behind, and calling nothing his own, the wise man should purge himself from all the troubles of the mind.

Those whose mind is well grounded in the seven elements of knowledge, who without clinging to anything, rejoice in freedom from attachment, whose appetites have been conquered, and who are full of light, are free even while living in this world.

CHAPTER VII

THE VENERABLE.

There is no suffering for him who has finished his journey, and abandoned grief, who has freed himself on all sides, and thrown off all fetters.

Men who have no riches, who live on food collected, who have perceived void and unconditioned freedom (Nirvana), their path is difficult to understand, like that of birds in the air.

The gods even envy him whose senses, like horses well broken-in by the driver, have been subdued, who is free from pride, and free from appetites.

Such a one who does his duty, is tolerant like the earth, becomes like Indra’s bolt; he is like a lake without mud; no new births are in store for him.

His thought is quiet, quiet are his words and deeds, when he has obtained freedom by true knowledge. He thus become a quiet man.

The man who is free from credulity, but knows the uncreated, who has cut all ties, removed all temptations, renounced all desires, he is the greatest of men.

In a hamlet or in a forest, in the deep water or on the dry land, wherever venerable persons (Arahants) dwell, that place is sacred, that place is delightful.

Where the world has no delight, there the passionless will find delight, for they look not for pleasures.

4 June 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

THE VENERABLE

Those whose mind is well grounded in the seven elements of knowledge, who without clinging to anything, rejoice in freedom from attachment, whose appetites have been conquered, and who are full of light, are free even while living in this world.

There is no suffering for him who has finished his journey, and abandoned grief, who has freed himself on all sides, and thrown off all fetters.

Men who have no riches, who live on food collected, who have perceived void and unconditioned freedom (Nirvana), their path is difficult to understand, like that of birds in the air.

The gods even envy him whose senses, like horses well broken-in by the driver, have been subdued, who is free from pride, and free from appetites.

Such a one who does his duty, is tolerant like the earth, becomes like Indra’s bolt; he is like a lake without mud; no new births are in store for him.

His thought is quiet, quiet are his words and deeds, when he has obtained freedom by true knowledge. He thus become a quiet man.

The man who is free from credulity, but knows the uncreated, who has cut all ties, removed all temptations, renounced all desires, he is the greatest of men.

In a hamlet or in a forest, in the deep water or on the dry land, wherever venerable persons (Arahants) dwell, that place is sacred, that place is delightful.

Where the world has no delight, there the passionless will find delight, for they look not for pleasures.

THE THOUSANDS

Even though a speech be a thousand (of words), but made up of senseless words, one word of sense is better, which if a man hears, he becomes quiet.

Even though a Gatha (poem) be a thousand words, but made up of senseless words, one word of a Gatha is better, which if a man hears, he becomes quiet.

If one man conquers in battle a thousand times thousand men, and if another conquer himself, he is the greatest of conquerors.

One’s own self conquered is better than all other people; not even a god, a Gandharva, nor Mara with Brahman could change into defeat the victory of a man who has vanquished himself, and always lives under restraint.

If a man, for a hundred years sacrifice month after month with a thousand, and if he but for one moment pay homage to a man whose soul is grounded (in true knowledge), better is that homage than a sacrifice for a hundred years.

Whatever a man sacrifices in this world as an offering or as an oblation for a whole year in order to gain merit, the whole of it is not worth a quarter (a farthing) reverence shown to the righteous.

He who always greets and constantly reveres the aged, four things will increase to him, namely—life, beauty, happiness, power.

But he who lives a hundred years, vicious and unrestrained, a life of one day is better if a man is virtuous and reflecting.

And he who lives a hundred years, ignorant and unrestrained, a life of one day is better if a man is wise and reflecting.

5 June 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

LIFE IN Dharma

And he who lives a hundred years, idle and weak, a life of one day is better if a man has attained firm strength.

And he who lives a hundred years, not seeing beginning and end, a life of one day is better if a man sees beginning and end.

And he who lives a hundred years, not seeing the immortal place, a life of one day is better if a man sees the immortal place.

And he who lives a hundred years, not seeing the highest law, a life of one day is better if a man sees the highest law.

EVIL.

If a man would hasten towards the good, he should keep his thought away from evil; if a man does what is good slothfully, his mind delights in evil.

If a man commits a sin, let him not do it again; let him not delight in sin: pain is the outcome of evil.

If a man does what is good, let him do it again; let him delight in it: happiness is the outcome of good.

Even an evil-doer sees happiness as long as his evil deed has not ripened; but when his evil deed has ripened, then only does the evil-doer see evil.

Even a good man sees evil days, as long as his good deed has not ripened; but when his good deed has ripened, then does the good man see happy days.

Let no man think lightly of evil, saying in his heart - it will not come near unto me. Even by the falling of water-drops a water-pot is filled, the fool becomes full of evil, even if he gathers it little by little.

6 June 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

LIFE IN DHARMA

Let no man think lightly of good, saying in his heart, it will not benefit me. Even by the slow falling of water-drops a water-pot is filled; similarly the wise man becomes full of good, even if he gathers it little by little.

Let a man avoid evil deeds, as a merchant, if he has few companions and carries much wealth avoids a dangerous road; and like a man who loves life avoids poison.

He who has no wound on his hand, may touch poison with his hand; poison does not affect one who has no wound; nor is there evil for one who does not commit evil.

If a man offends a harmless, pure and innocent person, the evil falls back upon that fool, like dust thrown up against the wind.

People are born again; evil-doers go to hell; righteous people go to heaven; but all those who are free from all worldly desires enter Nirvana.

Not in the sky, not in the midst of the sea, not if we enter into the clefts of the mountains, is there known a spot in the whole world where a man might be freed from an evil deed.

Not in the sky, not in the midst of the sea, not if we enter into the clefts of the mountains, is there known a spot in the whole world where death could not be overcome (the mortal).

7 June 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

LIFE IN DHARMA

PUNISHMENT.

All men tremble at punishment, all men fear death; remember that you are like unto them; so, do not kill, nor cause slaughter.

All men tremble at punishment, all men love life; remember that thou art like unto them, and do not kill, nor cause slaughter.

He who for his own sake punishes or kills beings longing for happiness, will not find happiness.

He who for his own sake does not punish or kill beings longing for happiness, will find happiness.

Do not speak harshly to anybody; those who are spoken to will answer thee in the same way. Angry speech is painful, blows for blows will touch thee.

If, like a trumpet trampled under foot, thou utter not, then thou hast reached Nirvana; anger is not known in thee.

As a cowherd with his staff gathers his cows into the stable, so do Age and Death gather the life of man.

A fool does not know when he commits his evil deeds: and the wicked man burns by his own deeds, as if burnt by fire.

He who inflicts pain on innocent and harmless persons, will soon come to one of these ten states:

He will have cruel suffering, loss, injury of the body, heavy affliction, or loss of mind.

Or a misfortune of the king, or a fearful accusation, or loss of relations, or destruction of treasure.

8 June 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Overcoming Desires

Not nakedness, not plaited hair, not dirt, not fasting, or lying on the earth, not rubbing with dust, not sitting motionless, can purify a mortal who has not overcome desires.

He who, though dressed in fine apparel, exercises tranquillity, is quiet, subdued, restrained, chaste, and has ceased to find fault with all other beings, he indeed is a Brahmana, an ascetic (Sramana), a friar (Bhikshu).

Is there in this world any man so restrained by humility that he does not mind reproof, as a well-trained horse the whip?

Like a well-trained horse when touched by the whip, be ye active and lively, and by faith, by virtue, by energy, by meditation, by discernment of the Law you will overcome this great pain (of rebirth), perfect in knowledge and in behaviour, and never forgetful.

Well-makers lead the water (wherever they like); fletchers bend the arrow; carpenters break a log of wood; wise people fashion themselves.

Old age

How is there laughter, how is there joy, as this world is always burning? Why do you not seek a light, ye who are surrounded by darkness?

Look at this dressed-up lump, covered with wounds, joined together, sickly, full of many thoughts, which has no strength, no hold!

This body is this heap of corruption, death, wasted, full of sickness, and frail; breaks to pieces, the life in it is so frail?

How are you able to rejoice in this filthy lump?

9 June 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

OLD AGE.

Those white bones, like gourds thrown away in the autumn—what pleasure is there in looking at them?

After a frame has been made of the bones, it is covered with flesh and blood, and there dwell in it old age and death, pride and deceit.

The brilliant chariots of kings are destroyed, the body also approaches destruction, but the virtues of good people never approach destruction, thus do the good say to the good.

A man who has learnt little, grows old like an ox; his flesh grows, but his knowledge does not grow.

Without ceasing shall I run through a course of many births, looking for the maker of this tabernacle, I shall have to run through a course of many births, so long as I do not find (him); and painful is birth again and again.

But now, O maker of the tabernacle, thou hast been seen; thou shalt not make up this tabernacle again.

All thy rafters are broken, thy ridge-pole is sundered; the mind, approaching the Eternal (Nirvana), has attained to the extinction of all desires.

Men who have not observed proper discipline, and have not gained treasure in their youth, perish like old herons in a lake without fish.

Men who have not observed proper discipline, and have not gained treasure in their youth lie like broken bows, sighing after the past.

10 June 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

SELF

If a man holds himself dear, let him watch himself carefully; during one, at least, out of the three watches a wise man should be watchful.

Let each man first direct himself to what is proper, then let him teach others; thus, a wise man will not suffer.

Let each man make himself as he teaches others to be, then, being himself well subdued, he may subdue (others); one’s own self is indeed difficult to subdue.

Self is the lord of self, who else could be the lord? With self well-subdued, a man finds a lord such as few can find.

The evil done by oneself, self-begotten, self-bred, crushes the foolish, as a diamond breaks a precious stone.

He whose wickedness is very great brings himself down to that state where his enemy wishes him to be, as a creeper does with the tree which it surrounds.

Bad deeds, and deeds hurtful to ourselves, are easy to do; what is beneficial and good, that is very difficult to do.

The foolish man who scorns the rule of the venerable (Arahat), of the elect (Ariya), of the virtuous, and follows false doctrine, he bears fruit to his own destruction.

By oneself the evil is done, by oneself one suffers; by oneself evil is left undone, by oneself one is purified.

Purity and impurity belong to oneself, no one can purify another.

Let no one forget his own duty for the sake of another’s, however great; let a man, after he has discerned his own duty, be always attentive to his duty.

11 June 2024

(Dhammapada Or Teachings of Lord Buddha)

THE WORLD

Do not follow the evil law! Do not live in thoughtlessness! Do not follow false doctrines.

Do not be a friend of the world.

Rouse thyself! Do not be idle.

Follow the law of virtue.

The virtuous rests in bliss in this world and in the next.

Follow the law of virtue; do not follow that of sin.

The virtuous rests in bliss in this world and in the next.

Look upon the world as a bubble, look upon it as a mirage: the king of death does not see him who thus looks down upon the world.

Come, look at this glittering world, like unto a royal chariot; the foolish are immersed in it, but the wise do not touch it.

He who formerly was reckless and afterwards became sober, brightens up this world, like the moon when freed from clouds.

He whose evil deeds are covered by good deeds brightens up this world, like the moon, when freed from clouds.

This world is dark, few only can see here; a few only go to heaven, like birds escaped from the net.

The swans go on the path of the sun; they go through the ether by means of their miraculous power; the wise are led out of this world, when they have conquered Mara and his train.

If a man has transgressed one law, and speaks lies, and scoffs at another world, there is no evil he will not do.

The uncharitable do not go to the world of the gods; fools only do not praise liberality; a wise man rejoices in liberality, and through it becomes blessed in the other world.

Better than sovereignty over the earth, better than going to heaven, better than lordship over all worlds, is the reward of the first step in holiness.

12 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

And the Blessed One thought: "I have taught the truth which is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, and excellent in the end; it is glorious in its spirit and glorious in its letter.

But simple though it is, the people cannot understand it. I must speak to them in their own language. I must adapt my thoughts to their thoughts.

They are like unto children, and love to hear tales. Therefore, I will tell them stories to explain the glory of the Dharma. If they cannot grasp the truth in the abstract arguments by which I have reached it, they may nevertheless come to understand it, if it is illustrated in parables.

THE WIDOW AND THE MITE

There was once a lone widow who was very destitute, and having gone to the mountain she beheld hermits holding a religious assembly. Then the woman was filled with joy, and uttering praises, said, "It is well, holy priests! but while others give precious things such as the ocean caves produce, I have nothing to offer."

Having spoken thus and having searched herself in vain for something to give, she recollected that some time before she had found in a dung-heap two coppers, so taking these she offered them forthwith as a gift to the priesthood in charity.

The superior of the priests, a saint who could read the hearts of men, disregarding the rich gifts of others and beholding the deep faith dwelling in the heart of this poor widow, and wishing the priesthood to esteem rightly her religious merit, burst forth with full voice in a canto.

He raised his right hand and said, "Reverend priests attend!" and then he proceeded:

"The coppers of this poor widow to all purpose are more worth than all the treasures of the oceans and the wealth of the broad earth."

"As an act of pure devotion, she has done a pious deed; She has attained salvation, Being free from selfish greed."

The woman was mightily strengthened in her mind by this thought, and said, "It is even as the Teacher says: what I have done is as much as if a rich man were to give up all his wealth."

13 June 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha through parables)

And the Teacher said: "Doing good deeds is like hoarding up treasures," and he expounded this truth in a parable:

"Three merchants set out on their travels, each with his capital; one of them gained much, the second returned with his capital, and the third one came home after having lost his capital. What is true in common life applies also to religion. The capital is the state a man has reached, the gain is heaven; the loss of his capital means that a man will be born in a lower state, as a denizen of hell or as an animal. These are the courses that are open to the sinner. He who brings back his capital, is like unto one who is born again as a man. Those who through the exercise of various virtues become pious householders will be born again as men, for all beings will reap the fruit of their actions. But he who increases his capital is like unto one who practises eminent virtues. The virtuous, excellent man attains in heaven to the glorious state of the gods." He reaches Nirvana.

14 June 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha through parables)

THE MAN BORN BLIND

There was a man born blind, and he said: "I do not believe in the world of light and appearance. no colours, bright or sombre. There is no sun, no moon, no stars. No one has witnessed these things."

His friends remonstrated with him, but he clung to his opinion: "What you say that you see," he objected, “they are all illusions. If colours existed, I should be able to touch them. They have no substance and are not real. Everything real has weight, but I feel no weight where you see colours."

In those days there was a physician who was called to see the blind man. He mixed four simples, and when he applied them to the cataract of the blind man the gray film melted, and his eyes acquired the faculty of sight.

The Tathagata is the physician, the cataract is the illusion of the thought "I am," and the four simples are the four noble truths.

15 June 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha through parables)

THE GIDDY FISH

There was a bhikkhu who had great difficulty in keeping his senses and passions under control; so, resolving to leave the Order, he came to the Blessed One to ask him for a release from the vows.

And the Blessed One said to the bhikkhu: "Take heed, my son, lest thou fall a prey to the passions of thy misguided heart. For I see that in former existences, thou hast suffered much from the evil consequences of lust, and unless thou learnest to conquer thy sensual desire, thou wilt in this life be ruined through thy folly. Listen to a story of another existence of thine, as a fish."

The fish could be seen swimming lustily in the river, playing with his mate. She, moving in front, suddenly perceived the meshes of a net, and slipping around escaped the danger; but he, blinded by love, shot eagerly after her and fell straight into the mouth of the net. The fisherman pulled the net up, and the fish, who complained bitterly of his sad fate, saying, "this indeed is the bitter fruit of my folly," would surely have died if the Bodhisattva had not chanced to come by, and, understanding the language of the fish, took pity on him. He bought the poor creature and said to him: "My good fish, had I not caught sight of thee this day, thou wouldst have lost thy life. I shall save thee, but henceforth avoid the evil of lust." With these words he threw the fish into the water.

"Make the best of the time of grace that is offered to thee in thy present existence, and fear the dart of passion which, if thou guard not thy senses, will lead thee to destruction."

16 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE CHEATING TAILOR

A tailor who used to make robes for the brotherhood was wont to cheat his customers, and thus prided himself on being smarter than other men. But once, on entering upon an important business transaction with a stranger, he found his master in fraudulent practices, and suffered a heavy loss.

And the Blessed One said: "This is not an isolated incident in the greedy tailor's fate; in other incarnations he suffered similar losses, and by trying to dupe others ultimately ruined himself. This same greedy character lived many generations ago as a crane near a pond, and when the dry season set in, he said to the fishes with a bland voice: 'Are you not anxious for future welfare? There is at present very little water and still less food in this pond. What will you do should the whole pond become dry, in this drought?'

'Yes, indeed', said the fishes, 'what should we do?'

Replied the crane: 'I know a fine, large lake, which never becomes dry. Would you not like me to carry you there in my beak?'

When the fishes began to distrust the honesty of the crane, he proposed to have one of them sent over to the lake to see it; and a big carp at last decided to take the risk for the sake of the others, and the crane carried him to a beautiful lake and brought him back in safety. Then all doubts vanished, and the fishes gained confidence in the crane, and now the crane took them one by one out of the pond and devoured them on a big varana tree.

There was also a lobster in the pond, and when it listed the crane to eat him too, he said: 'I have taken all the fishes away and put them in a fine, large lake. Come along."

Jai Ramakrishna 17 June 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha through Parables)

FOUR KINDS OF MERIT

There was a rich man who used to invite all the Brahmans of the neighborhood to his house, and, giving them rich gifts, offered great sacrifices to the gods. And the Blessed One said: “If a man each month repeat a thousand sacrifices and give offerings without ceasing, he is not equal to him who but for one moment fixes his mind upon righteousness."

The world-honoured Buddha continued:

"There are four kinds of offering: first, when the gifts are large and the merit small; secondly, when the gifts are small and the merit small; thirdly, when the gifts are small and the merit large; and fourthly, when the gifts are large and the merit is also large.

Jai Ramakrishna 18 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

There was a certain Brahmana in Kosambi, a wrangler and well versed in the Vedas. As he found no one whom he regarded his equal in debate, he used to carry a lighted torch in his hand; and when asked for the reason of his strange conduct, he replied: "The world is so dark that I carry this torch to light it up, as far as I can."

A samana sitting in the market-place heard these words and said: "My friend, if thine eyes are blind to the sight of the omnipresent light of the day, do not call the world dark. Thy torch adds nothing to the glory of the sun, and thy intention to illumine the minds of others is as futile as it is arrogant."

Whereupon the Brahman asked: "Where is the sun of which thou speakest?"

And the samana replied: "The wisdom of the Tathagata is the sun of the mind. His radiancy is glorious by day and night, and he whose faith is strong will not lack light on the path to Nirvana, where he will inherit bliss everlasting."

LUXURIOUS LIVING

While the Buddha was preaching his doctrine for the conversion of the world in the neighbourhood of Savatthi, a man of great wealth who suffered from many ailments came to him with clasped hands and said: "World-honoured Buddha, pardon me for my want of respect in not saluting thee as I ought, but I suffer greatly from obesity, excessive drowsiness, and other complaints, so that I cannot move without pain."

The Tathagata, seeing the luxuries with which the man was surrounded, asked him: "Hast thou a desire to know the cause of thy ailments?"

And when the wealthy man expressed his willingness to learn, the Blessed One said:

"There are five things which produce the condition of which thou complainest: opulent dinners, love of sleep, hankering after pleasure, thoughtlessness, and lack of occupation. Exercise self-control at thy meals, and take upon thyself some duties that will exercise thy abilities and make thee useful to thy fellow-men. In following this advice, thou wilt prolong thy life."

The rich man remembered the words of the Buddha; and after some time, having recovered his lightness of body and youthful buoyancy, returned to the World-honored One and, coming on foot without horses and attendants, said to him:

"Master, thou hast cured my bodily ailments; I come now to seek enlightenment of my mind."

And the Blessed One said: "The worldling nourishes his body, but the wise man nourishes his mind. He who indulges in the satisfaction of his appetites works his own destruction; but he who walks in the path will have both the salvation from evil and a prolongation of life."

Jai Ramakrishna 19 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE COMMUNICATION OF BLISS

Annabhara, the slave of Sumana, having just cut the grass on the meadow, saw a samana with his bowl begging for food. Throwing down his bundle of grass he ran into the house and returned with the rice that had been provided for his own food. The samana ate the rice and gladdened him with words of religious comfort. The daughter of Sumana having observed the scene from a window called out: "Good! Annabhara, good! Very good!"

Sumana hearing these words inquired what she meant, and on being informed about Annabhara's devotion and the words of comfort he had received from the samana, went to his slave and offered him money to divide the bliss of his offering. "My lord," said Annabhara, “let me first ask the venerable man."

And approaching the samana, he said: "My master has asked me to share with him the bliss of the offering I made thee of my allowance of rice. Is it right that I should divide it with him?"

The samana replied in a parable. He said: "In a village of one hundred houses a single light was burning. Then a neighbour came with his lamp and lit it; and in this same way the light was communicated from house to house and the brightness in the village was increased. Thus, the light of religion may be diffused without stinting him who communicates it. Let the bliss of thy offering also be diffused. Divide it."

Annabhara returned to his master's house and said to him: "I present thee, my lord, with a share of the bliss of my offering. Deign to accept it."

Sumana accepted it and offered his slave a sum of money, but Annabhara replied: "Not so, my lord; if I accept thy money, it would appear as if I sold thee my share. Bliss cannot be sold; I beg thou wilt accept it as a gift."

The master replied: "Brother Annabhara, from this day forth thou shalt be free. Live with me as my friend and accept this present as a token of my respect."

20 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE LISTLESS FOOL

There was a rich Brahmana, well advanced in years, who, unmindful of the impermanence of earthly things and anticipating a long life, had built himself a large house. The Buddha wondered why a man so near to death had built a mansion with so many apartments, and he sent Ananda to the rich Brahman to preach to him the four noble truths and the eightfold path of salvation. The Brahmana showed Ananda his house and explained to him the purpose of its numerous chambers, but to the instruction of the Buddha's teachings he gave no heed.

Ananda said: "It is the habit of fools to say, 'I have children and wealth.' He who says so is not even master of himself; how can he claim possession of children, riches, and servants? Many are the anxieties of the worldly, but they know nothing of the changes of the future."

Scarcely had Ananda left, when the old man was stricken with apoplexy and fell dead. The Buddha said, for the instruction of those who were ready to learn:

"A fool, though he lives in the company of the wise, understands nothing of the true doctrine, as a spoon tastes not the flavour of the soup. He thinks of himself only, and unmindful of the advice of good counsellors is unable to deliver himself."

17 June 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha through Parables)

FOUR KINDS OF MERIT

There was a rich man who used to invite all the Brahmans of the neighborhood to his house, and, giving them rich gifts, offered great sacrifices to the gods.

And the Blessed One said: “If a man each month repeat a thousand sacrifices and give offerings without ceasing, he is not equal to him who but for one moment fixes his mind upon righteousness."

The world-honoured Buddha continued:

"There are four kinds of offering: first, when the gifts are large and the merit small; secondly, when the gifts are small and the merit small; thirdly, when the gifts are small and the merit large; and fourthly, when the gifts are large and the merit is also large.

"The first is the case of the deluded man who takes away life for the purpose of sacrificing to the gods, accompanied by carousing and feasting. Here the gifts are great, but the merit is small indeed.

"The gifts are small and the merit is also small, when from covetousness and an evil heart a man keeps to himself a part of that which he intends to offer.

"The merit is great, however, while the gift is small, when a man makes his offering from love and with a desire to grow in wisdom and in kindness.

"Lastly, the gift is large and the merit is large, when a wealthy man, in an unselfish spirit and with the wisdom of a Buddha, gives donations and founds institutions for the welfare of mankind, to enlighten the minds of his fellow-men, and to administer unto their needs."

18 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

There was a certain Brahmana in Kosambi, a wrangler and well versed in the Vedas.

As he found no one whom he regarded his equal in debate he used to carry a lighted torch in his hand, and when asked for the reason of his strange conduct, he replied: "The world is so dark that I carry this torch to light it up, as far as I can."

A samana sitting in the market-place heard these words and said: "My friend, if thine eyes are blind to the sight of the omnipresent light of the day, do not call the world dark. Thy torch adds nothing to the glory of the sun and thy intention to illumine the minds of others is as futile as it is arrogant."

Whereupon the Brahman asked: "Where is the sun of which thou speakest?"

And the samana replied: "The wisdom of the Tathagata is the sun of the mind. His radiancy is glorious by day and night, and he whose faith is strong will not lack light on the path to Nirvana where he will inherit bliss everlasting."

LUXURIOUS LIVING

While the Buddha was preaching his doctrine for the conversion of the world in the neighbourhood of Savatthi, a man of great wealth who suffered from many ailments came to him with clasped hands and said: "World-honoured Buddha, pardon me for my want of respect in not saluting thee as I ought, but I suffer greatly from obesity, excessive drowsiness, and other complaints, so that I cannot move without pain."

The Tathagata, seeing the luxuries with which the man was surrounded asked him: "Hast thou a desire to know the cause of thy ailments?"

And when the wealthy man expressed his willingness to learn, the Blessed One said:

"There are five things which produce the condition of which thou complainest: opulent dinners, love of sleep, hankering after pleasure, thoughtlessness, and lack of occupation. Exercise self-control at thy meals, and take upon thyself some duties that will exercise thy abilities and make thee useful to thy fellow-men.

CGIn following this advice, thou wilt prolong thy life."

The rich man remembered the words of the Buddha and after some time having recovered his lightness of body and youthful buoyancy returned to the World-honored One and, coming on foot without horses and attendants, said to him:

"Master, thou hast cured my bodily ailments; I come now to seek enlightenment of my mind."

And the Blessed One said: "The worldling nourishes his body, but the wise man nourishes his mind. He who indulges in the satisfaction of his appetites works his own destruction; but he who walks in the path will have both the salvation from evil and a prolongation of life."

19 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE COMMUNICATION OF BLISS

Annabhara, the slave of Sumana, having just cut the grass on the meadow, saw a samana with his bowl begging for food. Throwing down his bundle of grass he ran into the house and returned with the rice that had been provided for his own food.

The samana ate the rice and gladdened him with words of religious comfort.

The daughter of Sumana having observed the scene from a window called out: "Good! Annabhara, good! Very good!"

Sumana hearing these words inquired what she meant, and on being informed about Annabhara's devotion and the words of comfort he had received from the samana, went to his slave and offered him money to divide the bliss of his offering.

"My lord," said Annabhara, “let me first ask the venerable man."

And approaching the samana, he said: "My master has asked me to share with him the bliss of the offering I made thee of my allowance of rice. Is it right that I should divide it with him?"

The samana replied in a parable. He said: "In a village of one hundred houses a single light was burning. Then a neighbour came with his lamp and lit it; and in this same way the light was communicated from house to house and the brightness in the village was increased.

Thus, the light of religion may be diffused without stinting him who communicates it. Let the bliss of thy offering also be diffused. Divide it."

Annabhara returned to his master's house and said to him: "I present thee, my lord, with a share of the bliss of my offering. Deign to accept it."

Sumana accepted it and offered his slave a sum of money, but Annabhara replied: "Not so, my lord; if I accept thy money, it would appear as if I sold thee my share. Bliss cannot be sold; I beg thou wilt accept it as a gift."

The master replied: "Brother Annabhara, from this day forth thou shalt be free. Live with me as my friend and accept this present as a token of my respect."

20 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE LISTLESS FOOL

There was a rich Brahmana, well advanced in years, who, unmindful of the impermanence of earthly things and anticipating a long life, had built himself a large house. The Buddha wondered why a man so near to death had built a mansion with so many apartments, and he sent Ananda to the rich Brahman to preach to him the four noble truths and the eightfold path of salvation.

The Brahmana showed Ananda his house and explained to him the purpose of its numerous chambers, but to the instruction of the Buddha's teachings he gave no heed.

Ananda said: "It is the habit of fools to say, 'I have children and wealth.' He who says so is not even master of himself; how can he claim possession of children, riches, and servants? Many are the anxieties of the worldly, but they know nothing of the changes of the future."

Scarcely had Ananda left, when the old man was stricken with apoplexy and fell dead.

The Buddha said, for the instruction of those who were ready to learn:

"A fool, though he lives in the company of the wise, understands nothing of the true doctrine, as a spoon tastes not the flavour of the soup. He thinks of himself only, and unmindful of the advice of good counsellors is unable to deliver himself."

21 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

RESCUE IN THE DESERT

There was a disciple of the Blessed One, full of energy and zeal for the truth, who, living under a vow to complete a meditation in solitude, flagged in a moment of weakness.

He said to himself: "The Teacher said there are several kinds of men; I must belong to the lowest class and fear that in this birth there will be neither path nor fruit for me. What is the use of a forest life if I cannot by my constant endeavour attain the insight of meditation to which I have devoted myself?"

And he left the solitude and returned to the Jetavana.

When the brethren saw him, they said to him: "Thou hast done wrong, O brother, after taking a vow, to give up the attempt of carrying it out;" and they took him to the Master.

When the Blessed One saw them, he said: "I see, O mendicants, that you have brought this brother here against his will. What has he done?"

"Lord, this brother, having taken the vows of so sanctifying a faith, has abandoned the endeavour to accomplish the aim of a member of the order, and has come back to us."

Then the Teacher said to him: "Is it true that thou hast given up trying?"

"It is true, O Blessed One!" was the reply.

The Master said: "This present life of thine is a time of grace. If thou fail now to reach the happy state thou wilt have to suffer remorse in future existences. How is it, brother, that thou hast proved so irresolute?

Why, in former states of existence thou wert full of determination. By thy energy alone the men and bullocks of five hundred wagons obtained water in the sandy desert, and were saved. How is it that thou now givest up?"

By these few words that brother was re-established in his resolution.

But the others besought the Blessed One, saying: "Lord! Tell us how this was."

"Listen, then, O mendicants!" said the Blessed One; and having thus excited their attention, he made manifest a thing concealed by change of birth.

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Kasi, the Bodhisatta was born in a merchant's family; and when he grew up, he went about trafficking with five hundred carts.

One day he arrived at a sandy desert many leagues across. The sand in that desert was so fine that when taken in the closed fist it could not be kept in the hand. After the sun had risen it became as hot as a mass of burning embers, so that no man could walk on it.

Those, therefore, who had to travel over it took wood, and water, and oil, and rice in their carts, and travelled during the night. And at daybreak they formed an encampment and spread an awning over it, and, taking their meals early, they passed the day lying in the shade. At sunset they supped, and when the ground had become cool, they yoked their oxen and went on. The traveling was like a voyage over the sea: a desert-pilot had to be chosen, and he brought the caravan safe to the other side by his knowledge of the stars.

Thus, the merchant of our story traversed the desert. And when he had passed over fifty-nine leagues he thought, "Now, in one more night we shall get out of the sand," and after supper he directed the wagons to be yoked, and so set out.

The pilot had cushions arranged on the foremost cart and lay down, looking at the stars and directing the men where to drive. But worn out by want of rest during the long march, he fell asleep, and did not perceive that the oxen had turned round and taken the same road by which they had come.

The oxen went on the whole night through. Towards dawn the pilot woke up, and, observing the stars, called out: "Stop the wagons, stop the wagons!"

The day broke just as they stopped and were drawing up the carts in a line.

Then the men cried out: "Why this is the very encampment we left yesterday! We have but little wood left and our water is all gone! We are lost!"

And unyoking the oxen and spreading the canopy over their heads, they lay down in despondency, each one under his wagon.

But the Bodhisatta said to himself, "If I lose heart, all these will perish," and walked about while the morning was yet cool. On seeing a tuft of kusa-grass, he thought: "This could have grown only by soaking up some water which must be beneath it."

And he made them bring a spade and dig in that spot. And they dug sixty cubits deep. And when they had got thus far, the spade of the diggers struck on a rock; and as soon as it struck, they all gave up in despair.

But the Bodhisatta thought, "There must be water under that rock," and descending into the well he got upon the stone, and stooping down applied his ear to it and tested the sound of it. He heard the sound of water gurgling beneath, and when he got out, he called his page, "My lad, if thou givest up now, we shall all be lost. Do not lose heart. Take this iron hammer, and go down into the pit, and give the rock a good blow."

The lad obeyed, and though they all stood by in despair, he went down full of determination and struck at the stone.

The rock split in two and fell below, so that it no longer blocked the stream, and water rose till its depth from the bottom to the brim of the well was equal to the height of a palm-tree. And they all drank of the water, and bathed in it. Then they cooked rice and ate it, and fed their oxen with it.

And when the sun set, they put a flag in the well, and went to the place appointed.

There they sold their merchandise at a good profit and returned to their home, and when they died, they passed away according to their deeds.

And the Bodhisatta gave gifts and did other virtuous acts, and he also passed away according to his deeds.

After the Teacher had told the story he formed the connection by saying in conclusion, "The caravan-leader was the Bodhisatta, the future Buddha; the page who at that time despaired not, but broke the stone, and gave water to the multitude, was this brother without perseverance; and the other men were attendants on the Buddha."

22 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE SOWER

Bharadvaja, a wealthy Brahman farmer, was celebrating his harvest-thanksgiving when the Blessed One came with his alms-bowl, begging for food. Some of the people paid him reverence, but the Brahmana was angry and said: "O samana, it would be more fitting for thee to go to work than to beg. I plough and sow, and having ploughed and sown, I eat. If thou didst likewise, thou, too, wouldst have something to eat."

The Tathagata answered him and said: "O Brahman, I, too, plough and sow, and having ploughed and sown, I eat."

"Dost thou profess to be a husbandman?" replied the Brahman. "Where, then, are thy bullocks? Where is the seed and the plough?"

The Blessed One said: "Faith is the seed I sow: good works are the rain that fertilizes it; wisdom and modesty are the plough; my mind is the guiding-rein; I lay hold of the handle of the law; earnestness is the goad I use, and exertion is my draught-ox. This ploughing is ploughed to destroy the weeds of illusion. The harvest it yields is the immortal fruit of Nirvana, and thus all sorrow ends."

Then the Brahman poured rice-milk into a golden bowl and offered it to the Blessed One, saying: "Let the Teacher of mankind partake of the rice-milk, for the venerable Gotama ploughs a ploughing that bears the fruit of immortality."

23 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE OUTCAST

When Bhagavat dwelt at Savatthi in the Jetavana, he went out with his alms-bowl to beg for food and approached the house of a Brahmana priest while the fire of an offering was blazing upon the altar. And the priest said: "Stay there, O shaveling; stay there, O wretched samana; thou art an outcast."

The Blessed One replied: "Do you know who is an outcast? An outcast is the man who is angry and bears hatred; the man who is wicked and hypocritical, he who embraces error and is full of deceit. Whosoever is a provoker and is avaricious, has evil desires, is envious, wicked, shameless, and without fear to commit wrong, let him be known as an outcast. Not by birth does one become an outcast, not by birth does one become a Brahmana; by deeds one becomes an outcast, by deeds one becomes a Brahmana."

24 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE WOMAN AT THE WELL

Ananda, the favourite disciple of the Buddha, having been sent by the Lord on a mission, passed by a well near a village, and seeing Pakati, a girl of the Matanga caste, he asked her for water to drink. Pakati said: "O Brahman, I am too humble and mean to give thee water to drink, do not ask any service of me lest thy holiness be contaminated, for I am of low caste."

And Ananda replied: "I ask not for caste but for water;" and the Matanga girl's heart leaped joyfully and she gave Ananda to drink. Ananda thanked her and went away; but she followed him at a distance. Having heard that Ananda was a disciple of Gotama Sakyamuni, the girl repaired to the Blessed One and cried: “O Lord help me, and let me live in the place where Ananda thy disciple dwells, so that I may see him and minister unto him, for I love Ananda."

And the Blessed One understood the emotions of her heart and he said: "Pakati, thy heart is full of love, but thou understandest not thine own sentiments. It is not Ananda that thou lovest, but his kindness. Accept, then, the kindness thou hast seen him practise unto thee, and in the humility of thy station practise it unto others. Verily there is great merit in the generosity of a king when he is kind to a slave; but there is a greater merit in the slave when he ignores the wrongs which he suffers and cherishes kindness and good-will to all mankind. He will cease to hate his oppressors, and even when powerless to resist their usurpation will with compassion pity their arrogance and supercilious demeanour. Blessed art thou, Pakati, for though thou art a Matanga thou wilt be a model for noblemen and noblewomen. Thou art of low caste, but Brahmans may learn a lesson from thee. Swerve not from the path of justice and righteousness and thou wilt outshine the royal glory of queens on the throne."

25 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE HUNGRY DOG

There was a great king who oppressed his people and was hated by his subjects; yet when the Tathagata came into his kingdom, the king desired much to see him. So, he went to the place where the Blessed One stayed and asked: “O Sakyamuni, canst thou teach a lesson to the king that will divert his mind and benefit him at the same time?"

And the Blessed One said: "I shall tell thee the parable of the hungry dog:

"There was a wicked tyrant; and the god Indra, assuming the shape of a hunter, came down upon earth with the demon Matali, the latter appearing as a dog of enormous size.

Hunter and dog entered the palace, and the dog howled so woefully that the royal buildings shook by the sound to their very foundations. The tyrant had the awe-inspiring hunter brought before his throne and inquired

after the cause of the terrible bark.

The hunter said, "The dog is hungry," whereupon the frightened king ordered food for him. All the food prepared at the royal banquet disappeared rapidly in the dog's jaws, and still he howled with portentous significance. More food was sent for, and all the royal store-houses were emptied, but in vain.

Then the tyrant grew desperate and asked: 'Will nothing satisfy the cravings of that woeful beast?"

'Nothing,' replied the hunter, 'nothing except perhaps the flesh of all his enemies."

And who are his enemies?' anxiously asked the tyrant.

The hunter replied: 'The dog will howl as long as there are people hungry in the kingdom, and his enemies are those who practise injustice and oppress the poor.'

Hearing this tale of the dog, the oppressor of the people, remembering his evil deeds, was seized with remorse, and for the first time in his life he began to listen to the teachings of righteousness."

Having ended his story, the Blessed One addressed the king, who had turned pale, and said to him:

"The Tathagata can quicken the spiritual ears of the powerful, and when thou, great king, hearest the dog bark, think of the teachings of the Buddha, and thou mayst still learn to pacify the monster.

26 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE DESPOT

King Brahmadatta happened to see a beautiful woman, the wife of a Brahmana merchant, and, conceiving a passion for her, ordered a precious jewel secretly to be dropped into the merchant’s carriage. The jewel was missed, searched for, and found. The merchant was arrested on the charge of stealing, and the king pretended to listen with great attention to the defence, and with seeming regret ordered the merchant to be executed, while his wife was consigned to the royal harem.

Brahmadatta attended the execution in person, for such sights were wont to give him pleasure; but when the doomed man looked with deep compassion at his infamous judge, a flash of the Buddha’s wisdom lit up the king’s passion-beclouded mind. And while the executioner raised the sword for the fatal stroke, Brahmadatta felt the effect in his own mind, and he imagined he saw himself on the block.

“Hold, executioner!” shouted Brahmadatta, “it is the king whom thou slayest!” But it was too late! The executioner had done the bloody deed. The king fell back in a swoon, and when he awoke a change had come over him. He had ceased to be the cruel despot and henceforth led a life of holiness and rectitude. The people said that the character of the Brahmana had been impressed into his mind.

O ye, who commit murders and robberies! The veil of self-delusion covers your eyes; ye could see things as they are, not as they appear, ye would no longer inflict injuries and pain on your own selves. Ye see not that ye will have to atone for your evil deeds, for what ye sow that will ye reap.

27 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

VASAVADATTA

There was a courtesan in Mathura named Vasavadatta. She happened to see Upagutta, one of Buddha's disciples, a tall and beautiful youth, and fell desperately in love with him. Vasavadatta sent an invitation to the young man, but he replied: "The time has not yet arrived when Upagutta will visit Vasavadatta."

The courtesan was astonished at the reply, and she sent again for him, saying: "Vasavadatta desires love, not gold, from Upagutta." But Upagutta made the same enigmatic reply and did not come.

A few months later, Vasavadatta had a love-intrigue with the chief of the artisans, and at that time a wealthy merchant came to Mathura, who fell in love with Vasavadatta. Seeing his wealth, and fearing the jealousy of her other lover, she contrived the death of the chief of the artisans, and concealed his body under a dunghill.

When the chief of the artisans had disappeared, his relatives and friends searched for him and found his body. Vasavadatta, however, was tried by a judge, and condemned to have her ears and nose, her hands and feet cut off, and flung into a graveyard.

Vasavadatta had been a passionate girl, but kind to her servants, and one of her maids followed her, and out of love for her former mistress ministered unto her in her agonies, and chased away the crows.

Now the time had arrived when Upagutta decided to visit Vasavadatta. When he came, the poor woman ordered her maid to collect and hide under a cloth her severed limbs; and he greeted her kindly, but she said with petulance: "Once this body was fragrant like the lotus, and I offered thee my love; those days I was covered with pearls and fine muslin. Now I am mangled by the executioner and covered with filth and blood."

"Sister," said the young man, "it is not for my pleasure that I approach thee, it is to restore to thee a nobler beauty than the charms which thou hast lost. I have seen with mine eyes the Tathagata walking upon earth and teaching men his wonderful doctrine. But thou wouldst not have listened to the words of righteousness while surrounded with temptations, while under the spell of passion and yearning for worldly pleasures. Thou wouldst not have listened to the teachings of the Tathagata, for thy heart was wayward, and thou didst set thy trust on the sham of thy transient charms.

"The charms of a lovely form are treacherous, and quickly lead into temptations, which have proved too strong for thee. But there is a beauty which will not fade, and if thou wilt but listen to the doctrine of our Lord, the Buddha, thou wilt find that peace which thou wouldst have found in the restless world of sinful pleasures."

Hearing this sermon, Vasavadatta became calm, and a spiritual happiness soothed the tortures of her bodily pain; for where there is much suffering there is also great bliss. Having taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, she died in pious submission to the punishment of her crime.

28 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE MARRIAGE-FEAST IN JAMBUNADA

There was a man in Jambunada who was to be married the next day, and he thought, "Would that the Buddha, the Blessed One, might be present at the wedding."

And the Blessed One passed by his house and met him, and when he read the silent wish in the heart of the bridegroom, he consented to enter.

When the Holy One appeared with the retinue of his many bhikkhus, the host whose means were limited received them as best he could, saying: "Eat, my Lord, and all thy congregation, according to your desire."

While the holy men ate, the meats and drinks remained undiminished, and the host thought to himself: "How wondrous is this! I should have had plenty for all my relatives and friends. Would that I had invited them all."

When this thought was in the host's mind, all his relatives and friends entered the house; and although the hall in the house was small there was room in it for all of them. They sat down at the table and ate, and there was more than enough for all of them.

The Blessed One was pleased to see so many guests full of good cheer and he quickened them and gladdened them with words of truth, proclaiming the bliss of righteousness:

"The greatest happiness which a mortal man can imagine is the bond of marriage that ties together two loving hearts.

But there is a greater happiness still: it is the embrace of truth. Death will separate husband and wife, but death will never affect him who has espoused the truth.

"Therefore, be married unto the truth and live with the truth in holy wedlock. The husband who loves his wife and desires for a union that shall be everlasting must be faithful to her so as to be like truth itself, and she will rely upon him and revere him and minister unto him.

And the wife who loves her husband and desires a union that shall be everlasting must be faithful to him so as to be like truth itself; and he will place his trust in her, he will provide for her.

Verily, I say unto you, their children will become like unto their parents and will bear witness to their happiness.

"Let no man be single, let every one be wedded in holy love to the truth. And when Mara, the destroyer, comes to separate the visible forms of your being, you will continue to live in the truth, and you will partake of the life everlasting, for the truth is immortal."

There was no one among the guests but was strengthened in his spiritual life, and recognized the sweetness of a life of righteousness; and they took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

29 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

When this thought was in the host's mind, all his relatives and friends entered the house; and although the hall in the house was small there was room in it for all of them. They sat down at the table and ate, and there was more than enough for all of them. The Blessed One was pleased to see so many guests full of good cheer and he quickened them and gladdened them with words of truth, proclaiming the bliss of righteousness:

"The greatest happiness which a mortal man can imagine is the bond of marriage that ties together two loving hearts. But there is a greater happiness still: it is the embrace of truth. Death will separate husband and wife, but death will never affect him who has espoused the truth. Therefore, be married unto the truth and live with the truth in holy wedlock. The husband who loves his wife and desires for a union that shall be everlasting must be faithful to her so as to be like truth itself, and she will rely upon him and revere him and minister unto him. And the wife who loves her husband and desires a union that shall be everlasting must be faithful to him so as to be like truth itself; and he will place his trust in her, he will provide for her. Verily, I say unto you, their children will become like unto their parents and will bear witness to their happiness. Let no man be single, let every one be wedded in holy love to the truth. And when Mara, the destroyer, comes to separate the visible forms of your being, you will continue to live in the truth, and you will partake of the life everlasting, for the truth is immortal."

There was no one among the guests but was strengthened in his spiritual life, and recognized the sweetness of a life of righteousness; and they took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

30 June 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

A PARTY IN SEARCH OF A THIEF

Having sent out his disciples, the Blessed One himself wandered from place to place until he reached Uruvela. On his way he sat down in a grove to rest, and it happened that in that same grove there was a party of thirty friends who were enjoying themselves with their wives; and while they were sporting, some of their goods were stolen. Then the whole party went in search of the thief and, meeting the Blessed One sitting under a tree, saluted him and said: "Pray, Lord, didst thou see the thief pass by with our goods?"

And the Blessed One said: "Which is better for you, that you go in search of the thief or yourselves?"

And the youths cried: "In search of ourselves!"

"Well, then," said the Blessed One, "sit down and I will preach the truth to you."

And the whole party sat down and they listened eagerly to the words of the Blessed One. Having grasped the truth, they praised the doctrine and took refuge in the Buddha.

IN THE REALM OF YAMARAJA

There was a Brahmana, a religious man and fond in his affections but without deep wisdom. He had a son of great promise, who, when seven years old, was struck with a fatal disease and died. The unfortunate father was unable to control himself; he threw himself upon the corpse and lay there as one dead. The relatives came and buried the dead child and when the father came to himself, he was so immoderate in his grief that he behaved like an insane person. He no longer gave way to tears but wandered about asking for the residence of Yamaraja, the king of death, humbly to beg of him that his child might be allowed to return to life. Having arrived at a temple the sad father went through certain religious rites and fell asleep. While wandering on in his dream he came to a deep mountain pass where he met a number of samanas who had acquired supreme wisdom. "Kind sirs," he said, "can you not tell me where the residence of Yamaraja is?" And they asked him, "Good friend, why wouldst thou know?" Whereupon he told them his sad story and explained his intentions. Pitying his self-delusion, the samanas said: "No mortal man can reach the place where Yama reigns, but some four hundred miles westward lies a great city in which many good spirits live; every eighth day of the month Yama visits the place, and there mayst thou see him who is the King of Death and ask him for a boon."

The Brahmana rejoicing at the news went to the city and found it as the samanas had told him. He was admitted to the dread presence of Yama, the King of Death, who, on hearing his request, said: "Thy son now lives in the eastern garden where he is disporting himself; go there and ask him to follow thee." Said the happy father: "How does it happen that my son, without having performed one good work, is now living in paradise?" Yamaraja replied: "He has obtained celestial happiness not for performing good deeds, but because he died in faith and in love to the Lord and Master, the most glorious Buddha. The Buddha says: 'The heart of love and faith spreads as it were a beneficent shade from the world of men to the world of gods.' This glorious utterance is like the stamp of a king's seal upon a royal edict."

The happy father hastened to the place and saw his beloved child playing with other children, all transfigured by the peace of the blissful existence of a heavenly life. He ran up to his boy and cried with tears running down his cheeks: "My son, my son, dost thou not remember me, thy father who watched over thee with loving care and tended thee in thy sickness? Return home with me to the land of the living." But the boy, while struggling to go back to his playmates, upbraided him for using such strange expressions as father and son. "In my present state," he said, "I know no such words, for I am free from delusion."

On this, the Brahmana departed, and when he woke from his dream, he bethought himself of the Blessed Master of mankind, the great Buddha, and resolved to go to him, lay bare his grief, and seek consolation. Having arrived at the Jetavana, the Brahmana told his story and how his boy had refused to recognize him and to go home with him. And the World-honoured One said: "Truly thou art deluded. When man dies the body is dissolved into its elements, but the spirit is not entombed; it leads a higher mode of life in which all the relative terms of father, son, wife, mother, are at an end, just as a guest who leaves his lodging has done with it, as though it were a thing of the past. Men concern themselves most about that which passes away; but the end of life quickly comes as a burning torrent sweeping away the transient in a moment. They are like a blind man set to look after a burning lamp. A wise man, understanding the transiency of worldly relations, destroys the cause of grief, and escapes from the seething whirlpool of sorrow. Wisdom lifts a man above the pleasures and pains of the world and gives him peace everlasting."

The Brahmana asked the permission of the Blessed One to enter the community of his bhikkhus, so as to acquire that heavenly wisdom which alone can give comfort to an afflicted heart.

Today's online class: *Chandogya Upanishad* Time: 19:30 IST (15:00 BST/10:00 EDT) to 20:30 IST (16:00 BST/11:00 EDT) Please use below link to join the class. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2218531836?pwd=xSKuhE7HhPihDrt50rBEEYF0JZgCuJ.

1 July 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE MUSTARD SEED

There was a rich man who found his gold suddenly transformed into ashes; and he took to his bed and refused all food. A friend, hearing of his sickness, visited the rich man and learned the cause of his grief. And the friend said: “Thou didst not make good use of thy wealth. When thou didst hoard it up it was not better than ashes. Now heed my advice. Spread mats in the bazaar; pile up these ashes and pretend to trade with them.”

The rich man did as his friend had told him, and when his neighbors asked him, “Why sellest thou ashes?” he said: “I offer my goods for sale.”

After some time, a young girl, named Kisa Gotamī, an orphan and very poor, passed by, and seeing the rich man in the bazaar, said: “My lord, why pilest thou thus up gold and silver for sale?”

And the rich man said: “Wilt thou please hand me that gold and silver?”

And Kisa Gotami took up a handful of ashes, and lo! they changed back into gold. Considering that Kisa Gotami had the mental eye of spiritual knowledge and saw the real worth of things, the rich man gave her in marriage to his son, and he said:

“With many, gold is no better than ashes, but with Kisa Gotami ashes become pure gold.”

And Kisa Gotami had an only son, and he died. In her grief she carried the dead child to all her neighbours, asking them for medicine, and the people said: “She has lost her senses. The boy is dead.”

At length Kisa Gotami met a man who replied to her request: “I cannot give thee medicine for thy child, but I know a physician who can.”

And the girl said: “Pray tell me, sir, who is it?”

And the man replied: “Go to Sakyamuni, the Buddha.”

Kisa Gotami repaired to the Buddha and cried: “Lord and Master, give me the medicine that will cure my boy.”

The Buddha answered: “I want a handful of mustard seed.”

And when the girl in her joy promised to procure it, the Buddha added: “The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent, or friend.”

(To Be Continued)

2 July 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE MUSTARD SEED

(Continued from 1st July)

Poor Kisa Gotami now went from house to house, and the people pitied her and said: "Here is mustard-seed; take it!"

But when she asked, "Did a son or daughter, a father or mother, die in your family?"

They answered her: "Alas! the living are few, but the dead are many. Do not remind us of our deepest grief." And there was no house but some beloved one had died in it.

Kisa Gotami became weary and hopeless, and sat down at the wayside, watching the lights of the city, as they flickered up and were extinguished again. At last, the darkness of the night reigned everywhere. And she considered the fate of men, that their lives flicker up and are extinguished.

And she thought to herself: "How selfish am I in my grief! Death is common to all; yet in this valley of desolation there is a path that leads one to immortality who has surrendered all selfishness."

Putting away the selfishness of her affection for her child, Kisa Gotami had the dead body buried in the forest.

Returning to the Buddha, she took refuge in him and found comfort in the Dharma, which is a balm that will soothe all the pains of our troubled hearts.

The Buddha said:

"The life of mortals in this world is troubled, brief and combined with pain. For there is not any means by which those that have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death; of such a nature are living beings.

"As ripe fruits are in danger of falling, so mortals when born, are always in danger of death.

"As all earthen vessels made by the potter end in being broken, so is the life of mortals.

"Both young and adult, those who are fools and those who are wise - all fall into the power of death; all are subject to death.

"Of those who, overcome by death, depart from life, a father cannot save his son, nor kinsmen their relations.

"Mark! while relatives are looking on and lamenting deeply, one by one mortals are carried off, like an ox that is led to the slaughter house.

"So, the world is afflicted with death and decay, therefore the wise do not grieve, knowing the nature of the world.

"In whatever manner people think a thing will come to pass, it is often different when it happens, and great is the disappointment; see, such are the terms of the world.

"Not from weeping, nor from grieving will anyone obtain peace of mind; on the contrary, his pain will be the greater and his body will suffer. He will make himself sick and pale, yet the dead are not saved by his lamentation.

"People pass away, and their fate after death will be according to their deeds.

"If a man lives a hundred years, or even more, he will at last be separated from the company of his relatives and leave the life of this world.

"He who seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, and complaint, and grief.

"He who has drawn out the arrow and has become composed will obtain peace of mind; he who has overcome all sorrow will become free from sorrow and be blessed."

3 July 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

FOLLOWING THE MASTER OVER THE STREAM

South of Savatthi is a great river, on the banks of which lay a hamlet of five hundred houses. Thinking of the salvation of the people, the World-honoured One resolved to go to the village and preach the doctrine. Having come to the riverside he sat down beneath a tree, and the villagers seeing the glory of his appearance approached him with reverence; but when he began to preach, they believed him not.

When the world-honoured Buddha had left Savatthi, Sariputta felt a desire to see the Lord and to hear him preach. Coming to the river where the water was deep and the current strong, he said to himself: "This stream shall not prevent me, I shall go and see the Blessed One," and he stepped upon the water which was as firm under his feet as a slab of granite.

When he arrived at a place in the middle of the stream where the waves were high, Sariputta's heart gave way, and he began to sink. But rousing his faith and renewing his mental effort, he proceeded as before and reached the other bank.

The people of the village were astonished to see Sariputta, and they asked how he could cross the stream where there was neither a bridge nor a ferry. And Sariputta replied: "I lived in ignorance until I heard the voice of the Buddha. As I was anxious to hear the doctrine of salvation, I crossed the river, and I walked over its troubled waters because I had faith. Faith enabled me to do so, and now I am here in the bliss of the Master's presence."

The World-honoured One added: "Sariputta, thou hast spoken well. Faith like thine alone can save the world from the yawning gulf of migration and enable men to walk dry-shod to the other shore."

And the Blessed One urged to the villagers the necessity of ever advancing in the conquest of sorrow and of casting off all shackles to cross the river of worldliness and attain deliverance from death. Hearing the words of the Tathagata, the villagers were filled with joy and believing in the doctrines of the Blessed One embraced the five rules and took refuge in his name.

Jai Ramakrishna 4 July 2024 (The Mahasamadhi of Swami Vivekananda)

4th of July is a significant day for the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. For it was on Friday, 4th July 1902 that Swami Vivekananda entered Mahasamadhi. It is well we should all remember that sacred day.

Description of Swami Vivekananda's Mahasamadhi from the biography of Swami Nikhilananda:

Three days before the Mahasamadhi, Vivekananda pointed out to Swami Premananda a particular spot on the monastery grounds where he wished his body to be cremated. On Wednesday the Swami fasted, following the orthodox rule: it was the eleventh day of the moon. Sister Nivedita came to the monastery to ask him some questions about her school; but he was not interested and referred her to some other Swamis. He insisted, however, on serving Nivedita the morning meal. To quote the Sister's words: "Each dish, as it was offered — boiled seeds of the jack-fruit, boiled potatoes, plain rice, and ice-cold milk — formed the subject of playful chat; and finally, to end the meal, he himself poured the water over her hands, and dried them with a towel."

"It is I who should do these things for you, Swamiji! Not you for me!" was the protest naturally offered. But his answer was startling in its solemnity — "Jesus washed the feet of his disciples!" Something checked the answer, "But that was the last time!" as it rose to the lips, and the words remained unuttered. This was well. For here also, the time had come.

There was nothing sad or grave about the Swami during these days. Efforts were made not to tire him. Conversations were kept as light as possible, touching only upon the pet animals that surrounded him, his garden experiments, books, and absent friends. But all the while one was conscious of a luminous presence of which the Swami's bodily form seemed only a shadow or symbol. The members of the monastery had never felt so strongly as now, before him, that they stood in the presence of an infinite light; yet none was prepared to see the end so soon, least of all on that Friday, July the Fourth, on which he appeared so much stronger and healthier than he had been for years.

5 July 2024 (The Mahasamadhi of Swami Vivekananda)

4th of July is a significant day for the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. For it was on Friday, 4th July 1902 that Swami Vivekananda entered into Mahasamadhi. It is well we should all remember that sacred day.

Description of Swami Vivekananda's Mahasamadhi, taken from the biography of Swami Nikhilananda:

On the supreme day, Friday, he rose very early. Going to the chapel, alone, he shut the windows and bolted the doors, contrary to his habit, and meditated for three hours. Descending the stairs of the shrine, he sang a beautiful song about Kali:

"Is Kali, my Mother, really black?

The Naked One, though black She seems,

Lights the Lotus of the heart.

Men call Her black, yet my mind

Will not believe that She is so:

Now She is white, now red, now blue;

Now She appears as yellow, too.

I hardly know who Mother is,

Though I have pondered all my life:

Now Purusha, now Prakriti,

And now the Void, She seems to be.

To meditate on all these things

Confounds poor Kamalakanta's wits."

Jai Ramakrishna (The Mahasamadhi of Swami Vivekananda)

4th of July is a significant day for the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. For it was on Friday, 4th July 1902 that Swami Vivekananda entered into Mahasamadhi. It is well we should all remember that sacred day.

Description of Swami Vivekananda's Mahasamadhi from the biography of Swami Nikhilananda:

At seven o'clock in the evening the bell rang for worship in the chapel. The Swami went to his room and told the disciple who attended him that none was to come to him until called for. He spent an hour in meditation and telling his beads, then called the disciple and asked him to open all the windows and fan his head. He lay down quietly on his bed and the attendant thought that he was either sleeping or meditating.

At the end of an hour his hands trembled a little and he breathed once very deeply. There was a silence for a minute or two, and again he breathed in the same manner. His eyes became fixed in the centre of his eyebrows, his face assumed a divine expression, and eternal silence fell.

"There was," said a brother disciple of the Swami, "a little blood in his nostrils, about his mouth, and in his eyes." According to the Yoga scriptures, the life-breath of an illumined yogi passes out through the opening on the top of the head, causing the blood to flow in the nostrils and the mouth. The great ecstasy took place at ten minutes past nine. Swami Vivekananda passed away at the age of thirty-nine years, five months, and twenty-four days, thus fulfilling his own prophecy: "I shall not live to be forty years old."

The brother disciples thought that he might have fallen into samadhi and chanted the Master's name to bring back his consciousness. But he remained on his back motionless. Physicians were sent for, and the body was thoroughly examined. At midnight, however, Swami Vivekananda was pronounced dead, the cause, according to medical science, having been apoplexy or sudden failure of the heart. But the monks were convinced that their leader had voluntarily cast off his body in samadhi, as predicted by Sri Ramakrishna.

In the morning people poured in from all quarters. Nivedita sat by the body and fanned it till it was brought down at 2 p.m., to the porch leading to the courtyard. It was covered with ochre robes and decorated with flowers. Incense was burnt and a religious service was performed with lights, conch-shells, and bells. 7 July 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE SICK BHIKKHU

An old bhikkhu of a surly disposition was afflicted with a loathsome disease the sight and smell of which was so nauseating that no one would come near him or help him in his distress. And it happened that the World-honoured One came to the vihara in which the unfortunate man lay; hearing of the case he ordered warm water to be prepared and went to the sick-room to administer unto the sores of the patient with his own hand, saying to his disciples: "The Tathagata has come into the world to befriend the poor, to succour the unprotected, to nourish those in bodily affliction, both the followers of the Dharma and unbelievers, to give sight to the blind and enlighten the minds of the deluded, to stand up for the rights of orphans as well as the aged, and in so doing to set an example to others. This is the consummation of his work, and thus he attains the great goal of life as the rivers that lose themselves in the ocean."

The World-honoured One administered unto the sick bhikkhu daily so long as he stayed in that place. And the governor of the city came to the Buddha to do him reverence, and having heard of the service which the Lord did in the vihara asked the Blessed One about the previous existence of the sick monk, and the Buddha said:

"In days gone by there was a wicked king who used to extort from his subjects all he could get; and he ordered one of his officers to lay the lash on a man of eminence. The officer little thinking of the pain he inflicted upon others, obeyed; but when the victim of the king's wrath begged for mercy, he felt compassion and laid the whip lightly upon him. 8 July 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE PATIENT ELEPHANT

While the Blessed One was residing in the Jetavana, there was a householder living in Savatthi known to all his neighbours as patient and kind, but his relatives were wicked and contrived a plot to rob him. One day they came to the householder and, after worrying him with all kinds of threats, took away a goodly portion of his property. He did not go to court, nor did he complain, but tolerated with great forbearance the wrongs he suffered. The neighbours wondered and began to talk about it, and rumours of the affair reached the ears of the brethren in Jetavana. While the brethren discussed the occurrence in the assembly hall, the Blessed One entered and asked, "What was the topic of your conversation?" And they told him. Said the Blessed One: "The time will come when the wicked relatives will find their punishment. O brethren, this is not the first time that this occurrence took place; it has happened before," and he told them a world-old tale.

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in the Himalaya region as an elephant. He grew up strong and big, and ranged the hills and mountains, the peaks and caves of the tortuous woods in the valleys. Once as he went, he saw a pleasant tree, and took his food, standing under it. Then some impertinent monkeys came down out of the tree, and jumping on the elephant's back, insulted and tormented him greatly; they took hold of his tusks, pulled his tail and disported themselves, thereby causing him much annoyance. The Bodhisatta, being full of patience, kindliness and mercy, took no notice at all of their misconduct which the monkeys repeated again and again. One day the spirit that lived in the tree, standing upon the tree-trunk, addressed the elephant saying, “My lord elephant, why dost thou put up with the impudence of these bad monkeys?" And he asked the question in a couplet as follows: "Why dost thou patiently endure the harm these mischievous and selfish monkeys wreak?"

The Bodhisatta, on hearing this, replied: "If, Tree-sprite, I cannot endure these monkeys' ill treatment without abusing their birth, lineage and persons, how can I walk in the eightfold noble path? But these monkeys will do the same to others thinking them to be like me. If they do it to any rogue elephant, he will punish them indeed, and I shall be delivered both from their annoyance and the guilt of having done harm to others.

4 July 2024

(The Mahasamadhi of Swami Vivekananda)

4th of July is a significant day for the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda.

For it was on Friday, 4th July 1902 that Swami Vivekananda entered Mahasamadhi.

It is well we should all remember that sacred day.

Description of Swami Vivekananda's Mahasamadhi from the biography of Swami Nikhilananda.

Three days before the Mahasamadhi, Vivekananda pointed out to Swami Premananda a particular spot on the monastery grounds where he wished his body to be cremated.

On Wednesday the Swami fasted, following the orthodox rule: it was the eleventh day of the moon. Sister Nivedita came to the monastery to ask him some questions about her school; but he was not interested and referred her to some other Swamis.

He insisted, however, on serving Nivedita the morning meal. To quote the Sister's words: Each dish, as it was offered — boiled seeds of the jack-fruit, boiled potatoes, plain rice, and ice-cold milk — formed the subject of playful chat; and finally, to end the meal, he himself poured the water over her hands, and dried them with a towel.

'It is I who should do these things for you, Swamiji! Not you for me!' was the protest naturally offered.

But his answer was startling in its solemnity — 'Jesus washed the feet of his disciples!'

Something checked the answer, 'But that was the last time!' as it rose to the lips, and the words remained unuttered. This was well. For here also, the time had come.

There was nothing sad or grave about the Swami during these days. Efforts were made not to tire him. Conversations were kept as light as possible, touching only upon the pet animals that surrounded him, his garden experiments, books, and absent friends.

But all the while one was conscious of a luminous presence of which the Swami's bodily form seemed only a shadow or symbol.

The members of the monastery had never felt so strongly as now, before him, that they stood in the presence of an infinite light; yet none was prepared to see the end so soon, least of all on that Friday, July the Fourth, on which he appeared so much stronger and healthier than he had been for years.

5 July 2024

(The Mahasamadhi of Swami Vivekananda)

4th of July is a significant day for the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda.

For it was on Friday, 4th July 1902 that Swami Vivekananda entered into Mahasamadhi.

It is well we should all remember that sacred day.

Description of Swami Vivekananda's Mahasamadhi, taken, from the biography of Swami Nikhilananda.

On the supreme day, Friday, he rose very early. Going to the chapel, alone, he shut the windows and bolted the doors, contrary to his habit, and meditated for three hours. Descending the stairs of the shrine, he sang a beautiful song about Kali:

"Is Kali, my Mother, really black?

The Naked One, though black She seems,

Lights the Lotus of the heart.

Men call Her black, yet my mind Will not believe that She is so:

Now She is white, now red, now blue;

Now She appears as yellow, too.

I hardly know who Mother is, Though I have pondered all my life: Now Purusha, now Prakriti,

And now the Void, She seems to be.

To meditate on all these things Confounds poor Kamalakanta's wits."

Then Swamiji said, almost in a whisper: 'If there were another Vivekananda, then he would have understood what this Vivekananda has done! And yet — how many Vivekanandas shall be born in time!'

He expressed the desire to worship Mother Kali at the Math the following day and asked two of his disciples to procure all the necessary articles for the ceremony.

Next, he asked the disciple Suddhananda to read a passage from the Yajurveda with the commentary of a well-known expositor. The Swami said that he did not agree with the commentator and exhorted the disciple to give a new interpretation of the Vedic texts.

He partook of the noon meal with great relish, in company with the members of the Math, though usually, at that time, he ate alone in his room because of his illness.

Immediately afterwards, full of life and humour, he gave lessons to the brahmacharins for three hours on Sanskrit grammar.

In the afternoon he took a walk for about two miles with Swami Premananda and discussed his plan to start a Vedic College in the monastery.

'What will be the good of studying the Vedas?' Premananda asked.

'It will kill superstition,' Swami Vivekananda said.

On his return the Swami inquired very tenderly concerning every member of the monastery. Then he conversed for a long time with his companions on the rise and fall of nations.

'India is immortal,' he said, 'if she persists in her search for God. But if she goes in for politics and social conflict, she will die.'

6 July 2024

(The Mahasamadhi of Swami Vivekananda)

4th of July is a significant day for the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda.

For it was on Friday, 4th July 1902 that Swami Vivekananda entered into Mahasamadhi.

It is well we should all remember that sacred day.

Description of Swami Vivekananda's Mahasamadhi from the biography of Swami Nikhilananda.

At seven o'clock in the evening the bell rang for worship in the chapel. The Swami went to his room and told the disciple who attended him that none was to come to him until called for.

He spent an hour in meditation and telling his beads, then called the disciple and asked him to open all the windows and fan his head.

He lay down quietly on his bed and the attendant thought that he was either sleeping or meditating.

At the end of an hour his hands trembled a little and he breathed once very deeply. There was a silence for a minute or two, and again he breathed in the same manner.

His eyes became fixed in the centre of his eyebrows, his face assumed a divine expression, and eternal silence fell.

'There was,' said a brother disciple of the Swami, 'a little blood in his nostrils, about his mouth, and in his eyes.' According to the Yoga scriptures, the life-breath of an illumined yogi passes out through the opening on the top of the head, causing the blood to flow in the nostrils and the mouth.

The great ecstasy took place at ten minutes past nine. Swami Vivekananda passed away at the age of thirty-nine years, five months, and twenty-four days, thus fulfilling his own prophecy: 'I shall not live to be forty years old.'

The brother disciples thought that he might have fallen into samadhi and chanted the Master's name to bring back his consciousness. But he remained on his back motionless.

Physicians were sent for, and the body was thoroughly examined. At midnight, however, Swami Vivekananda was pronounced dead, the cause, according to medical science, having been apoplexy or sudden failure of the heart.

But the monks were convinced that their leader had voluntarily cast off his body in samadhi, as predicted by Sri Ramakrishna.

In the morning people poured in from all quarters. Nivedita sat by the body and fanned it till it was brought down at 2 p.m., to the porch leading to the courtyard.

It was covered with ochre robes and decorated with flowers. Incense was burnt and a religious service was performed with lights, conch-shells, and bells. The brother monks and disciples took their final leave and the procession started, moving slowly through the courtyard and across the lawn, till it reached the vilva tree near the spot where the Swami himself had desired his body to be cremated.

The funeral pyre was built, and the body was consigned to the flames kindled with sandalwood. Across the Ganga, on the other bank, Ramakrishna had been cremated sixteen years before.

Nivedita began to weep like a child, rolling on the ground. Suddenly the wind blew into her lap a piece of the ochre robe from the pyre, and she received it as a blessing.

It was dusk when the flames subsided. The sacred relics were gathered, and the pyre was washed with the water of the Ganga.

The place is now marked by a temple, the table of the altar standing on the very spot where the Swami's body rested in the flames.

Gloom and desolation fell upon the monastery. The monks prayed in the depths of their hearts: 'O Lord! Thy will be done!' But deep beneath their grief all felt that this was not the end.

The words of the leader, uttered long before his death, rang in their ears: 'It may be that I shall find it good to get outside my body — to cast it off like a worn-out garment. But I shall not cease to work. I shall inspire men everywhere, until the world shall know that it is one with God.'

And: 'May I be born again and again, and suffer thousands of miseries, so that I may worship the only God that exists, the only God I believe in, the sum total of all souls.'

For centuries to come people everywhere will be inspired by Swami Vivekananda's message: O man! first realize that you are one with Brahman — aham Brahmasmi — and then realize that the whole universe is verily the same Brahman — 'sarvam khalvidam Brahma'.

7 July 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE SICK BHIKKHU

An old bhikkhu of a surly disposition was afflicted with a loathsome disease the sight and smell of which was so nauseating that no one would come near him or help him in his distress. And it happened that the World-honoured One came to the vihara in which the unfortunate man lay; hearing of the case he ordered warm water to be prepared and went to the sick-room to administer unto the sores of

the patient with his own hand, saying to his disciples: "The Tathagata has come into the world to befriend the poor, to succour the unprotected, to nourish those in bodily affliction, both the followers of the Dharma and unbelievers, to give sight to the blind and enlighten the minds of the deluded, to stand up for the rights of orphans as well as the aged, and in so doing to set an example to others.

This is the consummation of his work, and thus he attains the great goal of life as the rivers that lose themselves in the ocean."

The World-honoured One administered unto the sick bhikkhu daily so long as he stayed in that place.

And the governor of the city came to the Buddha to do him reverence, and having heard of the service which the Lord did in the vihara asked the Blessed One about the previous existence of the sick monk, and the Buddha said:

"In days gone by there was a wicked king who used to extort from his subjects all he could get; and he ordered one of his officers to lay the lash on a man of eminence. The officer little thinking of the pain he inflicted upon others, obeyed; but when the victim of the king's wrath begged for mercy, he felt compassion and laid the whip lightly upon him.

Now the king was reborn as Devadatta, who was abandoned by all his followers, because they were no longer willing to stand his severity and he died miserable and full of penitence. The officer is the sick bhikkhu, who having often given offence to his brethren in the vihara was left without assistance in his distress.

The eminent man, however, who was unjustly beaten and begged for mercy was the Bodhisatta; he has been reborn as the Tathagata. It is now the lot of the Tathagata to help the wretched officer as he had mercy on him."

And the World-honoured One repeated these lines: "He who inflicts pain on the gentle, or falsely accuses the in-

nocent, will inherit one of the ten great calamities. But he who has learned to suffer with patience will be purified and will be the chosen instrument for the alleviation of suffering."

The diseased bhikkhu on hearing these words turned to the Buddha, confessed his ill-natured temper, and repented, and with a heart cleansed from error did reverence unto the Lord.

8 July 2024

(Parables of Lord Buddha)

THE PATIENT ELEPHANT

While the Blessed One was residing in the Jetavana, there was a householder living in Savatthi known to all his neighbours as patient and kind, but his relatives were wicked and contrived a plot to rob him.

One day they came to the householder and ofter worrying him with all kinds of threats took away a goodly portion of his property.

He did not go to court, nor did he complain, but tolerated with great forbearance the wrongs he suffered.

The neighbours wondered and began to talk about it, and rumours of the affair reached the ears of the brethren in Jetavana. While the brethren discussed the occurrence in the assembly hall, the Blessed One entered and asked, "What was the topic of your conversation?" And they told him.

Said the Blessed One: "The time will come when the wicked relatives will find their punishment. O brethren, this is not the first time that this occurrence took place; it has happened before, and he told them a world-old tale.

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in the Himalaya region as an elephant. He grew up strong und big, and ranged the hills and mountains, the peaks and caves of the tortuous woods in the valleys.

Once as he went, he saw a pleasant tree, and took his food, standing under it. Then some impertinent monkeys came down out of the tree, and jumping on the elephant's back, insulted and tormented him greatly; they took hold of his tusks, pulled his tail and disported themselves, thereby causing him much annoyance.

The Bodhisatta, being full of patience, kindliness and mercy, took no notice at all of their misconduct which the monkeys repeated again and again.

One day the spirit that lived in the tree, standing upon the tree-trunk, addressed the elephant saying, “My lord elephant, why dost thou put up with the impudence of these bad monkeys?"

And he asked the question in a couplet as follows:

"Why dost thou patiently endure the harm these mischievous and selfish monkeys wreak?"

The Bodhisatta, on hearing this, replied: "If, Tree-sprite, I cannot endure these monkeys' ill treatment without abusing their birth, lineage and persons, how can I walk in the eightfold noble path? But these monkeys will do the same to others thinking them to be like me. If they do it to any rogue elephant, he will punish them indeed, and I shall be delivered both from their annoyance and the guilt of having done harm to others."

Saying this he repeated another stanza:

"If they will treat another one like me, He will destroy them; and I shall be free."

A few days after, the Bodhisatta went elsewhere, and another elephant, a savage beast, came and stood in his place. The wicked monkeys thinking him to be like the old one, climbed upon his back and did as before.

The rogue elephant seized the monkeys with his trunk, threw them upon the ground, gored them with his tusk and trampled them to mincemeat under his feet.

When the Master had ended this teaching, he declared the truths, and identified the births, saying: "At that time the mischievous monkeys were the wicked relatives of this good man, the rogue elephant was the one who will punish them, but the virtuous noble elephant was the Tathagata himself in a former incarnation."

9 July 2024

THE PATIENT ELEPHANT.

After this discourse, one of the brethren rose and asked leave to ask a question; and when permission was granted, he said: "I have heard the doctrine that wrong should be met with wrong, and the evil doer should be checked by being made to suffer, for if this were not done, evil would increase and good would disappear. What shall we do?"

Said the Blessed One: "Nay, I will tell you: Ye who have left the world and have adopted this glorious faith of putting aside selfishness, ye shall not do evil for evil nor return hate for hate. Nor do ye think that ye can destroy wrong by retaliating evil for evil and thus increasing wrong. Leave the wicked to their fate, and their evil deeds will sooner or later, in one way or another, bring on their own punishment."

And the Tathagata repeated these stanzas:

"Who harmeth him that doth no harm

And striketh him that striketh not,

Shall gravest punishment incur,

The which his wickedness begot.

"Some of the greatest ills in life,

Either a loathsome dread disease,

Or dread old age, or loss of mind,

Or wretched pain without surcease.

"Or conflagration, loss of wealth;

Or of his nearest kin he shall see

Some one die that's dear to him;

And then he'll be reborn in hell."

10 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

It is said that soon after his enlightenment, the Buddha passed a man on the road who was struck by the Buddha’s extraordinary radiance and peaceful presence. The man stopped and asked, “My friend, what are you? Are you a celestial being or a god?”

“No,” said the Buddha.

“Well, then, are you some kind of magician or wizard?”

Again, the Buddha answered, “No.”

“Are you a man?”

“No.”

“Well, my friend, then what are you?”

The Buddha replied, “I am awake.”

The word *buddha* means “one who is awake.”

Wakefulness

WAKEFULNESS is the way to life.

The fool sleeps

As if he were already dead,

But the Master is awake,

And he lives forever.

He watches.

He is clear.

How happy he is!

For he sees that wakefulness is life.

How happy he is,

Following the path of the awakened.

With great perseverance

He meditates, seeking

Freedom and happiness.

11 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

The Sage

A person of wisdom should be truthful, without arrogance, without deceit, not slanderous and not hateful. The wise person should go beyond the evil of greed and miserliness.

To have your mind set on calmness, you must take power over sleepiness, drowsiness and lethargy. There is no place for laziness and no recourse to pride.

Do not be led into lying, do not be attached to forms. You must see through all pride and fare along without violence.

Do not get excited by what is old, do not be contented with what is new. Do not grieve for what is lost or be controlled by desire.

(SUTTA-NIPATA)

We are what we think

All that we are arises with our thoughts.

With our thoughts we make the world.

Speak or act with an impure mind. And trouble will follow you as the wheel follows the ox that draws the cart.

We are what we think, all that we are arises with our thoughts.

With our thoughts we make the world.

Speak or act with a pure mind and happiness will follow you as your shadow, unshakable.

How can a troubled mind understand the way?

Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own thoughts, unguarded.

But once mastered, no one can help you as much, not even your father or your mother. (DHAMMAPADA)

12 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

The Sage

This is the work of those who are skilled and peaceful, who seek the good: May they be able and upright, straightforward, of gentle speech and not proud. May they be content and easily supported, unburdened, with their senses calmed. May they be wise, not arrogant and without desire for the possessions of others. May they do nothing mean the wise would reprove.

May all beings be happy. May they live in safety and joy. All living beings, whether weak or strong, tall, stout, average or short, seen or unseen, near or distant, born or to be born, may they all be happy.

Let no one deceive another or despise any being in any state. Let none by anger or hatred wish harm to another. As a mother watches over her child, willing to risk her own life to protect her only child, so with a boundless heart should one cherish all living beings, suffusing the whole world with unobstructed loving-kindness.

Standing or walking, sitting or lying down, during all one’s waking hours, may one remain mindful of this heart and this way of living that is the best in the world. Unattached to speculations, views and sense desires, with clear vision—such a person will never be reborn in the cycles of suffering.

13 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Developing Loving-Kindness

Put away all hindrances, let your mind full of love pervade one quarter of the world, and so too the second quarter, and so the third, and so the fourth. And thus the whole wide world, above, below, around and everywhere, altogether continue to pervade with love-filled thought, abounding, sublime, beyond measure, free from hatred and ill-will.

(Digha Nikaya)

Harmlessness

All beings tremble before violence. All fear death. All love life. See yourself in others. Then whom can you hurt? What harm can you do?

He who seeks happiness by hurting those who seek happiness will never find happiness. For your brother is like you. He wants to be happy. Never harm him and when you leave this life you too will find happiness.

(Dhammapada)

Virtue

The perfume of sandalwood, rosebay or jasmine cannot travel against the wind. But the fragrance of virtue travels even against the wind, as far as the ends of the world.

Like garlands woven from a heap of flowers, fashion from your life as many good deeds.

(Dhammapada)

14 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Great Discourse on Blessings

At one time the Exalted One was living in Jeta Grove. A certain deity of astounding beauty approached the Exalted One and said:

Many deities and humans have pondered on blessings. Tell me the blessings supreme. 15 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Noble Friendship

Then the venerable Ananda approached the Lord, prostrated himself and sat down to one side. Sitting there the venerable Ananda said to the Lord: “Half of this holy life, Lord, is good and noble friends, companionship with the good, association with the good.”

“Do not say that, Ananda. Do not say that, Ananda. It is the whole of this holy life, this friendship, companionship, and association with the good.” (SAMYUTTA NIKAYA)

The Awakened

How joyful to look upon the awakened and to keep company with the wise. Follow then the shining ones, the wise, the awakened, the loving, for they know how to work and forbear. But if you cannot find friend or master to go with you, travel on alone—like a king who has given away his kingdom, or like an elephant in the forest. If the traveler can find a virtuous and wise companion let him go with him joyfully, and overcome the dangers of the way. Follow them as the moon follows the path of the stars. (Dhammapada)

Hatred Never Dispels Hate

“Look how he abused me and beat me, how he threw me down and robbed me.” Live with such thoughts and you live in hate. “Look how he abused me and beat me, how he threw me down and robbed me.” Abandon such thoughts, and live in love. In this world hate never yet dispelled hate. Only love dispels hate. This is the law, ancient and inexhaustible. You too shall pass away. Knowing this, how can you quarrel? (Dhammapada)

16 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Sand Castles

Some children were playing beside a river. They made castles of sand, and each child defended his castle and said, “This one is mine.” They kept their castles separate and would not allow any mistakes about which was whose. When the castles were all finished, one child kicked over someone else’s castle and completely destroyed it. The owner of the castle flew into a rage, pulled the other child’s hair, struck him with his fist and bawled out, “He has spoiled my castle! Come along all of you and help me to punish him as he deserves.” The others all came to his help.

15 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Noble Friendship

Then the venerable Ananda approached the Lord, prostrated himself and sat down to one side. Sitting there the venerable Ananda said to the Lord:

“Half of this holy life, Lord, is good and noble friends, companionship with the good, association with the good.”

“Do not say that, Ananda. Do not say that, Ananda. It is the whole of this holy life, this friendship, companionship, and association with the good.” (SAMYUTTA NIKAYA)

The Awakened

How joyful to look upon the awakened and to keep company with the wise.

Follow then the shining ones, the wise, the awakened, the loving, for they know how to work and forbear.

But if you cannot find friend or master to go with you, travel on alone—

Like a king who has given away his kingdom, or like an elephant in the forest.

If the traveler can find a virtuous and wise companion let him go with him joyfully, and overcome the dangers of the way.

Follow them as the moon follows the path of the stars. (Dhammapada)

Hatred Never Dispels Hate

“Look how he abused me and beat me, how he threw me down and robbed me.”

Live with such thoughts and you live in hate.

“Look how he abused me and beat me, how he threw me down and robbed me.”

Abandon such thoughts, and live in love.

In this world hate never yet dispelled hate.

Only love dispels hate.

This is the law, ancient and inexhaustible.

You too shall pass away.

Knowing this, how can you quarrel? (Dhammapada)

16 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Sand Castles

Some children were playing beside a river. They made castles of sand, and each child defended his castle and said, “This one is mine.” They kept their castles separate and would not allow any mistakes about which was whose.

When the castles were all finished, one child kicked over someone else’s castle and completely destroyed it.

The owner of the castle flew into a rage, pulled the other child’s hair, struck him with his fist and bawled out, “He has spoiled my castle! Come along all of you and help me to punish him as he deserves.”

The others all came to his help. They beat the child with a stick and then stamped on him as he lay on the ground. . . .

Then they went on playing in their sandcastles, each saying, “This is mine; no one else may have it. Keep away! Don’t touch my castle!”

But evening came; it was getting dark, and they all thought they ought to be going home. No one now cared what became of his castle. One child stamped on his, another pushed his over with both hands. Then they turned away and went back, each to his home.

Developing the Mind

“DEVELOP a state of mind like the earth, Rahula. For on the earth people throw clean and unclean things, dung and urine, spittle, pus, blood, and the earth is not troubled or repelled or disgusted.

And as you grow like the earth no contacts with pleasant or unpleasant will lay hold of your mind or stick to it.

“Similarly you should develop a state of mind like water, for people throw all manner of clean and unclean things into water and it is not troubled or repelled or disgusted. And similarly with fire, which burns all things, clean and unclean, and with air, which blows upon them all, and with space, which is nowhere established.

“Develop the state of mind of friendliness, Rahula, for, as you do so, ill-will will grow less; and of compassion, for thus vexation will grow less; and of joy, for thus aversion will grow less; and of equanimity, for thus repugnance will grow less.”

17 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

The Song of Joy

Live in joy,

In love,

Even among those who hate.

Live in joy,

In health,

Even among the afflicted.

Live in joy,

In peace,

Even among the troubled.

Look within.

Be still.

Free from fear and attachment,

Know the sweet joy of the way.

Rain, O Sky!

“I have boiled my rice, I have milked my cows,” so said the herdsman Dhaniya.

“I am living together with my fellows near the banks of the Mahi River, my house is covered, the fire is kindled: therefore, if thou like, rain, O sky!”

“I am free from anger, free from stubbornness,” so said the Blessed One.

“I am abiding for one night near the banks of the Mahi River, my house is uncovered, the fire of craving is extinguished: therefore, if thou like, rain, O sky!”

“Gadflies are not to be found with me,” so said the herdsman Dhaniya.

“In meadows abounding with grass the cows are roaming, and they can endure rain when it comes: therefore, if thou like, rain, O sky!”

“By me is made a well-constructed raft,” so said the Buddha.

“I have passed over to Nirvana, I have reached the further bank, having overcome the torrent; there is no further use for a raft: therefore, if thou like, rain, O sky!”

“My wife is obedient, not wanton,” so said the herdsman Dhaniya.

“For a long time, she has been living together with me, she is winning, and I hear nothing wicked of her: therefore, if thou like, rain, O sky!”

“My mind is obedient, delivered from all worldliness,” so said the Buddha.

“It has for a long time been highly cultivated and well-subdued, there is no longer anything wicked in me: therefore, if thou like, rain, O sky!”

“I support myself by my own earning,” so said the herdsman Dhaniya.

“And my children are all about me, healthy; I hear nothing wicked of them: therefore, if thou like, rain, O sky!”

“I am no one’s servant,” so said the Buddha.

18 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

House Builder

Before my enlightenment, while I was still only an unenlightened Bodhisattva, I thought: In the case of material form, of feeling [of pleasure, pain or neither], of perception, of formations, of consciousness, what is the gratification, what is the danger, what is the escape?

Then I thought: In the case of each, the bodily pleasure and mental joy that arise in dependence on these five aggregates are the gratification; the fact that these things are all impermanent, painful, and subject to change is the danger; the disciplining and abandoning of desire and lust for them is the escape.

“As long as I did not know by direct knowledge, as it actually is, that such was the gratification, such the danger, and such the escape, in the case of these five aggregates affected by clinging, so long did I make no claim to have discovered the enlightenment that is supreme in the world with its deities, its Maras and its divinities, in this generation with its monks and brahmans, with its princes and men.

But as soon as I knew by direct knowledge, as it actually is, that such is the gratification, such the danger, and such the escape, in the case of these five aggregates affected by clinging, then I claimed to have discovered the enlightenment that is supreme in the world with its deities, its Maras and its divinities, in this generation with its monks and brahmans, with its princes and men.”

“Being myself subject to birth, aging, ailment, death, sorrow, and defilement, seeing danger in what is subject to those things and seeking the unborn, unaging, unailing, deathless, sorrowless, undefiled supreme surcease of bondage, nirvana, I attained it.

The knowledge and vision was in me: My deliverance is unassailable; this is my last birth; there is now no renewal of being.”

“Seeking but not finding the House Builder,

I traveled through the round of countless births:

O painful is birth ever and again.

House Builder, you have now been seen.

You shall not build the house again.

Your rafters have been broken down.

Your ridge pole is shattered.

My mind has attained the peace of nirvana and reached the end of every kind of craving.”

19 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Parable of the Arrow

A Man approached the Blessed One and wanted to have all his philosophical questions answered before he would practice.

In response, the Buddha said, “It is as if a man had been wounded by a poisoned arrow and when attended to by a physician were to say, ‘I will not allow you to remove this arrow until I have learned the caste, the age, the occupation, the birthplace, and the motivation of the person who wounded me.’

That man would die before having learned all this.

In exactly the same way, anyone who should say, ‘I will not follow the teaching of the Blessed One until the Blessed One has explained all the multiform truths of the world’—that person would die before the Buddha had explained all this.”

Dharma as Medicine

“Just as a capable physician might instantly cure a patient who is in pain and seriously ill; so also, dear sir, whatever one hears of the Buddha’s Dharma, be it discourses, mixed prose, explanations or marvelous statements—one’s sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair will vanish.

“Just as if there were a beautiful pond with a pleasant shore, its water being clear, agreeable, cool and transparent, and a man came by, scorched and exhausted by the heat, fatigued, parched and thirsty, and he would step into the pond, bathe and drink, and thus all his plight, fatigue and feverishness are allayed.

So also, dear sir, whenever one hears the Buddha’s Dharma, be it discourses, mixed prose, explanations or marvelous statements—all one’s plight, fatigue and the feverish burning of the heart are allayed.”

20 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

The Four Noble Truths

The Buddha said:

“And I discovered that profound truth, so difficult to perceive, difficult to understand, tranquillizing and sublime, which is not to be gained by mere reasoning, and is visible only to the wise. The world, however, is given to pleasure, delighted with pleasure, enchanted with pleasure. Truly, such beings will hardly understand the law of conditionality, the dependent origination of everything. Yet there are beings whose eyes are only a little covered with dust: they will understand the truth.”

What now is the Noble Truth of Suffering?

Birth is suffering; decay is suffering; death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair are suffering; not to get what one desires is suffering; in short, the five groups of existence are suffering.

What, now, is the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering?

It is craving, which gives rise to fresh rebirth, and, bound up with pleasure and lust, now here, now there, finds ever-fresh delight. But where does this craving arise and take root? Wherever in the world there are delightful and pleasurable things, there this craving rises and takes root. Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are delightful and pleasurable: there this craving arises and takes root. Visual objects, sounds, smells, tastes, bodily impressions, and mind objects are delightful and pleasurable: there this craving arises and takes root. Consciousness, sense impression, feeling born of sense impression, perception, will, craving, thinking, and reflection are delightful and pleasurable: there this craving arises and takes root.

What, now, is the Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering?

It is the complete fading away and extinction of this craving, its forsaking and abandonment, liberation and detachment from it. The extinction of greed, the extinction of hate, the extinction of delusion: this, indeed, is called Nirvana.

21 July 2024

(Today is the auspicious Guru Poornima Day. On this Holy Day Sri Ramakrishna, the Guru of all Gurus bless us all with Bhakti.)

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

The Four Noble Truths

And for a disciple thus freed, in whose heart dwells peace, there is nothing to be added to what has been done, and naught more remains to do. Just as a rock of one solid mass remains unshaken by the wind, even so neither forms, nor sounds, nor odors, nor tastes, nor contacts of any kind, neither the desired nor the undesired can cause such a one to waver; one is steadfast in mind, gained is deliverance.

And one who has considered all the contrasts of this earth and is no longer disturbed by anything whatever in the world, the Peaceful One, freed from rage, from sorrow, and from longing, has passed beyond birth and decay.

This I call neither arising, nor passing away, neither standing still, nor being born, nor dying. There is neither foothold, nor development, nor any basis. This is the end of suffering.

Hence, the purpose of the Holy Life does not consist in acquiring alms, honor, or fame, nor in gaining morality, concentration, or the eye of knowledge.

That unshakable deliverance of the heart: that, indeed, is the object of the Holy Life, that is its essence, that is its goal.

What, now, is the Noble Truth of the Path that leads to the extinction of suffering?

To give oneself up to indulgence in sensual pleasure, the base, common, vulgar, unholy, unprofitable; or to give oneself up to self-mortification, the painful, unholy, unprofitable: both these two extremes, the Perfect One has avoided, and has discovered the Middle Path, which makes one both see and know, which leads to peace, to discernment, to Nirvana.

22 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

The Four Noble Truths

It is the Noble Eightfold Path, the way that leads to the extinction of suffering, namely:

1. Right Understanding

2. Right Thought

3. Right Speech

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration

This is the Middle Path which the Perfect One has discovered, which makes one both see and know, which leads to peace, to discernment, to enlightenment.

Sickness, Old Age, and Death

Did you never see in the world a man, or a woman, eighty, ninety, or a hundred years old; frail, crooked as a gable-roof, bent down, resting on crutches, with tottering steps, infirm; youth long since fled, with broken teeth, gray and scanty hair or none, wrinkled, with blotched limbs? And did the thought never come to you that you also are subject to decay, that you also cannot escape it?

Did you never see in the world a man, or a woman who, being sick, afflicted, and grievously ill, wallowing in his own filth, was lifted up by some and put to bed by others? And did the thought never come to you that you also are subject to disease, that you also cannot escape it?

Did you never see in the world the corpse of a man, or a woman, one or two or three days after death, swollen up, blue-black in color, and full of corruption? And did the thought never come to you that you also are subject to death, that you also cannot escape it?

Suppose a man who was not blind beheld the many bubbles on the Ganges as they drove along, and he watched them and carefully examined them, then after he had carefully examined them, they would appear to him empty, unreal and unsubstantial. In exactly the same way does the monk behold all physical phenomena, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and states of consciousness—whether they be of the past, or the present, or the future, far or near. And he observes them, and examines them carefully; and, after carefully examining them, they appear to him empty, void, and without a Self.

23 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Crossing the Stream

Few cross over the river.

Most are stranded on this side.

On the riverbank they run up and down.

But the wise person, following the way,

Crosses over, beyond the reach of death.

Free from desire,

Free from possessions,

Free from attachment and appetite,

Following the seven lights of awakening,

And rejoicing greatly in one’s freedom,

In this world the wise person

Becomes oneself a light,

Pure, shining, free.

Three Characteristics

“All formations are transient; all formations are subject to suffering; all things are without a self.

“Therefore, whatever there be of form, of feeling, perception, mental formations, or consciousness, whether past, present, or future, one’s own or external, gross or subtle, lofty or low, far or near, one should understand according to reality and true wisdom: ‘This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Self.’”

24 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Free from desire,

Free from possessions,

Free from attachment and appetite,

Following the seven lights of awakening,

And rejoicing greatly in one’s freedom,

In this world the wise person

Becomes oneself a light,

Pure, shining, free.

Three Characteristics

“All formations are transient; all formations are subject to suffering; all things are without a self. Therefore, whatever there be of form, of feeling, perception, mental formations, or consciousness, whether past, present, or future, one’s own or external, gross or subtle, lofty or low, far or near, one should understand according to reality and true wisdom: ‘This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Self.’”

End of Clinging

“Ananda, in one who contemplates the enjoyment of all things that make for clinging, craving arises; through craving, clinging is conditioned; through clinging, the process of becoming is conditioned; through the process of becoming, rebirth is conditioned; through rebirth are conditioned old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair. Thus arises the whole mass of suffering again in the future.

“But in the person, Ananda, who dwells contemplating the sorrow of all things that make for clinging, craving ceases; when craving ceases, clinging ceases; when clinging ceases, the process of becoming ceases; when the process of becoming ceases, rebirth ceases; when rebirth ceases, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair cease. Thus, the entire mass of suffering ceases.

“Suppose, Ananda, there were a great tree, and a man were to come with an axe and basket and were to cut down that tree at the root. After cutting it at the root he were to dig a trench and were to pull out the roots even to the rootlets and fibers of them. Then he were to cut the tree into logs and were then to split the logs and were then to make the logs into chips. Then he were to dry the chips in wind and sun, then burn them with fire, collect them into a heap of ash, then winnow the ashes in a strong wind or let them be carried away by the swift stream of a river.

“Surely that great tree thus cut down at the roots would be made as a palm tree stump, become unproductive, become unable to sprout again in the future.

“Just so, Ananda, in him who dwells contemplating the sorrow of all things that make for clinging the entire mass of suffering ceases.”

25 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Totality of Life

Monks, I will teach you the totality of life. Listen, attend carefully to it and I will speak. What, monks, is totality? It is just the eye with the objects of sight, the ear with the objects of hearing, the nose with the objects of smell, the body with the objects of touch, and the mind with the objects of cognition. This, monks, is called totality.

Now, if anyone were to say: “Aside from this explanation of totality, I will preach another totality,” that person would be speaking empty words, and being questioned would not be able to answer. Why is this? Because that person is talking about something outside of possible knowledge.

Master Your Senses

Master your senses,

What you taste and smell,

What you see, what you hear.

In all things be a master

Of what you do and say and think.

Be free.

Are you quiet?

Quieten your body.

Quieten your mind.

By your own efforts

Waken yourself, watch yourself,

And live joyfully.

Follow the truth of the way.

Reflect upon it.

Make it your own.

Live it.

26 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Fire Sermon

And the Blessed One went forth to Gayasisa, near Gaya, together with a company of one thousand monks. There the Blessed One thus addressed the monks: “Everything, O monks, is burning. And how, O monks, is everything burning?

“The eye, O monks, is burning; visible things are burning; the mental impressions based on the eye are burning; the contact of the eye with visible things is burning; the sensation produced by the contact of the eye with visible things, be it pleasant, be it painful, be it neither pleasant nor painful, that also is burning. With what fire is it burning? I declare unto you that it is burning with the fire of greed, with the fire of anger, with the fire of ignorance; it is burning with the anxieties of birth, decay, death, grief, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and despair.

“The ear is burning, sounds are burning. The nose is burning, odors are burning. The tongue is burning, tastes are burning. The body is burning, objects of contact are burning. The mind is burning, thoughts are burning, all are burning with the fire of greed, of anger, and of ignorance.

“Considering this, O monks, a disciple walking in the Noble Path, becomes weary of the eye, weary of visible things, weary of the mental impressions based on the eye, weary of the contact of the eye with visible things, weary also of the sensation produced by the contact of the eye with visible things, be it pleasant, be it painful, be it neither pleasant nor painful. He or she becomes weary of the ear, and so forth, down to thoughts. Becoming weary of all that, one divests oneself of grasping; by absence of grasping, one is made free; when one is free, one becomes aware that one is free; and one realizes that rebirth is exhausted; and that there is no further return to this world.”

When this exposition was propounded, the minds of those thousand monks became free from attachment to the world and were released from all entanglement.

27 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Nirvana

NAGASENA said:

“Nirvana shares one quality with the lotus, two with water, three with medicine, ten with space, three with the wishing jewel, and five with a mountain peak.

As the lotus is unstained by water, so is Nirvana unstained by all the defilements.

As cool water allays feverish heat, so also Nirvana is cool and allays the fever of all the passions. Moreover, as water removes the thirst of humans and animals who are exhausted, parched, thirsty, and overpowered by heat, so also Nirvana removes the craving for sensuous enjoyments, the craving for further becoming, the craving for the cessation of becoming.

As medicine protects torments of poison, so Nirvana torments of the poisonous passions. Moreover, as medicine puts an end to sickness, so Nirvana to all sufferings. Finally, Nirvana and medicine both give security.

And these are the ten qualities which Nirvana shares with space. Neither is born, grows old, dies, passes away, or is reborn; both are unconquerable, cannot be stolen, are unsupported, are roads respectively for birds and Awakened Ones to journey on, are unobstructed and infinite.

Like the wishing jewel, Nirvana grants all one can desire, brings joy, and sheds light.

As a mountain peak is lofty and exalted, so is Nirvana. As a mountain peak is unshakable, so is Nirvana. As a mountain peak is inaccessible, so is Nirvana inaccessible to all the passions. As no seeds can grow on a mountain peak, so the seeds of all the passions cannot grow in Nirvana. And finally, as a mountain peak is free from all desire to please or displease, so is Nirvana.”

It will always sustain you.

Jai Ramakrishna 28 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Plowing

Early one morning, while on his alms round, the Buddha approached the area being plowed in springtime when Bharadvaja, the Brahmin, was distributing food to his workers. When Bharadvaja saw the Buddha coming for alms he said, “I, O monk, plow and sow, and having plowed and sown, then I eat. Do you likewise plow and sow and, having plowed and sown, eat?”

The Buddha replied, “I, also, Brahmin, plow and sow and, having plowed and sown, eat.”

Then Bharadvaja said, “You claim yourself to be a plowman? I see no plow! Tell me, O plowman, what kind of plowing it is you do?”

The Buddha replied, “Trust is the seed and composure the rain. Clarity is my plow and yoke, conscience is my guide-pole, and my mind is the harness. Wakefulness is my plow-blade and my goad. Well-guarded in action and in speech, and moderate in food, I use truth to weed and cultivate release. True effort is my oxen, drawing the plow steadily toward Nirvana, freedom without regret. This is how I plow, it bears the deathless as its fruit. Whoever plows in this way, will become free of all sorrow and distress.”

Then Bharadvaja exclaimed, “Let the Venerable monk eat! You are indeed a plowman and your plowing bears the fruit of freedom.”

28 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

Plowing

Early one morning, while on his alms round, the Buddha approached the area being plowed in springtime when Bharadvaja, the Brahmin, was distributing food to his workers. When Bharadvaja saw the Buddha coming for alms he said,

“I, O monk, plow and sow, and having plowed and sown, then I eat. Do you likewise plow and sow and, having plowed and sown, eat?”

The Buddha replied, “I, also, Brahmin, plow and sow and, having plowed and sown, eat.”

Then Bharadvaja said, “You claim yourself to be a plowman? I see no plow!

Tell me, O plowman, what kind of plowing it is you do?”

The Buddha replied, “Trust is the seed and composure the rain. Clarity is my plow and yoke, conscience is my guide-pole, and my mind is the harness.

Wakefulness is my plow-blade and my goad. Well-guarded in action and in speech, and moderate in food, I use truth to weed and cultivate release. True effort is my oxen, drawing the plow steadily toward Nirvana, freedom without regret.

This is how I plow, it bears the deathless as its fruit. Whoever plows in this way, will become free of all sorrow and distress.”

Then Bharadvaja exclaimed, “Let the Venerable monk eat! You are indeed a plowman and your plowing bears the fruit of freedom.”

29 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

MASTER YOURSELF

Love yourself and be awake—

Today, tomorrow, always.

First establish yourself in the way,

Then teach others,

And so, defeat sorrow.

To straighten the crooked

You must first do a harder thing—

Straighten yourself.

You are your only master.

The Refinement of Mind

Here is a simile for the refinement of the mind:

There are, my friends, gross impurities in gold, such as earth, and sand, gravel and grit. Now the skilled goldsmith first pours the gold into a trough and washes, rinses, and cleans it thoroughly. When the goldsmith has done this, there still remain moderate impurities in the gold, such as fine grit and coarse sand. Then the goldsmith rinses and cleans it again. When the goldsmith has done this, there still remain minute impurities in the gold, such as fine sand and dust. Now the goldsmith repeats the washing and thereafter only the gold dust remains. The goldsmith now pours the gold into the melting pot and smelts it, melts it together. But the goldsmith does not yet take it out of the vessel as the dross has not yet been entirely removed and the gold is not yet quite pliant, workable, and bright; it is still brittle and does not yet lend itself to molding. But a time comes when the goldsmith repeats the melting so that the flaws are entirely removed. The gold is now quite pliant, workable, and bright; and it lends itself easily to molding. Whatever ornament the goldsmith now wishes to make of it, be it a crown, earrings, a necklace, or a golden chain, the gold can now be used for that purpose.

30 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

IMPURITIES

In the case of a Sadhaka, there may be such gross impurities as unskillful conduct in deeds, words, and thoughts. Such conduct the follower of the way gives up, puts away, lets go, and relinquishes.

When one has abandoned these there may still remain such impurities of a moderate degree as lustful, angry, and violent thoughts. Such thoughts the follower of the way gives up, puts away, lets go, and relinquishes.

When one has abandoned these, there may still remain such subtle impurities as clinging to relatives, to nation, or to one’s reputation.

When one has abandoned these, there may still remain grasping to special states of meditation.

Thus concentration is not yet properly calm or refined; it has not attained to full tranquility, nor has it achieved mental unification. But there comes a time when the practitioner’s mind gains firmness within, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated.

With such a concentration the practitioner is able to direct the mind to states of higher insight.

Having completed this initial purification, a follower of the way devoted to practice should from time to time pay attention to three qualities of the mind. The practitioner should from time to time pay attention to the state of concentration, the state of energetic effort, and the state of equanimity.

If one gives direct attention exclusively to concentration, one’s mind may fall into indolence.

If one directs attention exclusively to energetic effort, one’s mind may fall into restlessness. If one directs exclusive attention to equanimity, one’s mind will not be well concentrated on overcoming fetters and attachments.

But if, from time to time, the practitioner pays attention to each of these qualities, the practitioner’s mind will be pliant, workable, and lucid.

31 July 2024

(Teachings of Lord Buddha)

HOW TO BE RID OF IMPURITIES

Suppose a goldsmith builds a furnace, lights a fire in its opening, takes the gold with a pair of tongs, and puts it into the furnace. From time to time the goldsmith blows on it, from time to time the goldsmith sprinkles water on it, from time to time the goldsmith examines it closely. If the goldsmith were to blow on the gold continuously, it might be heated too much. If the goldsmith continuously sprinkled water on it, it would be cooled. If the goldsmith were only to examine it closely, the gold would not come to perfect refinement. But if, from time to time, the goldsmith attends to each of these three functions, the gold will become pliant, workable, and bright—and it can easily be molded. Whatever ornament the goldsmith wishes to make of it, be it a crown, an earring, a necklace, or a golden chain, the gold can now be used for that purpose.

Similarly, there are those three qualities to which a devoted practitioner should, from time to time, pay attention to, namely, concentration, energetic effort, and equanimity. If one gives regular attention to these, then one’s mind will become pliant, workable, lucid, and not unwieldy, and it will be well concentrated upon overcoming all fetters and attachments.

1 August 2024

(Teachings of Swami Ramakrishnananda)

ADVERSITY

Unless one passes through the school of adversity, one cannot properly be called a human being. We learn much from our troubles. ...You should not lose heart in adversity.

Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, prayed to Sri Krishna to beset her with adversities, since in adversity alone is He more frequently remembered!

AIM

We must not cease to strive for the highest even though it seems unattainable. We must keep God as our ideal and aim; that will pull us on. If a man aims at the sky, at least he may reach the top of a tree. If he aims at the top of the tree, he may not get above the ground.

AMBITION

The very fact that we are dissatisfied with our finite nature shows that it is not our natural condition.

The fact that we have infinite ambition, that we have insatiable hunger for more and more, proves that we are infinite by nature, and that is why we are always dissatisfied with whatever is finite... Wipe away the dust, arouse your ambition, stir up your activity and know that all power is latent in you. You are not limited.

ATTITUDE

The Divine Mother does not like us to call ourselves Her servants... We are her children to Her, not servants. Always think of yourself as Her child.

CONTENTMENT

Do not be content with the little things of this world. This universe is like a baby’s toy. Throw it away. Claim your eternal heritage. This little span of life is not yours; your life has no beginning, no end.

2 August 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Ramakrishnanandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of Swami Ramakrishnananda)

AIM

We must not cease to strive for the highest even though it seems unattainable. We must keep God as our ideal and aim; that will pull us on. If a man aims at the sky, at least he may reach the top of a tree. If he aims at the top of the tree, he may not get above the ground.

AMBITION

The very fact that we are dissatisfied with our finite nature shows that it is not our natural condition. The fact that we have infinite ambition, that we have insatiable hunger for more and more, proves that we are infinite by nature, and that is why we are always dissatisfied with whatever is finite. Wipe away the dust, arouse your ambition, stir up your activity and know that all power is latent in you. You are not limited.

ATTITUDE

The Divine Mother does not like us to call ourselves Her servants. We are her children to Her, not servants. Always think of yourself as Her child.

CONTENTMENT

Do not be content with the little things of this world. This universe is like a baby’s toy. Throw it away. Claim your eternal heritage. This little span of life is not yours; your life has no beginning, no end.

DESIRE

Mind is like a big mirror which gives a perfect reflection, but which has been so thickly covered with dirt that nothing can be seen in it. The more you can rub off that dirt, the more you will be able to see yourself in it. The more you can remove the least speck of dust, the more you can get a perfect image of your true Self. What is that dirt that hides the image? Selfish desires.

DEVOTEE

If we love God for what we can get from Him in the world, we really love the world, not God, and we can never be true devotees. The true devotee loves God just for the joy of loving Him, because God is the Beloved.

DEVOTION

If we are caught in a labyrinth and someone comes and says, “I can show you the way out,” what do we do? Follow him. And the gratitude we feel is what we call worship and devotion.

EDUCATION

True education consists in the sacrifice of vanity and the manifestation of the God within.

EGO

Almost all men in the world have usurped the throne where God should sit. On that throne where God should be, a most worthless slave has been given place. This is the ego. When you know this, then drive out the ego. When you do this and become the slave or servant of God instead, you will realize your eternal nature. Being one with God, all fear of death will go, peace will come to you, and you will taste true bliss. All Maya is localized in ego. Pull out the foundation and the whole house will collapse. Take away the ego and the whole structure of Maya will fall. Then you will realize a state of perfect calmness.

3 August 2024

(Teachings of Swami Ramakrishnananda)

EGO

All Maya is localized in ego. Pull out the foundation and the whole house will collapse. Take away the ego and the whole structure of Maya will fall. Then you will realize a state of perfect calmness.

FATE

I cannot accept that fate is irremovable. I do not believe that good and bad, virtue and vice, happiness and misery and all pairs of opposites stored in the chamber of fate are irremovable.

None but the supreme Self is immutable, indivisible, incombustible, and indestructible in this universe.

Wherever there is disease, there is remedy. Light follows darkness. Repression is shadowed by relief. Virtue succeeds vice. This is the eternal law of nature. If one uniform Law prevails in all matters, why then should fate be an exception?

FREEDOM

What keeps us from seeing God? Selfishness, egotism, ambition, vanity, pride. The more we can minimize these, the sooner will we come to the goal. If we can get rid of them altogether, then freedom is ours.

GOD

God does not dwell somewhere beyond the clouds. He is in the heart of all living beings... God comes before us in the form of the ignorant, the needy, the diseased, the destitute, the famished—so that we may serve Him in these forms and thus edify ourselves...

GRACE

When God’s grace is combined with personal effort, everything turns favourable, and every undertaking becomes successful.

4 August 2024

(Teachings of Swami Ramakrishnananda)

IGNORANCE

What is the use of imagining yourself a sinner? You are infinite; it is sheer ignorance that makes you imagine that you are finite.

LAZINESS

Shake off all dullness from within you. Laziness is the worst of all sins.

LOVE

If we cannot love others, if we cannot serve others, what are we here for? No love is really love that knows its opposite, hate. True love is always inclusive and universal. So long as one has an enemy and cannot bear to have any good come to that person, he cannot know what real love is. You are, indeed, a very bad lover of God if you cannot bear some worldly troubles for His sake!

LUST

Know that you are a God and consequently the Lord of the senses. Why should you allow the senses to lord over you?

RAMAKRISHNA

Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna will surely help you, if you only sincerely ask Him for help. He is the Incarnation of Love and Mercy.

SELF-SURRENDER

That man who can throw himself at the feet of the Lord and say, “All this is Thine, this body, mind, and soul all belong to Thee; of myself I am utterly helpless; do Thou take me,” the Lord takes that man and makes his hands, his feet, his eyes and ears, His instruments. He speaks through his mouth; He works through his hands; He walks with his feet; and the man becomes a living representative of God. This is salvation.

STRUGGLE

Do not care if you slip occasionally. To err is human. Do not lose heart. Walk firmly onward. No one can hope to get through the slimy path of the world unscathed. And it is rank foolishness to sit down in the midst of the mire for fear of falling in the attempt to get across. Struggle hard and if, in the course of that struggle, your foot slips and you have to fall several times, what does that matter? Rise up again and go on struggling. Rest assured, you will conquer in the end. Never give up the struggle as long as you are not perfect, that is, as long as you are not what you wish yourself to be.

VIRTUE

The body is the first tool for the practice of virtue.

5 August 2024

(Spiritual Talks By Swami Turiyananda)

‘I do not care a rap for history or other things—God is everything.’—What a beautiful saying! . . . The stick of ego is lying on the waters of Satchidananda. This is making the waters appear as divided. Desires create the ego. Desires keep us apart from God. But one day we shall have to eradicate all desires and call on Him. What if the body goes while calling on Him?

“However great a man may be, whatever great deeds he may be doing, some day he will have to be desireless. After that, of course, he may work again through the will of God.

But if you work at the command of a Mahapurusha, a man of realization, to whom you have surrendered your all and who seeks your good, work will not tighten your bondage; on the other hand, it will break it.

Always pray to Him that you may not forget Him. Pray: ‘Do not give me such work to do, as will make me forget Thee; and wherever Thou keepest me, may I ever remember Thee!’

“But do not say to Him: ‘Give me this’, ‘Do not give me that.’ It will be a selfish prayer. When you want to do one thing and do not want to do another, you allow your ego to come in. Some there are, who are afraid of work and try to avoid it. That makes their bondage and selfishness lasting.

Pray to Him for Bhakti. But be ever ready to obey His commands. Pray: May I keep Thee in mind under all conditions! May I never fall into any other company than that of Thy devotees!’

6 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

Sri Ramakrishna said: “As many faiths, so many paths.”

One of the devotional paths of Islam is Sufism. When we study the lives and teachings of Sufi Mystics (without reference to the authors) we cannot distinguish them from Hindu, Christian, or Buddhistic saints. As Sri Ramakrishna used to say: “All jackals howl the same way.”

In their deep love and longing for God, these saints realized Truth or God as “The Beloved,” and therefore also became known as “The Lovers of God.”

Later they were called Sufis, referring to their white woollen garments (*Sufi*), or as an indication of their purity of heart (*Safa*). The Sufi path has only one goal, and that is “the state of complete union with God.”

It is the journey “of the alone to the Alone.”

Let us enjoy some of the sayings of these great saints: “The Sufis are folk who have preferred God to everything, so that God has preferred them to everything.”

The Sufi is he who aims, from at first, at reaching God, the Creative Truth. Until he has found what he seeks, a Sufi takes no rest, nor does he give heed to any person. To be a Sufi is to give up all worries, and there is no worse worry than yourself. When you are occupied with self, you are separated from God. The way to God is but one step: the step out of yourself. The Sufi is absent from himself and present with God. A Sufi is a day that needs no sun, a night that needs no moon or star, and a non-being that needs no being. Sufism means that God causes you to die to yourself and gives you life in Him.

7 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

When Abu Sa'îd ibn Abî-l-Khayr was asked what Sufism entailed he replied: "Whatever you have in your mind— forget it; whatever you have in your hand-give it; whatever is to be your fate-face it!"

The Sufi is separated from mankind and united with God, as God has said, "And I chose thee for Myself," that is, He separated him from all others.

To be a Sufi means to abide continuously with God and to be at peace with men.

The Sufi is pleased with all that God does in order that God may be pleased with all that he does.

Sufism is that the servant acts according to whatever is most fitting to the moment.

When al-Junayd was asked about the mystic, he replied, "The colour of water is the colour of its container. That is, the nature of the mystic is always determined by the nature of his state at a given moment.”

One of the attributes of the saint is that he has no fear, for fear is anticipating some disagreeable event that might come or expecting that something beloved might pass away in the future. The saint is concerned only with the present moment. He has no future to fear.

The Sufi is like the earth, on which every foul thing is thrown and from which fair things come forth.

In Sufism a saint, Wali, is a "friend of God", someone who is under the special protection of God.

A man will not be a mystic until he is like the earth- both the righteous and the sinner tread upon it—and until he is like the clouds-they shade all things-and until he is like the rain-it waters all things, whether it loves them or not.

The Sufi is he to whom nothing is attached, and who does not become attached to anything.

Live in the world as if you are a traveller, a passer-by, with your clothes and shoes full of dust. Sometimes you sit under the shade of a tree, sometimes you walk in the desert.

Be always a passer-by, for this is not home.

8 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

“The poor man is not one whose hand is empty of provisions, but he whose nature is empty of desires.”

(Dervish is a Persian term referring to a state of spiritual poverty. The early dervishes were wandering ascetics.)

A dervish wearing a sackcloth coat and woollen cap once came to meet Master Abû ‘Alî. One of Abû ‘Alî’s disciples tried to humour him, saying, “How much did you purchase that sackcloth for?”

The dervish answered, “I purchased it for the sum of the world. I was offered the hereafter in exchange but refused to trade.”

Sufism means that you possess nothing and nothing possesses you. The Sufi is he that keeps a pure heart towards God. You are a Sufi when your heart is as soft and as warm as wool. Sufism is staying at the lover’s door even when you are driven away, again and again. Dervishes are a brotherhood of migrants who keep watch on the world and for the world.

Four thousand years before God created these bodies, He created the souls and kept them beside Himself and shed a light upon them. He knew what quantity each soul received, and He showed favour to each in proportion to its illumination. The souls remained all that time in light, until they became fully nourished. Those who in this world live in joy and agreement with one another must have been akin to one another in that place. Here they love one another and are called the friends of God, and they are brothers who love one another for God’s sake. These souls know one another by smell, like horses.

If you keep the company of the truthful, be truthful with them, for they are spies of the hearts. They come into your hearts and leave without your becoming aware. God speaks out of the innermost being of the mystic while he is silent. Sufism is not preached, and it is even taught in some cases by example and guidance which may be unknown to the learner’s ordinary faculties. The Sufi bows down before none but God.

9 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

There was a king, who, one day, entering his royal court, observed one person who among all those present, was not bowing down before him. Unnerved by the impudent act of this stranger in the hall, the king called out: "How dare you do not bow down before me! Only God does not bow down before me, and there is nothing greater than God. Who then are you?"

The tattered stranger answered with a smile, "I am that nothing."

The true Sufi is he that is nothing.

THE PATH

The mystical path is the soul's journey from separation back to union. On this homeward journey we are seeking our own innermost essence, the pearl of great price that lies hidden within the heart.

The Path

The Sufi travels three Journeys-the Journey from God, the Journey to God, and the Journey in God.

Your journey is towards your homeland. Remember you are travelling from the world of appearances to the world of Reality.

No one by himself can find the Path to Him.

If you walk toward Him, He comes to you running.

The first step is to cease isolating oneself from God.

You too put your best foot forward. If you do not wish to, then follow your fantasies. But if you prefer the secrets of the love of your soul you will sacrifice everything. You will lose what you consider valuable, but you will soon hear the sacramental word "Enter."

An intending disciple said to Dhû-l-Nûn, the Egyptian: "Above everything in this world I wish to enroll in the Path of Truth."

Dhû-l-Nûn told him: "You can accompany our caravan only if you first accept two things. One is that you will have to do things which you do not want to do. The other is that you will not be permitted to do things which you desire to do.

It is 'wanting' which stands between man and the Path of Truth."

10 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

Remember you are travelling from the world of appearances to the world of Reality. No one by himself can find the Path to Him. If you walk toward Him, He comes to you running. The first step is to cease isolating oneself from God. You too put your best foot forward. If you do not wish to, then follow your fantasies. But if you prefer the secrets of the love of your soul, you will sacrifice everything. You will lose what you consider valuable, but you will soon hear the sacramental word “Enter.”

An intending disciple said to Dhû-l-Nûn, the Egyptian: “Above everything in this world I wish to enroll in the Path of Truth.” Dhû-l-Nûn told him: “You can accompany our caravan only if you first accept two things. One is that you will have to do things which you do not want to do. The other is that you will not be permitted to do things which you desire to do. It is ‘wanting’ which stands between man and the Path of Truth.”

Take one step away from yourself and behold! the Path!

Know that when you learn to lose yourself, you will reach the Beloved. There is no other secret to be learnt, and more than that is not known to me. A man came to Abu ‘Ali ad-Saqqaq and said, “I have come to you from a very distant place.” Abu ‘Ali ad-Saqqaq replied, “Attaining knowledge of the path has nothing to do with traversing great distances and undergoing journeys. Separate from yourself even by one single step, and your goal will be reached.”

I saw my Lord in my dreams and I asked, “How am I to find You?” He replied, “Leave yourself and come!”

He travels with whoever looks for Him, and having taken the seeker by the hand, He arouses him to go in search of himself. In your own land seek the hidden flame. It is unworthy of man to borrow light from elsewhere. If you are man enough for this path, you must take your heart in hand. That, so the specialists say, is the only work worthy of the name.

11 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

When you seek God, seek Him in your heart. He is not in Jerusalem, nor in Mecca nor in the hajj. The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing how blind I was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along. When truth has taken hold of a heart, she empties it of all but Herself. God is jealous, and one sign of His jealousy is that He does not clear any way through to Himself other than Himself.

Abu’l Hasan Pusanji was asked, “What is faith and what is trust in God?” He replied: “You eat what is in front of you and chew each mouthful well with a tranquil heart, knowing that whatever belongs to you, you will not lose.”

One day a man from Mount Locam came to visit Sarî al-Saqatî. “Sheikh So-and-So from Mount Locam greets you,” he said. “He dwells in the mountains,” commented Sarî. “So, his efforts amount to nothing. A man ought to be able to live in the midst of the market and be so preoccupied with God that not for a single minute is he absent from God.”

12 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

Our way is that of group. In solitude there is renown and in renown there is peril. Welfare is to be found in a group. Those who follow this way find great benefit and blessing in group meetings. The perfect mystic is not an ecstatic devotee lost in contemplation of Oneness, nor a saintly recluse shunning all commerce with mankind, but "the true saint" goes in and out amongst the people and eats and sleeps with them and buys and sells in the market and marries and takes part in social intercourse, and never forgets God for a single moment. First tie your camel's knee and then trust in God. Wear with mankind what they wear and eat what they eat. But be separate from them inwardly. Solitude in the crowd: in all your outward activity remain inwardly free. Learn not to identify with anything whatsoever. Opportunity is precious and time is a sword. To meet You I look at face after face, appearance after appearance. To see Your face I pass by like the morning wind.

13 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

Shibli sought Junayd as a teacher and said to him, "You are recommended as an expert on pearls (enlightenment and wisdom). Either give me one, or sell one to me."

"If I sell you one, you will not have the price of it, and if I give you one, having so easily come by it you will not realize its value," Junayd replied. "Do like me; plunge head-first into this Sea, and if you wait patiently, you will obtain your pearl."

Search, no matter what situation you are in. O thirsty one, search for water constantly. Finally, the time will come when you will reach the spring. It is a grave error for anyone to imagine he will attain anything or that anything will be revealed to him of the Path without persistent striving on his part. The thing we tell of can never be found by seeking, yet only seekers find it. Whoever believes he can reach God by his own efforts toils in vain; whoever believes he can reach God without effort is merely a traveller on the road of intent. When you think you have found Him, that very instant you have lost Him. And when you think you have lost Him, then you have found Him. And if He closes before you all the ways and passes, He will show you a hidden way which nobody knows. Keep strenuously toiling along this path. Do not rest until the last breath; for That last breath may yet bring the blessings from the Knower of all things. No one learned the art of archery from Me Who did not make Me, in the end, the target.

14 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

Like the hunter, the Sufi chases game; he sees the tracks left by the musk deer and follows them.

For a while it is the tracks which are his clues, but later it is the musk itself which guides him.

A path and a gateway have no meaning once the objective is in sight.

Everything in the world of existence has an end and a goal. The end is maturity, and the goal is freedom.

For example, fruit grows on the tree until it is ripe and then falls. The ripened fruit represents maturity, and the fallen fruit, freedom.

The final goal is returning to one's origin. Everything which reaches its origin has reached its goal.

A farmer sows' grain in the ground and tends it. It begins to grow, eventually seeds, and again becomes grain. It has returned to its original form. The circle is complete. Completing the circle of existence is freedom.

The inner pilgrim wraps himself in the light of the holy spirit, transforming his material shape into the inner essence, and circumambulating the shrine of the heart, inwardly reciting the name of God. He moves in circles because the path of the essence is not straight but circular. Its end is its beginning.

Dhû-l-Nûn was asked, "What is the end of the mystic?"

He answered, "When he is as he was where he was before he was."

15 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

THE TEACHER AND THE DISCIPLE

The Sufis say that you need a teacher as a guide on the mystical path. The teacher is someone who is surrendered to God and is able to help the wayfarer make the transition from the ego to the Self. In surrendering to the teacher, the disciple learns to surrender to God.

In the beginning you must do two things. One is journeying and the other is you must take a master. Choose a master, for without him this journey is full of tribulations, fears, and dangers. With no escort, you would be lost on a road you would have already taken. Do not travel alone on the Path. It is easier to drag along a mountain by a hair than to emerge from the self by oneself. Do not take a step on the path of love without a guide. I have tried it one hundred times and failed.

Abu Sa'îd was asked, “If someone wishes, is it possible to travel the mystic path without a teacher?" The Sheikh replied, "It is impossible because someone is required to guide him along the way, someone who has already reached the goal travelling that path, who will tell him what are faults and what are virtues on this path. At each stage he will say this is the such-and-such stage, here one must remain a little longer. And if there is a dangerous place somewhere, he will tell him to be on his guard, and will give him kindly encouragement, so that travelling that path with a strengthened heart, he may reach the goal. When he has reached the goal, he will find peace."

16 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

THE TEACHER AND THE DISCIPLE

Whoever travels without a guide takes two hundred years for a two-days' journey. The moment you are united with the master, it becomes effortless.

Then there arises the question of how to find the real guru. Very often people are in doubt, they do not know whether the guru they see is a true or false guru. Frequently a person comes in contact with a false guru in a world where there is so much falsehood. But at the same time a real seeker, one who is not false to himself, will always meet with the truth, with the real, because it is his own real faith, his own sincerity in earnest seeking that will become his torch. The real teacher is within, the lover of reality is one's own sincere self, and if one is really seeking truth, sooner or later one will certainly find a true teacher.

And supposing one came into contact with a false teacher, what then? Then the God will turn the false teacher into a real teacher, because Reality is greater than falsehood. People think that a Sheikh should show miracles and manifest illumination. The requirement of a teacher, however, is only that he should possess all that the disciple needs.

17 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)*

THE TEACHER AND THE DISCIPLE

Abu Said was asked, “Who is the spiritual guide who has attained to Truth, and who is the sincere disciple?”

The Sheikh replied, “The spiritual guide who attained to Truth is he in whom at least ten characteristics are found, as proof of his authenticity:

First, he must have become a goal, to be able to have a disciple.

Second, he must have travelled the mystic path himself, to be able to show the way.

Third, he must have become refined and educated, to be able to be an educator.

Fourth, he must be generous and devoid of self-importance, so that he can sacrifice wealth on behalf of the disciple.

Fifth, he must have no hand in the disciple’s wealth, so that he is not tempted to use it for himself.

Sixth, whenever he can give advice through a sign, he will not use direct expression.

Seventh, whenever he can educate through kindness, he will not use violence and harshness.

Eighth, whatever he orders, he has first accomplished himself.

Ninth, whatever he forbids the disciple, he has abstained from himself.

Tenth, he will not abandon for the world’s sake the disciple he accepts for the sake of God.

If the spiritual guide is like this and is adorned with these character traits, the disciple is bound to be sincere and a good traveller, for what appears in the disciple is the quality of the spiritual guide made manifest in the disciple.”

18 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)*

THE TEACHER AND THE DISCIPLE

Abu Said was asked, “Who is the spiritual guide who has attained to Truth, and who is the sincere disciple?”

As for the sincere disciple, the Sheikh has said, “No less than the ten characteristics which I mention must be present in the sincere disciple, if he is to be worthy of discipleship:

First, he must be intelligent enough to understand the spiritual guide’s indications.

Second, he must be obedient in order to carry out the spiritual guide’s command.

Third, he must be sharp of hearing to perceive what the spiritual guide says.

Fourth, he must have an enlightened heart in order to see the spiritual guide’s greatness.

Fifth, he must be truthful, so that whatever he reports, he reports truthfully.

Sixth, he must be true to his word, so that whatever he says, he keeps his promise.

Seventh, he must be generous, so that whatever he has, he is able to give away.

Eighth, he must be discreet, so that he can keep a secret.

Ninth, he must be receptive to advice, so that he will accept the guide’s admonition.

Tenth, he must be chivalrous in order to sacrifice his own dear life on the mystic path.

Having these character traits, the disciple will more easily accomplish his journey and more quickly reach the goal set for him on the mystic path by the spiritual guide.”

19 August 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Niranjananandaji Maharaj.)

Jai Ramakrishna Life of Swami Niranjanananda

Early Life

Swami Niranjanananda was one of those few disciples whom Sri Ramakrishna termed as Nityasiddhas or Ishwarakotis—that is, souls who are perfect from their very birth and are not caught by Maya at any time. With particular reference to Niranjanananda, the Master once said that he was born with the characteristics of Rama inherent in him. The early name of Swami Niranjanananda was Nityaniranjan Ghosh, and he was usually called by the shortened form Niranjan. He came from Rajarhat-Vishnupur, a village in 24 Parganas, but lived in Calcutta with his uncle Kalikrishna Mitra. In his boyhood, he became associated with a group of spiritualists in Calcutta. He was very often selected as a medium, and a very successful medium he always proved himself to be. At this time, he developed some psychic powers—powers of curing people in a miraculous way and so on. It is said that a very rich man, suffering from insomnia for eighteen long years, sought the help of Niranjan for recovery. Niranjan said afterwards, ‘I do not know whether that man got any real help from me. But finding the man suffering so much in life in spite of all his riches and wealth, I was seized with a feeling of the emptiness of all worldly things.’

Meeting with Sri Ramakrishna

Hearing about the great spiritual power of Sri Ramakrishna, one afternoon, Niranjan came to Dakshineswar to see him. Some say that Niranjan came there first with his spiritualist friends. It is said that they tried to make Sri Ramakrishna a medium. At first, the Master agreed and sat like an innocent child to be a medium. But soon he disliked the idea and left the seat. With Sri Ramakrishna, Niranjan was about eighteen years old when he met the Master for the first time. Coming to know about his interest in spiritualism, he told young Niranjan, ‘My boy, if you think of ghosts and spooks, ghosts and spooks you will become. And if you think of God, divine will be your life. Which do you prefer?’ ‘Of course, the latter,’ replied Niranjan. Thereupon Sri Ramakrishna advised Niranjan to sever all connections with the spiritualists, to which Niranjan agreed. At the very first meeting, the Master talked with Niranjan as if he had known him for a long time. Sri Ramakrishna, seeing that it was getting dark, pressed Niranjan to pass the night at Dakshineswar. But Niranjan could not do so lest his uncle should be anxious for him. He, however, promised to come again.

20 August 2024

(Continued)

Second Meeting

This meeting, though short, so much impressed Niranjan that all the time on his way home he kept thinking about Sri Ramakrishna.

At home also Sri Ramakrishna occupied all his thoughts. So, within two or three days he again came to him.

As soon as the Master saw the boy near the door, he ran to him and warmly embraced him. Then with deep feelings he began to say, ‘My boy, days are passing, when will you realize God? And if you do not realize God, the whole life will be meaningless. I am extremely anxious as to when you will wholeheartedly devote yourself to God.’ Niranjan was mute with wonder, and thought, ‘Strange indeed! How could he be so anxious because I have not realized God! Who could this man be?’

Anyway, these words, uttered with deep feeling, greatly touched the heart of the boy. He spent the night at Dakshineswar.

Niranjan was very frank and open-minded. The Master liked this trait in him because frankness and open-mindedness, in his opinion, were rare virtues— the effect of much Tapasya in one’s previous life and they indicated the possibility of realizing God.

Niranjan was of violent temper, though he had a very tender heart. When provoked, he would lose all sense of proportion. One day he was going to Dakshineswar in a country-boat. Some fellow passengers began to speak ill of Sri Ramakrishna in the hearing of Niranjan.

Niranjan at first protested. But finding that it was of no avail, he began to rock the boat, threatening to drown the passengers for their misconduct. The robust appearance and the furious mood of Niranjan struck terror into the hearts of the calumniators, who immediately apologized for their improper behaviour.

When Sri Ramakrishna heard of this incident, he severely took Niranjan to task for his violent temper.

‘Anger is a deadly sin, why should you be subject to it? Foolish people in their pitiable ignorance say many things. One should completely ignore them as beneath notice’, said Sri Ramakrishna.

After Sri Ramakrishna’s Mahasamadhi

After the passing of Sri Ramakrishna, Niranjan joined the monastery at Baranagore and gave up himself heart and soul to the realization of Truth. Now and then, spurred by the spirit of freedom, which does not allow a monk to confine himself to one place, Niranjan also would go hither and thither; but the monastery at Baranagore and afterwards at Alambazar, when it was removed there, was, as it were, the headquarters for him as also for all his gurubhais.

He was the peer of Shashi (Swami Ramakrishnananda) in extraordinary steadfastness to the worship of the relic of the Master enshrined in the monastery.

His faith in Sri Ramakrishna was so very living that it made him strong enough not to care at all for the praise or the blame of the whole world.

When Swami Vivekananda, after his triumphant success in the West, was returning to India, Swami Niranjanananda hastened to Colombo to receive him there. Afterwards, Niranjanananda accompanied Swami Vivekananda to some places in his tour through Northern India.

21 August 2024

Some fellow passengers began to speak ill of Sri Ramakrishna in the hearing of Niranjan. Niranjan at first protested. But finding that it was of no avail, he began to rock the boat, threatening to drown the passengers for their misconduct. The robust appearance and the furious mood of Niranjan struck terror into the hearts of the calumniators, who immediately apologized for their improper behaviour. When Sri Ramakrishna heard of this incident, he severely took Niranjan to task for his violent temper. ‘Anger is a deadly sin, why should you be subject to it? Foolish people in their pitiable ignorance say many things. One should completely ignore them as beneath notice’, said Sri Ramakrishna.

After Sri Ramakrishna’s Mahasamadhi, Niranjan joined the monastery at Baranagore and gave up himself heart and soul to the realization of Truth. Now and then, spurred by the spirit of freedom, which does not allow a monk to confine himself to one place, Niranjan also would go hither and thither; but the monastery at Baranagore and afterwards at Alambazar, when it was removed there, was, as it were, the headquarters for him as also for all his gurubhais. He was the peer of Shashi (Swami Ramakrishnananda) in extraordinary steadfastness to the worship of the relic of the Master enshrined in the monastery. His faith in Sri Ramakrishna was so very living that it made him strong enough not to care at all for the praise or the blame of the whole world. When Swami Vivekananda, after his triumphant success in the West, was returning to India, Swami Niranjanananda hastened to Colombo to receive him there. Afterwards, Niranjanananda accompanied Swami Vivekananda to some places in his tour through Northern India.

(Continued)

Devotion to Holy Mother

Swami Niranjanananda had a very loving heart though his appearance would inspire awe. His last meeting with the Holy Mother was very touching. ‘It disclosed’, a devotee records, ‘his loving, impulsive nature. He made no mention of the approaching end but was like a tearful child clinging to its mother. He insisted that the Holy Mother do everything for him, even feed him, and he wanted only what she had made ready for his meal. When the time came for him to leave her, reluctantly he threw himself at her feet weeping tears of tender sadness; then silently he went away, knowing that he would never see her again.’

Indeed, his devotion to the Holy Mother was unsurpassable. Swami Vivekananda used to say, ‘Niranjan has got so much devotion to the Holy Mother that I can forgive his thousand and one faults only because of that.’ In fact, it was partly through Niranjan’s active preaching that many devotees came to recognize the spiritual greatness of the Holy Mother.

Love for Truth

There was a strange mixture of tenderness and sternness in him. His love for truth was uncompromising and counted no cost. Once a gentleman of Calcutta built a Shiva temple in the city of Varanasi. When Swami Vivekananda heard of this, he remarked, ‘If he does something for relieving the sufferings of the poor, he will acquire the merit of building a thousand such temples.’ When this remark of the great Swami reached the ears of the gentleman, he came forward with a big offer of pecuniary help to the Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service at Varanasi—then in a nucleus state. But afterwards, as the first impulse of enthusiasm cooled down, he wanted to curtail the sum which he had originally offered. This breach of promise so much offended Swami Niranjanananda’s sense of regard for truth that he rejected the offer altogether, though that meant great difficulty for the institution.

It is very hard to estimate a spiritual personality by external events. Swami Niranjanananda left the stamp of his life on many persons. Some even renounced everything for the sake of God and joined the Ramakrishna Order because of his influence. He left one sannyasin disciple.

22 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

THE TEACHER AND THE DISCIPLE

Love cannot be more or less for the Teacher. For him the very beginning and the end are the same; it is a closed circle. The teacher's love for the disciple does not go on increasing; for the disciple, of course, it is very different; he has to complete the whole circle. As the disciple progresses he feels the Master nearer and nearer, as the time goes on. But the Master is not nearer; he was always near, only the disciple did not know it. God is nowhere. God can only be known through the Master. If you are being merged into the Teacher, you will know God. Only the Teacher is important for you. The Divine Master is complete in every way. By simply becoming like him one becomes complete in every way. I am the transcendent reality, and I am the tenuous thread that brings it very close. I am the secret of man in his very act of existing, and I am that invisible one who is the object of worship. I am the Sheikh with the divine nature, and I am the guardian of the world of human nature. The spiritual master is to his community, what the prophet is to his nation. Saints are like rivers, they flow where they are directed. If a Hint is there, I have to do it, and if I don't, I am MADE to do it. A Divine Hint is an Order. Sometimes the Saints have to do things the people will misjudge, and which from the worldly point of view could be condemned, because the world judges by appearances. One important quality required on the Path is never to judge by appearances. More often than not things look different from what they really are. There is no good and evil for the Creator. Only human society makes it so. A Saint is beyond good and evil, but Saints are people of the highest morality and will never become a bad example.

23 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

THE TEACHER AND THE DISCIPLE

The saint is a fragrant plant placed in the earth by God. The truthful take in his fragrance and it comes into their hearts so that they long for their Master. Then they increase their worship according to their different natures. The saints of God are known by three signs: their thought is of God, their dwelling is in God, and their business is with God. О you who stab the selfless one with the sword, you are stabbing yourself with it. Beware! For the selfless one has passed away, he has become a mirror: naught is there but the image of another's face. If you spit at it, you spit at your own face; and if you strike the mirror, you strike yourself. And if you see an ugly face in the mirror, 'tis you; and if you see Jesus and Mary, 'tis you. He is neither this nor that: he is pure and free from self; he puts your image before you. The Teacher is without a face and without a name. Last night my teacher taught me the lesson of Poverty: Having nothing and wanting nothing. We are the means of reaching the goal. It is necessary, that seekers should cut themselves away from us and think only of the goal. The only guide to God is God Himself.

24 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

THE LONGING OF THE HEART

The heart's longing for God is the pain of separation. This primal cry of the soul draws the lover back to the arms of the Beloved.

Listen to the reed how it tells a tale, complaining of separations, saying, "Ever since I was parted from the reed-bed, my lament has caused man and woman to moan. It is only to a bosom torn by severance that I can unfold the pain of love-desire. Everyone who is left far from his source wishes back the time when he was united with it."

The source of my grief and loneliness is deep in my breast. This is a disease no doctor can cure. Only union with the Beloved can cure it.

I will cry to Thee and cry to Thee and cry to Thee until the milk of Thy kindness boils up. If the eight Paradises were opened in my hut, and the rule of both worlds were given in my hands, I would not give for them that single sigh which rises at morning-time from the depth of my soul in remembering my longing for Him.

25 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

THE LONGING OF THE HEART

Oh Lord, nourish me not with love but with the desire for love.

The Longing of the Heart

Give me the pain of Love, the Pain of Love for Thee! Not the joy of Love, just the Pain of Love. And I will pay the price, any price you ask! All myself I will offer for it, and the price you will ask on top of it! Keep the joy for others, give me the Pain, and gladly will I pay for the Pain of Love!

Longing is a state of commotion in the heart hoping for meeting with the Beloved. The depth of longing is commensurate with the servant's love of God.

The world is full of beautiful things until an old man with a beard came into my life and set my heart aflame with longing and made it pregnant with love. How can I look at the loveliness around me, how can I see it, if it hides the face of my Lover?

A sweet smell has the dust at the feet of my Guru; never I cried before, but now there is no end of sorrow for me.

If God, when He created the world, had created no creatures in it; and if He had filled it full of millet from East to West and from earth to heaven; and if then He had created one bird and bidden it eat one grain of this millet every thousand years, and if, after that, He had created a man and kindled in his heart this mystic longing and had told him that he would never win to his goal until this bird left not a single millet-seed in the whole world, and that he would continue until then in this burning pain of love—I have been thinking, it would still be a thing soon ended!

26 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

THE LONGING OF THE HEART

The inner truth of desire is that it is a restive motion in the heart in search of God.

There are those among you who desire this world and there are those among you who desire the world to come. But where is He who desires God?

I am calling to you from afar; Calling to you since the very beginning of days. Calling to you across millennia, For aeons of time- Calling calling.... Since always.... It is part of your being, my voice, But it comes to you faintly and you only hear it sometimes; "I don't know," you may say.

But somewhere you know.

"I can't hear," you say, "what is it and where?"

But somewhere you hear, and deep down you know.

For I am that in you which has been always;

I am that in you which will never end. Even if you say, "Who is calling?" Even if you think, "Who is that?” Where will you run? Just tell me. Can you run away from yourself?

For I am the Only One for you; There is no other, Your Promise, your Reward am I alone- Your Punishment, your longing And your Goal....

Someone asked Râbi'a, "I have committed many sins; if I turn in penitence towards God, will He turn in mercy towards me?"

"Nay," she replied, "but if He shall turn towards thee, thou wilt turn towards Him."

Until the beam of His love shines out to guide the soul, It does not set out to behold the love of His Face. My heart feels not the slightest attraction towards Him Until an attraction comes from Him and works upon my heart.

Since I learnt that He longs for me, longing for Him never leaves me for an instant.

27 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

THE LONGING OF THE HEART

If the magnet were not loving, how could it attract the iron with such longing? And if love were not there, the straw would not seek the amber. Not only the thirsty seek the water, but the water also seeks the thirsty.

Spiritual need is a living and luminous fire placed by God in the breasts of His servants that their "self" (*nafs*, or ego) may be burned; and when it has been burned this fire becomes the fire of "longing" (*shawq*) which never dies, neither in this world nor in the next.

One must have "spiritual need," for there is no shorter way to God for the devotee; if it passes through solid rock, water springs forth. "Spiritual need" is fundamental for the Sufis; it is the bestowal of God's mercy upon them.

You'll be free from the trap of your being, when, through spiritual need, you are trodden underfoot, like a mat, in the mosque and the winehouse.

Ecstasy is a flame which springs up in the secret heart and appears out of longing. Open your hidden eyes and return to the root of the root of your own self. When it is possible to hear the Beloved speak Himself, why listen to second-hand reports?

Know that you are the veil which conceals yourself from you. Know also that you cannot reach God through yourself, but that you reach Him through Him. The reason is that when God vouchsafes the vision of reaching Him, He calls upon you to seek after Him and you do.

28 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

REMEMBRANCE OF GOD

The Sufi aspires to remember every moment of the day, with each and every breath. The dhikr, the repetition of the name of God, is the fundamental practice of remembrance.

There is a polish for everything that taketh away rust; and the polish of the heart is the invocation of Allah.

Say "Allah!" then leave them to amuse themselves in their folly.

Remembrance makes people desire the journey: it makes them into travellers.

Of all spiritual practices the dhikr is the practice most apt to free spiritual energy. The advantage of the dhikr is that it is not restricted to any ritual hour; its only limitation is the personal capacity of the "student."

The breath that does not repeat the name of God is a wasted breath.

All the hundred-and-twenty-four-thousand prophets were sent to preach one word. They bade the people say "Allah!" and devote themselves to Him.

Those who heard this word with the ear alone, let it go out by the other ear; but those who heard it with their souls, imprinted it on their souls and repeated it until it penetrated their hearts and souls; and their whole being became this word. They were made independent of the pronunciation of the word; they were released from the sound and the letters.

Having understood the spiritual meaning of this word, they became so absorbed in it that they were no more conscious of their own non-existence.

29 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

REMEMBRANCE OF GOD

Truth has been planted in the centre of the heart as Allah's trust, entrusted to you for safekeeping. It becomes manifest with true repentance and with sincere efforts. Its beauty shines on the surface when one remembers God and does the dhikr. At the first stage one recites the name of God with one's tongue; then when the heart becomes alive one recites inwardly with the heart. Sahl said to one of his disciples: "Try to say continuously for one day: 'Allah! Allah! Allah!' and do the same the next day and the day after, until it becomes a habit." Then he told him to repeat it at night also, until it became so familiar that the disciple repeated it even during his sleep. Then Sahl said, “Do not consciously repeat the Name anymore, but let your whole faculties be engrossed in remembering Him!" The disciple did this until he became absorbed in the thought of God. One day, a piece of wood fell on his head and broke it. The drops of blood that dripped to the ground bore the legend, "Allah! Allah! Allah!"

A devotee was praying when Satan appeared to him and said: "How long wilt thou cry ‘O Allah’? Be quiet for thou wilt get no answer." The devotee hung his head in silence. After a while he had a vision of the prophet Khidr, who said to him, "Ah, why hast thou ceased to call on God?" "Because the answer, ‘Here I am,’ came not,” he replied. Khidr said, "God hath ordered me to go to thee and say this: 'Was it not I that summoned thee to My service? Did I not make thee busy with My name? Thy calling "Allah!” was My “Here I am,” Thy yearning pain My messenger to thee. Of all those tears and cries and supplications I was the magnet, and I gave them wings.'"

30 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

REMEMBRANCE OF GOD

I call You? No, it is You who calls me to Yourself. How could I say, "It is You!" if you had not said to me, "It is I?"

I am the companion of him who remembers Me.

Whoever remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in My heart, and whoever remembers Me to an assembly, I remember him to an assembly better than his own.

Whoever recollects God in reality, forgets all else beside Him, because all the creatures recollect Him, as is witnessed by those who experience a revelation.

I experienced this state from evening prayer until one third of the night was over, and I heard the voices of the creatures in the praise of God, with elevated voices so that I feared for my mind.

I heard the fishes who said, "Praised be the King, the Most Holy, the Lord."

Recollection is forgetting everything besides Him.

God, Most High, hath said, "I give more to the one who is so occupied with My remembrance that he does not ask things of Me, than I give to the supplicants."

Keep God, the Beloved, always in your heart. Let your prayer, dhikr, be the prayer of your heart.

There are different levels of remembrance, and each has different ways. Some are expressed outwardly with audible voice, some felt inwardly, silently, from the centre of the heart. At the beginning one should declare in words what one remembers.

Then stage by stage the remembrance spreads throughout one's being-descending to the heart then rising to the soul; then still further it reaches the realm of the secrets; further to the hidden; to the most hidden of the hidden.

How far the remembrance penetrates, the level it reaches, depends solely on the extent to which Allah in His bounty has granted one.

31 August 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

REMEMBRANCE OF GOD

(Dhikr is constant remembrance of God.)

Keep God, the Beloved, always in your heart. Let your prayer, dhikr, be the prayer of your heart. There are different levels of remembrance, and each has different ways. Some are expressed outwardly with audible voice, some felt inwardly, silently, from the centre of the heart. At the beginning one should declare in words what one remembers. Then stage by stage the remembrance spreads throughout one's being—descending to the heart then rising to the soul; then still further it reaches the realm of the secrets; further to the hidden; to the most hidden of the hidden. How far the remembrance penetrates, the level it reaches, depends solely on the extent to which Allah in His bounty has granted one.

Dhikr is, in its reality, the progressive power of the Named on the heart, while the dhikr itself wears away and disappears. I make abundant remembrance of You not because I have forgotten You. That is simply what flows from the tongue. Not a day passes but that the Exalted cries out, “O my servant, you treat Me unjustly. I remember you, but you forget Me. I invite you to Myself, but you go to others.”

One cannot taste the intimacy of remembrance without having suffered the desolation of forgetfulness. There is a punishment for all things. The punishment for the mystic is to be cut off from His remembrance. When God wishes to befriend one of His servants, He opens for him the gate of His remembrance. When he experiences the sweetness of remembrance, He opens for him the gate of nearness. Then God raises him into the gatherings of His intimacy. Then He settles him upon the throne of unity. Then He lifts the veil from him and leads him into the abode of unity and reveals for him the divine splendour and majesty. When his eyes fall upon the divine splendour and majesty, naught of himself remains. Thereupon His servant is entirely extinguished for a time. After this he comes under God's exalted protection, free from any pretensions of his self.

1 September 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Advaitanandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

Swami Advaitananda

Swami Advaitananda (28 August 1828 – 28 December 1909) one of the direct disciples of Ramakrishna, was also known as Buro Gopal or the aged Gopal.

He was older than Ramakrishna and took monastic vows at an advanced age. He played a crucial role during the early years of Ramakrishna Mission.

Pre monastic days

Gopal Chandra Ghosh was born on 28 August 1828 in Rajpur (Jagaddal) village in twenty-four paraganas, a few miles from Calcutta to Govardhan Sur (Ghosh). He lived in Sinthi in Calcutta. Little is known about his early life and education.

He was an employee in a shop in Chinabazar, which belonged to Beni Madhav Pal, a member of the Brahmo Samaj, whose name appears in The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.

Gopal was married and at the time of meeting Ramakrishna for the first time he was more than 50 years old. At the death of his wife, he was taken by a friend to Ramakrishna to assuage his grief.

On his first visit Gopal was not very impressed with Ramakrishna, but after a few more visits he became devoted to him, and served him in various ways, by buying provisions and running errands.

Once Gopal distributed twelve ochre clothes in the presence of Ramakrishna to the first bunch of monks of Ramakrishna order, which included Vivekananda. After the passing away of Sri Ramakrishna, the "Baranagar Math" was started with Gopal as the first inmate. He was soon joined by Narendra Nath Dutta (later Vivekananda), Rakhal (later Brahmananda), Kali (later Abhedananda), Latu (later Adbhutananda) and other direct disciples of Ramakrishna.

Monastic life

In 1887 Gopal along with other disciples took up the monastic life and came to be known as Advaitananda (Advaita = Non-dualism, ananda = bliss).

After staying for a few years in Baranagar Math, Advaitananda travelled to Benaras where he stayed for around 5 years.

Here he stayed in a small room, where he rose at 4 AM every day and bathed in the Ganga river, after which he did his spiritual practices for the day. He lived on madhukari i.e. begging small quantities of cooked food from various places, as per the injunctions of the scriptures. He spent time mostly in contemplation.

When Vivekananda returned to India after his visit to the west, Advaitananda returned to Alambazar, where the Ramakrishna Math had moved to.

Afterwards, when the new monastery in Belur Math was established, he used to stay mostly there and looked after gardening and other managerial affairs.

Even in his old age he was self-sufficient. After his return to the monastery, Advaitananda's special duty was to look to the levelling of the newly purchased land at Belur and the repair of the old structures there. The land had been in use for repair of steamers etc. and was hence full of pits and canals. All this meant strenuous work.

When the monastery became fully established there, he took up the duty of looking after the comforts of the monks and producing food.

He sometimes expressed disappointment that he fell so short of the ideal. He did not take up any public activity; his monastic life was quite simple.

However, he lived austerely and practiced meditation till his last days. He travelled extensively and visited at one time or other sacred places including Kedarnath, Badrinarayan, and Hardwar in the north, Dwaraka in the west, and Rameswaram and other places in the south.

He was in sound health throughout his life, even at an advanced age. He accompanied Sarada Devi in some of her travels.

After suffering for some time from stomach trouble, he passed away on 28 December 1909, at the age of eighty-one.

2 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

MEDITATION AND PRAYER

Meditation and prayer allow for the intimate communion of lover and Beloved and the inner experience of love's oneness. Before He created them, He praised them; before they glorify Him, He gave them thanks.

With the mountains, with the stone,

Will I call Thee, Lord, o Lord!

With the birds in the early dawn

Will I call Thee, Lord, o Lord!

With the fishes in the sea,

With gazelles in deserts free,

With the mystic's call "O He!"

Will I call Thee, Lord, O Lord!

O God! If I worship Thee in fear of Hell, burn me in hell; and if I worship Thee in hope of Paradise, exclude me from Paradise; but if I worship Thee for Thine own sake, do not deny me Thine everlasting beauty.

You know that I am powerless to offer You any fitting. Then come into me and give me Yourself. This is the true prayer of thanksgiving! There is no other!

And if I send Thee greetings, Thou art the greeting, and if I speak, Thou art the prayer. The eyes which regard God are also the eyes through which He regards the world. "God is simple and loves simplicity," which is to say, "Solitary, God loves only the solitary—One, He loves only him who witnesses Him as One."

Jai Ramakrishna Swami Dayatmananda: 3 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

MEDITATION AND PRAYER

“O my Lord, whatever share of this world Thou dost bestow on me, bestow it on Thine enemies, and whatever of the next world Thou dost give to me, give it to Thy friends; Thou art enough for me.”

What predominates in the heart of the mystic while he is at prayer is: his sense of the mystery of Him in Whom he stands and the might of Him Whom he seeks, the love of Him Who favours him with Himself; and he is conscious of that until he has finished praying and he departs with a face so changed his friends would not recognize him, because of the awe that he feels at the Majesty of God.

Swami Dayatmananda: 4 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

MEDITATION AND PRAYER

“O God, the night has passed, and the day has dawned. How I long to know if Thou hast accepted my prayers or if Thou hast rejected them. Therefore, console me, for it is Thine to console this state of mine. Thou hast given me life and cared for me and Thine is the glory. If Thou wantst to drive me from Thy door, yet I would not forsake it, for the love that I bear in my heart towards Thee.”

How is it that those people are most beautiful who pray at night? Because they are alone with the All-Merciful who covers them with His light.

Worship God in such a way that you see Him. If you cannot do so, be aware that He sees you.

Become silent and go by the way of silence towards non-existence. And when you become non-existent, you will be all.

There are two types of silence: outer silence and silence of the heart and mind. The heart of one who trusts completely in God is silent, not demanding any means for living. God is silence and is most easily reached in silence. Silence for the ordinary people is with their tongues, silence for the mystics is with their hearts, and silence for lovers is with restraining the stray thoughts that come to their innermost beings. All this talk and turmoil and noise and movement is outside the veil; inside the veil is silence and calm and peace.

The wise have inherited wisdom by means of silence and contemplation. Meditation is the chief possession of the mystic, whereby the sincere and the God-fearing make progress on the journey to God.

I went to see Nûrî. I saw him sitting in meditation so motionless that not even one hair moved. I asked, “From whom did you learn such deep meditation?” He replied, “I learned it from a cat waiting by a mouse hole. The cat was much stiller than I.”

Bayezid Bistami, sitting at the feet of his teacher, was suddenly told, “Bayezid, fetch me that book from the window.” “The window? Which window?” asked Bayezid. “Why,” said the master, “you have been coming here all this time and did not see the window?” “No,” replied Bayezid. “What have I to do with the window? When I am before you, I close my eyes to everything else. I have not come to stare about.” “Since that is so,” said the teacher, “go back to Bestam. Your work is completed.”

The best act of worship is watchfulness of the moments. That is, that the servant does not look beyond his limit, and does not contemplate anything other than his Lord, and does not associate with anything other than his present moment.

There was a ruler who had a servant for whom he cared more than his other servants; none of them was more valuable or more handsome than this one. The ruler was asked about this, so he wanted to make clear to them the superiority of this servant over others in service. One day he was riding with his entourage. In the distance was a snow-capped mountain. The ruler looked at that snow and bowed his head. The servant galloped off on his horse. The people did not know why he galloped off. In a short time, he came back with some snow, and the ruler asked him, “How did you know I wanted snow?” The servant replied, “Because you looked at it, and the look of the sultan comes only with firm intention.”

3 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

MEDITATION AND PRAYER

O God, the night has passed, and the day has dawned. How I long to know if Thou hast accepted my prayers or if Thou hast rejected them. Therefore, console me, for it is Thine to console this state of mine. Thou hast given me life and cared for me and Thine is the glory. If Thou wantst to drive me from Thy door, yet I would not forsake it, for the love that I bear in my heart towards Thee.

How is it that those people are most beautiful who pray at night?

Because they are alone with the All-Merciful who covers them with His light.

Worship God in such a way that you see Him. If you cannot do so be aware that He sees you.

Become silent and go by the way of silence towards non-existence. And when you become non-existent you will be all.

There are two types of silence: outer silence and silence of the heart and mind. The heart of one who trusts completely in God is silent, not demanding any means for living.

God is silence and is most easily reached in silence.

Silence for the ordinary people is with their tongues, silence for the mystics is with their hearts, and silence for lovers is with restraining the stray thoughts that come to their innermost beings.

All this talk and turmoil and noise and movement is outside the veil; inside the veil is silence and calm and peace.

The wise have inherited wisdom by means of silence and contemplation.

Meditation is the chief possession of the mystic, whereby the sincere and the God-fearing make progress on the journey to God.

I went to see Nûrî. I saw him sitting in meditation so motionless that not even one hair moved.

I asked, "From whom did you learn such deep meditation?"

"I learned it from a cat waiting by a mouse hole. The cat was much stiller than I."

4 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

MEDITATION AND PRAYER

Bayezid Bistami, sitting at the feet of his teacher, was suddenly told, “Bayezid, fetch me that book from the window."

"The window? Which window?" asked Bayezid.

"Why," said the master, "you have been coming here all this time and did not see the window?"

"No," replied Bayezid. "What have I to do with the window? When I am before you, I close my eyes to everything else. I have not come to stare about."

"Since that is so," said the teacher, "go back to Bestam. Your work is completed.”

The best act of worship is watchfulness of the moments. That is, that the servant does not look beyond his limit, and not contemplate anything other than his Lord, and not associate with anything other than his present moment.

There was a ruler who had a servant for whom he cared more than his other servants; none of them was more valuable or more handsome than this one.

The ruler was asked about this, so he wanted to make clear to them the superiority of this servant over others in service.

One day he was riding with his entourage. In the distance was a snow-capped mountain. The ruler looked at that snow and bowed his head. The servant galloped off on his horse. The people did not know why he galloped off.

In a short time, he came back with some snow, and the ruler asked him, "How did you know I wanted snow?"

The servant replied, "Because you looked at it, and the look of the sultan comes only with firm intention."

So, the ruler said, "I accord him special favour and honour, because for every person there is an occupation, and his occupation is observing my glances and watching my states of being attentively."

The best prayer is the one kindled by sorrow.

5 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

MEDITATION AND PRAYER

God Most High hath brought forth creation and said, “Entrust Me with your secrets. If you are unable to do this, then look toward Me. If you cannot do this, then listen to Me. If you cannot listen, then wait at My door. If you do none of this, at least tell me your needs.”

When a servant whom God loves prays to Him, God says, “O Gabriel, delay answering the need of My servant, for I love to hear his voice.”

When a servant whom God dislikes prays to Him, God says, “O Gabriel, answer My servant’s needs, for I dislike hearing his voice.”

Salih al-Murri said, “Whoever is persistent in knocking at the door is on the verge of having it opened for him.”

Hearing this Rabia asked him, “How long are you going to say this? Tell me, when was the door closed so that one had to ask to have it opened?”

The Children of Israel kept asking Moses: “Does God pray?” Moses kept quiet and did not answer. They urged again and again. Finally, God said to Moses, “You are My messenger; through you I communicate with My children. Tell them: God prays; and His prayer is, ‘May Mercy precede My Anger.’”

SUFFERING AND SURRENDER

Suffering is the pain of purification, cleansing the heart of imperfections. Through suffering, the lover learns to surrender to the Beloved and become His slave. The self will not go in gladness and with caresses; it must be chased with sorrow, drowned in tears. Suffering is Himself, while good fortune comes from Him.

6 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

SUFFERING AND SURRENDER

When does gold-ore become gold? When it is put through a process of fire. So also, the human being during the training becomes as pure as gold through suffering. It is the burning away of the dross. Suffering has a great redeeming quality. As a drop of water falling on the desert sand is sucked up immediately, so we must become nothing and nowhere; we must disappear.

When God becomes friends with a man, He grants him much distress; and when He makes him His enemy, He provides worldly goods in abundance.

O God! Whatever punishment Thou mayst inflict upon me, do not punish me with the humiliation of being veiled from Thee.

You imagined that you would accomplish this task through your own strength and effort. This is the rule that I have established: expend everything you have in Our way. Then Our bounty will come to you.

On this endless road, We command you to travel with your own feeble hands and feet. We know that you cannot traverse this way with feet so feeble. Indeed, in a hundred thousand years you will not arrive at the first way station. However, when you travel this road until your legs are exhausted and you fall flat, until you have no more strength to move forward, then God’s grace will take you in its arms.

Sorrow and joy are your own attributes, and whatever is your attribute is created; and the created has no access to the non-created.

7 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

SUFFERING AND SURRENDER

A Bedouin was asked, “Do you acknowledge the Lord?" He replied, "How could I not acknowledge Him who has sent me hunger, made me naked and impoverished, and caused me to wander from country to country?" As he spoke thus, he entered a state of ecstasy.

Do not chastise me for my devastation.

For the guide of love decreed the tavern of ruin for me on the very first day.

God does not charge a soul with more than it can bear.

I am with those whose hearts are broken for my sake.

Wherever there is a ruin, there is hope for treasure―why do you not seek the treasure of God in the wasted heart?

The pain of love became the medicine for every heart; the difficulty could never be solved without love.

Sweeter than this poison I did not see any drink; lovelier than this illness I did not see any health.

I burnt, and burnt and burnt.

Pain and happiness have the same shape in this world: you may call the rose an open heart, or a broken heart.

Someone asked Junayd: "Slave of God who yet are free, tell me how to reach a state of contentment."

Junayd replied: "When you have learned through love to accept."

When you die of surrender, only then you will live forever.

If you are put to death through surrender, there is no such thing as death for you, for you have died already.

I offer to Thee the only thing I have: my capacity of being filled with Thee.

8 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

SUFFERING AND SURRENDER

Surrender is the most difficult thing in the world while you are doing it and the easiest when it is done.

One builds the Self only with his full-accepted destiny.

I want union with Him and He wants separation; thus, I leave what I want so that His wish comes true.

Servitude is that you be His slave every instant, just as He is your Lord every instant.

Do you think I know what I'm doing? That for one breath or half a breath I belong to myself?

As much as a pen knows what it's writing, or the ball can guess where it's going next.

I do not ask to see, I do not ask to know, I ask only to be used.

Sacrifice the self, otherwise don't be occupied with the foolish talk of the Sufis.

9 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

POLISHING THE HEART

Sufis describe the heart as a mirror which the wayfarer polishes and polishes with aspiration and inner work, until no imperfection remains. Then the mirror of the heart can reflect the true light of the Beloved.

By means of the Divine Lights the heart becomes polished so that it shines like a polished mirror. When it becomes a mirror one can see in it the reflection of all existing things and the reflection of the Kingdom of God as they really are.

Whether your lot be glory or disgrace, be pure of both hatred and love of self. Polish your mirror, and perhaps that sublime beauty from the regions of mystery will shine in your breast-just as it did for the prophets.

And then, with your heart illuminated by that splendour, the secret of the Beloved will no longer be concealed from you.

For twelve years, I was the blacksmith of my soul. I thrust my soul into the furnace of discipline and made it hot in the flames of arduous endeavour, then I placed it upon the anvil of reproach and hammered it with the hammer of self-blame, till I had fashioned out of my soul a mirror.

For five years I was my own mirror, and I polished that mirror with every manner of godly service and obedience.

After that I gazed upon my own reflection for a year, and I saw about my waist an infidel girdle of delusion, coquetry, and self-regard, because I relied upon my own acts of obedience and approved of my own conduct.

10 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

POLISHING THE HEART

One has to work day and night, to plough and clean the field of the soul. If you find the mirror of the heart dull, the rust has not been cleared from its face. Struggle with all alien thoughts, be always mindful of what you are doing and thinking, so that you may put the imprint of your immortality on every passing incident of your daily life. Purity of the heart is to will one thing. Sometimes He shows Himself in one way, sometimes in the opposite way—the work of religion is naught but bewilderment. The Oneness of God, which is professed by the Sufis, consists of: separating the created from the non-created; going forth from one's native land, rejecting attachments, and putting aside what one knows and what one does not know, so that in place of all this there is the Real.

I had hoped to get instructions in Yoga, expected wonderful teachings, but what the Teacher did was mainly to force me to face the darkness within myself, and it almost killed me. In other words, he made me "descend into hell," the cosmic drama enacted in every soul as soon as it dares lift its face to the Light.

When Majduddun Baghdadi entered the service of a sheikh, he was made to serve "at the place of ablution," i.e., to clean the latrines. His mother, a well-to-do lady physician, asked the master to exempt the tender boy from this work, and sent him twelve Turkish slaves to do the cleaning. But he replied, "You are a physician—if your son had an inflammation of the gall bladder, should I give the medicine to a Turkish slave instead of to him?"

Almighty God admitted me to His presence in two thousand stations, and in every station He offered me a kingdom, but I declined it. God said to me, “Bayezid, what do you desire?" I replied, “I desire not to desire."

For thirty years I sat watching over my heart. Then for ten years my heart watched over me. Now it is twenty years that I know nothing of my heart and my heart knows nothing of me.

11 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

POLISHING THE HEART

Strive to become a true human being: one who knows love, one who knows pain. Be full, be humble, be utterly silent, be the bowl of wine passed from hand to hand.

The meaning of noble character is that the harshness of men does not affect you once you have become attentive to God.

If someone remarks "What an excellent man you are!" and this pleases you more than his saying, "What a bad man you are!" know that you are still a bad man.

Only that which cannot be lost in a shipwreck is yours.

I will not serve God like a labourer, in expectation of wages.

All wisdom can be stated in two lines:

What's done for you - allow it to be done. What you must do yourself - make sure you do it.

Do to me what is worthy of Thee, And not what is worthy of me.

Now the Lord is with them in every alteration,

Performing an unimaginable work in them hour after hour.

If they only knew! They would not withdraw from Him, not even for the space of a wink.

For He does not withdraw from them at any time....

I met one of the young seekers in the desert under an acacia tree and asked him what made him sit there.

He replied, "I am looking for something."

Then I passed on and left him where he was. When I returned from the pilgrimage, I found he had moved to a spot closer to the tree.

I asked, “Why are you sitting here?”

He answered, "I found what I had been looking for in this place, so I stuck to it."

I do not know which was more noble, his persistence in seeking his state or his perseverance in staying at the place where he attained his desire.

12 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

LIGHT UPON LIGHT

There are lights which ascend and lights which descend. The ascending lights are the lights of the heart; the descending lights are those of the Throne. The lower-self (the ego) is the veil between the Throne and the heart. When this veil is rent and a door opens in the heart, and light comes down upon light, “and it is light upon light.”

Each time the heart sighs for the Throne, the Throne sighs for the heart, so they come to meet. Each time a light rises from you, a light comes down towards you, and each time a flame rises from you a corresponding flame comes down towards you. If their energies are equal, they meet half-way. But when the substance of light has grown in you, then this becomes a Whole in relation to what is of the same nature in Heaven: then it is the substance of light in Heaven which yearns for you and is attracted to your light, and it descends towards you. This is the secret of the mystical journey.

Sorrow for His sake is a treasure in my heart. My heart is light upon light, a beautiful Mary with Jesus in the womb. True ecstasy is the conjunction of light with light, when the soul of man meets the Divine Light.

13 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

LIGHT UPON LIGHT

The heart is the king, and the limbs are its servants; each limb functions according to the will and command of the heart, yet the will of the heart comes from God. God nominates no one over the heart but Himself, and no one can see what the heart contains. God alone places in the heart and removes from the heart whatever He wills. The heart is source and abode of God’s Unity and object of God’s observation. God observes over the hearts for they are the containers of His most precious jewels and treasure stores of the true knowledge of Him.

Dear friend, your heart is a polished mirror. You must wipe it clean of the veil of dust which has gathered upon it, because it is destined to reflect the light of divine secrets. When the light from Allah (Who is the light of the heavens and the earth) begins to shine upon the regions of your heart, the lamp of the heart will be lit. The lamp of the heart is in a glass, the glass as it were a brightly shining star. Then within that heart, the lightning-shaft of divine revelations strikes. This lightning-shaft will emanate from the thunderclouds of meaning (heavenly Archetypes) neither of the East nor of the West, lit from a blessed olive tree. It will throw light upon the tree of discovery (or revelation), so pure, so transparent that it sheds light though fire does not touch it. Then only the lamp of wisdom is lit by itself.

14 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

LIGHT UPON LIGHT

It is not the stars that guide us but the divine light. If only the lamp of divine secrets be kindled in your inner self, the rest will come, either all at once or little by little. The dark skies of unconsciousness will be lit by the divine presence and the peace and beauty of the full moon, which will rise from the horizon shedding light upon light, ever rising in the sky, passing through its appointed stages until it shines in glory in the centre of the sky, dispersing the darkness of heedlessness. Your night of unconsciousness will then see the brightness of the day. Then you will see from the horizon of Divine Reason, the sun of inner knowledge rising. It is your private sun, for you are the one whom Allah guides. Finally, the knot will be untied, and the veils will lift, and the shells will shatter, revealing the fine beneath the coarse; the truth will uncover her face.

All this will begin when the mirror of your heart is cleansed. The light of Divine secrets will fall upon it if you are willing and ask for Him, from Him, with Him. By means of the Divine Light the heart becomes polished so that it shines like a polished mirror. When it becomes a mirror, one can see in it the reflection of all existing things and the reflection of the Kingdom of God as they really are. When one sees the Glory and Majesty of God in His Realm, then all the lights become one light, and the chest becomes full with this shining light. He is like a man who observes his reflection in a mirror and sees in it at the same time the reflection of all that is before and behind him. Now when a ray of sun hits the mirror, the whole house becomes flooded with light from the meeting of these two lights: the light of the sun and the light of the mirror. Similarly, the heart: when it is polished and shining, it beholds the Realm of Divine Glory and the Divine Glory becomes revealed to it.

15 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

THE LOVER AND THE BELOVED

For the Sufi, the relationship with God is that of lover and Beloved. The lover travels a path from the pain of separation to the bliss of union. Yet the Beloved for whom he longs is eternally present within the heart. In the whole of the universe, there are only two: the lover and the Beloved. God loves His creation, and the soul loves God. To be able to create, the One Being had to become two, and logically there had to be a difference between the two. The creation was only possible because of the two opposites. Man loves God because of the affinity between the human soul and its Source, for it shares in the Divine nature and attributes, because through knowledge and love it can attain eternal life and itself become God-like. God is necessary to us in order that we may exist, while we are necessary to Him in order that He may be manifested to Himself. I give Him also life by knowing Him in my heart. Not a single lover would seek union if the Beloved were not seeking it. In memory of the Beloved, we drank a wine that made us drunk before the creation of the vine.

O God, the stars are shining: All eyes have closed in sleep; The kings have locked their doors. Each lover is alone, in secret, with the one he loves. And I am here too, alone, hidden from all of them, alone with You.

16 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

THE LOVER AND THE BELOVED

I am nearer to you than yourself to yourself.

A caliph had a cousin whom he loved dearly. One day they were both sitting beside a well. The caliph’s ring fell into the well. The girl took her own off and threw it into the well. The caliph asked the girl, “Why did you do a thing like that?”

The girl replied, “I have known parting. Since a state of union and intimacy exists between us, I didn’t want your ring to know the anxieties of separation. I gave my ring to be its companion.”

Zuleika let everything be the name of Joseph, from celery seed to aloes-wood. She loved him so much, she concealed his name in many different phrases, the inner meanings known only to her. When she said, “The wax is softening near the fire,” she meant, “My love is wanting me.” Or if she said, “Look, the moon is up,” or “The willow has new leaves,” or “The branches are trembling,” or “The coriander seeds have caught fire,” or “The roses are opening,” or “The king is in a good mood today,” or “Isn’t that lucky,” or “The furniture needs dusting,” or “The water carrier is here,” or “It’s almost daylight,” or “These vegetables are perfect,” or “The bread needs more salt,” or “The clouds seem to be moving against the wind,” or “My head hurts,” or “My headache’s better,” anything she praises, it’s Joseph’s touch she means; any complaint, it’s his being away.

17 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

THE LOVER AND THE BELOVED

If He hides His presence from you, it is because He is listening to you.

My earth and My heaven containeth Me not, but the heart of My faithful servant containeth Me.

The love of God in its essence is really the illumination of the heart by joy because of its nearness to the Beloved, for love, in solitude, rises up triumphant and the heart of the lover is possessed by the sense of its fellowship with Him; and when solitude is combined with secret intercourse with the Beloved, the joy of that intercourse overwhelms the mind, so that it is no longer concerned with this world and what is therein.

Verily there are servants among my servants who love Me, and I love them, and they long for Me, and I long for them and they look at Me, and I look at them.

The goblet of love is the lover’s heart, not his reason or his sense perception. For the heart fluctuates from state to state, just as God—who is the Beloved—is each day upon some task. So, the lover undergoes constant variation of the Beloved in His acts.

Love has many diverse and mutually opposed properties. Hence nothing receives these properties except that which has the capacity to fluctuate along with love. This belongs only to the heart.

18 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

THE LOVER AND THE BELOVED

Real love does not diminish by the cruelty of the Beloved, nor does it grow by His grace, but always remains the same.

Verily, Almighty God has a wine for His friends, such that when they drink of it, they become intoxicated, and once they are intoxicated they become merry, and once they are merry, they become purged, and once they are purged they become melted down, and once they are melted down, they become purified, and once they become purified they arrive, and once they arrive they become united with the Divine, and once they are united with the Divine there is no distinction between them and their Beloved.

The being of the lover and Beloved are the same.

Between the lover and the Beloved there must be no veil. Thou thyself art thine own veil, get out of the way!

The servant's love for God is a state too subtle for words. This state brings him to glorify God and to try to gain His pleasure. He has little patience in separation from Him, feels an urgent longing for Him, finds no comfort in anything other than Him, and experiences intimacy in his heart by making continual remembrance of Him. The servant's love for God does not imply affection or enjoyment in the human sense. Describing the lover as annihilated in the Beloved is more fitting than describing him as having enjoyment of Him.

I came out from Blessedness as a snake from its skin. Then I looked. I saw that lover, Beloved, and love are one because in that state of unification all can be one.

Love means that the attributes of the lover are changed into those of the Beloved.

19 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

THE LOVER AND THE BELOVED

The true lover finds the light only if, like the candle, he is his own fuel, consuming himself. Not until the two has been erased will lover enjoy Union with Beloved. Everything is the Beloved, and the lover is a veil. Living is the Beloved, and the lover is dead. A Sufi once met a woman on the seashore who revealed to him the mysteries of the path. He asked her, "What is the end of love?" She answered, “O simpleton, love has no end." He asked, "Why?" "Because the Beloved has no end."

THE VALLEY OF LOVE

The power of love takes the Sufi wayfarer beyond the mind and the ego into the arena of the heart. Love is the fire that burns and transforms the lover, causing both bewilderment and intoxication, freeing the lover from everything but God. In this valley, love is represented by fire, and reason by smoke. When love comes, reason disappears. Reason cannot live with the folly of love; love has nothing to do with human reason. If you possessed inner sight, the atoms of the visible world would be manifested to you. But if you look at things with the eye of ordinary reason you will never understand how necessary it is to love. Only a man who has been tested and is free can feel this. He who understands this journey should have a thousand hearts so that he can sacrifice one at every moment. I tell you the ways of love! Even though the head itself must be given, why should you weep over it?

In every moment this love is more endless, every time people are more bewildered in it. The heart alone knows what the substance of love is, the eye of reason has no power to behold it. Love is a sweetness, but its inner reality is bewilderment.

20 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

(RABIA OF BASRA)

Abda, the maid servant of Rabia, relates as follows, “Rabia used to pass the whole night in prayer, and at morning dawn she took a light sleep in her oratory till daylight, and I have heard her say when she sprang in dread from her couch, ‘O my soul, how long wilt thou sleep? Soon thou shalt sleep to rise no more, till the call shall summon thee on the day of resurrection?’”

Hasan Basri once asked Rabia if she ever thought of marrying. She answered, “The marriage contract can be entered into by those who have possession of their free-will. As for me, I have no will to dispose of; I belong to the Lord, and I rest in the shadow of His commandments, counting myself as nothing.”

“But,” said Hasan, “how have you arrived at such a degree of piety?”

“By annihilating myself completely.”

Being asked on another occasion why she did not marry, she answered, “There are three things which cause me anxiety.”

“And what are they?”

“One is to know whether at the moment of death I shall be able to take my faith with me intact. The second is whether on the Day of Resurrection the register of my actions will be placed in my right hand or not. The third is to know, when some are led to Paradise and some to hell, in which direction I shall be led.”

Then she said, “When I have such objects to pre-occupy my mind, should I think of a husband?”

21 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

(RABIA OF BASRA)

Someone asked Rabia one day, “Whence comest thou?”

“From the other world,” was her reply. “And whither goest thou?”

“Into the other world.”

“And what doest thou in this world?”

“I jest with it by eating its bread and doing the works of the other world in it.”

“O Rabia,” said another to her, “dost thou love the Lord?”

“Truly,” she replied, “I love Him.”

“And dost thou regard Satan as an enemy?”

“I love the Lord so much,” she answered, “that I do not trouble myself about the enmity of Satan. The love of the Most High fills my heart to such a degree that there is no room for love or hatred towards anyone else.”

One night she saw the Prophet (on whom be peace) in a dream. He asked her: “Rabia, lovest thou me?”

“O Prophet of God,” she replied, “is there anyone who does not love thee?”

On one occasion she was asked, “Dost thou see Him Whom thou servest?”

“If I did not see Him,” she said, “I would not serve Him.”

She was frequently found in tears, and, being asked the reason why, replied, “I fear that at the last moment a Voice may cry, ‘Rabia is not worthy to appear in Our court.’”

22 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

(RABIA OF BASRA)

The following question was put to Rabia, “If one of His servants truly repents, will the Lord accept it or not?”

“As long as God does not grant repentance,” she replied, “how can anyone repent? And if He does grant it, there is no doubt that he will accept it.”

Once when Rabia had immured herself for a long while in her house without coming forth, her servant said to her, “Lady, come forth out of this house and contemplate the works of the Most High.”

“Nay,” said Rabia, “enter rather into thyself and contemplate His work in thyself.”

Jai Ramakrishna 23 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

(RABIA OF BASRA)

For thirty years I have not prayed without saying to myself, “This prayer, perhaps, is the last which I shall pray,” and I have never been tired of saying, “My God, let me be so absorbed in Thy love that no other affection may find room in my heart.”

One day some men of learning and piety came to her and said, “The Most High has crowned His chosen saints with the gift of performing miracles, but such privileges have never been granted to a woman. How didst thou attain to such a high degree?” “What you say is true,” she answered, “but, on the other hand, women have never been so infatuated with themselves as men, nor have they ever claimed divinity.”

Hasan Basri relates, “One day when I had been to Rabia who had fallen sick, to ask after her, I saw seated at her gate a merchant who wept. ‘Why are you weeping?’ I asked him. ‘I have just brought for Rabia,’ he answered, ‘this purse of gold, and I am troubled in mind, not knowing whether she will accept it or not. Go in, O Hasan, and ask whether she will.’ Then I went in, and no sooner had I reported to her the words of this merchant than she said to me, ‘Thou knowest well, O Hasan, that the Most High gives daily bread even to those who do not worship Him; how then will He not give it to those whose hearts are aglow with love to Him? Besides, ever since I have known God, I have turned my eyes away from all except Him. How can I accept anyone’s money when I know not whether it has been gained by lawful or unlawful means? Present then my excuses to this merchant, and let him go.’”

24 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

(RABIA OF BASRA)

Another merchant visiting Rabia found her house in ill repair. He presented her with a new house. Rabia had no sooner entered it than, seeing paintings on the wall, she became absorbed in contemplating them. Recovering herself, she quit the house, and refused to re-enter it, saying, “I fear lest my heart may become attached to this house to such a degree that I neglect preparation for the other world.”

One day Abdul Wahid and Sofian Tsavri went to see Rabia in her illness. They were so touched by the sight of her weakness that for some moments they could not speak a word. At last Sofian said, “O Rabia, pray that the Lord may lighten thy sufferings.”

23 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

(RABIA OF BASRA)

For thirty years I have not prayed without saying to myself, ‘This prayer, perhaps, is the last which I shall pray,’ and I have never been tired of saying, ‘ My God, let me be so absorbed in Thy love that no other affection may find room in my heart?”

One day some men of learning and piety came to her and said, “The Most High has crowned His chosen saints with the gift of performing miracles, but such privileges have never been granted to a woman. How didst thou attain to such a high degree?”

“What you say is true,” she answered, “but, on the other hand, women have never been so infatuated with themselves as men, nor have they ever claimed divinity.”

Hasan Basri relates, “One day when I had been to Rabia who had fallen sick, to ask after her, I saw seated at her gate a merchant who wept.

‘Why are you weeping?’ I asked him.

‘I have just brought for Rabia, he answered, ‘this purse of gold, and I am troubled in mind, not knowing whether she will accept it or not. Go in, O Hasan, and ask whether she will.’

Then I went in, and no sooner had I reported to her the words of this merchant than she said to me, “Thou knowest well, O Hasan, that the Most High gives daily bread even to those who do not worship Him; how then will He not give it to those whose hearts are aglow with love to Him?

Besides, ever since I have known God, I have turned my eyes away from all except Him. How can I accept anyone’s money when I know not whether it has been gained by lawful or unlawful means? Present then my excuses to this merchant, and let him go.’”

24 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

(RABIA OF BASRA)

Another merchant visiting Rabia found her house in ill repair. He presented her with a new house. Rabia had no sooner entered it than, seeing paintings on the wall, she became absorbed in contemplating them. Recovering herself, she quit the house, and refused to re-enter it, saying, “I fear lest my heart may become attached to this house to such a degree that I neglect preparation for the other world.”

One day Abdul Wahid and Sofian Tsavri went to see Rabia in her illness. They were so touched by the sight of her weakness that for some moments they could not speak a word.

At last Sofian said, “O Rabia, pray that the Lord may lighten thy sufferings.”

“O Sofian,” she answered, “who has sent me these sufferings?”

“The Most High,” he said.

“Very well,” she replied, “if it is his will that this trial come upon me, how can I, ignoring His will, ask Him to remove it?”

“Rabia,” said Sofian, “I am not capable of talking to thee about thy own affairs; talk to me about mine.”

“Well,” answered Rabia, “if thou hadst not an inclination to this low world, thou wouldst be a man without fault.” “Then,” relates Sofian, “I cried with tears, ‘My God, canst Thou be satisfied with me?’”

“O Sofian,” said Rabia, “dost thou not blush at saying to the Lord, ‘Canst Thou be satisfied with me?’, without having done a single thing to please him?”

25 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

(RABIA OF BASRA)

Malik Dinar recounts the following: “I went to see Rabia and found her drinking water out of a broken pitcher. She was lying stretched on an old mat, with a brick for her pillow. I was pierced to the heart at the sight, and said, ‘O Rabia, I have rich friends; if you will let me, I will go and ask them for something for you.’

“You have spoken ill, Malik,” she replied, “it is the Lord who, to them as to me, gives daily bread. He Who provides for the needs of the rich, shall He not provide for the necessities of the poor? If He wills that it should be thus with us, we should gladly submit to His will.”

On one occasion when Malik Dinar, Hasan Basri and Shaqiq were with her, the conversation turned on sincerity of heart towards God. Hasan Basri said, “He has not sincere love to God who does not bear with constancy the afflictions which the Lord sends him.”

“That remark savours of self-conceit,” said Rabia. Shaqiq observed, “He is not sincere who does not render thanks for afflictions.”

“There is a higher degree of sincerity than that,” said Rabia. Malik Dinar suggested, “He is not sincere who does not find delight in the afflictions which the Lord sends.”

“That is not the purest sincerity,” she remarked. Then they asked her to define sincerity. She said, “He is not sincere who does not forget the pain of affliction through his absorption in God.”

26 September 2024

(Today is the auspicious birthday of Revered Swami Abhedanandaji Maharaj. On this auspicious day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti.

(Teachings of Swami Abhedananda)

To go beyond Maya, one needs discrimination and renunciation. Even gods cannot escape Maya unless they have these two.

There is no need for you to be impatient for doing Japa or meditation and flying to solitude for that purpose.

Sri Ramakrishna used to say, ‘Meditate in a corner, or in the forest, or in the mind.’ The Sadhaka who lives in a city, can sit inside the mosquito curtain and easily do his Japa and meditation in the night without distraction.

When the mind becomes steady by continued practice of Japa, meditation is accomplished by itself.

Raise your mind to the Ajna Chakra, and ponder over the truth that lust, anger, and the rest are not the attributes of the soul. Meditate on this idea. Repeat the great truth: ‘I am Brahman’, and contemplate on the soul, which is the witness, the inspirer, the absolute, the one without any attribute.

Practise a little; the secret of success lies in meditation.

When you meditate, remember first the great teachers of the world. They have given us the greatest of all gifts, the highest truth. Remember the greatest of all teachers, the Teacher of the universe, God. Aspire to be His faithful servant.

Send thoughts of love to all living beings, pray that all may be happy and peaceful and blissful. Then think of your body, remember it is the instrument of the soul. We must keep it strong and healthy and make it a useful instrument; we must master the body so that through it we can express our divine nature.

Breathe slowly and rhythmically; imagine that you breathe out all that is evil and weak and undesirable and that with every breath you draw in the divine nature is flowing through you.

Then meditate on Him who is the Soul of your soul. Try to feel that you are one with that Infinite, Blissful, Existence, etc. Raise a wall all around your mind by your discrimination. Do not allow the distraction of external circumstances to enter your mind. The mind is all in all. You cannot hear the rumbling sound of the carriage if you withdraw your mind from your ears.

Learn to turn unfavourable circumstances into favourable ones. The mind is all in all.

27 September 2024

Repeat the great truth: ‘I am Brahman’, and contemplate on the soul, which is the witness, the inspirer, the absolute, the one without any attribute. Practise a little; the secret of success lies in meditation. When you meditate, remember first the great teachers of the world. They have given us the greatest of all gifts, the highest truth. Remember the greatest of all teachers, the Teacher of the universe, God. Aspire to be His faithful servant. Send thoughts of love to all living beings; pray that all may be happy and peaceful and blissful. Then think of your body; remember it is the instrument of the soul. We must keep it strong and healthy and make it a useful instrument; we must master the body so that through it we can express our divine nature. Breathe slowly and rhythmically; imagine that you breathe out all that is evil and weak and undesirable, and that with every breath you draw in, the divine nature is flowing through you. Then meditate on Him who is the Soul of your soul. Try to feel that you are one with that Infinite, Blissful Existence. Raise a wall all around your mind by your discrimination. Do not allow the distraction of external circumstances to enter your mind. The mind is all in all. You cannot hear the rumbling sound of the carriage if you withdraw your mind from your ears. Learn to turn unfavourable circumstances into favourable ones. The mind is all in all.

28 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

(RABIA OF BASRA)

One of the learned theologians of Basra, once visiting Rabia, began to enlarge upon the defects of the world. “You must be very fond of the world,” said Rabia, “for if you were not, you would not talk so much about it. He who really intends to buy something keeps on discussing it. If you were really disentangled from it, what would you care about its merits or its faults?”

Other sayings of Rabia were these:

“My God, if on the day of judgment, Thou sendest me to hell, I shall reveal a secret which will make hell fly far from me.”

“O Lord, give all Thou destinest for me of the goods of this world to Thy enemies, and all that Thou reserves for me in Paradise to Thy friends, for it is Thou only Whom I seek.”

“My God, if it is from fear of hell that I serve Thee, condemn me to burn in hell; and if it is for the hope of Paradise, forbid me entrance there; but if it is for Thy sake only, deny me not the sight of Thy face.”

Rabia died in A.D. 752 and was buried near Jerusalem. Her tomb was a centre of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages.

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

(RABIA OF BASRA)

THE LOVER AND THE BELOVED

I know nothing, I understand nothing, I am unaware of myself. I am in love, but with whom I do not know. My heart is at the same time both full and empty of love. You may try a hundred things, but love alone will release you from yourself. So never flee from love—not even from love in an earthly guise—for it is a preparation for the supreme Truth. Call me, and though Hell-fire lie between, my love will make it easy to pass through the flames. Sultan, saint, pickpocket; love has everyone by the ear, dragging us to God by secret ways!

I never knew that God, too, desires us. I planted a branch of desire for the people of love, and not one knew, before me, what desire was. It sprouted branches, and sensual longing ripened, and left me with a bitter taste from the sweet fruits. The desire of all the passionate lovers, if they were to trace it, comes from that source. Pure jewel! You have carried off my heart, without telling me either your name or where you come from. I have neither my own heart nor my heart's desire. Oh, who can cure my sickness? An outcast I have become. Family and home, where are they? No path leads back to them and none to my beloved. Broken are my name, my reputation, like glass smashed on a rock; broken is the drum which once spread the good news, and my ears now only hear the drumbeat of separation.

29 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)*

THE LOVER AND THE BELOVED

I follow obediently my beloved, who owns my soul. If she says, "Get drunk," that is what I shall do. If she orders me to be mad, that is what I shall be. Love is not to be learned from men; it is one of God's gifts and comes as a grace. Love is the pre-eternal wine drunk by the elect on the night of the Covenant. No one worships God by any act more pleasing to Him than that of loving Him. A thing can be explained only by what is more subtle than itself; there is nothing subtler than love: by what then shall love be explained?

It is burning of the heart I want; this burning, which is everything, more precious than a worldly empire, because it calls God secretly, in the night. The inner reality of love means that you give all of yourself to the One until nothing remains of you for you. Love is a fire in the heart that burns up all but the Beloved's wishes. He who loves does not think about his own life; to love truly, a man must forget about himself, be he ascetic or libertine. If your desires do not accord with your spirit, sacrifice them, and you will come to the end of your journey. If the body of desire obstructs the way, reject it; then fix your eyes in front and contemplate.

I would love to kiss you. And the price of this kiss is your life. Now my love is running towards my life shouting, "What a bargain, let's buy it." Lovers do not reach the height of true love until one says to the other, "O Thou who art I." There is nothing good in love without death. Love means tearing down the veils and exposing the secrets. The final end of love is to become bare.

As long as love is in the beginning stage of its journey, the lover's nutriment is supplied by the form of the Beloved. However, once love reaches its final goal, it leaves behind every form. Just before this, the form of the Beloved appears in its perfection and falls as a hindrance between the lover and love. Thus, the lover must spend all his effort to remove this veil. Love means that all loves but love of the Beloved fall away from the heart. The beginning of love is search but the end is rest.

30 September 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

(RABIA OF BASRA)

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

A Sufi saying states that, "No one knows God but God."

But in the hearts of His lovers, He reveals His Divine mysteries.

True knowledge is what is unveiled in hearts. Knowledge acquired by external means will never reveal the Truth. God deposited within man knowledge of all things, then prevented him from perceiving what He had deposited within him. This is one of the divine mysteries which reason denies and considers totally impossible.

The nearness of this mystery to those ignorant of it is like God's nearness to His servant, as mentioned in His words, "We are nearer to him than you, but you do not see” (Qur'an 56:85), and His words, "We are nearer to him than his jugular vein" (Qur'an 50:16).

In spite of this nearness, the person does not perceive and does not know. . . no one knows what is within himself until it is unveiled to him instant by instant.

To know God is to love Him. If you would glimpse the beauty look in your heart - its image will appear.

Make of your heart a looking-glass and see Reflected there the Friend's nobility.'

Love leads to knowledge of the Divine mysteries and those who love to abide in God and look to Him only, and He is nearer to them than all else and to them is given a vision of Him unveiled and they see Him with the eye of certainty.

1 October 2024

(Teachings of Swami Akhandananda)

In spite of this nearness, the person does not perceive and does not know. No one knows what is within himself until it is unveiled to him instant by instant. To know God is to love Him. If you would glimpse the beauty, look in your heart—its image will appear. Make of your heart a looking-glass and see reflected there the Friend’s nobility. Love leads to knowledge of the Divine mysteries, and those who love to abide in God and look to Him only; and He is nearer to them than all else, and to them is given a vision of Him unveiled, and they see Him with the eye of certainty.

The Isha Upanishad declares that those who do not try to know the Self are killers of the Self. A life is well spent if it is dedicated to the quest of the Self. What is that Self? One has to hear about the Self first, then think of It, and then meditate on It. Yajnavalkya taught Maitreyi that the Self is the dearest of all, and all else is dear for the sake of the Self. It is the Self alone that exists and nothing else besides. Everything springs out of the Self, and everything is in the Self. The Self resides in all, though It may be asleep in some. There It has to be roused. The attempt is always going on in everybody to express that Self, and that is what constitutes spiritual practice. In fact, whatever you do is a sort of spiritual practice, be it conscious or unconscious. When that Self is realised, one will find It present everywhere; and that is one’s highest achievement. One’s purpose of life is to attain that state. Everyone must actualise that experience in life, for that is one’s real nature. Never think, “I can’t have it; I am weak.” Whenever any dejection sets in, remember that saying of the Lord in the Gita, “Yield not to unmanliness!”

There is no other path but to call on Him, as though one’s very life is in imminent danger. Always pray, “Lord, please reveal yourself; please show yourself to me. I want nothing else, not even heavenly joys. I want you only.” And along with this, one has to pray, “Lord, remove from me all hankering for enjoyment.” Spiritual progress is a far cry in the midst of selfishness and narrow-mindedness.

2 October 2024

((Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Akhandanandaji Maharaj. Today also is the Auspicious Mahalaya, beginning of the Navaratri, the nine day worship of the Divine Mother.

On this Holy day may the Divine Mother and the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of Swami Akhandananda)

The spiritual path for the present age lies through the harmony of all the paths of the earlier ages—harmony of knowledge, devotion, and selfless work. We must have all these. we must have knowledge, devotion, and service. It won’t do to have only one.

The more you take care of yourself alone, the smaller you grow, and the more you think of others as yourself, the bigger you become. Swamiji used to say “The happiness one derives by thinking of oneself, becomes multiplied when one thinks of somebody else sharing equally in one’s own happiness or unhappiness."

The more you practise like that way the more your Self spreads over the world, and then only can Self-knowledge dawn. The more you can think of others as yourself, the more loving your heart becomes, and the more is Self-knowledge revealed.

Spread your Self over all, and draw in theirs into yours; and then you will realise how intensely blissful’ that state is; and that will bring you Self-realisation; But the more you tie yourself up with selfish ideas, the narrower you become.

Japa is possible at all times, the Lord's name can be mentally repeated ever and anon. You can undertake Japa any time you like.

The Master used to say that the bird sings the Lord's name as it flies.

Be sincere and straightforward, and never be crooked. Your heart will expand along with your sincerity and straightforwardness. Be always open and above board in all your dealings, never play at hide and seek. Straightforwardness is a great virtue. A man's heart is pure in proportion as he is open in his behaviour.

Try always to have a pure mind and holy thoughts, and also physical cleanliness.

3 October 2024

(Teachings of Swami Akhandananda)

Without heart, everything else counts for nought. Unless the heart expands, nothing else will avail. Merely to continue sitting with the eyes shut will produce no fruit; it will not bring about God-realisation. One’s heart must feel for others; one must identify oneself with the happiness and sorrows of others; then only will God be realised. The Lord has to be served with one's body, mind, and possessions. Merely to sit quiet and make Japa will not do. Do serve Him a little with your body as well. And what mere sitting quiet can do? For I find you getting irritated at the slightest provocation; your mind is full of anger. Can that be the result of long meditation in the shrine? The Master used to say that attainment of perfection means becoming gentle. Maintain your equanimity under all circumstances. In this age of Kali, one thing that counts is the Lord’s name. Go on repeating His name. Whatever work you may be doing, you must have this conviction within: "I am nobody; He is everything." Make no effort beyond your own capacity. Just repeat His name for a hundred and eight times; that will bear fruit in time. Try to increase that number slowly. One must have a firm grasp over the mind. The Lord’s name will bring the highest spiritual perfection. The things that really count are faith and devotion. You ask me how the Lord is to be worshipped? It is through devotion. Offer flowers to Him. Mantras and formalities I do not know.

4 October 2024

(Teachings of Swami Akhandananda)

Most of us should now turn to work. People can’t meditate by sitting quietly; when they try, they start dozing. Because they are steeped in lethargy; how can they have spirituality? Do your duty, and in the midst of duty keep alive the idea that you are doing His work. Let activism come first, then will follow peacefulness; and lastly will come enlightenment. Hardly before a few days pass after initiation, they come and complain that they are not having any spiritual experiences. Well, my children, will things come to you automatically without any effort? Can visions come for mere asking? Where is the necessary faith and sincerity? The whole mind is filled with anger and passion. Weep and pray! How piteously people cry for their children and wives! But how few cry for the Lord? God is the nearest to us, for He is in our heart. Men are covered with ignorance, and hence they cannot see Him. They think that He is far away. But He is the nearest to us—the Life of our life, the Mind of our mind. We breathe just because He is there. One should not blame anyone without knowing facts fully. One should rather find fault with oneself first. Know it for certain that pride goes before a fall. This I know from my personal experience.

5 October 2024

(Teachings of Swami Akhandananda)

The very appearance and movement of those who earnestly call on God become something uncommon and impressive. Their very presence brings happiness. Their faces are always happy, their hearts are pure, and their minds are free from likes and dislikes. They are ever eager to remain merged in the Bliss that is God.

Jai Ramakrishna 6 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

Love leads to knowledge of the Divine mysteries, and those who love to abide in God and look to Him only—and He is nearer to them than all else—to them is given a vision of Him unveiled, and they see Him with the eye of certainty.

Knowledge, truly, is a light which God casts into the heart. Insight consists of radiant lights in the heart, enabling mystics to carry secrets from one hidden realm to another, such that one may see things in the way that God displays them to him, so that he may speak about the innermost part of creation.

The mystics are the treasure-houses of God: He deposits in them the knowledge of mysteries and information concerning wonderful things, and they speak of them with the tongue of eternity and interpret them with an interpretation which is everlasting.

The ecstasy of the Sufis is the sudden encounter of the invisible with the invisible. These are the realities which they find within their innermost secret, which emanates from the Divine Truth without explanation.

True knowledge of God is gained when the lover comes in contact with the Beloved through secret communion with Him. He who tastes, knows.

When God wishes to conquer a heart, He entrusts it with secrets, which the heart then perceives and proclaims. Man is My secret, and I am his secret. The inner knowledge of the spiritual essence is a secret of My secrets. Only I put this into the heart of My good servant, and none may know his state other than Me.

All that lies between the highest heaven and the earth does not amount to one atom compared with His power, and all existing knowledge cannot attain to one atom of the Lord's being.

6 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

Love leads to knowledge of the Divine mysteries and those who love to abide in God and look to Him only, and He is nearer to them than all else and to them is given a vision of Him unveiled and they see Him with the eye of certainty.

Knowledge, truly, is a light which God casts into the heart. Insight consists of radiant lights in the heart, enabling mystics to carry secrets from one hidden realm to another, such that one may see things in the way that God displays them to him, so that he may speak about the innermost part of creation.

The mystics are the treasure-houses of God: He deposits in them the knowledge of mysteries and information concerning wonderful things, and they speak of them with the tongue of eternity and interpret them with an interpretation which is everlasting.

The ecstasy of the Sufis is the sudden encounter of the invisible with the invisible. These are the realities which they find within their innermost secret which emanates from the Divine Truth without explanation.

True knowledge of God is gained when the lover comes in contact with the Beloved through secret communion with Him. He who tastes, knows.

When God wishes to conquer a heart, He entrusts it with secrets, which the heart then perceives and proclaims.

Man is My secret, and I am his secret. The inner knowledge of the spiritual essence is a secret of My secrets. Only I put this into the heart of My good servant, and none may know his state other than Me.

All that lies between the highest heaven and the earth does not amount to one atom compared with His power, and all existing knowledge cannot attain to one atom of the Lord's being.

7 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

He praises me, and I praise Him, and He worships me, and I worship Him. How can He be independent when I help Him, and I assist Him? In my knowing Him, I create Him. He who knows himself knows his Lord. In the ocean of life there is nothing more precious than to know oneself. We have, therefore, chosen to revolve around ourselves like a whirlpool. There is nothing closer to you than yourself; if you don't know yourself, how will you know others? You might say, "I know myself,” but you are mistaken! The only thing you know about yourself is your physical appearance. The only thing you know about your unconscious is that when you are hungry you eat, when you are angry you fight, and when you are consumed with passion you make love. All animals are equal with you in this regard. You have to seek the truth within yourself. What are you? Where have you come from and where are you going? What is your role in the world? Why have you been created? Where does your happiness lie?

If you would like to know yourself, you should know that you are created by two things. One is your body and your outward appearance, which you can see with your eyes. The other is your unconscious forces (batin). This is the part you cannot see but you can know it with your insight. The truth of your existence is in your batin. Everything else is a servant to your batin. When you know yourself, your “Is-ness” vanishes and you know that you and God are one and the same.

8 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

The final and ultimate return of the mystics is that the Real is identical with them while they do not exist. The mystic is known only through the fact that he brings opposites together, for all of him is the Real. Once a Sufi was asked, "Through what have you known Allah?" He replied, "Through the fact that He brings opposites together," for he had witnessed their coming together in himself. Nothing sees God and dies, even as nothing sees God and lives, because His life is everlasting, and he who sees Him, remains in Him and is made everlasting. When Bayezid was asked how old he was, he replied, "Four years." They said, "How can that be?"

He answered, “I have been veiled from God by this world for seventy years, but I have seen Him during the last four years: the period in which one is veiled does not belong to one's life. When the mystic's spiritual eye is opened, his physical eye is closed; he sees nothing but God. When the Beloved appears, with what eye do I see Him? With His eye, not with mine, for none sees Him except Himself. One who sees with the light of insight sees with the light of God; the very substance of his knowledge comes from God. Whatever you imagine, God is the opposite of that. Praise be to God who hath given His creatures no way of attaining to knowledge of Him except through their inability to know Him.”

9 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

WHERESOEVER YOU TURN

One of the central mystical experiences is the oneness of God, the realization of the inner truth that "everything is He”

Wheresoever you turn, there is the face of Allah. There is no God but He, everything perishes except His Face.

When the mystery of realizing that the mystic is one with the Divine is revealed to you, you will understand that you are no other than God and that you have continued and will continue to be God.

Then you will see all your actions to be His actions and all your attributes to be His attributes and your essence to be His essence, though you do not thereby become He or He you, in either the greatest or the least degree.

"Everything is perishing save His Face," that is, there is nothing except His Face, “then, whithersoever you turn, there is the Face of God."

Rose and mirror and sun and moon - where are they?

Wherever we looked, there was always Thy face. Whether one is inclined to evil or good, Whether one is an inmate of a cloister or a monk in a monastery, from the point of view of "form," everyone is other than He.

But from the point of view of reality everything is He and none other than He!

And in everything there is a witness for Him that points to the fact that He is One.

In the market, in the cloister - only God I saw.

In the valley and on the mountain - only God I saw.

Him I have seen beside me oft in tribulation;

In favor and in fortune, only God I saw.

In prayer and in fasting, in praise and contemplation,

In the religion of the Prophet, only God I saw.

Neither soul nor body, accident nor substance,

Qualities nor causes - only God I saw.

Like a candle I was melting in His fire;

Amidst the flames outflashing - only God I saw.

Myself with mine own eyes I saw most clearly,

But when I looked with God's eyes - only God I saw.

I passed away into nothingness, I vanished,

And lo, I was the All - living - only God I saw.

11 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

WHERESOEVER YOU TURN

It is acknowledged that any existence is His existence, and that the existence of all created things is His existence; and when the secret of one atom of the atoms is clear, the secret of all created things, both outward and inward, is clear. You do not see in this world or the next anything except God.

I was a hidden treasure, and I desired to be known, so I created the world. Things lie hidden in their opposites, and but for the existence of opposites, the Opposer would have no manifestations. He alone is the Observer, He alone is the Observed! There is none but He in the world of existence.

Sufism consists of keeping the heart from anything that is not He. And there is not anything not He. Wheresoever you turn, I am both the Existent and the non-existent. I am that which comes to nought and that which abides. I am that which is felt and that which is not felt; I am both the snake and the charmer. I am the freed and the bound: I am that which is drunk and he who gives the drink. I am the treasure, and I am the poverty: I am My creation and the Creator.

Whoever has fallen into the ocean of God's Oneness grows thirstier every day. His thirst will never be appeased because he has a thirst for truth, and that is only quenched by the Real. Those who regard things as determined by God turn to God in everything.

12 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

WHERESOEVER YOU TURN

We and Thou are not separate from each other, but we need Thee, whereas Thou doest not need us. My servant ceases not to draw nigh unto Me by works of devotion, until I love him, and when I love Him, I am the eye by which he sees and the ear by which he hears. He is now as He was. He is the One without oneness and the Single without singleness. He is the very existence of the First and the very existence of the Last, and the very existence of the Outward and the very existence of the Inward. So, there is no first nor last, nor outward nor inward, except Him, without these becoming Him or His becoming them. By Himself He sees Himself, and by Himself He knows Himself. None sees Him other than He, and none perceives Him other than He. His veil, that is phenomenal existence, is a part of His oneness; nothing veils other than He. His veil is only the concealment of His existence in His oneness.

None sees Him other than He, nor Prophet, nor saint made perfect, nor angel brought nigh know Him. His Prophet is He, and His sending is He, and His word is He. He sent Himself with Himself to Himself. There is no other and there is no existence other than He. Sometimes we call Thee wine, sometimes goblet, Sometimes we call Thee corn, and sometimes snare, There is no letter save Thy name on the tablet of the world. Now, by which name shall we call Thee? In the name of Him Who has no name, Who appears by whatever name you call Him. God made this name knowledge; mirror for man, so that when he looks in it, he knows the true meaning of “God is and there was naught beside Him,” and in that moment it is revealed to him that his speech is God's speech, his life God's life, his knowledge is God's knowledge, his will is God's will and his power is God's power.

13 October 2024

Subha Vijaya 2024

Dear Devotees,

Please accept my hearty Greetings and Prayers on this auspicious occasion of Vijaya. By the grace of Divine Mother I am keeping well and hope the same with you. May the Divine Mother Durga bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana. With Prayers, Best Wishes and Namaskarams.

Yours affectionately,

Swami Dayatmananda

Year 1898. Place: Kshir-Bhavani Temple in Kashmir. Swami Vivekananda stands pondering over the ruins of the temple and the desecration wrought by the Muslim invaders. Distressed at heart, he thinks: “How could the people have permitted such sacrilege without offering strenuous resistance? If I were here then, I would never have allowed such things. I would have laid down my life to protect the Mother.” No sooner this thought strikes him than he hears a voice deep inside his heart—the voice of the Divine Mother:

“What even if unbelievers should enter my temples and defile my images! What is that to you? Do you protect me? Or do I protect you?”

“My child! If I wish I can have innumerable temples and magnificent monastic centres. I can even this moment raise a seven-storied golden temple on this very spot.”

The scales are removed from Swamiji’s eyes. “No more ‘Hari Om!’ It is all ‘Mother’ now!” he later says. “All my patriotism is gone. Everything is gone. Now it is only ‘Mother! Mother!’ … I am only a little child!”

14 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)*

The Sufi seeks to “die before death,” to transcend the ego and experience union with God. Transcending the ego is called *fana* (annihilation) and is one of the most important stages on the path, leading to *baqa* (everlasting life in God). In the depths of the heart, the lover becomes lost in the formlessness of love. Merging with the infinite ocean of the Self, he experiences a complete nothingness that is absolute fulfilment.

Between me and You there lingers an “it is I” which torments me. Ah! Lift through mercy this “it is I” from between us both! Go you, sweep out the dwelling-room of your heart, prepare it to be the abode and home of the Beloved: when you go out, He will come in. Within you, when you are free from self, He will show His Beauty.

Oh Lord God! I do not want myself. Give me release from myself. God, empty my very self of all except His own presence. Between me and You there lingers an “it is I” which torments me. Ah! Lift through mercy this “it is I” from between us both! Go you, sweep out the dwelling-room of your heart, prepare it to be the abode and home of the Beloved: when you go out, He will come in. Within you, when you are free from self, He will show His Beauty.

15 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)*

Oh Lord God! I do not want myself. Give me release from myself. May God empty my very self of all except His own presence.

The mystic is the knower without knowledge, without sight, without information, without apprehension, without description, without manifestation, and without a veil. The mystics are not in themselves, and if they are in themselves at all, they exist but in God. Their actions are held by God, and their words are the words of God uttered by their tongues, and their sight is the sight of God penetrated into their eyes.

Lord God, everyone has some wish, whereas I want to have no wish. And everyone has an “I,” whereas I want to have no “I.” What I want is not to be me!

A hundred spiritual masters have spoken concerning Sufism. The first said the same as the last. The modes of expression were different, but the meaning was one: “Sufism is dropping all affectation.” And there is no affectation that comes before your own you-ness. The moment you become involved with your own self, you are cut off from Him.

What you most want, what you travel around wishing to find—lose yourself as lovers lose themselves, and you’ll be that. Know that when you learn to lose yourself, you will reach the Beloved. There is no other secret to be learned, and more than this is not known to me.

An hour reflecting on one’s own non-existence is better than a year of religious devotions with the thought that one exists.

As I reached the stage of proximity to God, He said, “What is your desire?”

I replied, “I desire Thee.”

He said, “As long as there remains even one particle of ‘I’-ness in thee, that desire cannot be fulfilled.”

16 October 2024

Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped today, the Sharat poornima, the full moon day of autumn.

Kojagari- its meaning

Mother Lakshmi resides in the houses of those who are awake and alert even in the night and blesses them. The owl, which is awake at night, is her vehicle!

So, Lakshmi comes asking, “Ko Jagrati – who is awake?”, and that is why her puja is known as “Kojagari puja”.

It is said that no bell is rung during the Lakshmi puja time lest Mother Lakshmi will fly away on Her vehicle, the Owl.

In all the pictures of Mother Lakshmi, we see Her standing on a lotus and elephants on either side pouring water over Her.

But the scriptures say “Uluka” (owl) as the vehicle carrier of Mother Lakshmi.

Vision of Lakshmi by Chandramani devi

In the life of Chandramani devi, the mother of Sri Ramakrishna we have an incident relating to this puja. This event took place before the birth of Sri Sri Thakur.

Once, Ramkumar, the eldest son of Chandramani, went to perform this Kojagari puja in a neighbouring village Bhursuo as a priest in a house.

It was very late at night and as he didn’t return, Chandramani came out of the house and was waiting for his return. Then a young girl with many beautiful ornaments came from the direction of the village.

Chandramani asked her,’Did you see my son, he has gone to that village for doing today’s puja?

The Girl replied,” Yes mother, I am coming from that very house where your son has done the puja, and he will be coming soon.”

Then Chandramani invited the girl to her house,” At this dead of night, where are you going alone with these precious ornaments? Stay in my house to night and leave in the morning?”

The lady replied,” No, no, this time I will not be able to stay. I have to go to a far of place. I shall come later.” Saying so she quickly went towards the house of Lahas.

Chandramani seeing from the distance that the lady was not going in the right direction ran after her but could see her nowhere.

Then it dawned on Chandramani that it must be “Mother Lakshmi Herself who had come in the form of the young girl.”

Returning home she narrated the incident to her husband Kshudiram, and he also confirmed it.

When Chandramani invited the lady to come to her house, she replied that she would come later. Did she mean that she would be coming in future as Holy Mother Sarada Devi?

May Lakshmi, the Divine Mother bless us all with spiritual wealth.

17 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

Annihilation of the Self

Kill me, O my faithful friends, for to kill me is to make me live; my life is my death, and my death is my life. Thus, it is that for your sake God protects you from yourself and causes you to pass by obliteration to eternal life, so that you achieve your desire and live eternally with Him. First there must be action and knowledge, so that you realize that you know nothing, and you are nobody. It is no easy thing to attain this realization. It doesn’t come with teaching and instruction, nor can it be sewn on with a needle, or tied with a thread. This is a gift from God and a question of whom He bestows it on and whom He causes to experience it. Being wholly present in God, a Sufi is wholly lost to self. And thus, he is present before God, absent in himself, absent and present at the same time. He is where he is not, and he is not where he is. Then after he has not been, he is where he is (before creation). He is himself, after he has not been truly himself. He is existent in himself and existent in God after having been existent in God and non-existent in himself. This is because he has left the drunkenness of God’s overwhelming and come to the clarity of sobriety, and contemplation is once more restored to him, so that he can put everything in its right place and assess it correctly.

18 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

Annihilation of the Self

Twenty-two years I have been following in the footsteps of at-Tirmidhi. He had no feature, and now I have no feature. Only those who know will know, and those who understand will understand.

Who do you think I am? A drunkard? A love-sick fool, a slave of my senses, made senseless by desire? Try to understand me: I have risen above all that; I am the King of Love in Majesty.

My soul is purified from the darkness of lust, my longing purged of low desire, my mind free from shame. I have broken the teeming bazaar of the senses in my body. Love is the essence of my being. Love is fire, and I am wood burnt by the flame. Love has moved in and adorned the house, and my self tied up its bundle and left. You imagine that you see me, but I no longer exist: what remains is the Beloved alone.

I went from God to God until He cried from me in me, "O Thou I." Thus, I attained the stage of annihilation in God.

A certain person came to the Friend's door and knocked.

"Who's there?"

"It's me."

The Friend answered, "Go away. There's no place for raw meat at this table."

The individual went wandering for a year.

Nothing but the fire of separation can change hypocrisy and ego.

The person returned, completely cooked, walked up and down in front of the Friend's house, and gently knocked.

"Who is it?"

"You."

"Please come in, my Self. There's no place in this house for two."

19 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

Annihilation of the Self

One day in Nishapur, Abu Said went to a mourning ceremony. The masters of ceremonies wanted to announce the Sheikh in accordance with their customs and recite his titles. But when they saw the Sheikh, they were at a loss, and asked his disciples: "What title should we apply to the Sheikh?"

The Sheikh saw their confusion and said to them, "Go inside and announce: 'Make way for No One, the son of No One!'"

"The first time I entered the Holy House," stated Bayezid, "I saw the Holy House. The second time I entered it, I saw the Lord of the House. The third time I saw neither the House nor the Lord of the House."

By this Bayezid meant, "I became lost in God, so that I knew nothing. Had I seen at all, I would have seen God."

Proof of this interpretation is given by the following anecdote:

A man came to the door of Bayezid and called out. "Whom are you seeking?" asked Bayezid. "Bayezid," replied the man. "Poor wretch!" said Bayezid. “I have been seeking Bayezid for thirty years and cannot find any trace or token of him."

The people of perfection have realized all stations and states and passed beyond these to the station above both majesty and beauty, so they have no attribute and no description. A man asked Bayezid, “How are you this morning?"

He replied, “I have no morning and no evening; morning and evening belong to him who becomes delimited by attributes, and I have no attributes."

20 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

Annihilation of the Self

Neither am I aware of being a lover, nor of love, Neither of my self, nor of the Beloved.

Self-annihilation consists in this, that through the overpowering influence of the Very Being upon the inner man, there remains no consciousness of aught besides Him.

Annihilation of annihilation consists in this, that there remains no consciousness even of that unconsciousness. It is evident that annihilation of annihilation is involved in annihilation.

Here is the candle extinguished and there the living light of the Sun!

Mark the difference between the one and the other!

UNION

I am He whom I love, and He whom I love is I. We are two spirits dwelling in one body, If thou seest me, thou seest Him; And if thou seest Him, thou seest us both.

Love has come and it flows like blood beneath my skin, through my veins.

It has emptied me of my self and filled me with the Beloved.

The Beloved has penetrated every cell of my body. Of myself there remains only a name, everything else is Him.

When the lover is annihilated in Love his love becomes one with the Love of the Beloved, and then there is no bird and no wings, and his flight and love to God are by God's love to him.

21 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

UNION

I have embraced, with my whole being, all Your love, O my beloved! You have manifested Yourself so much that it seems to me that there is only You in me!

I examine my heart amidst all that is not You. I do not see any estrangement between them and me, and only familiarity between You and me!

Love has appeared from Eternity and will continue till Eternity, and none has been found in eighty thousand worlds who could drink one drop of it until at last he is united with God. Once He raised me up and caused me to stand before Him and said to me, “O Bayezid, My creatures desire to behold thee."

I answered, "Adorn me with Thy Unity and clothe me in Thy I-ness and raise me to Thy Oneness so that when Thy creatures behold me, they may say that they behold Thee, and that only Thou mayst be there, not I."

In the state of unification man perceives that all is He, and all is by Him, and all is His. What formerly was known by hearsay now becomes known intuitively as he contemplates the works of God. Then he entirely recognizes that he has not the right to say "I" or "mine."

Glory be to me! How great is my majesty!

Inside this robe there is only God. "An a l-haqq" ("I am the Truth").

22 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

UNION

His spirit is my spirit, and my spirit is His spirit; Let Him desire, and I desire - let me desire, He desires!

There are moments of oneness with the Beloved, absolute ecstasy and bliss. That is nothingness. And this nothingness loves you, responds to you, fulfils you utterly and yet there is nothing there. You flow out like a river, without diminishing. This is the great mystical experience, the great ecstasy. Union with God is separation from all else, and separation from all else is union with Him. A boy stopped before the circle of Shibli's followers and said, “Oh, Abû Bakr, remove me from myself and make me absent from myself and then give me back to myself, so that I am He and He is I and I am I and He is He."

The one who has looked at the sun and then looks at himself, finds he is filled with nothing else but rays of the sun and exclaims, "I am the sun."

I am God, there is no God beside me, so worship me. Whoever states that he has attained God, has not, whereas whoever states that he has been taken to God, has indeed attained union with God. When I love a devotee, I, the Lord, become his ear so that he hears through Me; I become his eye so that he sees through Me; I become his tongue so that he speaks through Me; and I become his hand so that he possesses through Me. In God there is no duality. In that Presence “I” and “we” and "you" do not exist. "I" and "you" and "we" and "He" become one. Since in the Unity there is no distinction, the Quest and the Way and the Seeker become one.

23 October 2024

(Teachings of Sufi Mystics)

ON UNION

Those who have attained union have nothing but the inward eye and the divine lamp; they have been delivered of signs and roads. Nothing is better for a man than to be without anything, having no asceticism, no theory, no practice. When he is without all, he is with all. The mystic is occupied neither with this world nor the next: he is not concerned with any but his Lord. Because he has died altogether to himself, he is completely absorbed in the attainment of union with God.

It has been said that mystical poverty is the wearing of the black raiment in the two universes. This saying expresses the fact that the mystic is so totally absorbed in God that he has no longer any existence of his own, neither inwardly nor outwardly in this world and beyond; he returns to his original essential poverty, and that is poverty in the true sense. It is in this sense, when the state of poverty has become total, that a mystic can say that he is God.

God created the hearts seven thousand years before the bodies and kept them in the station of proximity to Himself, and He created the spirits seven thousand years before hearts and kept them in the garden of intimate fellowship with Himself; and the consciences, the innermost part, He created seven thousand years before the spirits and kept them in the degree of union with Himself. Then He imprisoned the conscience in the spirit, and the spirit in the heart, and the heart in the body. Then He tested them and sent them prophets, and then each began to seek his own station. The body occupied itself with prayer, the heart attained to love, the spirit arrived at proximity to its Lord, and the innermost part found rest and union in Him.

How many words there were for you until, when I was able to meet you, I was made to forget them. Then the pilgrim returns home, to the home of his origin that is the world of Allah's proximity; that is where the home of the inner pilgrim is, and that is where he returns. This is all that can be explained, as much as the tongue can say and the mind grasp. Beyond this, no news can be given, for beyond is the unperceivable, inconceivable, indescribable.

24 October 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON MAYA AND FREEDOM

Biharilal Sarkar: "Maharaj, we read in the scriptures that God is man's inner guide. If that is true, then why does man suffer so much? How can one who is guided by the ever-pure Satchidananda get involved in evil actions?"

Latu Maharaj: "You have answered your own question. The essential nature of man, which is ever-pure, cannot be polluted by good and evil."

Bihari Babu: "Then do you mean that man has two natures, one affected by good and evil and the other not —or are you saying that good and evil do not really exist?"

Latu Maharaj: "Let me explain: Sri Ramakrishna said, 'Good and evil exist and they are also non-existent.' As long as God keeps the sense of ego in a man, he will perceive duality – both good and evil.

When God takes away the sense of ego, the perception of duality, good and evil also disappears. So long as a man is subject to the law of karma, he is aware of good and evil. When, through God's grace, a man is released from the bonds of karma, the man's awareness of good and evil also goes: for good and evil are the fruits of karma.

As you sow, so you will reap. It is the Lord who established this law of karma for the benefit of the world and mankind. Divine Providence has given man the sense of free will and the principle of karma. It is left to man to do as he wishes. If he chooses to do actions which bring him unhappiness and misery, he alone is responsible, not God."

25 October 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

Bihari Babu: "But Maharaj, the scriptures say that God is guiding man. So, the responsibility is God's, not ours."

Latu Maharaj: "Yes. the scriptures are right. It is the responsibility of the operator, not the instrument.

But tell me, who is guiding the individual soul who is bound by Maya? Maya herself is acting as the operator. Do you know the nature of Maya's game? She loves to play and wants to play always. She enjoys ups and downs, pleasure and pain, creation and destruction. She loves to raise waves of desires in the mind and does not like to still them.

But God takes charge of the soul which is not bound by Maya. When God guides a man, an uninterrupted current of happiness, peace, and bliss flows in his mind and no other waves of thought can be raised there. He becomes one with that unfathomable, waveless ocean of Satchidananda.

Maya helps man attain Mukti

Bihari Babu: "Maharaj, we know that the scriptures have compared Brahman with the ocean and Maya with the waves on its surface. Now let me ask, what is the difference between the waves and the ocean when both are water? In that case wouldn't being guided by Maya and being guided by God be the same?"

Latu Maharaj: "Yes, from one point of view they are the same, but there is another point of view. too. The Master used to say: The waves belong to the ocean, but no one can say that the ocean belongs to the waves.

Similarly, Maya belongs to God, but Maya is not God. So, you cannot say that being guided by Maya is the same as being guided by God.

Nevertheless, the ultimate purpose of Maya's guidance is certainly to take the individual soul to God."

26 October 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)*

ASPECTS OF GOD

A devotee: "Maharaj, is it good to have visions of gods and goddesses other than the Chosen Ideal?"

Latu Maharaj: "It is always good to see divine forms. You will find that during meditation your Chosen Ideal will appear to you in many forms. That is his divine play. Since all forms are contained within him, why are you making distinctions between them?"

A devotee: "The scriptures have described the various forms of God differently, and for each deity there is a prescribed meditation, a method of worship, and certain mantras. So how can it be possible to see other forms of God when one is meditating on one's own Chosen Ideal? Are these visions conducive to one's spiritual progress?"

Latu Maharaj: "You people think of the gods and goddesses as distinct from each other, but in reality, they are all the same. What is wrong if the forms are many? Look. You are a man. When you are angry, your face takes on one expression; when you laugh it assumes another; and when you cry it looks still different. Your facial expression changes with your emotions, but you—as a man—always remain the same. If someone calls you by name, you respond regardless of your mood. Sri Ramakrishna used to say: 'The chameleon changes its colour. Sometimes it is red, sometimes green, yellow, gray, violet, blue, and so on. One may think that the chameleon is always the same colour as he sees it. But the man who stays under the tree where the chameleon lives knows that the chameleon changes colour at different times.' Similarly, the man who meditates deeply on his Chosen Ideal ultimately realizes that the various names and forms are actually but different aspects of the same reality."

27 October 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)*

ON THE NAME

"Sri Ramakrishna used to say that before starting to chant the name of the Lord, one should salute the name. One should take refuge in the name of the Lord. The name and the named, that is, the Lord, are one. If one prays wholeheartedly to the name, one's prayer reaches the Lord. Look here. The name of the Lord itself is *shakti*, God's power, and the named is God himself. Without worshiping Shakti, one cannot realize God."

ON PRAYER

A devotee: "Maharaj, which is the easier method to dispel doubts about God—prayer or reasoning?"

Latu Maharaj: "Sri Ramakrishna used to say: 'Who can know God through reason? His powers and glory are infinite. Too much reasoning can create confusion and, moreover, may lead to an atheistic attitude. So, it is better to call on God with a longing heart.' The Master said further: 'If you can become drunk with one bottle of wine, why should you bother to know how many barrels of wine there are in the grogshop? If your thirst is quenched with one glass of water, why should you rack your brain calculating how much water there is on earth?'"

A devotee: "Whom should we call on, Maharaj, the guru or the Chosen Ideal?"

Latu Maharaj: "You may call on either: it is the same. The guru and the Chosen Ideal are the same. Doubt arises in the mind of an aspirant if he does not practice spiritual disciplines, and doubt is the root of all troubles. Have faith in your guru. Be loyal to him, even like a cow that never leaves its master, whether it is fed or not. Say, 'I am your servant and you are my Master.'"

28 October 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

ON WORSHIP

“Do you know what worship is? Everything belongs to the Lord, so what is there to offer to him? But the Master used to tell us: ‘Once a rich man went to visit his orchard. He saw the gardeners busy with their work. The caretaker approached him and presented him with a ripe papaya, saying: “Sir, I picked this ripe fruit for you yesterday. Please accept it.” Now the owner knows that the garden, the tree, the fruit all belong to him; but won’t he appreciate the love and thoughtfulness of the caretaker? Worship is like this.’”

On another occasion, a devotee bought a small piece of cheap cloth for the Divine Mother’s worship. Latu Maharaj was very upset. He remarked: “Throw away that cloth. It is too short. Why did you buy such a cheap one? Always offer a good cloth to the Mother, and if you cannot afford it, say with tears: ‘Mother, I am unable to offer anything to you. Please forgive me.’ Some people buy cheap, flimsy cloth, rotten fruit, or stale sweets for the worship of the Lord. Why do you offer the Lord these things which you yourself don’t want to use or eat? It is better not to worship at all than to do worship negligently. He who offers the Lord’s things to the Lord with joy and love is really fortunate. The Lord does not accept anything that is not presented with devotion.”

29 October 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION

A devotee: “Maharaj, we have not seen God: how can we depend on him? We do not know how to surrender to him. Can it be enough just to say, ‘Lord, be kind to us, bestow your grace on us?’”

Latu Maharaj: “Look, he is showering his grace on us unceasingly. It is through his grace that you even exist in this world. You are asking about prayer. Well, you know God’s name: you can begin with his name as your guide. Don’t you send your application for a job to the manager of a company without ever having seen him? Your interview with the manager depends upon sending your application to him. You write the application thus: ‘Sir, please appoint me for the job; I shall be extremely happy to serve you; I promise my unswerving obedience to you,’ and so on. And you write all this without having seen the manager, don’t you?

“So, similarly, you can send an application to the Lord. However, this application is not to be written on paper, but on the pages of one’s mind. You must be careful about the wording and the address must be correct; otherwise, the letter will not reach its destination. Write the application like this: ‘O Lord, may I never forget your name. I take refuge in you. Please assign me to your service and destroy my ego and my doubts. You are my master, guru, father, mother, and all in all. I am your child. Please guide me to the path of blessedness. Make me your instrument. Do not delude me with your bewitching maya. O my sweet Lord, I have not seen you; I have only heard your name. Please make me your own.’ You will have to pray like this daily. Only then will he choose to bestow his grace on you. Once you are chosen by him, you will not have to worry any more. He will guide you at every step and will tell you what to do.”

30 October 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

AFTER GOD-REALIZATION

A devotee: "Maharaj, you have realized God. Could you tell us what your understanding of the world as it is now?"

Latu Maharaj: "I have understood this much: If you keep a bowl filled with water somewhere by itself, the water will eventually evaporate, but this is not so if the bowl is immersed in the river Ganga. Likewise, if we can surrender our minds at the feet of the Lord, the wind of worldliness will not be able to dry our minds and make them dreary. Then the world no longer seems an unhappy place."

A devotee: "Maharaj, do you feel now that the world is a burden?"

Latu Maharaj: "Look, when you dive deep into the Ganga, though there are thousands of pounds of water above you, you don't feel the weight. Similarly, if you plunge into God's creation yet still hold onto him, you will not feel its burden. Then the world becomes a place of merriment. Remember this beautiful saying of Tulasidas: 'He who takes refuge in God is protected by him. A huge elephant may be swept away by the current of the river, but the small fish who lives in the river can even swim against its current.' Remember that if you depend on God, he will take care of you in all circumstances."

"Be attached to no one but God. Only if you hold onto God will your life be meaningful."

"Who is a man of knowledge? Not he who has read a lot of books, studied scriptures and acquired some degrees, but he who knows the path to God and can direct people toward him."

"A man can attain peace if he gives up worldly enjoyment; for such enjoyment is the source of sorrows and sufferings, disease and despair."

31 October 2024

(Teachings of Swami Adbhutananda)

AFTER GOD-REALIZATION

"Don't be ungrateful to a person who has helped you. An act of kindness, however small it may be, can never be repaid."

"See your own faults. Never criticize anyone; it is a great sin. It contracts the mind and pollutes the heart. Always look for the good qualities in others. If fault-finding becomes your habit, you will always see faults in them. Everyone has both good and bad in him. Only God is free from fault and full of divine qualities."

"Don't be concerned whether someone agrees with your opinion or not. Don't argue unnecessarily just to prove your point. It ruins the spiritual atmosphere. Let people do whatever they like: you should live according to your own ideal."

"Don't ask for anything from God, for he knows everything. It is sometimes amazing how he fulfils the needs of his devotees."

"Desire begets wants in the mind of man. If he has no desire, he has no wants. Love for God destroys desire."

"He who follows the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, will be saved by the Mother from the trials and tribulations of the world. If you want peace, read *The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna*."

"It is easy to fool human beings, but not God. He knows your shortcomings in spite of your best efforts to hide them. Pray to the Lord with a guileless heart. 'O Lord, please remove all my faults and weaknesses.' Man becomes stainless only after God-realization."

1 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Devotee: 'How shall I meditate? I find it hard to visualize the full figure of the Master in my meditation;

Mahapurushji: `If you cannot do that, meditate upon parts of his form separately. At first you meditate upon his feet, and then on other limbs. Finally try to meditate upon his full figure. It is better if you can meditate upon his full figure at one time'

Devotee: 'I can't meditate upon the form of the Mother. It frightens me. I can meditate upon the Master a little.'

Mahapurnshji: 'That's fine. You can meditate upon the Master, can't you? That is sufficient. It doesn't matter if you can't meditate upon the Mother separately, because everything is within the Master, including the Mother herself.

The Master is the crystallized embodiment of all gods and goddesses. All the divine manifestations that have been in the past and will be in the future are within the Master.

Therefore if you meditate upon Sri Ramakrishna it is as good as meditating on all divine forms. Of course, one should have that consciousness.'

Devotee: `Maharaj, how shall I practise japa?'

Mahapurushji: 'The best form of japa is to repeat the Lord's name mentally. To repeat the name of the Lord over the rosary is good; repetition of the name on the fingers is better, but mental repetition of the name is the very best."

The mental repetition of the name is indeed the very best.

2 November 2024

Finally try to meditate upon his full figure. It is better if you can meditate upon his full figure at one time. That's fine. You can meditate upon the Master, can't you? That is sufficient. It doesn't matter if you can't meditate upon the Mother separately, because everything is within the Master, including the Mother herself. The Master is the crystallized embodiment of all gods and goddesses. All the divine manifestations that have been in the past and will be in the future are within the Master. Therefore if you meditate upon Sri Ramakrishna it is as good as meditating on all divine forms. Of course, one should have that consciousness. The best form of japa is to repeat the Lord's name mentally. To repeat the name of the Lord over the rosary is good; repetition of the name on the fingers is better, but mental repetition of the name is the very best. The mental repetition of the name is indeed the very best. When one repeats the name over the rosary or on the fingers one keeps track of the number of times to a certain extent and cannot give undivided attention to the Japa. It stands in the way of concentration. Repeat the Lord's name with great devotion. What does it matter if you cannot keep track of the number of times? Is spiritual practice a kind of commodity to be bought at the market—you pay so many rupees and get what you want? The Lord looks at your mental attitude—your heart's longing. If one has devotion for Him, nothing else is necessary. If one could repeat His name with sincere devotion even once, that would fill one's heart with joy. That would be of more value than repeating His name a hundred thousand times mechanically. Be sure to go. You have come to His place; you should see Him first. Do go to the shrine and practise Japa a little. You will find joy. Our Master is a living presence. Here there is a special manifestation of him. Of course, he is present everywhere; yet here and amongst his devotees he is more manifest. Do not forget to take a little of the offered food. Jai Ramakrishna.

3 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

The conversation was about pilgrimages. A monk had just returned from Badrinarayana and such other holy places and some of the monks of the monastery were talking about this pilgrimage.

Mahapurushji: 'Visiting holy places is an easy thing. It requires just a little hardship. But to have devotion and faith in God is a rare achievement. You will come across many sadhus who have made pilgrimage on foot to the four dhamas (holy places located at the four corners of India) or have done similar things, but how many of them are genuine sadhus with devotion and discrimination?

Of course, it is not that there are no such sadhus, but their number is very limited.

'It is very difficult to make progress in the realm of the Spirit. In the first place, it is practically an impossibility with those who do not have any living ideal. Fortunately, if they come in touch with an ideal personality, it becomes easy to make progress; otherwise, one can hardly make any progress. Once the ideal of life is determined one can advance slowly towards that ideal through the grace of God. Of course, everything depends upon God's grace.

'We were very fortunate that we came in touch with such a great personality. We have seen in our life what one should do to realize God and what happens to a man after God-realization. He was born as a divine Incarnation (meaning Sri Ramakrishna), and he graciously brought us with him. Is this a small matter? We came in direct 'touch with God Himself’.

We saw him and shaped our lives in accordance with his ideal. The path to realize God was made very easy for us. Blessed are we! On the other hand, those who have not seen Sri Ramakrishna and have not had the blessed privilege of his holy association are seeing us and are trying to reach the Master and understand him through us. They are more fortunate than thousands of men and women in this world.

4 November 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Vijnananandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day, may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda)

As you think, so you become. As thoughts of love help in expanding the self, so do thoughts of anger and jealousy lead to its contraction. Unless one can restrain one's passion, anger, etc., it is impossible to get anywhere near God. If you want to control your passion, anger, etc., you must meditate on the Master and the Holy Mother, and you will then be free from all degrading thoughts.

Once, while I was at Belur, a gentleman came and expressed his regret that we had not married and had renounced the world. By all sorts of arguments, he demonstrated that our supreme Guru Shiva was also married. Owing to ignorance, man tries to support his views with numerous intellectual arguments, and the result is philosophizing. But he gets over all these once he is blessed with true insight.

The Master used to say, “The world is a bad place, and you should renounce it.” There was no argument behind it because he knew that no one could get over his unhappiness without renouncing the world. Once it is realized that a thing is bad, the best thing is to discard it; there is no question of arguing about it. You better leave debates and arguments alone. We have a brain of very limited capacity, and for realizing God, all this hair-splitting is of no use. What you require is burning faith in Him. In order to be firmly established in that faith, you may raise one or two valid points, but nothing more. Our arguments are just like armchair discussions; they lead us nowhere. We argue about God and then go home and lie down in bed. That is not religion, and it does not contribute to peace of mind.

5 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Today, shortly before noon, Shibu Dada (Sri Ramakrishna’s nephew) arrived from Dakshineswar. He gave Mahapurushji some *prasada* and vermilion that had been offered to Mother Kali.

Swami: Without devotion and faith, worship is meaningless. It is faith and devotion that make the earthen image living and conscious. Don’t you see that it was the Master’s devotion that awakened the Mother at Dakshineswar? Temples with images of Mother Kali installed in them are plentiful; but is the Mother’s presence vividly felt in all those temples? If you, too, perform the Mother’s worship with great devotion, She will remain awake there. You belong to the same family in which Sri Ramakrishna was born; you cannot be slighted! In your veins flows the blood of Sri Ramakrishna. The Mother is especially gracious to you. Mother Kali at Dakshineswar is very much awake. There is a special presence of the Mother there.

Shibu Dada: ‘Through your blessings and the grace of the Mother I understand that a little.

Jai Ramakrishna 05/11/2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

When I first started performing the worship I was somewhat afraid, because I knew very little about worship. I didn't know the details of worship—what followed what. But as I would sit for worship, after praying to the Mother I would distinctly hear a voice saying: "Do this after that. Now perform the worship of the divine Manifestation of the Mother." In this way someone would tell me everything. I would hear the voice so distinctly that I would look around to see where the voice came from and who it was that spoke.

Mahapurushji: "That's it! You won't find anywhere another image more awake than that of the Mother Kali at Dakshineswar. The Master, by his devotion, made the Mother come to life. You have seen the drama of the Master's life, Dada. Whenever you perform the worship, try to feel that the Mother is living."

06/11/2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

It was afternoon and it was raining very hard. Mahapurushji was sitting in his room. Two devotees who were workers of a well-known organization of Bengal had long been waiting to see the Swami. The devotees saluted the Swami and one of them said: "Maharaj, we have come to have some instructions from you. You are one of the foremost disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. Please bless us. With your permission, we should like to ask you a few questions."

Mahapurushji: "All right, tell me what you have to ask."

Devotee: "God manifested Himself as Sri Ramakrishna for the good of the world. While he was living in the flesh, Sri Ramakrishna formed an Order or group consisting of his intimate disciples, to whom he transmitted the entire power he had acquired by his lifelong spiritual practice. That Order is still going on. Our question is, how did he organize his disciples and by what tie did he bind them together?"

Mahapurushji: "Love alone was the tie by which he kept all of us together. Drawn and fascinated by his love, we came to him and little by little formed a group. His love for us was so great that in comparison with it the love of parents and relatives seemed trivial. Even now his Order is being conducted by love. Here, love alone is the common cord that binds all of us together into an Order."

07/11/2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Devotee: "We have made Sri Ramakrishna our life's ideal, trying to shape our lives according to his ideas. We pray for your help in this matter. You are one of Sri Ramakrishna's foremost disciples. Please give us some light."

Mahapurushji: "My child, you are blessed that you have made Sri Ramakrishna your life's ideal. He is certainly the Lord of this age. Whoever takes refuge in him is bound to prosper. I bless you with all my heart so that you may gain in strength and become blessed. May you attain the consummation of your life's ideal! The light to which you referred, my child, will come from within. The more you try to enter within, reaching the inner and inmost recesses of your heart, the greater the light you will receive. Light cannot be found anywhere outside. It is all within."

6 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda)

The body is made up of five Bhutas (the word meaning both ghosts and the constituent material elements), and as one would call on Rama to get rid of the fear of ghosts, so also one must take refuge in Rama to be saved from the lures of these elements. Your body is built through the food you take, and if that is not clean and pure, how can you expect mental perfection? Likewise, there have been spiritual interpretations of ratha-yatra and snana-yatra (the Lord's Car Festival). Whoever sees God inside the chariot of the body derives the joy of the Car Festival. In the Katha Upanishad, also, it is written that the body is the chariot and the soul is the charioteer. The "Festival of Bathing" means dipping oneself in the water of noble and sacred thoughts. There are three regions of the body which are good for the purpose of meditation: the heart, the spot between the eyebrows, and the nerve centre in the brain (sahasrara). Yes, it is well written, undoubtedly. But do you know what I feel about it? Such erudition does not seem to be worth the name. The author took up the task of writing such a sacred book—but was there the necessary sadhana (spiritual practice) behind it? Where is that purity of realization that such a work calls for? It seems to me that there is no harmony between the ideal and practice. And that reduces the whole thing to a mockery of religion, as it were. Such erudition is worthless.

7 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda)

Now I shall refer to another story. A very well-read man went to a Sadhu for guidance in the matter of Self-realization. The Sadhu told him: "First of all you have to unlearn all that you have learnt in books, and then you can come to me." So, you see that book-learning is useless for the purpose you have in view. The only thing required is faith. Book-learning is of no avail for God-realization. The only thing required is faith. Brahman is like a motionless snake. Shakti is like a snake in motion, and that is the kundalini. From Buddha's life and discourses, we find that action follows thought; as you think, so you act. You recite "Ram, Ram" (the name of Rama). Do you know what "rum" is? It is an intoxicating drink. 8 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda)

It is a matter of fact, the company of holy men makes the heart pure forever. It is said that the sage Durvasa once went to visit hell where condemned souls were suffering all sorts of tortures as punishment for their sins. As soon as the sage made his appearance there, they were relieved of their agonies and began to sing the glories of God. Hell seemed to have been transformed into heaven; the reason was that the sage's purity of life had such innate power in it as to deliver those tortured souls from their sins and save them from the agonies of hell. People very often are saved if they live in the proximity of spiritually developed souls.

Once, on Dussera day, we were staying with Swamiji in Nilambar Mukherji's garden-house at Belur. It was the monastery then. Swamiji was in those days on a very high spiritual plane. That day when I touched his feet in obeisance, I received a strong shock like that of electricity. Anyone going near such persons would feel as if a spiritual zone had been created round about them. Whosoever entered that zone could feel as if an electric force was entering into him from outside. He would have that experience immediately. Great souls, wherever they are, create a spiritual zone around them; and anybody coming within that zone realizes something like an electric current passing into him. It is a very strange phenomenon, impossible to explain, unless one has experienced it oneself.

Swami Brahmananda also was a reservoir of spiritual power. One day, when he was sitting in deep meditation, his body had become stiff. I was sitting close to him and felt my nerves also getting stiff and taut. This is a wonderful play of energy; one's power involuntarily acting on another.

8 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda)

It a matter of fact, the company of holy men makes the heart pure forever. It is said that the sage Durvasa once went to visit hell where condemned souls were suffering all sorts of tortures as punishment for their sins. As soon as the sage made his appearance there, they were relieved of their agonies and began to sing the glories of God. Hell seemed to have been transformed into heaven; the reason was that the sage's purity of life had such innate power in it as to deliver those tortured souls from their sins and save them from the agonies of hell.

People very often are saved if they live in the proximity of spiritually developed souls. Once, on Dussera day, we were staying with Swamiji in Nilambar Mukherji's garden-house at Belur. It was the monastery then. Swamiji was in those days on a very high spiritual plane. That day when I touched his feet in obeisance, I received a strong shock like that of electricity.

Anyone going near such persons would feel as if a spiritual zone had been created round about them. Whosoever entered that zone could feel as if an electric force was entering into him from outside. He would have that experience immediately.

Great souls, wherever they are, create a spiritual zone around them; and anybody corning within that zone realizes something like an electric current passing into him. It is a very strange phenomenon, impossible to explain, unless one has experienced it oneself.

Swami Brahmananda also was a reservoir of spiritual power. One day, when he was sitting in deep meditation, his body had become stiff I was sitting dose to him and felt my nerves also getting stiff and taut. This is a wonderful play of energy; one's power involuntarily acting on another.

9 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda)

The greatest need is to concentrate on Him when we are dying. The best time for meditation is midnight; you can then achieve results very soon. Nature is in a quiet mood then, and the concentration is easier. Every day you should regularly practise meditation; that helps you to concentrate your mind. One should try to help others as far as possible, but without beating one's drum. For the rest of the time, one should be all by oneself. In this way, concentration of mind will be gradually achieved. Everybody complains that he cannot concentrate his mind on God because it is assailed by all sorts of thoughts. Why not put up a "No admittance" notice and refuse to let those thoughts crowd into the mind? Don't give up *japa* and meditation simply because you cannot concentrate your mind properly. My only advice to you all is to forsake idleness; an idle brain is the devil's workshop. You must do everything with concentration and diligence. Within everybody there is consciousness. This consciousness pervades the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the sky, the air, etc., down to the minute being, and it is because of this consciousness that there is motion in everything. In the transcendental state, i.e., the state of complete union with the Infinite, there is no outward consciousness; only a slight feeling remains there. Contemplation on Him should enable us to gain lordliness over our passions and become masters of our souls. The question that arises in my mind is, where shall we be after giving up this mortal frame? I asked Mahapurush Maharaj who told me that we would be in the Ramakrishna world where we would be keeping company with the Master. But I have decided not to go anywhere.

10 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda)

To contemplate on the Master all the time and not to forget him even for an instant is to be in his company. That is Ramakrishna world—to think of him all the time with heart and soul, never losing him even for a moment.

'Jai Ramakrishna 10/11/2025'

(Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda)

One should not ask for anything from God but remain satisfied with whatever He is pleased to give. Real welfare lies in using things properly; wrong use of things brings misfortune. You should be satisfied with whatever you can secure to keep the body fit, and then, go on working selflessly for God. There is a Hindi couplet which says that jewels, elephants, and houses, indeed, all wealth is just valueless compared to contentment. It is all so difficult; you cannot have contentment so long as you are subject to worldly desires. Once they disappear, you are free. Purity, truthfulness, and honesty should make the cornerstone of your life, and there should be faith. With these, a man will have contentment in life, whatever circumstances he may happen to be in. Contentment in all circumstances is the mark of religious life. When we have control over our passions, we shall succeed; we shall ourselves then feel that we are advancing towards God. When the mind is completely under your control, it will have nothing to exist on except noble thoughts.

The greatest need is to concentrate on Him when we are dying. The best time for meditation is midnight; you can then achieve results very soon. Nature is in a quiet mood then, and the concentration is easier. Every day you should regularly practise meditation; that helps you to concentrate your mind. One should try to help others as far as possible, but without beating one's drum. For the rest of the time, one should be all by oneself. In this way, concentration of mind will be gradually achieved. Everybody complains that he cannot concentrate his mind on God because it is assailed by all sorts of thoughts. Why not put up a "No admittance" notice and refuse to let those thoughts crowd into the mind? Don't give up japa and meditation simply because you cannot concentrate your mind properly. My only advice to you all is to forsake idleness; an idle brain is the devil's workshop. You must do everything with concentration and diligence. Within everybody there is consciousness. This consciousness pervades the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the sky, the air, etc., down to the minute being, and it is because of this consciousness that there is motion in everything. In the transcendental state, i.e., the state of complete union with the Infinite, there is no outward consciousness; only a slight feeling remains there. Contemplation on Him should enable us to gain lordliness over our passions and become masters of our souls. The question that arises in my mind is, where shall we be after giving up this mortal frame? I asked Mahapurush Maharaj who told me that we would be in the Ramakrishna world where we would be keeping company with the Master. But I have decided not to go anywhere.

(Reminiscences by Swami Vijnanananda)

I was then about seventeen or eighteen years old and a student at St. Xavier's College in Calcutta. One day I went to visit Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar. It was in the afternoon. Many devotees were seated in his room. I went in, prostrated before him, and then sat quietly in a corner. Seated on the small cot, Sri Ramakrishna was conversing with the devotees. In physical appearance he was like any other man, but his smile was something divine. When he smiled, a wave of joy played, not merely over his eyes and face, but over his whole body. And his blissful smile would wipe out the worries and troubles of those who looked at him. His voice was so sweet and melodious that one never tired of hearing it. His eyes were keen and bright, and his look was tender and affectionate. I felt Sri Ramakrishna's room vibrating with a tangible atmosphere of peace. The devotees present seemed to be listening in blissful absorption to the words which poured from the Master's lips.

11 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

It was five o'clock in the afternoon. Mahapurushji was sitting in his room. He had not been well but was ever eager to give people consolation and peace, forgetting his own physical sufferings.

A retired judge came to the monastery accompanied by his wife, son and widowed daughter. When they stood up, after saluting the Swami, he asked them affectionately to sit down.

After a little conversation the gentleman pointed to his daughter and said: 'This is my daughter. Recently, her husband passed away. She is very much grieved and has not yet been able to get over it. That is why I have brought her to you.'

Hearing this Mahapurushji expressed his sympathy.

Remaining quiet for a moment he said gently: 'That is the way of the world, my child. Sorrow, bereavement, pain and anguish—this is what the world consists of. Real joy or peace is very rare in this world, and this round of birth and death that is ours, no one can check. Man has no hand in it. God alone is responsible for the creation, maintenance and dissolution of this world, and it is by His will that all beings are born into it. He keeps them as long as He wants, and He takes them away whenever He wishes.

We should know for certain that God is the Lord of birth, maintenance and death. It is He who sends souls here to become parents, wives, children, friends and relatives, and He keeps them entangled in some relationhip or other, taking them back whenever He wishes.

So long as man is not fully convinced of this, he will be subject to grief; but the moment he is firmly established in this knowledge, he is no longer subject to grief, having no reason to grieve.

`We shall have to court sorrows also as blessings from God, our Beloved. Unless a person is wholly resigned to God he cannot endure these sorrows and griefs undisturbed. It is very difficult for an average person to stand the actions and reactions of this world.

A genuine devotee, because of his faith in God, is never overwhelmed by these. The object of human life is to attain that pure devotion and love and be in possession of the supreme bliss. Advance towards God, my child; the more you go towards Him, the more peace you will get.

There is no peace in anything in this world. At the feet of God alone does one find the abode of peace.'

12 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Math. It was afternoon. Mahapurushji’s room was full of people. He was conversing joyously with all. A gentleman saluted the Swami devotedly and asked: “How are you, Maharaj?”

Mahapurushji: “I am fine.”

Devotee (concerned): “But by looking at your body one doesn’t get that impression. Your body seems to be in very bad condition.”

Mahapurushji: “Oh! You are asking about the body? The body is not at all well, but I am fine. Talking about God with people, repeating the name of the Lord and being engaged in similar ways, I am in excellent spirits. ‘As long as Janaki (Sita) takes the name of Rama she feels well.’ As long as I can repeat the name of the Lord, I am fine. The object of being born is to take the name of the Lord. It is enough if we can do that. Hari Maharaj (Swami Turiyananda) used to say: ‘The body knows its pain; O my mind, be at peace!’ What a beautiful statement! Pain and anguish belong to the body. He who dwells within the body is not affected by them: He is Bliss itself. He dwells within everybody. Everyone is in essence That. We shall have to realize our essential nature. All this confusion is due to our ignorance of Him.”

Devotee: “Our understanding does not go that far. We see you and what we want is that your body should keep well.”

Mahapurushji: “You may wish that, but I know that I am not the body. The relationship I have with you is not a physical one and it will not be destroyed with the destruction of the body. My child, the body is short-lived, but the Spirit is eternal, and the relationship with the Spirit is also eternal. However much you may try, this body cannot last always.”

'Jai Ramakrishna 13/11/2024'

Ram Mohan Roy expressed it beautifully: Preserved with care, straw or wood may last even for a cycle; but care cannot arrest the body's dissolution. Just reflect thus: Who is yours? To whom do you belong? Whom can you call your own?

Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Subodhanandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.

Teachings of Swami Subodhananda: First take hold of your mind through discrimination, then make it calm through proper training, so that it runs towards God twenty-four hours of the day. Urge the mind on towards God; then you will understand everything. The All-powerful Mother of the Universe resides in every woman. If one calls on the Lord earnestly, He reveals Himself in the form of one’s chosen deity. Pray to God with utmost devotion and faith, and He will show you the path that leads to Him. He will grant everything—devotion, faith, and all else that one needs. When we see the sun, we see it with the sun’s own light. No other light is required. In the same way, we see the Lord through His grace alone. Tulsidas, the great devotee, says that the Lord Himself fulfils the desire of one who takes refuge in Him. For instance, the fish that has its shelter in water can swim even against the current, while an elephant is washed away by it. One must surrender oneself to God in the same manner. Before God enters the temple of any one of His children’s hearts, he fills it with devotion, faith, and love, just as a king sends different pieces of furniture and vessels to a subject’s house which he intends to visit. Else, where can the poor subject get all those things? The Lord grants devotion, faith, and love, just because He will come. Keep yourself occupied day and night with good thoughts and good conversation. Whenever you find a little leisure in the course of your daily work, never forget to think of God. Read good books which help such remembrance. If one calls on God—no matter when or under what circumstances—it will never go in vain. For instance, it doesn’t matter whether a farmer sows his seeds upside down. They will sprout upwards all the same.

Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Vijnananandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.

Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda: As you think, so you become. As thoughts of love help in expanding the self, so do thoughts of anger and jealousy lead to its contraction. Unless one can restrain one's passion, anger, etc., it is impossible to get anywhere near God. If you want to control your passion, anger, etc., you have to meditate on the Master and the Holy Mother and you will then be free from all degrading thoughts. Once, while I was at Belur, a gentleman came and expressed his regret that we had not married and had renounced the world. By all sorts of arguments, he demonstrated that our supreme Guru Shiva was also married. Owing to ignorance, man tries to support his views with numerous intellectual arguments, and the result is philosophizing. But he gets over all these, once he is blessed with true insight. The Master used to say, "The world is a bad place, and you should renounce it." There was no argument behind it, because he knew that no one could get over his unhappiness without renouncing the world. Once it is realized that a thing is bad, the best thing is to discard it; there is no question of arguing about it. You better leave debates and arguments alone.

13 November 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Subodhanandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of Swami Subodhananda)

First, take hold of your mind through discrimination, then make it calm through proper training, so that it runs towards God twenty-four hours of the day. Urge the mind on towards God; then you will understand everything. The All-powerful Mother of the Universe resides in every woman. If one calls on the Lord earnestly, He reveals Himself in the form of one’s chosen deity. Pray to God with utmost devotion and faith, and He will show you the path that leads to Him. He will grant everything—devotion, faith, and all else that one needs.

When we see the sun, we see it with the sun’s own light. No other light is required. In the same way, we see the Lord through His grace alone. Tulsidas, the great devotee, says that the Lord Himself fulfils the desire of one who takes refuge in Him. For instance, the fish that has its shelter in water can swim even against the current, while an elephant is washed away by it. One must surrender oneself to God in the same manner.

Before God enters the temple of any one of His children’s hearts, He fills it with devotion, faith, and love, just as a king sends different pieces of furniture and vessels to a subject’s house which he intends to visit. Else, where can the poor subject get all those things? The Lord grants devotion, faith, and love, just because He will come.

Keep yourself occupied day and night with good thoughts and good conversation. Whenever you find a little leisure in the course of your daily work, never forget to think of God. Read good books which help such remembrance. If one calls on God—no matter when or under what circumstances—it will never go in vain. For instance, it doesn’t matter whether a farmer sows his seeds upside down. They will sprout upwards all the same.

14 November 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Vijnananandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda)

As you think, so you become. As thoughts of love help in expanding the self, so do thoughts of anger and jealousy lead to its contraction.

Unless one can restrain one's passion, anger, etc. it is impossible to get anywhere near God. If you want to control your passion, anger, etc., you have to meditate on the Master and the Holy Mother and you will then be free from all degrading thoughts.

Once, while I was at Belur, a gentleman came and expressed his regret that we had not married and had renounced the world. By all sorts of arguments, he demonstrated that our supreme Guru Shiva was also married.

Owing to ignorance, man tries to support his views with numerous intellectual arguments, and the result is philosophizing. But he gets over all these, once he is blessed with true insight.

The Master used to say, `The world is a bad place, and you should renounce it.' There was no argument behind it, because he knew that no one could get over his unhappiness without renouncing the world. Once it is realized that a thing is bad, the best thing is to discard it, there is no question of arguing about it.

You better leave debates and arguments alone. We have got a brain of very limited capacity; and for realizing God, all this hair-splitting is of no use.

What you require is burning faith in Him. In order to be firmly established in that faith, you may raise one or two valid points, but nothing more. Our arguments are just like armchair discussions; they lead us nowhere. We argue about God and then go home and lie down in bed. That is not religion, and it does not contribute to peace of mind.

15 November 2024

Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda: Faith is the foundation of spiritual life. Too much of argumentation is of no avail. In order to be firmly established in that faith, you may raise one or two valid points, but nothing more. Unless you have faith, arguments and discussions will only cloud the issue and create confusion. When, therefore, our entire existence depends on Him, why should we form an attachment for worldly things? Worldly attachments draw people away from God and scorch them in the wildfire of the world. The Bible describes God in all His three forms, with attributes, without attributes, and as incarnate. Let us make our minds pure, the rest will be easy; and we shall attain spiritual bliss comparable to nothing else in life. Our worldly pleasures are but a speck of dust, when weighed against that great mountain of joy. The body is made up of five Bhutas (the word meaning both ghosts and the constituent material elements), and as one would call on Rama to get rid of the fear of ghosts, so also one must take refuge in Rama to be saved from the lures of these elements. Your body is built through the food you take, and if that is not clean and pure, how can you expect mental perfection? Likewise, there have been spiritual interpretations of rathayatra and snanayatra (the Lord's Car Festival). Whoever sees God inside the chariot of the body derives the joy of the Car Festival. In the Katha Upanishad, also, it is written that the body is the chariot, and the soul is the charioteer. The ‘Festival of Bathing' means dipping oneself in the water of noble and sacred thoughts.

16 November 2024

Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda: Faith is the foundation of spiritual life. Too much of argumentation is of no avail. In order to be firmly established in that faith, you may raise one or two valid points, but nothing more. Unless you have faith, arguments and discussions will only cloud the issue and create confusion. When, therefore, our entire existence depends on Him, why should we form an attachment for worldly things? Worldly attachments draw people away from God and scorch them in the wildfire of the world. The Bible describes God in all His three forms, with attributes, without attributes, and as incarnate. Let us make our minds pure, the rest will be easy; and we shall attain spiritual bliss comparable to nothing else in life. Our worldly pleasures are but a speck of dust, when weighed against that great mountain of joy. The body is made up of five Bhutas (the word meaning both ghosts and the constituent material elements), and as one would call on Rama to get rid of the fear of ghosts, so also one must take refuge in Rama to be saved from the lures of these elements. Your body is built through the food you take, and if that is not clean and pure, how can you expect mental perfection? Likewise, there have been spiritual interpretations of rathayatra and snanayatra (the Lord's Car Festival). Whoever sees God inside the chariot of the body derives the joy of the Car Festival. In the Katha Upanishad, also, it is written that the body is the chariot, and the soul is the charioteer. The ‘Festival of Bathing' means dipping oneself in the water of noble and sacred thoughts.

Now I shall refer to another story. A very well-read man went to a Sadhu for guidance in the matter of Self-realization. The Sadhu told him: "First of all you have to unlearn all that you have learnt in books, and then you can come to me." So, you see that book-learning is useless for the purpose you have in view. The only thing required is faith. Book-learning is of no avail for God-realization. The only thing required is faith. Brahman is like a motionless snake. Shakti is like a snake in motion, and that is the kundalini. From Buddha's life and discourses, we find that action follows thought; as you think, so you act. You recite, ‘Ram, Ram’ (the name of Rama). Do you know what ‘rum’ is? It is an intoxicating drink. You cannot know what it is like unless you drink it. You cannot know the glory of God's name unless you chant it. To grieve over not having a male child and to think that this means the end of the family line is a very crude way of looking at things. Real children are one's good, liberal, and holy thoughts, also, good deeds. These last forever; there is no death for them. The Divine Mother’s light is pervaded everywhere; only man cannot realize it. Babies, six or seven months old, see that light, and seeing it smile and play, moving their arms and legs, at the sight of which people say that they are doing so in a dream. As a matter of fact, the company of holy men makes the heart pure forever. It is said that the sage Durvasa once went to visit hell where condemned souls were suffering all sorts of tortures as punishment for their sins. As soon as the sage made his appearance there, they were relieved of their agonies and began to sing the glories of God.

17 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda)

Once, on Dussera day, we were staying with Swamiji in Nilambar Mukherji's garden-house at Belur. It was the monastery then. Swamiji was in those days on a very high spiritual plane. That day when I touched his feet in obeisance, I received a strong shock like that of electricity. Anyone going near such persons would feel as if a spiritual zone had been created round about them. Whosoever entered that zone could feel as if an electric force was entering into him from outside. He would have that experience immediately. Great souls, wherever they are, create a spiritual zone around them; and anybody coming within that zone realizes something like an electric current passing into him. It is a very strange phenomenon impossible to explain, unless one has experienced it oneself. Once, when our Math was located in Nilambar Mukherji's garden-house at Belur on a Dussera day, I touched Swamiji's feet in obeisance and experienced a shock like that of the electric current. Swami Brahmananda also was a reservoir of spiritual power. One day, when he was sitting in deep meditation, his body had become stiff. I was sitting close to him and felt my nerves also getting stiff and taut. This is a wonderful play of energy, one's power involuntarily acting on another.

18 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda)

The greatest need is to concentrate on Him when we are dying. The best time for meditation is midnight. You can then achieve results very soon. Nature is in a quiet mood then and the concentration is easier. Every day you should regularly practise meditation. That helps you to concentrate your mind. One should try to help others as far as possible, but without beating one's drum. For the rest of the time, one should be all by oneself. In this way concentration of mind will be gradually achieved. Everybody complains that he cannot concentrate his mind on God, because it is assailed by all sorts of thoughts. Why not put up a "No admittance" notice and refuse to let those thoughts crowd into the mind? Don't give up Japa and meditation simply because you cannot concentrate your mind properly. My only advice to you all is to forsake idleness. An idle brain is the devil's workshop. You must do everything with concentration and diligence. With everybody there is consciousness. This consciousness pervades the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the sky, the air, etc., down to the minute being, and it is because of this consciousness that there is motion in everything. In the transcendental state, i.e., the state of complete union with the Infinite, there is no outward consciousness; only a slight feeling remains there.

19 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda)

The question that arises in my mind is, where shall we be after giving up this mortal frame? I asked Mahapurush Maharaj who told me that we would be in the Ramakrishna world where we would be keeping company with the Master. But I have decided not to go anywhere. To contemplate on the Master all the time and not to forget him even for an instant is to be in his company. That is Ramakrishna world—to think of him all the time with heart and soul, never losing him even for a moment.

One should not ask for anything from God but remain satisfied with whatever He is pleased to give. Real welfare lies in using things properly; wrong use of things brings misfortune. You should be satisfied with whatever you can secure to keep the body fit, and then, go on working selflessly for God.

There is a Hindi couplet which says that jewels, elephants, and houses, indeed, all wealth is just valueless compared to contentment. It is all so difficult; you cannot have contentment so long as you are subject to worldly desires. Once they disappear, you are free.

Purity, truthfulness, and honesty should make the cornerstone of your life. And there should be faith. With these, a man will have contentment in life, whatever circumstances he may happen to be in. Contentment in all circumstances is the mark of religious life.

20 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Man suffers so much by ignorantly identifying himself with the body. Do you know the way out? The way out is to know God. He is Purity, Knowledge, and Freedom itself. He is the Indwelling Spirit of all. By knowing Him, man goes beyond pain and sorrow. That is why the Lord said in the Gita that the worst of sorrows cannot disturb a person if he once knows Him truly. After attaining illumination, man can remain unshakable and immovable under all conditions, like Mount Sumeru.

Devotee: “How can that illumination be attained? Please bless us so that we may attain that state.”

Upon hearing this question, Mahapurushji’s mind travelled to an altogether different realm, as it were. In a serious but gentle tone he said: “My child, we do not have anything other than blessings. I am blessing you with all my heart. How shall I explain to you how it gladdens our heart when we see someone advancing towards God? He who is progressing in the realm of the Spirit and worships the Lord sincerely is very dear and close to us. We constantly pray that people may develop spiritually and make headway towards God. It is our sole endeavour to help people realize Him by transcending the illusions of this transitory world.

The Master used to say: ‘The breeze of divine grace is ever blowing. Simply hoist the sail.’ The grace of God is ever present, but one must make an effort to deserve that grace. Of course, we are blessing you. You also sincerely call upon the Lord. You will see how great His mercy is. He is ever ready to shower His grace. Take His name, worship Him, remember Him constantly, and call upon Him very earnestly. You will see how gracious He is. So much grace will descend upon you that you will be overwhelmed; your life will be blessed. Nothing can be accomplished without His grace. It is He who has kept this world enchanted by His Maya. That is why one should also pray: ‘O Lord! Do not keep me ignorant with your world-bewitching Maya. Give me pure devotion to your lotus feet.’”

Jai Ramakrishna. 21 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

In the Chandi there is a line, "The Mother, the Giver of all boons, being pleased, bestows emancipation upon souls." That is to say, being pleased with the prayers and devotions of men, the Mother gives spiritual emancipation as a boon. Being freed from Maya, they realize their divine nature. It is very difficult to snap the bonds of Maya without the grace of God; but it is also true that if a person sincerely prays to Him, He listens to that prayer and lifts the veil. He will listen to your prayer all the more because you are in the world. He is especially gracious to you house-holders because He knows that you carry a heavy load on your shoulders. You are being scorched by the sorrows and bereavements of this world. That is why, if you pray a little, He will be pleased and come to your rescue, quickly removing the load from your shoulders. But that prayer should be sincere and earnest.

You have, of course, your worldly duties and responsibilities. As long as this creation lasts duties and responsibilities will exist. But in the midst of all these you will have to make a little time to call upon the Lord in seclusion; otherwise, you will come to grief. There is not so much danger if one can hold on to God. It is very necessary to remember Him. With one hand hold on constantly to His lotus feet, and with the other perform the duties of the world. When all your duties are over, you should hug the lotus feet of God to your ❤️ with both hands.

22 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place Belur Monastery. Friday, May 23, 1930. It was the month of May, and the weather was quite warm. It was painful for him to walk; still he was trying to walk in order to keep up the practice. He walked slowly and said, with a smile, to those who were near, 'Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!'

Returning to his bed, he said: 'See to what a pass the body has come! It is difficult for me to move even a few steps. I have been reduced to an invalid. This is all the Mother's play. This body of mine at one time did so much mountain-climbing and walking on foot! This body performed so much austerity! Now you see it is painful to walk even a few steps. It is long since I stopped going downstairs. Formerly I roamed around so much and visited so many places! By the will of the Master I have had enough of wandering and I don't wish to go anywhere. The Master has effaced from my mind the desire to travel back and forth. I do not have any desire now. I am happy in whatever condition the Master places me.

With the lessening of outer activity, the inner activity is growing. The more the mind is becoming withdrawn from the outer world, the more it is making headway in the realm of the Spirit. The Master is graciously revealing to me the Principle which is beyond the body, the mind and the intellect. Now the play of the vital energy is going on intensively within. The Master is graciously letting me experience the realizations which are mentioned in the scriptures. "I am not the body; the sixfold change belongs only to the body. I am that eternal Supreme Being, ever pure, illumined and free." The Master has given me that knowledge in the fullest measure. That is why it does not make any difference whether the body is well, sick or old. The body will certainly follow its nature.

21 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

In the Chandi there is a line, "The Mother, the Giver of all boons, being pleased, bestows emancipation upon souls." That is to say, being pleased with the prayers and devotions of men, the Mother gives spiritual emancipation as a boon. Being freed from Maya, they realize their divine nature. It is very difficult to snap the bonds of Maya without the grace of God; but it is also true that if a person sincerely prays to Him, He listens to that prayer and lifts the veil. He will listen to your prayer all the more because you are in the world. He is especially gracious to you house-holders because He knows that you carry a heavy load on your shoulders. You are being scorched by the sorrows and bereavements of this world. That is why, if you pray a little, He will be pleased and come to your rescue, quickly removing the load from your shoulders. But that prayer should be sincere and earnest.

You have, of course, your worldly duties and responsibilities. As long as this creation lasts, duties and responsibilities will exist. But in the midst of all these, you will have to make a little time to call upon the Lord in seclusion; otherwise, you will come to grief. There is not so much danger if one can hold on to God. It is very necessary to remember Him. With one hand, hold on constantly to His lotus feet, and with the other, perform the duties of the world. When all your duties are over, you should hug the lotus feet of God to your ❤️ with both hands.

22 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place Belur Monastery. Friday, May 23, 1930.

It was the month of May, and the weather was quite warm.

It was painful for him to walk; still he was trying to walk in order to keep up the practice. He walked slowly and said, with a smile, to those who were near, 'Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!'

Returning to his bed, he said: 'See to what a pass the body has come! It is difficult for me to move even a few steps. I have been reduced to an invalid. This is all the Mother's play.

This body of mine at one time did so much mountain-climbing and walking on foot! This body performed so much austerity! Now you see it is painful to walk even a few steps. It is long since I stopped going downstairs. Formerly I roamed around so much and visited so many places! By the will of the Master I have had enough of wandering and I don't wish to go anywhere.

The Master has effaced from my mind the desire to travel back and forth. I do not have any desire now. I am happy in whatever condition the Master places me. With the lessening of outer activity, the inner activity is growing. The more the mind is becoming withdrawn from the outer world, the more it is making headway in the realm of the Spirit.

The Master is graciously revealing to me the Principle which is beyond the body, the mind and the intellect. Now the play of the vital energy is going on intensively within. The Master is graciously letting me experience the realizations which are mentioned in the scriptures.

'I am not the body; the sixfold change belongs only to the body. I am that eternal Supreme Being, ever pure, illumined and free.

The Master has given me that knowledge in the fullest measure. That is why it does not make any difference whether the body is well, sick or old. The body will certainly follow its nature. The realizations and experiences which I used to have as a result of much effort are coming to me naturally without effort; the Master is graciously bestowing upon me those high experiences. He has made clear to me the way to the abode of immortality.

Time, place and person are categories that belong to the world of phenomena. When the mind becomes absorbed in meditation one has no consciousness of these categories.

23 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

The realizations and experiences which I used to have as a result of much effort are coming to me naturally without effort; the Master is graciously bestowing upon me those high experiences. He has made clear to me the way to the abode of immortality. Time, place and person are categories that belong to the world of phenomena. When the mind becomes absorbed in meditation one has no consciousness of these categories.

When I used to live at Almora, I visited several beautiful places in the Himalayas. Those places are ideal for spiritual practice and the natural scenery there is without parallel. While meditating in those places I found that the moment the mind was directed within, that very moment I would be oblivious of plants and trees, hills and dales, and heat and cold as well. Not to speak of these external things, I would not even be conscious whether the body existed or not. How can the mind find joy in external beauty once it becomes absorbed in the feet of the Lord, the Beloved, the source of infinite beauty? Having once tasted of the joy of the Infinite, earthly pleasures seem trifling. That which is infinite is alone bliss; there is no joy in things finite. The Infinite is bliss itself.

Only a portion of that infinite God has manifested Itself as this universe with its suns, moons, stars, and countless spheres of existence. The rest remains unmanifest. One-fourth of that principle has resulted in this universe, whereas three-fourths remain undifferentiated. No one has ever been able or will be able to know Him. How can man with his limited understanding comprehend the infinite God? That is why the Lord says in the Gita: “O Arjuna, what need is there for you to know these details? I alone exist, sustaining this whole universe by a portion of Myself.” Man cannot comprehend what there is in this portion, not to speak of the rest!

With the advancement of western science, many new laws are being discovered. Scientists, with the help of their profound research, have invented new machines by means of which how many new planets and stars are being discovered. But there are so many other things yet to be known that the minds of the scientists are becoming confused in an attempt to fathom those principles. What they have discovered by means of apparatus is not infallible. What they said ten years ago they are changing now.

24 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

The Master said: "Mother I do not want to know You. Who has ever known You or will ever know You? Please keep me from being deluded by Your world-bewitching Maya, and may I have pure devotion at Your feet!"

The sole object of life is somehow or other to keep our minds directed towards the lotus feet of God. Once the mind becomes absorbed in His lotus feet there is no fear anymore.

"By attaining which, all other attainments pale into in insignificance; being established in which, one is not shaken by the heaviest of sorrows."

'One cannot have that pure love and knowledge without the grace of the Lord, and He graciously gives that devotion and knowledge. If one is sincerely resigned to the Lord, He certainly becomes gracious. You may wander all over the world, you may visit all the holy places, but without His grace nothing can be accomplished.

That is why I say to the boys at the monastery when they insist on going here and there: "My children, where would you roam? Be resigned and stay at the threshold of the Master's mansion. Nothing else will be necessary. What is needed is sincere resignation."

We, too, are resigned to him. He has graciously given us enough and is still giving us more and more of that knowledge.

I sincerely pray that you may have full knowledge and devotion. (Closing his eyes and raising both hands) "That is My Supreme Abode, by reaching which there is no return."'

25 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1930. It was Guru Purnima. Many devotees came to the monastery, and several had been initiated. The newly initiated devotees dropped in and took their seats. They had some questions to ask. One of them asked, “Maharaj, is there any definite rule as to how many times we should do japa every day?”

Mahapurushji: “No, there is no definite rule regarding that. The more you repeat the name of the Lord, the better. Of course, if someone wishes to repeat the name five or ten thousand times, he can do so with great devotion, keeping track of the number, and that would be very beneficial.”

Devotee: “If I feel like doing the japa while walking, can I do so?”

Mahapurushji: “Surely you can. Japa — taking the name of the Lord — is something you can do whenever you wish. Under all conditions and circumstances one can repeat the name of the Lord. Japa is not restricted as to time and place. Of course, one should repeat the name with devotion. Then alone will one have joy and peace in one's heart. Whenever there is a genuine desire from within, one can do japa, whether for ten minutes, half an hour, an hour or more. But do not force yourself. Forced practice will not do much good. It is all a relationship of love. The relationship the devotee has with God is one of love. It has nothing to do with force. Pray very sincerely: ‘O Lord, make me Thy own. I am lacking in understanding; I do not know how to love Thee. Graciously draw me to Thee and teach me to love Thee.’”

26 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1930.

Another devotee: `Maharaj, do we have to practise pranayama (breathing exercises)?'

Mahapurushji: 'We seldom advise anyone to practise pranayama. Neither is it necessary.'

Devotee: 'In your article on pranayama you mentioned that while repeating the name of the Lord one has suspension of breath.'

Mahapurushji: 'Yes, it happens. If one repeats the name of the Lord with devotion, the mind gradually becomes quiet and there is spontaneous control of the breath. If you wish you can hold your breath within while doing japa. It is not at all necessary to breathe in and out or suspend the breath and do things of that kind as mentioned in Raja-yoga.

The essential thing is devotion and sincerity. God is Truth itself —the Inner Controller. He dwells in every heart as Consciousness. He is the Ocean of pure mercy. Without His grace, my child, nothing is possible. You may practise japa, meditation, pranayama, rituals, ceremonials or similar things—nothing will help you unless you have His grace.

Of course, if a person wants the Lord badly, He graciously reveals Himself to him.'

Devotee: 'Shall we practise sandhya' and repeat the gayatri mantra?'

'Spiritual practices enjoined by the Vedas.

Mahapurushji: ‘Sandhya, gayatri and things of that nature come under the category of Vedic rituals. It is very good to practise them. If it is not convenient to practise sandhya you may omit it, but you should certainly repeat the gayatri mantra. It is a spiritual practice of a very high order. It is a prayer to that Primordial Being who produced the three worlds of bhuh, bhuvah, and svah, so that He may give us right understanding.'

27 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1930. A newly initiated devotee wanted to discuss some personal matters with the Swami. Finding Mahapurushji alone, the devotee gently said what he had in his mind: “Maharaj, I have done many awful things in my life. I am a great sinner. Kindly accept me as a disciple and be gracious to me; otherwise, what will happen to me? I am afraid you too will condemn me if I tell you all the sins that I have committed in my life.”

Saying this, he stopped for a while. He was about to say more when Mahapurushji, in a serious tone and with great feeling, said: “My child, you need not be afraid. From today you are free from all sins. Have faith in this. Since Sri Ramakrishna has drawn you to him, you have no reason to be afraid, my child. Now you have become his. The Master is the Ocean of selfless mercy. He is kind to those who are lowly. He is the Redeemer of souls. You have taken refuge at his feet. From today you have a new body—you are reborn. You are no longer a sinner, my child. From today you are one of his children and servants. Do you understand me, my child? The Master has taken you in his arms, shaking the dust and dirt from your body. From now on, forget all your past misdeeds. Never cherish those thoughts in your mind any more. Repeat his name joyously and with great devotion. Your life will be sweetened.”

Devotee: “I cannot change the tendencies of my mind yet. Please bless me so that I can control my passions.”

Mahapurushji: “Of course you have my blessings. But you will have to exert yourself too. You have children. From now on, practise a little self-control and change the course of your life. You have had enough of enjoyment; now stop. Of course, force alone will not help; but if you struggle sincerely, in time he will make your body and mind pure.”

28 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1930.

Arrangements had been made by the Ramakrishna Mission for the relief of the needy affected by the Hindu-Muslim riots at Dacca.

Mahapurushji:

'At the back of these communal riots and dissensions I see the hand of the All-beneficent Mother. It is according to Her beneficent will that all this is taking place, and ultimately it will result in good. It will pave the way for unity among the Hindus and they will learn to organize themselves. They will then, try to feel for one another. Unity, organization and fellow-feeling, these are very much needed these days.

Above everything else, the Hindus should organize and have unity among themselves. Will lethargy and narrowness of such a long duration come to an end unless there is pressure from outside? Have faith that all this is happening because of the will of the Mother, and it will promote the well-being of the Hindus as a race. It will bring about a new awakening in the entire nation. The Hindus will prosper in every way because Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji were born amongst them.'

With folded hands he said, closing his eyes: 'Victory be to the Mother! Who can understand Her play? It is She who in one form is giving pain, and again it is She who in another form is arousing sympathy in people's hearts.

"The Goddess who is present as compassion in every being—salutation to Her!"

With one hand She is killing, with the other She is giving boons and bidding men "Be fearless!"

29 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1930. Swamiji used to say, "Mother Kali is a perfect manifestation of God." Creation, preservation and dissolution—She is the doer of all these. On one side She is destroying with the sword; on the other side She is granting boons and bidding men "Be fearless!" This is all the sport of God. In one form He is bringing pain to so many people, persecuting them with famine, sickness and grief; in another form, again, it is He who is inspiring people to remove the distress of humanity. "Glory be to Thee! Glory be to Thee, Mother! Who will understand Thy ways?" So far no one has been able to understand the Mother, nor will anyone ever be able to. Since the dawn of creation, no yogi or rishi has been able to comprehend Her. Infinite is the sport of the Mother. Who, indeed, can know Thee unless Thou revealest Thyself? Vedas and Vedanta grope in the dark, failing to fathom Thee. That is why the Master used to say: "Mother, I don't want to know Thee. Who can know Thee? No one has ever known Thee, nor will anyone ever know Thee. Grant that I may not be deluded by Thy world-bewitching Maya and graciously give me pure devotion and faith at Thy lotus feet. (With folded hands) Mother, give us faith and devotion; endue us with faith and devotion."

30 November 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1930. In the morning the sadhus of the monastery gradually gathered in Mahapurushji's room to pay their respects to him. When Swami Vijayananda stood up after saluting him, Mahapurushji inquired, "Well, what have you been studying these days?" Swami Vijayananda: "The Shrimad Bhagavata is being studied." Mahapurushji: "Which particular section of the Bhagavata?" Vijayananda: "The section dealing with the twenty-four gurus of Avadhuta (an illumined sage) is being read. Omkarananda reads; I listen. Sometimes he studies the lesson beforehand and narrates it in story form. It is because of his enthusiasm that I have been reading the Bhagavata. He insists on my studying the Vaishnava philosophy. That is why I am doing it." Mahapurushji: "We too had similar studies and discussions with Swamiji. At different times he would be in different moods and would inspire us accordingly. Sometimes we would discuss the path of knowledge, at other times the path of devotion, and so on. There were times when we would remain absorbed with one idea for a month at a stretch. We would be engrossed in the same mood day and night without interruption. While eating, lying down or sitting around—at all times we would have the same discussions and arguments, and we would also perform spiritual disciplines appropriate to those moods. Swamiji was very fond of the ideas of Lord Buddha, and he was well-read in Buddhist philosophy. He was not one-sided in any way. From those days on, Swamiji had ideas, language and reasoning of a unique kind. Even his ordinary conversation would be full of lofty ideas expressed in scholarly language. He liked the style of Milton, and he would carry on his discussion and arguments in that style. While in America, Swamiji became a little nervous at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. It was but natural. It was such a huge gathering, thousands of people—the very best, the cream of society. Swamiji didn't know what he would say, because he hadn't gone there with a prepared lecture. Suddenly he was reminded of a certain verse: 'I salute the all-blissful Krishna, whose compassion makes the mute become eloquent and the cripple scale mountains.' The moment this verse came to his mind, all nervousness left him. Saluting the Master mentally, he stood up; and what followed you must have read. The world heard a new message from his lips."

1 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1930. It was afternoon. The sky was overcast with clouds. Mahapurushji was seated in his room in an easy chair. An attendant introduced a devotee saying, “He has been blessed by Holy Mother and is here to pay his respects to you.” The devotee saluted the Swami with great devotion, and as he stood up with moist eyes and folded hands, Mahapurushji affectionately inquired, “Well, my child, did you have the grace of the Mother?”

Devotee: “Yes, I did.”

Mahapurushji: “You are very fortunate that you had the Mother’s grace. You shouldn’t worry any more. Is our Mother an ordinary mother? For the good of the world, the Mother of the Universe embodied Herself to give liberation to souls.”

Devotee: “Please bless me so that my faith and devotion at the lotus feet of the Mother may become firm.”

Mahapurushji: “May it be so, my child! May it be so! Do you practise japa? Be sure to do your japa, prayer and similar devotions regularly every day.”

Devotee: “We have become engrossed in the world. Our time is spent in thoughts about money and similar things. We hardly take the name of the Lord. Please bless us so that we can overcome these handicaps.”

Mahapurushji: “My child, will you spend the whole twenty-four hours of the day doing worldly things? Will you think about money day and night? Won’t you repeat the name of the Lord a little? Do a little spiritual practice regularly every day, for ten minutes, five minutes, or even only for two or three minutes. Practice must be regular and systematic; but whatever you do, do it with sincerity, from the heart. That will do you good. Tulasidas said, ‘An hour, half an hour, or even half of that.’ What is necessary, my child, is earnestness. The Mother dwells in every heart and She does not take into consideration how much time you put into your practice, but only how sincerely you do it. She only considers how much love and devotion you have for Her.”

2 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1930. Swami: In whatever condition you find yourself, pray sincerely: "Mother, be gracious to me. Have mercy on me. Give me devotion and faith at Thy lotus feet." The Master used to say that the Lord responds quickly to the prayers of householders. If they call upon Him, He blesses them because He is the Indwelling Spirit. He knows very well what a heavy load has been placed on their shoulders and He is quick to feel compassion for those who are in the world. "Ah! A load weighing several thousand pounds, as it were, has been placed on their shoulders, and yet they want to see Me!" That is, God is very easily pleased with householders. Therefore, I say, my child, call upon the Lord every day regularly, no matter for how short a time.

Devotee: 'Yes, I do practise a little every day, a little of japa, meditation and prayer; but that cannot satisfy me. I wish I could do more, but I cannot make time.'

Mahapurushji: 'Continue what you have been doing but do it with sincerity. That will help you.'

Devotee: 'I have one more question to ask; but your body is not well and so I am hesitant to state it.'

Mahapurushji: 'Well, why not state your question?'

Devotee: 'The Mother gave me the mantra. I repeat it, but I do not know its meaning, nor did she tell me the meaning.'

Mahapurushji: 'You repeat the mantra, don't you? That is what is important. What meaning would the mantra have? It is the name of the Lord, and the little mystic syllable attached to it is expressive of the particular aspect of the Deity. The name, together with the mystic syllable, comprises the mantra. The mantra primarily refers to God. Repetition of the mantra is as good as calling upon God. What would you gain by knowing more of the meaning? Repeat the great mantra with simple faith. That will be conducive to your spiritual welfare.'

Devotee: Please bless me so that I may be free from the bondage of this world.'

Mahapurushji: 'I bless you heartily, my child. May it be so.'

3 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1930. It was Janmashtami day (the birthday of Sri Krishna). Since dawn Mahapurushji had been reciting at short intervals the many names of Sri Krishna. Often, he repeated in a sweet voice: `Govinda! Govinda!` He would also chant hymns to Sri Krishna and sometimes he would sing his many names. Gradually the sadhus and brahmacharins of the Math came to see and salute the Swami. Some of them remained standing in the room after saluting him. The conversation turned upon various topics. Later, addressing Omkarananda, Mahapurushji said: 'To-day is a great day. Thousands of years ago, on this day, the Lord God came down to this earth as Sri Krishna for the good of the world. Even today millions of men and women draw inspiration and peace from his name. Devotees of the Lord are filled with spiritual fervour and joy on such a special day. `We have seen how the Master would have an excess of samadhi on a day like this. In spite of his efforts, he would not be able to control his spiritual fervour. The natural trend of his mind was high. By sheer force he would bring his mind down to this earthly plane. For the good of the world the Mother would keep his mind on a lower level. Ah! What a sight it was! He would be so beside himself with spiritual emotion that he could hardly speak. How great was his love for God! Tears would roll down his cheeks in streams. We never saw anyone shedding such tears of love and devotion. In The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, here and there, we find brief descriptions of that love. Can it be described in any way? Only he who has seen it understands it. Spiritual emotion, samadhi and experiences of that kind were daily events with him. Master Mahashayal (M.

Jai Ramakrishna 4 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1930. It was the birthday of Swami Brahmananda. As he woke up at dawn, Mahapurushji saluted Sri Maharaj, after saluting the Master, the Holy Mother and Swamiji, and repeated at intervals: "Glory be to Raja Maharaj!"

In the shrine, devotional songs appropriate for the dawn were being sung after the 'dawn worship' of Sri Ramakrishna. It being Monday (Shiva's day), songs in praise of Shiva were being sung; but Mahapurushji sent word that they should sing songs on Krishna because it was the birthday of Sri Maharaj. Accordingly, songs such as "Awake Krishna! Enchanter!" were being sung. Finally, they sang the song, "O Lord, Thou who movest about the forest groves, be gracious unto this wretched soul." Mahapurushji was delighted with the songs.

Joyously Mahapurushji talked with all. He remarked: "Today is a great day—the birthday of Sri Maharaj. Men like him belong to the category of the knowers of Brahman. For the good of the world, at long intervals, great souls like him, endued with deep spiritual realizations, are born. The entire world becomes blessed at the touch of their feet. Maharaj was not an ordinary person. He was an Ishwarakoti (a soul born perfect): he was a direct associate of the Lord—the spiritual son of Sri Ramakrishna.

"We have heard from the Master that a few days before Maharaj came to Dakshineswar for the first time, the Master had this vision: The Mother brought a child and placed him on his lap, saying, 'Here is your child.' The Master was startled and said to the Mother: 'How can I have a child? I am a monk.' The Mother smiled and said: 'He is not a child in the worldly sense. He is your spiritual son.' Upon hearing this, the Master felt relieved. Later, when Maharaj came to Dakshineswar, the Master at once recognized him (as the child in that vision).

"From the very beginning of his acquaintance with the Master, Maharaj also behaved like a child five years old. Like a petulant child, he would make many demands upon the Master. Sometimes he would even climb his shoulders or sit on his lap, and how many other childlike things would he do! Those were unique sights to behold—divine phenomena. From the ordinary human standpoint, one cannot understand these things."

4 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1930.

It was the birthday of Swami Brahmananda. As he woke up at dawn, Mahapurushji saluted Sri Maharaj, after saluting the Master, the Holy Mother and Swamiji and repeated at intervals: `Glory be to Raja Maharaj!'

In the shrine devotional songs appropriate for the dawn were being sung after the `dawn worship' of Sri Ramakrishna. It being Monday (Shiva's day), songs in praise of Shiva were being sung; but Mahapurushji sent word that they should sing songs on Krishna because it was the birthday of Sri Maharaj.

Accordingly, songs such as `Awake Krishna! Enchanter!' were being sung. Finally, they sang the song, 'O Lord, Thou who movest about the forest groves, be gracious unto this wretched soul.' Mahapurushji was delighted with the songs.

Joyously Mahapurushji talked with all.

He remarked: `Today is a great day —the birthday of Sri Maharaj. Men like him belong to the category of the knowers of Brahman. For the good of the world, at long intervals, great souls like him, endued with deep spiritual realizations, are born. The entire world becomes blessed at the touch of their feet.

Maharaj was not an ordinary person. He was an Ishwarakoti (a soul born perfect): he was a direct associate of the Lord—the spiritual son of Sri Ramakrishna.

`We have heard from the Master that a few days before Maharaj came to Dakshineswar for the first time, the Master had this vision: The Mother brought a child and placed him on his lap, saying, "Here is your child."

The Master was startled and said to the Mother: "How can I have a child? I am a monk."

The Mother smiled and said: "He is not a child in the worldly sense. He is your spiritual son."

Upon hearing this the Master felt relieved.

Later, when Maharaj came to Dakshineswar, the Master at once recognized him (as the child in that vision).

From the very beginning of his acquaintance with the Master, Maharaj also behaved like a child five years old. Like a petulant child he would make many demands upon the Master.

Sometimes he would even climb his shoulders or sit on his lap, and how many other childlike things would he do! Those were unique sights to behold—divine phenomena. From the ordinary human standpoint, one cannot understand these things.'

5 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1930. In the course of the conversation, Mahapurushji asked someone to bring him a picture of Maharaj. When he was given the picture, Mahapurushji touched it to his head and placed it over his heart. Later, looking intently at the picture, he said: "See what a regal appearance he has! How unusual is the expression of his eyes and face! Whether seated or standing, he has the bearing of a king. That is why Swamiji used to call him 'Raja' (King). Swamiji would say: 'Here is Raja', 'Give it to Raja', 'Call Raja', 'Tell it to Raja', 'Raja's monastery', and so on."

Jai Ramakrishna

6 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932. It was the hour of dawn. The entire world was absorbed in meditation, as it were, in the midst of quiet, placid Nature. Mahapurushji had been awake for some time and was seated on his cot. Who could know to what realm of blessedness his mind was soaring?

Time slipped by. With the benign touch of dawn, the eastern horizon became bright with a tinge of rose. In the temple of Sri Ramakrishna songs of Shiva were being sung. A sadhu of the monastery sang two songs composed by Devi Sahay, a devotee of Shiva: 'O Lord Shiva, Thou who bearest the Ganga on Thy head, listen to my prayer!' and 'O Lord Shiva, take my boat across!'

Mahapurushji was especially fond of these two songs. Finally, the song beginning with the line 'Shiva, the Lord of yogis, seated in the yoga posture, is absorbed in meditation' was sung. Mahapurushji became deeply absorbed in meditation while listening to them. He became motionless and remained with unblinking eyes. Gradually Mahapurushji came down to the normal plane, although his mind still seemed to be steeped in the ocean of the bliss of Shiva. Sometimes he repeated softly: 'Om! Salutation to Shiva!' or 'Om! The Lord God is that Reality.' Sometimes he repeated, 'Bom! Bom! Mahadeva!' By this time many sadhus and brahmacharins had assembled in Swami Shivananda's room. He gradually came down to the normal plane and started talking a little. The conversation was about the last song composed by Girish Babu. Mahapurushji said, 'Ah! What an excellent song Girish Babu composed!'

He began singing the song. Later he remarked: 'Without the grace of the Master he couldn't have written that way. He composed the song, having a vision of Shiva, so to say.'

How beautiful and profound the idea is! "Time remained static in the present while Shiva was absorbed in meditation." It describes the state of deep meditation. When meditation is very deep, one loses all sense of past and future. There is simply consciousness of the present, and that vaguely. That is why Girish Babu wrote, "Time remained static in the present." Then all sense of past and future is obliterated, there remaining only consciousness of the present. Of course, when the mind is lost in samadhi, there is no consciousness of the present either. It is a state beyond past, present and future. That state cannot be described. That is why Swamiji said: "It is beyond speech and thought. Only he who has the experience knows it." It is not an ordinary state. Coming down from it, one cannot find words to express the joy of samadhi.

7 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda) Place: Belur Monastery. 1932. We have seen how Sri Ramakrishna would try, without success, to describe the nirvikalpa Samadhi while coming down from that state and still under its influence. Eventually, he would say: "Boys, I wish very much to tell you about it, but I cannot. Somebody presses my mouth." Really, that state cannot be described. "Only he who has had the experience understands it," 'The highest mystic experience in which the individual soul is merged in the Absolute, beyond all relativity, beyond speech and thought.' When the sadhu who was singing at dawn came to salute Mahapurushji, Mahapurushji remarked: 'Listen. Whenever you sing songs about Shiva in the presence of Sri Ramakrishna, be sure that you conclude with one or two songs about the Mother—one or two songs describing some aspect of the Mother. Make a point of remembering this. You do not know; that is why I am telling you. When you sing songs, try to feel that you are singing for the Master's entertainment, and he is listening to you. The Master could not bear to hear songs of Shiva continuously. One day, a great musician came to Dakshineswar with the idea of entertaining Sri Ramakrishna. He was a finished musician and used to sing splendidly. From the very start, he began singing songs about Shiva. After hearing one or two songs, the Master became absorbed in samadhi. It was nirvikalpa samadhi. We never saw the Master absorbed so deeply in samadhi before. His face became flushed; he was pulsating with a divine presence; his figure appeared larger than usual, and his hair stood on end. How can I describe that sight to you? In this way, considerable time passed, and the Master would not come down to the normal plane. The singing continued; all were speechless with wonder. We seldom saw the Master in such deep samadhi, nor did we see him having such a large figure. After some time, suddenly the Master exclaimed, "Oh! Oh!" as if he were suffering unbearable pain within. With great difficulty, he said, "Sing about the Mother." We understood that he wanted to hear songs about Her. Then and there, the singer was requested to sing about the Mother, and songs about the Mother continued. Slowly, the Master's mind came down to the normal plane. Later on, he stated that that day his mind was plunged into a very deep samadhi, and he had had a hard time to bring it down. The Master did not like to stay long in nirvikalpa samadhi. He came for the good of the world. If he remained in the nirvikalpa state, it would not be possible for him to work for the good of the world. That is why he wanted to maintain the attitude of a devotee and be in the company of devotees. Meditation on Shiva represents the nirvikalpa state. In that state, there is neither creation nor this world of living beings.

8 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932. Swami: The natural trend of Sri Ramakrishna's mind was towards the nirvikalpa state. So, he would cherish some trivial desire in order to bring his mind down. Everything about him was unique!

After remaining silent awhile, Mahapurushji asked an attendant: "Today is Monday. Are we not supposed to have a recitation of 'The Hymn on the Greatness of Shiva'? When shall we have it?"

We shall have it now, Maharaj,' answered the attendant, and taking a book of hymns from the adjoining table, he started chanting the hymn. Mahapurushji sat with folded hands and eyes closed. The chanting continued, Mahapurushji joining in.

If praise of Thee by one who is ignorant of the extent of Thy greatness be unbecoming, then even the praises of Brahma and others are inadequate for Thee. And if all remain blameless by praising Thee according to their intellectual powers, then even this attempt on my part to compose a hymn is free from blemish. Thy greatness is beyond the reach of mind and speech. Who can fittingly praise That which even the Vedas describe with trepidation, by the method of 'Not this, not this'?

How many qualities does That possess, and by whom can It be perceived? Yet towards the form taken later, whose mind and speech do not turn?

Different are the paths of realization enjoined by the three Vedas, Samkhya, Yoga, the Pashupata doctrine, and the Vaishnava Shastras. Persons following different paths—straight or crooked—according as they consider that this or that one is proper, owing to the difference in their temperaments, reach Thee alone, just as all rivers reach the ocean. O Lover of solitude, my salutation to Thee, who art very near and also far, far away! O Destroyer of the God of Love, my salutation to Thee, who art the minutest as also the largest! O Three-eyed One, my salutation to Thee.

6 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932.

It was the hour of dawn. The entire world was absorbed in meditation, as it were, in the midst of quiet, placid Nature.

Mahapurushji had been awake for some time and was seated on his cot. Who could know to what realm of blessedness his mind was soaring?

Time slipped by.

With the benign touch of dawn, the eastern horizon became bright with a tinge of rose. In the temple of Sri Ramakrishna songs of Shiva were being sung.

A sadhu of the monastery sang two songs composed by Devi Sahay, a devotee of Shiva: 'O Lord Shiva, Thou who bearest the Ganga on Thy head, listen to my prayer!' and 'O Lord Shiva, take my boat across!'

Mahapurushji was especially fond of these two songs. Finally, the song beginning with the line `Shiva, the Lord of yogis, seated in the yoga posture, is absorbed in meditation was sung.

Mahapurushji became deeply absorbed in meditation while, listening to them. He became motionless and remained with unblinking eyes. Gradually Mahapurushji came down to the normal plane, although his mind still seemed to be steeped in the ocean of the bliss of Shiva.

Sometimes he repeated softly: 'Om! Salutation to Shiva!' or 'Om! The Lord God is that Reality.' Sometimes he repeated, 'Bom! Bom! Mahadeva!' By this time many sadhus and brahmacharins had assembled in Swami Shivananda's room.

He gradually came down to the normal plane and started talking a little.

The conversation was about the last song composed by Girish Babu.

Mahapurushji said, `Ah! What an excellent song Girish Babu composed!'

He began singing the song. Later he remarked: 'Without the grace of the Master he couldn't have written that way. He composed the song, having a vision of Shiva, so to say. How beautiful and profound the idea is!

"Time remained static in the present while Shiva was absorbed in meditation."

It describes the state of deep meditation. When meditation is very deep one loses all sense of past and future. There is simply consciousness of the present, and that vaguely.

That is why Girish Babu wrote, "Time remained static in the present." Then all sense of past, and future is obliterated, there remaining only consciousness of the present.

Of course, when the mind is lost in samadhi there is no consciousness of the present either. It is a state beyond past, present and future. That state cannot be described.

That is why Swamiji said: "It is beyond speech and thought. Only he who has the experience knows it." It is not an ordinary state. Coming down from it one cannot find words to express the joy of samadhi.

7 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932.

We have seen how Sri Ramakrishna would try, without success, to describe the nirvikalpa Samadhi while coming down from that state and still under its influence. Eventually he would say: "Boys, I wish very much to tell you about it, but I cannot. Somebody presses my mouth." Really, that state cannot be described. "Only he who has had the experience understands it."

The highest mystic experience in which the individual soul is merged in the Absolute, beyond all relativity, beyond speech and thought.

When the sadhu who was singing at dawn came to salute Mahapurushji, Mahapurushji remarked: 'Listen. Whenever you sing songs about Shiva in the presence of Sri Ramakrishna, be sure that you conclude with one or two songs about the Mother—one or two songs describing some aspect of the Mother. Make a point of remembering this. You do not know; that is why I am telling you. When you sing songs, try to feel that you are singing for the Master's entertainment, and he is listening to you.

The Master could not bear to hear songs of Shiva continuously. One day a great musician came to Dakshineswar with the idea of entertaining Sri Ramakrishna. He was a finished musician and used to sing splendidly. From the very start he began singing songs about Shiva. After hearing one or two songs the Master became absorbed in samadhi. It was nirvikalpa samadhi. We never saw the Master absorbed so deeply in samadhi before. His face became flushed; he was pulsating with a divine presence; his figure appeared larger than usual, and his hair stood on end. How can I describe that sight to you?

In this way considerable time passed, and the Master would not come down to the normal plane. The singing continued; all were speechless with wonder. We seldom saw the Master in such deep samadhi, nor did we see him having such a large figure. After some time, suddenly the Master exclaimed, "Oh! Oh!" as if he were suffering unbearable pain within. With great difficulty he said, "Sing about the Mother."

We understood that he wanted to hear songs about Her. Then and there the singer was requested to sing about the Mother, and songs about the Mother continued. Slowly the Master's mind came down to the normal plane. Later on, he stated that that day his mind was plunged into a very deep samadhi, and he had had a hard time to bring it down. The Master did not like to stay long in nirvikalpa samadhi. He came for the good of the world. If he remained in the nirvikalpa state it would not be possible for him to work for the good of the world. That is why he wanted to maintain the attitude of a devotee and be in the company of devotees. Meditation on Shiva represents the nirvikalpa state. In that state there is neither creation nor this world of living beings.

8 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932.

Swami: The natural trend of Sri Ramakrishna's mind was towards the nirvikalpa state. So, he would cherish some trivial desire in order to bring his mind down. Everything about him was unique!'

After remaining silent awhile, Mahapurushji asked an attendant: 'Today is Monday. Are we not supposed to have a recitation of "The Hymn on the Greatness of Shiva"? When shall we have it?'

We shall have it now, Maharaj,' answered the attendant, and taking a book of hymns from the adjoining table, he started chanting the hymn. Mahapurushji sat with folded hands and eyes closed. The chanting continued, Mahapurushji joining in.

If praise of Thee by one who is ignorant of the extent of Thy greatness be unbecoming, then even the praises of Brahma and others are inadequate for Thee.

And if all remain blameless by praising Thee according to their intellectual powers, then even this attempt on my part to compose a hymn is free from blemish.

Thy greatness is beyond the reach of mind and speech. Who can fittingly praise That which even the Vedas describe with trepidation, by the method of 'Not this, not this'?

How many qualities does That possess, and by whom can It be perceived? Yet towards the form taken later, whose mind and speech do not turn?

Different are the paths of realization enjoined by the three Vedas, Samkhya, Yoga, the Pashupata doctrine, and the Vaishnava Shastras.

Persons following different paths—straight or crooked—according as they consider that this or that one is proper, owing to the difference in their temperaments, reach Thee alone, just as all rivers reach the ocean.

O Lover of solitude, my salutation to Thee, who art very near and also far, far away! O Destroyer of the God of Love, my salutation to Thee, who art the minutest as also the largest! O Three-eyed One, my salutation to Thee.

9 December 2024

(Today is the Janma-Tithi of Revered Swami Premanandaji Maharaj. On this Auspicious day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of Swami Premananda)

The devotees seek nothing but the grace of the Lord. It does not matter where you live; only do not forget the goal of life. Then you will have nothing to fear. It does not mean, however, that I am asking you to renounce the world. You have received the grace of the Holy Mother. Hence you must be good. Have faith that you are endowed with sattva. But the tree does not bear fruits except at the right season. Nothing is gained by being impatient. You are young, and you will live to see how the spirit of Sri Ramakrishna will permeate the world. Now the world is full of envy, jealousy, hatred, and so forth. Soon will come a flood of love that will wash away all these and everything that is selfish.

[To an aspirant] Worldly people will advise you to follow that which they have understood as good. You are to discriminate and find the path that is good for you and that will lead you to your goal. The best path is the path trodden by men of God. You desire to follow the path of renunciation. If you want to be a holy man, learn to bear and forbear. If you want to be good and happy in this world, have patience and forbearance. Infinite patience, unlimited forbearance, and forgiveness—these alone bring peace and happiness. You are young. Your passions are naturally strong, and desires for enjoyment will arise inevitably. You need to be very careful. Devotees should converse about the Lord with one another. Our lives become vain if we have no love for devotees of the Lord. Meditate on the Lord and chant his name as much and as often as you can. Also converse about him with like-minded people.

10 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1932. The chanting of Siva Mahimna Stotram was continuing:

Who art the oldest and the youngest. I offer my salutation to Thee, who art all and who transcends all. Salutation to Brahma, in whom rajas preponderates for the creation of the universe. Salutation to Rudra, in whom tamas preponderates for the destruction of the universe. Salutation to Vishnu, in whom sattva preponderates for giving happiness to the people. Salutation to Shiva who is effulgent and beyond the three attributes. O Lord, if the blue mountain be the ink, the ocean the ink-pot, the branch of the heavenly tree be the pen, the earth the writing-leaf, and if, taking these, the Goddess of Learning writes for eternity, even then the limit of Thy virtues will not be reached. O Lord, I do not know the true nature of Thy being, of what kind Thou art. O Great God, my salutation again and again to That which is Thy true condition!

Mahapurushji recited the last few verses in a loud voice. For a while all were silent. Then Mahapurushji softly remarked: "We observed that the Master could not listen to the entire Hymn on the Greatness of Shiva. After hearing one or two verses he would be absorbed in samadhi. He himself would recite the two verses which begin: 'O Lord, if the blue mountain be the ink' and 'O Lord, I do not know the true nature of Thy being.' He would burst into tears as he would repeat the last verse, and say, weeping: 'O Lord, who wants to know Thy nature? Who knows who Thou art? I do not want to know Thee or understand Thee, O Lord! Give me pure devotion at Thy lotus feet! Who can know Him?'"

Mahapurushji remarked: "Shiva, the Lord of yogis, is the guru of monks. That is why Swamiji was fond of meditating on Shiva from his very childhood. Unless one renounces everything, as exemplified by Shiva, the mind will not be absorbed in samadhi."

11 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1932. For some time Mahapurushji had not been well, running a slight temperature. He had high blood-pressure and heart trouble. Because of difficulty in breathing, often he could not even lie down at night. His diet consisted of just a little liquid. He had been under the treatment of Dr. Ajitnath Roy Choudhuri, who visited him almost every day. Mahapurushji, however, was always cheerful, discussing spiritual subjects with all. Today the doctor came shortly after dusk. Mahapurushji, with a smile, inquired about his health. The doctor inquired, “How do you feel, Maharaj?”

Mahapurushji: “I am fine. So long as I can think about God, take His name and sing His praise, I am very well.”

Doctor: “But this sickness has made you very weak.”

Mahapurushji: “What can I do about it? And there is nothing that you can do either. This body is bound to perish. No physical body can last for ever. I know very well that this body is not mine. It is the Mother’s. Whatever She wills will happen. If She wants to keep this body, it will stay; otherwise it will go. Do you understand? I am unconcerned whether this body stays or goes. Everything, my child, depends on the will of the Mother. Her will be done! I know very well that what is to be done will be done by the Mother.” In course of the conversation, in reply to a remark by Ajit Babu, Mahapurushji said: “I am going to tell you a secret. Those who have experienced samadhi never suffer from any troubles of the head; they do not feel dizzy or even have headaches.”

12 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1932. Mahapurushji had not been at all well. He had high blood-pressure and did not sleep very well the previous night. The morning brought very bad news. Revered M. (Mahendra Nath Gupta, author of *The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna*) left his mortal body at 6.15 A.M. and was united with the Master. He was seventy-eight years of age when he passed away. 13 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1932. The next morning some devotees came to the monastery from Calcutta. All of them had associated with M. and served him devotedly for a long time. They were all grief-stricken over his passing away. Upon hearing from them the details of M.'s death, Mahapurushji affectionately remarked: "Ah! It is a great blow to you. This bereavement is fresh. No words from anyone will assuage this grief. What is to be done? No one has any control over this. Sri Ramakrishna himself is taking away his devotees; but we know the relationship of M. with us and with the Master is eternal. Do you understand? This relationship is imperishable. Never think for a moment that M. passed away and that there has been an end of everything. Never!"

After a long conversation in this vein, Mahapurushji consoled the devotees, and while bidding them good-bye blessed them and said: "What fear is there, my children? The Master is living (in a spiritual sense)! And we are still in the flesh. Whenever you find time, do come to the monastery."

When the devotees had left, Mahapurushji said, "Ah! M. was like a refuge to devotees—a haven of peace to many. Especially, after Sarat Maharaj's passing away many devotees used to go to M., and he would give peace to the hearts of many by speaking untiringly to them about the Master." 14/12/2024

This loss cannot be filled! He was a holy soul. What great work of the Master he accomplished! Even if he had written only one volume of the Gospel it would have immortalized him. His work is imperishable.

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932. The worship of Mother Durga was being celebrated at the monastery. Since the day the sculptor had started fashioning the image, Mahapurushji had been beside himself with spiritual fervour, thinking about the Mother. Like a child he would say over and over, "Mother! Mother!" Sometimes out of sheer joy he sang songs describing the Mother's coming; at other times he taught some of the sadhus of the monastery to sing one or two new songs describing Her coming. The joy in his heart was flowing like a fountain with a thousand streams. Yesterday the ceremony preliminary to the worship of the Mother had been performed. In the morning Swami Tapananda sang a song with great feeling. Mahapurushji at intervals exclaimed, "Ah! Ah!" in appreciation. Controlling his emotions with difficulty, he said to the singer, "Go! Go! Leave me alone! You have caused me to break the pot right in the market-place (meaning he was embarrassed because he could not restrain his spiritual emotions before others). My condition is just like that of a dry match-stick. The Master used to say, 'The slightest stroke is enough to ignite a dry match.' And so, it is with me." He became self-conscious because he could not control his feelings. It was the seventh day of the moon, the first day of the Mother's worship. Since four o'clock in the morning the musicians had been playing a melody describing the coming of the Mother. In the shrine songs of the same kind were also being sung. One of the songs began: "The autumn dawn of the seventh day of the moon burst upon the horizon; The ten-armed Mother appeared, illumining the ten directions." Mahapurushji joined in this song and later he sang by himself, "Do not awaken her, Jaya. Uma is disconsolate and has just gone to sleep." Presently the worship began in the hall erected for the purpose. The sadhus of the monastery and many devotees, men and women, came in groups to see Mahapurushji. He blessed all, saying, "The Mother is here. May you have great joy! Now we should have nothing but joy."

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932. At frequent intervals Mahapurushji made inquiries as to the progress of the worship. At the time the ceremony of invoking life into the image was being performed, he could not stay still any longer and expressed great eagerness to come down to the worship hall. Accordingly, attendants carried him to the worship hall in an easy chair. Mahapurushji, the child of the Mother, stood before Her with folded hands. Who can describe that sight? When the invocation ceremony was over, Mahapurushji with great devotion bowed before the Mother and went upstairs. He was in a sublime mood, his face radiant with a divine glow. The entire day there had been a large crowd of people at the monastery. Today everyone was welcome. Mahapurushji whole-heartedly blessed all. The devotees took the prasada and left filled with peace. After the vesper service the sadhus of the monastery were singing Kali kirtana (songs about Mother Kali). A few sadhus assembled in Mahapurushji's room. Today he didn't feel the least bit tired, being filled with joy.

13 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932.

The next morning some devotees came to the monastery from Calcutta. All of them had associated with M. and served him devotedly for a long time. They were all grief-stricken over his passing away.

Upon hearing from them the details of M.'s death, Mahapurushji affectionately remarked: `Ah! It is a great blow to you. This bereavement is fresh. No words from anyone will assuage this grief.

What is to be done? No one has any control over this. Sri Ramakrishna himself is taking away his devotees; but we know the relationship of M. with us and with the Master is eternal.

Do you understand? This relationship is imperishable. Never think for a moment that M. passed away and that there has been an end of everything. Never!'

After a long conversation in this vein, Mahapurushji consoled the devotees, and while bidding them good-bye blessed them and said: 'What fear is there, my children? The Master is living (in a spiritual sense)! And we are still in the flesh. Whenever you find time, do come to the monastery.'

When the devotees had left, Mahapurushji said, 'Ah! M. was like a refuge to devotees—a haven of peace to many. Especially, after Sarat Maharaj's passing away many devotees used to go to M., and he would give peace to the hearts of many by speaking untiringly to them about the Master.

This loss cannot be filled! He was a holy soul. What great work of the Master he accomplished! Even if he had written only one volume of the Gospel it would have immortalized him. His work is imperishable.'

14 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932. The worship of Mother Durga was being celebrated at the monastery. Since the day the sculptor had started fashioning the image, Mahapurushji had been beside himself with spiritual fervour, thinking about the Mother. Like a child he would say over and over, “Mother! Mother!” Sometimes out of sheer joy he sang songs describing the Mother’s coming; at other times he taught some of the sadhus of the monastery to sing one or two new songs describing Her coming. The joy in his heart was flowing like a fountain with a thousand streams. Yesterday the ceremony preliminary to the worship of the Mother had been performed. In the morning Swami Tapananda sang a song with great feeling. Mahapurushji at intervals exclaimed, “Ah! Ah!” in appreciation. Controlling his emotions with difficulty, he said to the singer: “Go! Go! Leave me alone! You have caused me to break the pot right in the market-place (meaning he was embarrassed because he could not restrain his spiritual emotions before others). My condition is just like that of a dry match-stick. The Master used to say, ‘The slightest stroke is enough to ignite a dry match.’ And so, it is with me.” He became self-conscious because he could not control his feelings. It was the seventh day of the moon, the first day of the Mother’s worship. Since four o’clock in the morning the musicians had been playing a melody describing the coming of the Mother. In the shrine songs of the same kind were also being sung. One of the songs began:

“The autumn dawn of the seventh day of the moon burst upon the horizon; The ten-armed Mother appeared, illumining the ten directions.”

Mahapurushji joined in this song and later he sang by himself: “Do not awaken her, Jaya. Uma is disconsolate and has just gone to sleep.” Presently the worship began in the hall erected for the purpose. The sadhus of the monastery and many devotees, men and women, came in groups to see Mahapurushji. He blessed all, saying: “The Mother is here. May you have great joy! Now we should have nothing but joy.”

15 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932. At frequent intervals Mahapurushji made inquiries as to the progress of the worship. At the time the ceremony of invoking life into the image was being performed, he could not stay still any longer and expressed great eagerness to come down to the worship hall. 16 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932. "Our Master came for the establishment of religion. Before his advent, worship and things of that sort had been neglected and almost died out. The Master infused a new spirit in everything; that is why all these things have come back to life. Now many perform worship again. Swamiji introduced the worship of Mother Durga at the monastery at Baranagore. Of course, the worship used to be performed in a vessel in those days. Once a he-goat was sacrificed there. Suresh Babu purchased this goat. Then they performed homa (fire ritual) with the entire goat. M. and other devotees felt very much disturbed because of the sacrifice, and they brought the matter to the notice of the Holy Mother. She replied, 'Since the sacrifice disturbs so many of the devotees, why not omit it?' After that, the sacrifice of a goat was discontinued. Later, at this monastery, it was Swamiji who first worshipped the Mother in the image. For this occasion, the Holy Mother spent the few days of worship at the adjacent house. She remarked that Mother Durga would come here every year."

A monk: "Maharaj, is not worship possible without the sacrifice of a goat?"

Mahapurushji: "Why not? It is the Mother who has come down as vaishnavi shakti (Saving Power) in the personality of Sri Ramakrishna. In our monastery we do not have any animal sacrifice. Our worship is sattvika. Our scriptures prescribe three kinds of worship, in accordance with people's temperamental differences: sattvika, rajasika, and tamasika. In sattvika worship there is no external pomp and show."

16 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932. Our Master came for the establishment of religion. Before his advent, worship and things of that sort had been neglected and almost died out. The Master infused a new spirit in everything; that is why all these things have come back to life. Now many perform worship again. Swamiji introduced the worship of Mother Durga at the monastery at Baranagore. Of course, the worship used to be performed in a vessel in those days. Once a he-goat was sacrificed there. Suresh Babu purchased this goat. Then they performed homa (fire ritual) with the entire goat. M. and other devotees felt very much disturbed because of the sacrifice, and they brought the matter to the notice of the Holy Mother. She replied, "Since the sacrifice disturbs so many of the devotees, why not omit it?" After that, the sacrifice of a goat was discontinued. Later, at this monastery, it was Swamiji who first worshipped the Mother in the image. For this occasion, the Holy Mother spent the few days of worship at the adjacent house. She remarked that Mother Durga would come here every year.

A monk: Maharaj, is not worship possible without the sacrifice of a goat?

Mahapurushji: Why not? It is the Mother who has come down as vaishnavi shakti (Saving Power) in the personality of Sri Ramakrishna. In our monastery, we do not have any animal sacrifice. Our worship is sattvika. Our scriptures prescribe three kinds of worship, in accordance with people's temperamental differences: sattvika, rajasika, and tamasika. In sattvika worship, there is no external pomp and show. It is a worship of devotion—selfless worship to please the Mother. We perform worship in that spirit here.

17 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1932.

Mahapurushji: Those who are rajasika or tamasika perform their worship in accordance with their natures. In worship performed with a selfish motive, there is a great deal of pomp and show. For such worshippers, the scriptures prescribe animal sacrifice and things of that kind. The most important thing in life is to attain pure devotion at the lotus feet of the Mother. That is also the purpose of worship. Once one is able to install the Mother in the temple of the heart, one does not need external pomp and ritual. Now that the Mother is here, let us rejoice!

In our worship, we do not have the immersion of the Deity. Where could the Mother go? She is ever present here! The expression, "Please come again at the end of the year," and similar expressions refer to externals and concern average people. We know that the Mother is ever present in the temple of our hearts.

18 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1932.

Mahapurushji made inquiries about the health of Swami Vijnanananda and began talking about Swami Subodhananda. Mahapurushji said: “From his very childhood, Khoka was a person of dispassion and austerity, and by nature very guileless. At one time, I stayed in Banshi Dutt's garden-house in Varanasi. Khoka came there in a palanquin. Although sick, he was quite unconcerned. He was delighted to see me after such a long time. He laughed so much that he developed a temperature. I took him to Brahmani Mother (a lady acquaintance). When his condition improved a little, I took him to Dr. Govinda. Gradually, he recovered from this sickness. That time we lived together for some time in Varanasi. Khoka was just like a child. He was just a little boy when he went to Sri Ramakrishna. The Master was very fond of him, and so was Swamiji.”

After remaining quiet awhile, Mahapurushji hummed this song:

“I am certainly surprised at Thy sports, O playful Mother.”

Later he remarked, “This song was sung by Trailokyanath Sanyal at the Cossipore cremation ground after the Master's passing. It is very difficult to understand the Mother's play. Didn't you see how splendidly Khoka left the body and became united with the Master?”

When the Master calls us, we shall have to go. The Master is taking away his children one after another; he alone knows why he keeps me here. He can sacrifice his animal wherever he pleases, either at the neck or at tail. Everything depends upon his will. He has placed me in such a condition that I can hardly enjoy even a hearty laugh. I have no one with whom I can discuss past incidents. And yet, I have to stay here.

19 December 2024

(This year the Jayanti of Holy Mother falls on 22nd December.)

(Teachings of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi)

14.

Jai Ramakrishna 20 December 2024

(This year the Jayanti of Holy Mother falls on 22nd December)

(Teachings of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi)

"Let me tell you one thing. There is great complexity in this creation. The Master does one thing through one man and another thing through another person. Oh, it is so inscrutable!"

"Does it matter in the least to God whether you believe or not? Even the sage Suka Deva was to Him like a big ant at the most. Infinite is He. How much can you understand of Him?"

"Pray to God with tears in your eyes whenever you want illumination or find yourself faced with any doubt or difficulty. The Lord will remove all your impurities, assuage your mental anguish, and give you enlightenment."

"He who thinks always of the Lord, which way can evil come to him?"

"Open your grief-stricken heart to the Lord. Weep and pray sincerely: 'O Lord, draw me towards You; give me peace of mind.' By doing so constantly you will gradually attain peace of mind."

"One who makes a habit of prayer will easily overcome all difficulties and remain calm and unruffled in the midst of the trials of life."

"My child, I bless you from my heart that you live long, attain devotion, and enjoy peace. Peace is the principal thing. One needs peace alone."

"Certainly you will have doubts. There will be questionings and faith will return again. That is how faith is established."

"Is faith so cheap, my child? Faith is the last word. If one has faith, the goal is practically reached."

"Does one get faith by mere studying of books? Too much reading creates confusion. The Master used to say that one should learn from the scriptures that God alone is real and the world illusory."

"Why do people argue? Even the wisest of men have not found God through argument! Is God a subject for argument?"

"Give up this dry discussion, this hodge-podge of philosophy. Who has been able to know God by reasoning? Even sages like Suka and Vyasa are at best like big ants trying to carry away a few grains of sugar from a large heap."

21 December 2024

(This year the Jayanti of Holy Mother falls on 22nd December)

(Teachings of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi)

"Yes, such a One exists…. He Himself has become our father and mother. He Himself brings us up as our parents. It is He alone who looks after us. Otherwise, where were you and where are you now? Your parents brought you up, but at last you realized that you did not belong to them."

"God is one's very own. It is the eternal relationship. He is everyone's own. One realizes Him in proportion to the intensity of one's feeling for Him."

"God cannot be realized without love. Yes, sincere love."

"Even the impossible becomes possible through devotion."

"The grace of God is the thing that is needful. One should pray for the grace of God."

"If one can regard God as one's own and call on Him without seeing Him, that is God's grace."

"He who will pray to God eagerly will see Him."

"If one calls upon Him repeatedly, He becomes compassionate; and so, a devoted attachment comes into being."

20 December 2024

(This year the Jayanti of Holy Mother falls on 22nd December.)

(Teachings of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.)

Open your grief-stricken heart to the Lord. Weep and pray sincerely: "O Lord, draw me towards You; give me peace of mind." By doing so constantly you will gradually attain peace of mind.

One who makes a habit of prayer will easily overcome all difficulties and remain calm and unruffled in the midst of the trials of life.

My child, I bless you from my heart that you live long, attain devotion, and enjoy peace. Peace is the principal thing. One needs peace alone.

Certainly you will have doubts. There will be questionings and faith will return again. That is how faith is established.

Is faith so cheap, my child? Faith is the last word. If one has faith, the goal is practically reached.

Does one get faith by mere studying of books? Too much reading creates confusion. The Master used to say that one should learn from the scriptures that God alone is real and the world illusory.

Why do people argue? Even the wisest of men have not found God through argument! Is God a subject for argument?

Give up this dry discussion, this hodge-podge of philosophy. Who has been able to know God by reasoning? Even sages like Suka and Vyasa are at best like big ants trying to carry away a few grains of sugar from a large heap.

Disciple: "How can one stop reasoning?"

Mother: "Reasoning does not disappear as long as one has not attained to perfect knowledge."

21 December 2024

(This year the Jayanti of Holy Mother falls on 22nd December.)

(Teachings of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.)

Disciple: "What I want to know is whether there is anyone whom I may call my own."

Mother: "Yes, such a One exists…. He Himself has become our father and mother. He Himself brings us up as our parents. It is He alone who looks after us. Otherwise, where were you and where are you now? Your parents brought you up, but at last you realized that you did not belong to them."

God is one's very own. It is the eternal relationship. He is everyone's own. One realizes Him in proportion to the intensity of one's feeling for Him.

God cannot be realized without love. Yes, sincere love.

Even the impossible becomes possible through devotion.

Disciple: "How does one get love of God?"

Mother: "The grace of God is the thing that is needful. One should pray for the grace of God."

If one can regard God as one's own and call on Him without seeing Him, that is God's grace.

He who will pray to God eagerly will see Him.

If one calls upon Him repeatedly, He becomes compassionate; and so, a devoted attachment comes into being. This love for love's sake should be hidden from all eyes.

22 December 2024

(Today is the sacred Janma-Tithi of our Divine Mother Sri Sarada Devi. On this most auspicious day may the Holy Mother bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi)

"What does a man become by realizing God? Does he grow two horns? What happens is that he develops discrimination between the real and unreal and goes beyond life and death. Has God talked to anyone who is devoid of spiritual fervour? One envisions God in spirit, talks to Him and establishes a relationship with Him in spirit. In the course of time one does not feel even the existence of God. After attaining enlightenment, one sees that gods and deities are all Maya. Everything comes into existence in time and disappears in time. Deities and such things really disappear at the dawn of enlightenment. The aspirant then realizes that the Mother alone pervades the entire universe. This is the simple truth."

"Listen, dear, when God first created man, He endowed him with the spirit of goodness. As a result, men were born with wisdom, and it did not take them long to realize that the world was an ephemeral thing. Immediately they took to God and set out to meditate on Him and by His grace were liberated from the bonds of life. Then God thought, 'This will not do; this is not the way to make them play the game of life.' In the end, along with the spirit of goodness, He mingled in profuse quantities of the spirit of materialism and that of vanity. Now the game of life went on with a swing!"

"What an illusion Mahamaya has conjured up! Here is this infinite world, and what one claims as his possession will be left behind at death. Still men cannot understand this simple truth."

"A person may have no relatives anywhere, but Mahamaya makes him keep a cat and thus make him worldly. This is how She plays!"

23 December 2024

(Teachings of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi)

A disciple asked if all men could get rid of desires. Mother replied, “How can they? If they could, then the creation would come to an end. The world is going on because not all can be free of desires. Those with desires are born again and again.”

“As long as a man has desires, there is no end to his transmigration. It is desires alone that make him take one body after another. There will be rebirth for a man if he has even the desire to eat a piece of candy. Desire may be compared to a minute seed. It is like a big banyan tree growing out of a seed, which is no bigger than a dot. Rebirth is inevitable so long as one has desires. It is like taking the soul from one pillow-case and putting it into another. Only one or two out of many men can be found who are free from all desires.”

“The body means the existence of desire; otherwise, it would not have existed. It all ends when one no longer has any desires.”

“This world is moving around like a wheel. That indeed is the last birth in which one gets completely rid of all desires.”

“Those who are born to God have fulfilled all their desires. So long as a man has any desires, he is incapable of such devotion.”

“The Master used to say that a worldly person is like a spring mattress. If you sit on it, it goes down, but the moment you get up, it springs back at once. The regard and devotion for God of these worldly men is just like a drop of water on a hot plate, which evaporates in no time.”

24 December 2024

Happy Christmas to all the Devotees. (Swami Brahmananda’s vision of Christ on the Christmas Eve)

Maharaj (Swami Brahmananda) used to observe Christmas every year by offering special worship to Jesus. (The following incident happened at the house where Sister Devamata was staying in Madras.)

The story of the Nativity was read aloud from the Bible and followed by meditation. After meditation, fruit, bread, cake, and wine were offered in the worship. Sister Devamata, an American devotee who happened to be present on one such occasion, records the scene as follows: “When I had finished reading, the intense stillness in the air led me to look towards Swami Brahmananda. His eyes were open and fixed on the altar; there was a smile on his lips, but it was evident that his consciousness had gone to a higher plane. No one moved or spoke. At the end of twenty minutes or more, the look of immediate seeing returned to his eyes, and he motioned to us to continue the service.”

After the service, as Maharaj was partaking of the sacramental food, he remarked to Sister Devamata: “While you were reading, Christ suddenly stood before the altar, dressed in a long blue cloak. He talked to me for some time. It was a very blessed moment.”

(From *The Eternal Companion*)

25 December 2024

‘Merry Christmas to all’

Sri Ramakrishna’s Vision of Christ

The year was 1874, and Sri Ramakrishna was then 38 years of age. Sri Ramakrishna felt a great urge to learn the truth about Christianity. He began to listen to readings from the Bible by Sambhu Charan Mallick, a devotee of his from Calcutta. Becoming intensely fascinated by the life and teachings of Jesus, Sri Ramakrishna longed to gain a vision of God through the Christian path. Scarcely had this desire arisen in his mind when it was fulfilled in a most marvellous way. The event happened at the garden house of Jadunath Mallick, which was situated to the south of the Kali temple at Dakshineswar. Sri Ramakrishna used to go there now and then for a walk. (Swami Saradananda narrates in his book, *Sri Ramakrishna the Great Master*.)

“Jadunath and his mother had great devotion to the Master (Sri Ramakrishna) from the time they first had seen him. Therefore, even if they were not present in the garden at the time of the Master’s walk there, the officers would open the door of the parlour and ask him to sit and rest there for some time. There were some good pictures hanging on the walls of that room. One of those pictures was that of the child Jesus in his mother’s lap. The Master used to say that he sat one day in that parlour and was looking intently at that picture and thinking of the extraordinary life of Jesus, when he felt that the picture came to life, and effulgent rays of light, coming out from the bodies of the Mother and the Child, entered into his heart and changed radically all the ideas of his mind!

On finding that all the inborn Hindu impressions disappeared into a secluded corner of his mind and that different ones arose in it, he tried in various ways to control himself and prayed earnestly to the divine Mother (Kali), ‘What strange changes art Thou bringing about in me, Mother?’ But nothing availed. Rising with a great force, the waves of those impressions completely submerged the Hindu ideas in his mind.”

Jai Ramakrishna. 26 December 2024

(Today is the Janma Tithi of Revered Swami Shivanandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932. In the afternoon the devotees who served Swami Subodhananda during his illness were conducted to Mahapurushji. They had not eaten any food since the previous day and had been crying a great deal. Looking at them, Mahapurushji's eyes became filled with tears. Controlling his emotions with difficulty he tried to console them, saying: "Well, tell me, where has Khoka Maharaj gone? He is with the Master. Have faith in my words. What good will it do to grieve only? It is ignorance that causes grief. Go to the shrine, meditate there and pray, 'O Lord, give us knowledge, give us devotion.' He will surely give you strength. If you meditate upon him this lack of faith and ignorance will go. Crying will do no good. It is not that I myself do not feel like crying. I too have cried. I have my knowledge too. It is already there. The Master has kept me in spite of this. Listen to me, my children. Go and eat something. How much grief do you feel? How long have you known Khoka Maharaj, and how much of him do you understand? I have to bear the brunt of the bereavements, one after another, and I am bearing them silently. What can I do? The Master is withdrawing his powers to himself. Who can stem this tide? They (the Master's disciples) are leaving one after another and I am being put upon the rack. I feel as if a rib were being torn out of my chest."

Keeping quiet for a while, Mahapurushji tried to console the disciples of Swami Subodhananda. Being comforted a little, they left.

Jai Ramakrishna 27 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1932. The weather was growing slightly cold, indicating the approach of winter. It was dusk. After the vesper service the brahmacharins and sannyasins of the monastery were engaged in meditation. An indescribable peace and serenity prevailed everywhere. Silence pervaded Mahapurushji's room. A green light was burning there. Mahapurushji was seated cross-legged facing the west, absorbed in meditation. An attendant was gently fanning the Swami, driving away mosquitoes. Time passed in this way. The silence in the room gradually deepened. Mahapurushji's serene countenance became more radiant. The sadhus of the monastery came as usual to his room and, finding him absorbed in meditation, saluted him from a distance and left. It was nine o'clock at night, but still the Swami did not come down to the normal plane from his meditation. After a while Mahapurushji softly chanted 'Om', later repeating more distinctly, 'Hari Om'. He inquired what time it was. The attendant hesitantly replied in a low voice, 'Maharaj, it is already nine o'clock.'

Mahapurushji: 'Has the bell been rung for the offering of food to the Master?'

Attendant: 'Long ago. It has been long since food was taken to the shrine, and it is time to bring the offered food back.'

The attendant was very much disturbed to find Mahapurushji practising so much meditation. It was the special instruction of the doctors that he should not practise too much as it was harmful for his health. The attendant therefore took courage to ask: 'What need have you to meditate so much? You can see the Master with your eyes open and talk to him. Why do you have to meditate so much?'

Melting with affection Mahapurushji remarked softly: 'Yes, my child, you have rightly spoken. Without any effort on our part, the Master graciously appears to us and, if necessary, talks to us too. The Master, the Holy Mother, Swamiji and others are all very gracious. There is no doubt about it. We do not have to meditate to see the Master. I do not meditate for that purpose, but for this: many have had initiation from me, but not all can keep up their spiritual practice. There are still others who, although they keep up their practice, do not make much headway because of certain obstructions in their individual lives. For them I must pray separately. When I concentrate a little, their faces flash across my mind and I pray for them individually. I must remove the obstructions that stand in the way of their spiritual progress. Besides, in this world many have trials and tribulations. I must help them in that respect also. It is the Master who inspires us from within to do these things. In this world there is no end to trials and tribulations. Therefore, our only prayer is that there may be peace in the entire world, and a lessening of pain and sorrow, and that men may advance towards God. We do not perform any spiritual practice for ourselves, my child.'

Every word of Mahapurushji bespoke the earnestness of his heart, the fountain of his love overflowing, as it were.

28 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932. Mahapurush Maharaj continued:

In a trembling voice he said: 'It is He who makes us do all these things. That loving Lord seated within is playing various roles. I do and say what He prompts me to. I am simply an instrument in His hands—a broken instrument at that. But He is an excellent player; He can win the game even with a broken dice, and He is doing just that. Otherwise, tell me, what power do I have? I have neither scholarship, nor the gift of speech, nor anything else; neither am I handsome to look at.

Jai Ramakrishna 29 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932. Mahapurushji had been sick with high blood-pressure. He had been under the treatment of doctors and had to be very careful not to over-exert himself. These days he had not been able to come downstairs and have his usual walk. In the afternoon he would walk back and forth, sometimes on the small veranda to the west side of his room and sometimes on the veranda facing the Ganga. Today, shortly before dusk, he went to the veranda facing the Ganga and, saluting the sacred river with folded hands, repeated: “Glory be to Mother Ganga! The Master used to call the Ganga water Brahmavari (waters of Brahman). The breeze blowing from the Ganga purifies everything it reaches.”

Mahapurushji then saluted Mother Kali at the Dakshineswar Temple garden and also the spot on the other side of the Ganga where Sri Ramakrishna was cremated. Leaning on a cane, he started walking slowly. Coming near the room which had once been occupied by Swamiji, he bowed in reverence. He had with him an attendant and, while walking slowly, he remarked: “Just see to what a pass the body has come! Now it pains me to move even a few steps, and yet it is this body that did a lot of mountain climbing, visited so many countries, and practised so much austerity!

There were times when I did not have more than one piece of cloth with me. Half of this piece I would wrap around me as a skirt and the other half I would wrap around the upper part of my body. While journeying along I would bathe at a well and would dry the cloth after my bath, wearing simply the kaupina (loin-cloth). Many nights I slept under a tree. In those days I had a feeling of great dispassion and would never think about physical comforts, finding joy in austerity alone.”

26 December 2024

(Today is the JanmaTithi of Revered Swami Shivanandaji Maharaj. On this Holy day may the Swami bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.)

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1932. In the afternoon the devotees who served Swami Subodhananda during his illness were conducted to Mahapurushji. They had not eaten any food since the previous day and had been crying a great deal. Looking at them, Mahapurushji's eyes became filled with tears. Controlling his emotions with difficulty he tried to console them, saying: "Well, tell me, where has Khoka Maharaj gone? He is with the Master. Have faith in my words. What good will it do to grieve only? It is ignorance that causes grief. Go to the shrine, meditate there and pray, 'O Lord, give us knowledge, give us devotion.' He will surely give you strength. If you meditate upon him this lack of faith and ignorance will go. Crying will do no good. It is not that I myself do not feel like crying. I too have cried. I have my knowledge too. It is already there. The Master has kept me in spite of this. Listen to me, my children. Go and eat something. How much grief do you feel? How long have you known Khoka Maharaj, and how much of him do you understand? I have to bear the brunt of the bereavements, one after another, and I am bearing them silently. What can I do? The Master is withdrawing his powers to himself. Who can stem this tide? They (the Master's disciples) are leaving one after another and I am being put upon the rack. I feel as if a rib were being torn out of my chest."

Keeping quiet for a while, Mahapurushji tried to console the disciples of Swami Subodhananda. Being comforted a little, they left. Mahapurushji remarked: "Ah, it has been a great blow to them! It will take a little time to get over it. But the Mother, the Giver of peace, is within everyone. She will in time bring peace to all."

27 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1932.

The weather was growing slightly cold, indicating the approach of winter. It was dusk. After the vesper service the brahmacharins and sannyasins of the monastery were engaged in meditation. An indescribable peace and serenity prevailed everywhere.

Silence pervaded Mahapurushji's room. A green light was burning there. Mahapurushji was seated cross-legged facing the west, absorbed in meditation. An attendant was gently fanning the Swami, driving away mosquitoes. Time passed in this way. The silence in the room gradually deepened.

Mahapurushji's serene countenance became more radiant. The sadhus of the monastery came as usual to his room and, finding him absorbed in meditation, saluted him from a distance and left. It was nine o'clock at night, but still the Swami did not come down to the normal plane from his meditation.

After a while Mahapurushji softly chanted 'Om', later repeating more distinctly, 'Hari Om'. He inquired what time it was. The attendant hesitantly replied in a low voice, `Maharaj, it is already nine o'clock.'

Mahapurushji: 'Has the bell been rung for the offering of food to the Master?'

Attendant: 'Long ago. It has been long since food was taken to the shrine, and it is time to bring the offered food back.'

The attendant was very much disturbed to find Mahapurushji practising so much meditation. It was the special instruction of the doctors that he should not practise too much as it was harmful for his health.

The attendant therefore took courage to ask: 'What need have you to meditate so much? You can see the Master with your eyes open and talk to him. Why do you have to meditate so much?'

Melting with affection Mahapurushji remarked softly: 'Yes, my child, you have rightly spoken. Without any effort on our part, the Master graciously appears to us and, if necessary, talks to us too. The Master, the Holy Mother, Swamiji and others are all very gracious. There is no doubt about it.

We do not have to meditate to see the Master. I do not meditate for that purpose, but for this: many have had initiation from me, but not all can keep up their spiritual practice. There are still others who, although they keep up their practice, do not make much headway because of certain obstructions in their individual lives. For them I must pray separately. When I concentrate a little, their faces flash across my mind and I pray for them individually. I must remove the obstructions that stand in the way of their spiritual progress.

Besides, in this world many have trials and tribulations. I must help them in that respect also. It is the Master who inspires us from within to do these things. In this world there is no end to trials and tribulations. Therefore, our only prayer is that there may be peace in the entire world, and a lessening of pain and sorrow, and that men may advance towards God. We do not perform any spiritual practice for ourselves, my child.'

Every word of Mahapurushji bespoke the earnestness of his heart, the fountain of his love overflowing. as it were.

28 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932.

Mahapurush Maharaj continued:

In a trembling voice he said: 'It is He who makes us do all these things. That loving Lord seated within is playing various roles. I do and say what He prompts me to. I am simply an instrument in His hands—a broken instrument at that.

But He is an excellent player; He can win the game even with a broken dice, and He is doing just that. Otherwise, tell me, what power do I have? I have neither scholarship, nor the gift of speech, nor anything else; neither am I handsome to look at. Old and feeble in body, I cannot always even go downstairs, and yet He is managing His work. How many people come to us! I can hardly speak to all—so many come.

They say: "You do not have to speak. Just by seeing you all afflictions of our hearts are assuaged, and all our doubts vanish." I do not know anything.

Glory be to Thee, O Lord: Blessed be Thy name; Who can understand Thy glory? I am surprised at the doings of the Lord. In how many ways is He functioning within this body! To whom shall I disclose it and who will understand? Within me as well as outside, it is He who is playing.

`The other day Sudhir (Swami Suddhananda) asked: "So many people have had initiation from you; do you keep track of them? Can you recognize all?"

I said: '`No, I do not remember all."

What need have I to remember how many have had initiation, where they come from, or what they do?

I simply repeat the Lord's name. I think about Him. I do not know anything else. And about initiation, it is He who is responsible for bringing people here and it is He, seated within, who blesses them. Otherwise, why would so many people come if they were attracted by me alone? It is He who has taken hold of this body and is playing His game. I am being blessed.

Whoever come here I dedicate at His feet. I say, "O Lord, here are your people: have them!" Just as people worship the Lord's feet with many kinds of flowers, in the same way I offer different types of men at His feet. I see clearly that He accepts all. He takes their responsibility. He is responsible for their good as well as for the opposite; but they have my best wishes at all times. Every moment I think about their well-being, and I pray for them.'

29 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery. 1932.

Mahapurushji had been sick with high blood-pressure. He had beep under the treatment of doctors and had to be very careful not to over-exert himself. These days he had not been able to come downstairs and have his usual walk, In the afternoon he would walk back and forth, sometimes on the small veranda to the west side of his room and sometimes on the veranda facing the Ganga.

Today, shortly before dusk, he went to the veranda facing the Ganga and saluting the sacred river with folded hands, repeated: 'Glory be to Mother Ganga! The Master used to call the Ganga water Brahmavari (waters of Brahman). The breeze blowing from the Ganga purifies everything it reaches.'

Mahapurushji then saluted Mother Kali at the Dakshineswar Temple garden and also the spot on the other side of the Ganga where Sri Ramakrishna was cremated.

Leaning on a cane, he started walking slowly. Coming near the room which had once been occupied by Swamiji, he bowed in reverence. He had with him an attendant and while walking slowly he remarked: 'Just see to what a pass the body has come! Now it pains me to move even a few steps, and yet it is this body that did a lot of mountain climbing, visited so many countries, and practised so much austerity!

There were times when I did not have more than one piece of cloth with me. Half of this piece I would wrap around me as a skirt and the other half I would wrap around the upper part of my body. While journeying along I would bathe at a well and would dry the cloth after my bath, wearing simply the kaupina (loin-cloth).

`Many nights I slept under a tree. In those days I had a feeling of great dispassion and would never think about physical comforts, finding joy in austerity alone. I have wandered a great deal, having no possessions, but I was never in any difficulty. The Master stayed by me and protected me from all dangers and difficulties, and I never went hungry.

Of course, there were days when I had very little to eat.

I remember very well one experience.

One day, on my way to Bithur to see a sadhu, I was resting at noon under a tree and had not eaten anything. There was no human habitation in the neighbourhood. Suddenly from a near-by bael tree a ripe bael fell down on the ground with a thud and broke open. I looked around to see if there were anyone near and then picked up the fruit and satisfied my hunger with it. It was a big bael.

'In those days I had great longing and restlessness to realize God. While walking I would practise remembrance of God and pray to Him earnestly. I disliked the company of men and would avoid roads ordinarily frequented by travellers. Towards evening I would find shelter somewhere and spend the night absorbed in my own thoughts.

Night is the ideal time for spiritual practice. There being no external noise and bustle at night, the mind naturally becomes quiet. I wandered like this for a long time. If one lives this way, having no possessions, one develops full resignation to God. One becomes established in the idea that God alone is our protector in prosperity as well as adversity.'

30 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1932. Mahapurushji now sat down on a chair and the conversation continued. He said: “Now the Master has graciously kept me here for his service. I don’t feel like going anywhere now. The guru and Mother Ganga are on two sides; between them I am in great peace. This place is verily Vaikuntha (the heaven of Vishnu)! The Lord of the Universe Himself is here for the good of the world. A perfected soul like Swamiji lived here. How much spiritual rapture and ecstasy has been experienced here! Our Master, who is self-contained, is here and all his apostles live in this place in their subtle bodies. And sometimes we see them.”

“If a spiritual aspirant attains illumination in any place, that place becomes holy, and this is the holiest of holy places. How sacred is the very dust of this place! It will take a long time for humanity to know and realize who Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji were. The world has not seen such spiritual giants manifested for the good of the world in thousands of years. Buddha came, and after several hundred years people understood a little of him, and his liberal message spread throughout the world. Just think, what a furore was made over a tooth of Buddha that had been carried somewhere! What a big temple was built to commemorate that tooth! And here we have the relics of Sri Ramakrishna, the Holy Mother, Swamiji and the others. When I think about these things my hair stands on end.”

“How many people will come from distant countries to worship the ground of the Belur Math! There is already an indication of that. It is not yet fifty years since the Master’s passing away and yet what a spiritual revolution is taking place throughout the world, because of his personality. We are blessed that we can see these things. You will see even greater things.”

31 December 2024

(Teachings of Swami Shivananda)

Place: Belur Monastery, 1932. “The Master’s work was in the realm of ideas—in the realm of the Spirit. The ideal that he lived will soon bring about a wholesale transformation of religious ideas in the entire world. There are already signs of it. Yogin Maharaj (Swami Yogananda) used to say: ‘There have always been various religious paths and countless scriptures and holy places in every country. In spite of that, why is there a decline in religion? The reason is because in course of time all those ideals become lost. Therefore, God incarnates Himself so as to explain the subtleties of religion and to show the ideal.’”

“The Master came this time as the living embodiment of all religious paths. That is why he practised many religious disciplines and obtained illumination through them. The Master’s life is the living embodiment of every religious ideal. Now you will see that the votaries of every religion will derive new life, hope and inspiration from his divine life, moulding their own religious life in accordance with his life.”

Gradually it became dark.

Swami Dayatmananda: 1 January 2025. Jai Ramakrishna.

HEARTY KALPATARU AND NEW YEAR GREETINGS

Dear Devotees,

On this auspicious occasion, please accept my hearty prayers and greetings. May Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother grant us bhakti, jnana, shraddha, strength, and steadfastness.

1st January 1886. Only two weeks ago, Sri Ramakrishna had been brought to the Cossipore garden. So long bed-ridden, the Master felt, for the first time, a desire to take a walk below in the garden. It was 3 p.m. Dressed in a red-bordered cloth, a shirt, a wrapper also with a red border, a cap covering the ears, and a pair of slippers, Ramakrishna came down from upstairs along with Latu. The lay devotees were present in a large number, as it was a holiday on account of New Year’s Day. As the Master came down unexpectedly into the garden, the lay devotees came forward in joy to greet and accompany him. Latu returned to clean and rearrange the bedding of the Master.

It was Girish, the symbol of faith, who precipitated the historic moment. Girish was talking with other devotees like Ram, under a mango tree. For the last few months, despite Sri Ramakrishna’s illness, Girish was openly declaring to others that the Master was the latest incarnation of God on earth. Sri Ramakrishna came along the way to where Girish and others sat, and asked Girish, “Girish, what have you seen (in me) which makes you say so many things publicly in glorification of me before one and all?”

With all his devotion and faith, Girish at once stood up, came near the Master, and fell at his feet. Then with folded hands and a voice choked with emotion, he said, “What more can I say about Him, even a fraction of whose glory Vyasa and Valmiki miserably failed to express in their immortal epics and puranas!”

With these words of fervent faith, a visible change came in Sri Ramakrishna. In front of the devotees, he now stood radiant and, through Girish, addressed the gathering of these lay devotees, “What more shall I say to you? Be illumined.”

Hardly had he spoken these words, when he went into samadhi. The words uttered out of a deep compassion immediately brought a divine awakening in all present.