Fw: Sivananda Day-to-day (168)

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Pannirselvam Kanagaratnam <pannir

<srath

Wednesday, April 05, 2000 5:51 AM

Sivananda Day-to-day (168)

 

 

> Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya!

> Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya!

> Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!

>

> Namaste!

>

> We have uploaded a book by Guru Maharaj Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj

> titled " Ponder These Truths " . This book consists of the early morning

> meditation talks delivered at Sivananda Ashram. In this book the seeker

> will find valuable guidance on the spiritual path as well as inspiration

> and motivation to tenaciously stick to ones spiritual disciplines. This

> book is at our free books page at:

> http://www.SivanandaDlshq.org/download/download.htm

>

> For this month's discourse we uploaded a letter written by Guru Maharaj

> in New York State in August, 1975. The title is " What is Yoga? " In this

> letter Guru Maharaj explains the place of Yoga in religion. This letter

> is at:

> http://www.SivanandaDlshq.org/discourse/apr2000.htm

>

> Please note that Sri Swami Ramaswarupanandaji has a new e-mail address.

> Please send correspondence to Swamiji at the following e-mail address:

> ramaswarup

>

> Yours in the service of Gurudev,

>

> Pannir

>

> --------------------

>

> A WESTERNER ENLIGHTENED: " What is Moksha, Swamiji? " asked a foreign

> seeker.

>

> " Moksha is freedom from bondage. It is happiness, absolute bliss and

> immortal life; it is the attainment of Cosmic Consciousness or

> Christ-Consciousness, " replied the Master.

>

> " Please explain to me what is meant by Cosmic Consciousness. "

>

> " It is a state of consciousness in which you are aware that God is all

> that there is and more, that He is the link that connects all

> individuals. God is the Consciousness that illumines the entire

> creation. Realisation of this Consciousness or God liberates one from

> bondage to passing phenomena, from the illusion of names and forms. This

> is the state of God-realisation or Self-realisation. "

>

> " Is there an individuality after the experience of God-realisation? "

>

> " No. The individual soul is completely merged in Cosmic Consciousness.

> It is like the river entering into the ocean. It loses its identity and

> you can no more distinguish the waters of one river from that of another

> after they have entered the ocean. The appearance of the world vanishes

> in the Reality of God, just as when a lamp is brought, the snake which

> appeared to be, vanishes in the rope that exists. "

>

> " Swamiji, please tell us the means of attaining this wonderful state. "

>

> " You have the Sadhana stated beautifully in the Sermon on the Mount of

> Lord Jesus. Mind is the dividing wall; it is the main obstacle on the

> path of Self-realisation. All Sadhanas aim at removing this obstacle.

>

> " There are two aspects of the mind--the lower mind and the higher mind.

> The lower mind is full of lust, greed, hatred, anger and jealousy. The

> higher mind is free from jealousy, selfishness and other negative

> traits, and is full of divine qualities like tolerance, love,

> selflessness and renunciation. You should control the lower mind with

> the help of the higher mind and then go beyond the mind also. The mind

> is nothing but a bundle of past impressions and desires. It can be

> controlled by disciplining the senses. This is achieved by the active

> cultivation of virtues. "

>

> " It is very difficult to cultivate these virtues, " put in the foreigner.

>

> " True, but a positive attitude overcomes a negative one. The virtues

> will overcome the vices, which are merely negative qualities preventing

> the cultivation of virtues. Meditate on the divine virtues and their

> glory. Meditate on God, then you will grow in virtue. "

>

> " Is meditation so essential, Swamiji? "

>

> " Yes, it is the very basis of Sadhana. "

>

> " What is meditation and how to meditate? "

>

> " Meditation is the withdrawal of the rays of the mind scattered over the

> various objects, and directing the concentrated beam of its light on the

> Self within in order to commune with God. There are two types of

> meditation: the first type is with form and the second is meditation on

> the formless Absolute. In the beginning an aspirant will always find

> that fixing the mind on a form is essential.

>

> " Meditate on the form of Lord Jesus, for instance, and let the mind

> dwell upon his divine nature, his great virtues and his splendour. You

> will thereby grow in virtue.

>

> " Another method of cultivating virtues is by means of selfless service.

> It helps you to achieve marvellous control over the mind and the senses.

> It also enables you to snap the bonds of Karma. "

>

> " How to free ourselves from Karma, Swamiji? "

>

> " As you perform your daily duties feel that you are only a witness of

> all that goes on around you, that you are a witness even of your own

> actions. This is called Sakshi Bhav. You should inwardly realise that

> you are different from the active principle in you. This is the Vedantic

> method.

>

> " There is the other and easier method which is equally potent--the

> method of Nimitta Bhav. Feel that the Lord alone is the real doer of all

> actions and that you are an instrument in His hands. Your actions will

> then be transformed into worship of the Lord and you will not be bound

> to them. Work without the expectation of any reward and without egoism.

> Root out the idea of agency and feel that you are not the doer. You will

> be freed from the shackles of Karma; you will not accumulate new Karma.

> Allow the past Karma to work out, then you will attain liberation. "

>

> " Swamiji, is it true that man suffers only on account of his own past

> Karma? If so, how do you explain the suffering he undergoes on account

> of natural calamities like earthquakes, riots, etc.? "

>

> " It is perfectly true that man suffers on account of his own Karma. And

> it is the collective past Karma of a number of persons that gathers them

> together at a certain place where an earthquake works out this

> collective past Karma, and large numbers of people enter the mouth of

> Kala at the same time. "

>

> " Swamiji, I have often come across this word 'Kala' in the Indian

> scriptures. What exactly is meant by it? "

>

> " It is the 'Great Time' personified. It is the destroyer of name and

> form. In the Hindu Pantheon there are various gods and goddesses who are

> members of the Divine Hierarchy. Just as we have our government here,

> composed of various ministers and officers, the celestials who rule this

> world too, have their own Deities who control various aspects of the

> creation, preservation and destruction of the world.

>

> " Some are in charge of the various elements like air, fire and water;

> others are in charge of birth, death, preservation of life and disease.

> Kala or Yama or Dharmaraja is the Lord of Death. The entire universe is

> under his control in a way, for when the time comes he brings about the

> end of the earthly sojourn of all beings. It is only a man of

> Self-realisation who transcends this Kala and realises his own Self. All

> Sadhana is meant to help us transcend Kala, to conquer death and thus go

> beyond time. "

>

> " In this quest after Truth, Swamiji, I can understand that great

> saviours like Lord Jesus can help us. But it is not always that such

> souls are present amidst us. What are we to do, Swamiji? "

>

> " Saints are always present in the world. Rogues are also always present.

> Saviours and dacoits are ever present in this world, for it is a world

> of dualities. Good and evil are ever present here. Absolute good can be

> found only in God. You should get the guidance of saints; only they can

> teach you the divine science. Books will certainly help you; they will

> put you in tune with the great ones who attained God. When you read the

> Bible you are in tune with Lord Jesus. When you read the Gita, you are

> in tune with Lord Krishna. This will also help you.

>

> " But just as you cannot learn the art of cooking merely by reading

> books, similarly, you cannot learn Yoga from books alone. However, you

> should not wait indefinitely for a teacher to turn up. As soon as the

> aspiration arises in your heart, you should at once start the practice

> with the help of some scriptural text that you like, like the Bible. "

>

> " But, Swamiji, I have heard that it is dangerous to engage in Yoga

> practices without the aid of an expert Guru. "

>

> " There is danger at every moment of your daily life. While going up the

> stairs, if you take a wrong step, you are likely to fall and break your

> bones; if you are a little absent-minded while crossing a road, you may

> be run over by a car. The danger of practising Yoga with the help of

> good texts is in no way greater. If you are sincere, if you use your

> common sense at every step, you will achieve success. In due course you

> will find a competent teacher also. "

>

> " Apart from the Guru, Swamiji, do you think that a mediator is necessary

> in order to enable us to attain Self-realisation? "

>

> " Yes, yes. That is the tutelary Deity, the Ishta Devata. The mind cannot

> rise beyond itself all at once. The ego will seldom cut its own throat.

> Your limited consciousness will find it a hard task to realise Cosmic

> Consciousness. Therefore the name and form of a Deity is chosen to

> meditate upon. In due time this Deity will manifest Itself before you

> and do the work of annihilating the ego and the mind, thus enabling you

> to realise the state of Cosmic Consciousness. "

>

> " What Name shall we choose, Swamiji? "

>

> " Om, This is the Name of the nameless Supreme Being. This is the nearest

> approximation of the Truth. It is the Mother of all sounds, names and

> forms. It is Sabda Brahman. "

>

> " Is it proper during this practice to feel that we are in truth parts of

> God, Swamiji? "

>

> " Not exactly parts, but God Himself in reality. Remember how Lord Jesus

> also declared, 'I and my Father are one'. This is the ultimate

> experience, this is the ultimate truth which all the prophets, seers and

> sages have proclaimed.

>

> " Lord Jesus, Lord Buddha, Guru Nanak, Kabir and Prophet Mohammed all

> delivered the same message in a way suited to the people of the age in

> which they lived. They all taught that God is one, Truth is one, and

> that man can realise the Truth by controlling the mind and the senses. "

>

> " How to control the mind, Swamiji? "

>

> The Master suddenly switched on to a little humour!

>

> " Take sour curd and lie down on your bed, covering yourself with a warm

> quilt, and then go to sleep! "

>

> Everyone burst into laughter!

>

> " The method of controlling the mind also has been beautifully given by

> all the sages and saints. They said, 'Serve, love, give, purify,

> meditate, realise; be good, do good, be kind and compassionate; enquire

> about the nature of your true Self.' This is the essence of the

> teachings of all sages, prophets and saviours of the world. Follow them

> and attain Self-realisation this very moment.

>

> " May God bless you! Come again and stay here for some time. "

>

> --------------------

>

> " If the aspirant takes one step nearer to It, It will come in a hundred

> leaps and bounds nearer to him. Such is the nature of the Eternal Being.

> For every bit of action that is done for Its sake, you receive a

> millionfold in return! This fact is beautifully illustrated in the

> workings of Bhagavan Sri Krishna for the good of His devotees. " - Swami

> Sivananda

>

>

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