Guest guest Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Note: forwarded message attached. ______________________________\ ____ Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows. Answers - Check it out. http://answers./dir/?link=list & sid=396545469 Quotable Quotes from Swami Love as Thought is Truth. Love as Action is Right Conduct. Love as Understanding is Peace. Love as Feeling is Non-violence. Start the Day with Love; Spend the Day with Love; Fill the Day with Love; End the Day with Love; This is the way to God. I have come to light the lamp of love in your hearts, to see that it shines day by day with added luster. Your heart must be transparent, like glass, with spiritual light within illuminating the whole world. I shall be with you, where ever you are, guarding you and guiding you. March on, have no fear. Duty is God; Work is worship. Even the tiniest work is a flower placed at the Feet of God. Cultivate a nearness with Me in the heart and it will be rewarded. Then you too will acquire a fraction of that Supreme Love. Duty without love is deplorable. Duty with love is desirable. Love without duty is Divine. Peace can only be won the hard way, by eliminating violence and greed from the hearts of individual. The secret of happiness is not doing what one likes to do but in liking what one has to do. The end of wisdom is freedom. The end of culture is perfection. The end of knowledge is love. The end of education is character. First you must grapple with the fact that duty is God and start doing your duty. I have come not to disturb or destroy any faith, but to confirm each in his own faith - so that Christian becomes a better Christian, the Muslim, a better Muslim, and the Hindu, a better Hindu. Transmuting " man " into " God " and experiencing that Ananda or Bliss is the one and only achievement for which life is to be devoted. The minimum qualifications for Grace is surrender of ego. The treasure that is precious is the quality of even mindedness in all situations. The joy of being the master of senses is far greater than being their slave. Your progress is reflected back as Grace, your decline is reflected back as its absence. The mirror just reflects. It has no partiality or prejudice. Sathya is what I teach; Dharma is the way I live; Shanti is the mark of My personality; Prema is my very Nature. Peace is shoreless ocean - it is the light that illuminates the world. Virtue is the sign of the educated person. This is what makes education worthwhile. God can be felt and experienced only in the deepest depths of silence. Education must remove hatred between the pilgrims on the various roads to God. There is only one God, one Goal, one Law, one Truth, one Religion and one Reason. To help the helpless is the only way to please, follow and reach Him. Mind, word and act; all three must be filled with the belief that all is His play; that is the genuine path. You are in the Light, then the Light is in you, You are the Light. Desire is storm, greed is whirlpool, pride is precipice, attachment is avalanche, ego is volcano. Discard desire and you are liberated. Devotion has to be unintermittent, uninterrupted, like the flow of oil from one vessel to another. Human society minus God is equal to a forest of brutes. Bear all and do nothing; Hear all and say nothing; Give all and take nothing; Serve all and be nothing. Man minus immorality is Immortality. God is for those, who are not for themselves. So long as the sugar is on the tongue, you feel the sweetness in taste. Similarly, so long as the heart has love, peace and devotion, you feel the bliss. If you will not rise above the things of the world, they will rise above you. Praying is your task; what happens to the prayer is dependent on the Grace of God. Seek out your faults and others' merits. Seeking others' faults is dire sin. Your duty is to pray for the welfare of the world and to work for it as far as it lies in your power. Earning money cannot be the purpose of education. Acquiring good qualities can be the only purpose of education. True devotion must not get dispirited; nor elated or satisfied with lesser gains; it must fight against failure, loss, calumny, calamity, ridicule and against egoism and pride, impatience and cowardice. Follow the Master; Face the devil; Fight to the end; Finish the goal. If animal feelings are washed out, Divine feelings begin to overflow instead. A man who has no love in him is as barren as a cloud with no moisture, a tree with no fruits or a cow yielding no milk; he is ever far from God and can never earn His Grace. Life is a bridge over the sea of changes. Do not build a house on it. In the innermost recess of your heart there is a reservoir of peace where you must take refuge. Employ yourself usefully. Be like a trustee, holding on trust, on behalf of God, for the purpose which He likes and approves. Hear good things, see good, do good, think good, then you get the Grace of God, as all the evil tendencies will be uprooted. All are expressions of the same God, as bulbs lit by the same current through manifold colors and wattage. Have faith in His Grace and lead a virtuos life, a life devoted to the service of the weak; a life spent in the thought about the might and glory of God. The refinement of an individual is measured by the yard stick of sense control. Prayer must emanate from the heart, where God resides, and not from the head where doctrines and doubts clash. You have come from God, you are a spark of His Glory; you are a wave of that Ocean of Bliss; you will get peace only when you again merge in Him. See God in every one you meet; see God in every thing you handle. Live together, revere each other, let not the seeds of envy and hate grow and choke the clear stream of Love. Make your life a rose, that speaks silently in the language of fragrance. Be in the world, but let not the world be in you. Be like the lions in the spiritual field, rule over the forest of the senses and roam fearlessly with full faith in victory. The heart with compassion is the temple of God. Start early, Drive slowly, Reach safely. Watch your Words, Action, Thoughts, Character and Heart. Education softens the heart. If the heart is hard, one cannot claim to be educated. Faith in ourselves and faith in God: this is the secret of Greatness, for God is Love. Good ideas, good conduct and adherence to Truth should result from our education. Only those who acquire these qualities can be called truly educated. Devotion to the Divine will give you Bliss, Prosperity and Peace. It cannot inflict pain, perturbation or personal anxiety. It fosters love and brings all together as one band of brothers. Every action of yours at the present time is bound to have a reaction, resound and reflection in the future. Reach the point where churches, temples, mosques do not matter, where all roads end, from where all roads run. Doing one's duty, however small, in an unattached manner gives rise to the awakening of self awareness. Bend the body, mend the senses and end the mind - this is the way to Immortality. Why fear when I am here? Put all your faith in Me. I shall guide you and guard you. Try within your means to satisfy the needs of the poor. If you place complete faith in the Lord at all times, you will receive His Grace. Grace takes away the pain of Karma. The Lord can save man completely from Karma. God has no preferences and prejudices; His is but reaction, reflection and resound. Where there is Faith, there is Love; Where there is Love, there is Peace; Where there is Peace, there is Truth; Where there is Truth, there is God; Where there is God, there is Bliss. Life is Love, enjoy it; Life is Challenge, meet it; Life is a Song, sing it; Life is a Dream, realize it; Life is a Game, play it; Life is a Goal. achieve it. Ego lives by getting and forgetting; Love lives by giving and forgiving; Love is expansion; Self is contraction; Self is lovelessness; Love is selflessness. There is only one religion, the religion of Love; There is only one language, the language of the Heart; There is only one caste, the caste of Humanity; There is only one law, the law of Karma; There is only one God, He is Omnipresent. Haste makes waste; Waste makes worry; So do not be in a hurry. You are not one person, but three: The one you think you are; The one others think you are; The one you really are. Money comes and goes; morality comes and grows. Nations are many, but Earth is one; Beings are many, but Breath is one; Stars are many, but Sky is one; Oceans are many, but Water is one; Religions are many, but God is one; Jewels are many, but Gold is one; Appearances are many, but Reality is One. Come just one step forward, I shall take a hundred towards you. Shed one tear, I shall wipe a hundred from your eyes. The proof of rain is in the wetness of the ground; the proof of devotion is in the peace the aspirant has attained. Every experience is a lesson, every loss is a gain. You should completely forget the help rendered by you to others and the harm done to you by others. If wealth is lost, nothing is lost. If health is lost, something is lost. If character is lost, all is lost. The body has to be utilized for service to others. More bliss can be got from serving others than from merely serving oneself. You should consider every individual as God. This is true worship. You are not doing service for others. You are doing it always for yourselves, to the God in you, the God who is equally present in others. If it is good and will harm no one, go ahead. If it is not good, put it aside. If not sure, do nothing until sure. What is needed today is that we should lead a life of good quality. The fostering of sterling character and good conduct is the need of the world. Once we have greater numbers of such people of good quality, the country and the world will become prosperous and peaceful. You must act ever in the consciousness of your divinity and recognize in each being, a brother, a child of God. The whole world is one family. The only permanent change is slow, steady change. God, if you think, God you are. Dust if you think, dust you are. As you think, so you become. Think God, be God. Those who seek to acquire steadiness of faith must first acquire the strength to bear grief and pain, insult and injury. The succession of joy and grief must help confirm the faith and make it immovable. That alone can evidence true devotion. Failures are stepping stones to success. Individual spiritual practice is the negative pole and service is the positive pole. The conjunction of both poles can alone bring success. The mind carries the divine principle (the light of love) and conveys it to all who contact it. We can be successful leaders only if we are disciplined followers, who do not issue commands to others but rather set an example of service in our actions. If you have the inclination to do good work, God will give you the time to do good things. Man falsely imagines " I am doing this " , " I am planning this " . It is the supreme, all pervasive consciousness that motivates, unfolds the skills and operates the intellect. Let God work through you and there will be no more duty. Let God shine forth. Let God show Himself. Live God, Eat God. Drink God. Breath God. Realize the Truth and the other things will take care of themselves. Treat all as your own self. Do not have a double standard. What you would desire others to do for you, you should do for others. You should respect others as you want to be respected by them. Love all men without distinction, Know that mankind is a single community. Is the intention pure, selfless, born out of love? Is it based on truth? Does it result in peace? If so, it is a right action. True humanness consists of a continuous series of tiny acts executed with absolute sincerity and largeness of heart. The quality of one's feelings determines one's future. Think before speaking. Think before acting. Then go ahead If you feel good about it. See good Hear good Speak good Do good Be good If you strive to find your Self by using your mind, you will strive and strive in vain, because the mind cannot give you the Truth. You are that Self. All else is illusion of the mind's creation. Every being in the universe has the potentiality of transcending the senses. Even the little worm will one day transcend the senses and reach God. No life will be a failure. There is no such thing as failure in the universe. More than listening to a hundred lectures or delivering them to others, offering one act as genuine service attracts the Grace of God. We should not aspire for acclaim and praise from those around us, but do service only to secure the Grace of God and not for any other reward from any one. Bury bad thoughts under good ones. Then the bad ones will just fade away and be forgotten. Living is not enough; it has no value by itself. It is the motives, the feelings, the thoughts, the attitudes that prompt the day to day life that matters. Secure spiritual bliss first and then try to convey it to those who thirst. When the tank is dry, how can the taps give water? Always try to put yourself in the position of the other and judge your action against the background. Then you will not be wrong. Honor all religions. Each is a pathway to God. Make the mind, the voice and the actions agree in harmony. That is the right way of life. Impurity is a mere superimposition under which the real nature of man has been hidden. Where divinity is sought after, one ought always to behave in the spirit of Love, devoid of the slightest trace of hate, envy and anger. When one cultivates the inner look, one attains the conviction of the basic equality of all. What is heard has to be pondered over. What is pondered over has to be put into practice. It is only when all three are accomplished that the realization of Bliss can be attained. The secret of perfect health lies in keeping the mind always cheerful - never worried, never hurried, never borne down by any fear, thought or anxiety. The pure heart is the best mirror for the reflection of Truth. So all these disciplines are for the purification of the heart. As soon as it is pure, all truths flash upon it in a minute. O Lord, take my love and let it flow in fullness of devotion to Thee. O Lord, take my hands and let them work incessantly for Thee. O Lord, take my soul and let it be merged in oneness with Thee. O Lord, take my mind and thoughts and let them be in tune with Thee. O Lord, take my everything and let me be an instrument for thy work. Religion is three-fourths character. Only those who preserve character can be pronounced truly religious. Desire destroys devotion, anger destroys wisdom, greed destroys work - hence these bad qualities must be sacrificed. With good and sweet words, keeping desires under check and control (for ultimate removal), one should start on the path of sacrifice. Man derives all the joy and peace that he needs from within himself and not from sources outside himself. So the best spiritual discipline is: strengthen the inward vision. Anything that helps you maintain unruffled equanimity is right action. True love expands the self; attachment contracts it. Moderation in temper is virtue. Moderation in principle is a vice. The harder the circumstances, the more trying the environment, the stronger are those who come out of those circumstances. That which happens physically on the outside in terms of actions is not of major importance. What is important is that which comes from inside. This body is the residence of God. The food you take is the offering you make to him. Your act of bathing is the ceremonial bathing of Him who is in You. The ground you walk on is His domain. The joy you gain is His gift. The grief you experience is His lesson. Remember Him ever, in sun and rain, day and night, asleep and awake. Offer service and receive love. This is the recipe for experiencing Divinity. Our love should not be confined to our kith and kin. It must extend beyond the family to society as a whole, then to the nation at large and finally embrace the whole world. Whatever books you may read, you cannot realize the Divine merely by intellectual effort. One must put it into practice. That sense of oneness can only be promoted by the practice of love and not by any other means. It is not what you have achieved that is important. It is the broadness of heart that has motivated you to do work that counts. Being broad minded with a selfless attitude, humility and obedience, you should try to share the difficulties of others around you. It is the purity of heart that is more important than the magnitude of the work itself. Our relationships are heart to heart relationships. Ours is a business of love, not a business of money or materials. For the progress of humanity, work alone is not adequate, but the work should be associated with love, compassion, right conduct, truthfulness and sympathy. Without the above qualities, selfless service cannot be performed. God will not ask you when and where you did service? He will ask, with what motive did you do it? What was the intention that prompted you? You may weigh the service and boast of its quantity. But God seeks quality - the quality of heart, the purity of mind, the holiness of motive. Living with God is education Living for God is Service Living in God is Realization Unity is Divinity. Purity is Enlightenment. Reform the body, reconstruct the mind, regulate the way of living, then, the country will become automatically strong and prosperous. Before you speak, Think -Is it necessary? Is it true? Is it kind? Will it hurt anyone? Will it improve on the silence? The first step in the Sadhana is the cleansing of the speech. Talk sweet without anger. Do not boast of your scholarship or attainments. be humble, eager to serve; conserve your speech. Practice silence. That will save you from squabbles, frittering thoughts and faction. Spend a few minutes every morning and evening in the Silence of your own shrine or home; spend them with the highest of all the Powers that you know of. Be in His elevating and Inspiring company; worship Him mentally; offer unto Him all the work you do; you will come out of the silence nobler and more heroic than when you went in. Forget the harm that anyone has done to you, and forget the good that you have done to others. There is only one royal road for the spiritual journey...Love Be Silent yourself, that will induce Silence in others. Do not fall into the habit of shouting, talking long and loud. Reduce contacts to the minimum. Carry with you an atmosphere of quiet contemplation, wherever you happen to be. Learn the value of Silence, of Namasmarana, of Bhajan, of Japa, of Dhyana, of single minded remembrance of the Lord, of the association with spiritually kin. These will stand you in good stead, when distress assails you. The less you talk, the more will become your mental power. With the increase in your mental capacity, there will be increase in your power of discrimination too. Consequently, you will give up " individual discrimination " . Because of this, you will begin to consider the good of the world at large rather than your own individual welfare. You must cultivate such broad feelings from this young age itself. The voice of God can be heard in the region of your heart when the tongue is stilled and the storm is tilled and the waves are calm. There will be no temptations for others to shout when you talk to them in whispers. Set the level of the tone yourself; as low as possible, as high as necessary to reach the outermost boundary of the circle you are addressing. Conserve sound, since it is the treasure of the element akasa, an emanation from God Himself. Reason can prevail only when arguments are advanced without the whipping up of sound. Silence is the speech of the spiritual seeker. Soft sweet speech is the expression of genuine love. Hate screeches, fear squeals, conceit trumpets. But love sings lullabies. It soothes. It applies balm. Practice the vocabulary of love; unlearn the language of hate and contempt. Silence is the only language of the realized. Practice moderation in speech. That will help you in many ways. It will develop Prema, for most misunderstandings and factions arise out of carelessly spoken words. When the foot slips, the wound can be healed; but when the tongue slips, the wound it causes in the heart of another will fester for life. The tongue is liable to four big errors: uttering falsehood, scandalizing, finding fault with others, and excessive speech. All these have to be avoided if there is to be Santhi for the individual as well as for society. Good works never languish for want of funds; the Lord will come to their rescue. Only it may take some time; do not lose heart... You should not collect money in devious ways. Help should come from pious hearts, from well earned money, from persons who know and appreciate the purpose for which they give. That is why I oppose all benefit shows, where you tempt people with a dance or a drama or a film and collect money for your pet plan. In all effort, if you trust in a Higher Power which is ready to come to your help, work is made easy. This comes out of Bhakthi, reliance on the Lord, the source of all Power. When you travel by train, you have only to purchase the ticket, enter the proper train and take a seat, leaving the rest to the engine. Why should you carry the bed and trunk on your head? So too put your trust in the Lord and carry on to the best of your ability. You have been born because you did not pass in certain subjects; there is some balance of experience which you must acquire to complete the course. If you get convinced that your true nature is the Atma, then you have finished the course and 'passed'. You should see that no dirt settles upon the mind; that is to say, you should move about in such company that dirt is avoided. Falsehood, injustice, indiscipline, cruelty, hate -- these form the dirt; Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema -- these form the clean elements. If you inhale the pure air of these latter, your mind will be free from evil bacilli and you will be mentally sturdy and physically strong. The year becomes new, the day becomes holy, when you sanctify it by spiritual discipline, not otherwise. All life is one, my dear son, be alike to every one. Do not crave for recognition and respect from others; crave rather for winning grace from the Lord. God is love, live in love. The Lord will be watching with a thousand eyes the least activity of man to discover any slight trace of selfless love sweetening it. A sound mind ensures a sound body; a sound body ensures a sound mind. The body will shine if the character is fine; service of man and worship of God will preserve its charm. The peace that pervades the heart can never be shaken for any reason; only peace of this kind is worthy of the name. Love all beings; that is enough. The grace of God is like insurance. It will help you in your time of need without any limit. The service of man is the only means by which you can serve God. God is in you God is in every word of yours, Every deed and thought. Speak, do and think as befits Him. Do not seek to discover or discuss the evil in others, for the attempt will tarnish your own minds. Life is: Loving Listening Lifting Learning Living Thinking, discriminating and practice - all three constitute the basic human characteristics. Education should build character. Its is Truth and Truth alone, that is one's real friend, relative. Faith is like our life breath. It is impossible to live even for a minute in this world without faith. Resolve to carry on the quest of your own Reality. Hatred sprouts; Envy raises its hood. Love sprouts; Peace descends like dew. Life is the car, your heart is the key, God is the chauffeur. Expand yourselves; do not contract into your own tiny individuality. Foster Love Live in Love Spread Love Have the name and form of God as your companion, guide and guardian throughout the toils of the waking hours. When you retire for the night offer grateful homage to God for being with you all day long. The present is a product of the past, but it is also the seed for the future. Experience that is drawn through any of the senses has an effect on one's health. The mind sees separateness, Love sees unity. Head in the forest; Hands in society Today's man is pursuing unrestrained sense cravings. These pursuits drag man's mind into the gutter. A man's well-being depends upon his degree of contentment. Every living being in this world is knowingly or unknowingly on a spiritual pilgrimage. Every one is the embodiment of God. Character is the most precious gift of education. Life is a challenge, meet it ! Life is a dream, realize it ! Life is a game, play it ! Life is Love, enjoy it ! You are all members of the same family, bound by the Religion of Love. True education is not for a mere living, but for a fuller and meaningful life. Devotion is not a uniform to be worn on certain days and then to be put aside. If the mind of man is not reformed and purified then all the plans to reform the world will be futile. What God gives is never exhausted. What man gives never lasts. Love must express itself as Service. Man has to recognize the indebtedness to society and his duty towards it. W \ /Words \ /A \ / Action \ /T \ your/ Thoughts / \C / \ Character / \H / \ Heart You must make the mind the servant of God, not the slave of the senses. Good company is important, it helps to cultivate good qualities. As close as you are to God, so close is God to you. The synthesis of pure, calming food is breathing pure air, listening to good sounds, looking at good sights, and touching pure objects. We must control our desires. Don't waste money Don't waste time Don't waste food Don't waste energy I - Want - Peace " I " is ego. " Want " is desire. Remove ego and desire and you have peace. The gift of food to the hungry is the noblest of all gifts. When we sit for the meal, we feel light and effortless. When we are done, we should rise with the same feeling of lightness and effortlessness. Love sees all as one Divine family. Love...doesn't allow any room for pettiness or narrow outlook. We should realize that man has not only a mind which conceives thoughts, but also a heart which can put them into practice. The teachers of tomorrow are the students of today. Renunciation is the power of battling against evil forces and holding the mind in check. The heart of man, which is now allowed to lie fallow, has to be plowed by spiritual exercises like repetition of God's name. Teachers must be examples of Love and Truth. Being example is the best form of Service. Desire makes man forget his real nature and reduces him to be status of a beast. Let the different faiths exist, let them flourish and the glory of God be sung in all the languages and in a variety of tunes. Dedicate all your thoughts, words, and deeds to Him. Man will realize his mission on earth when he knows himself as Divine and reveres others as Divine. God gave you the time, space, cause, material, idea, skill, chance, and fortune. Why should you feel as if your are the doer? If you give up and surrender to the lord, He will guide you and guard you. Ignorance is the most important cause of sorrow. Once we surrender our mind to God completely, He will take care of us in every way. Learn to speak what you feel, and act what you speak. Small minds select narrow roads; expand your mental vision and take to the broad road of helpfulness, compassion and service. Politics without principles, Education without character, Science without humanity, and Commerce without morality Are not only useless, but positively dangerous. Try to conduct yourself in such a way as not to injure others. A nation that has no bridle on its sensuality can never thrive or survive. God is all Names and all Forms Have constructive thoughts; consoling words; compassionate acts. The first thing you have to do, to impress upon your mind the reality, is to recite the name of God and dwell on His Glory in the mind. Character is to be sought more than intellect. The attitude today is the root on which the future grows. If there is righteousness in the heart, There will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, There will be harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, There will be order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, There will be peace in the world. Friendship is the expression of unshakable Love. Love that is noble, pure, free from desire or egoism. Meditation is nothing else but rising above desires. When you take one step towards God, God takes ten towards you. Service should not be exhibitionistic, you must seek no reward, not even gratitude or thanks from the recipient. You cannot see Me, but I am the Light you see by. You cannot hear Me, but I am the Sound you hear by. You cannot know Me, but I am the Truth by which you live. The food we consume should be tasty, sustaining and pleasant; It should not be too hot or too salty; there must be a balance and an equilibrium maintained. Real happiness lies within you. Detachment is sacrifice. Example, not precept, is the best teaching aid. Base all educational efforts on building up of the character of the students, and then you can confidently think of raising on in the super-structure of curricula. The mother is the pillar of the home, of society, of the nation, and so of humanity itself. You are all separate beads strung together on that one thread, God. Nourish your aged parents; revere them. Your thoughts, words and deeds will shape others and theirs will shape you. Love of the country is the basis on which you can build love for world community. Always respect other's opinion and other's point of view. Spirituality is an activity. It is an activity of the Divinity within. If you honor your mother, the Mother of the universe will guard you against harm. If you honor your father, the Father of all Beings will guard you. Love expands; it does not limit itself to boundaries. If you honor your parents, your children will honor you. A language is as sweet as the tongues of the speakers. The whole world is One Single Tree; The different countries are it's branches; It's root is God; Human beings are the flowers; Happiness is the fruit; Self-realization is the sweet juice therein. The beauty of life depends upon our good habits. To reform: First weed out the evil thoughts and bad habits. Second cultivate good habits. When the road ends, and the goal is gained, the pilgrim finds that he has travelled from himself to himself. Do not preach; practice. Man loves because he is Love. He seeks Joy, for he is Joy. He thirsts for God; for he is composed of God and he cannot exist without Him. By peace, western countries mean the interval between two wars. That is no peace ! When man thinks, speaks, and does good - peace will ensue. Where there is Love, there God is evident. God is the Life-breath of every soul. One single act of service offered to God whom you visualize in another is worth all the years of yearning for God. Wealth has to be earned through Righteousness. Desire has to be for Liberation. Your duty is to serve, not search for faults. There is no living being without the spark of love; even a mad man loves something or somebody. Make the home a seat of harmony. The greatest fear man can have, is the fear of losing God's Love. God is the mother and father of the world. Our parents are the mother and father of this body. God is one; there are not many Gods, one for each tribe among men. Love is one; it transcends caste, color and creed, if it has to be genuine. Truth is one; there cannot be two. For, two can only be One, occuring twice. The goal is one; for all roads must lead to the One God. God is to be recognized in all that exists, all that is charming, suffering, blooming or drooping. When heart speaks to heart, it is love that is transmitted. A limit should be placed on the food that we take. If you know the road and the goal, then you can discover whether you are progressing or not Make the fullest of your talents and march as long as you can, and pitch the tent nearer the goal, when darkness falls. Truth is the basis of Righteousness. Be ever watchful to see that you strive to take in more and more of God into you. Implant in your Heart: 1. Do not forget God. 2. Do not put faith in the world you see around you. 3. Do not be afraid. The wise are those who know the self. Truth has no fear; Untruth shivers at every shadow. Sensory pleasures are trinkets, trivialities. God is the doer; You are but the instrument. Cultivate that attitude of Oneness between men of all creeds, all countries and all continents. Not through wealth can Immortality be won; it can be won only through renunciation. Give up; do not grasp in clenched fists. Release; do not bind and get bound. Eat, when you are hungry - not before or after. Do not waste a single moment, in idling or loose living. Love of the country is the basis on which you can build love for the world community. If you safeguard Righteousness, it will , in its turn, safeguard us. Do not get attached to worldly things and pursuits. Be in the world, but do not let the world be in you. Have no desire to place before God. Whatever He does with you, however He treats you, is the gift that He likes best, to give you! Work disinterestedly. Content to do one's duty as best as one can. Aspire now Adore now Achieve now. Blood has to circulate from head to foot; Love has to circulate from high to low. Campaign against the temptations of the senses; Conquer inner foes; Triumph over your ego. Practice alone makes man perfect. Have the Love of God filling and thrilling your heart; then, you cannot hate anyone. God is not to be spoken of as coming down or going up, since He is everywhere. The fulfillment of human life consists in the service that man renders, without any thought of return, in an attitude of selflessness. Spiritual discipline grows only in a field fertilized by Love. Be steady, have faith, and reach the Goal safe. To rectify the world and put it on the proper path, we have to first rectify ourselves and our conduct. Teachers are reservoirs from which, through the process of education, students draw the water of life. Knowledge that is not put into practice is like food that is not digested. Man can realize his mission on the earth only when he knows himself as Divine and when he reveres all others as Divine. Real Peace of mind has no ups and downs; it cannot be partial in adversity and whole in prosperity. Instead of making the senses which are at best very poor guides and informants his servants, man has made them his masters. There may be differences among men, in physical strength, financial status, intellectual acumen - but, all are equal in the eye of God. Discipline trains you to put up with disappointments, every rose has a thorn. You say, " enjoy " ; but it is when you " end joy " , that you can really enjoy. The day when passion is accepted as a mark of womanhood, it will mark the beginning of the end of femininity> If you feel you are a hundred percent dependent on God, He will look after you and save you from harm and injury. Love with no expectation of return. Activity must be dedicated to God, the Highest Good. Then, it will provide health to body and mind. God is omnipotent. All powerfulGod is Omnipresent. Present everywhere.God is Omniscient. All knowing. God, first; the world next; myself last! Live on your own earnings, your own resources. Man seeks to change the foods available in nature to suit his tastes, thereby putting an end to the very essence of life contained in them. Each man carries his own destiny in his own hands. Dreams relating to God are real. The easiest way to control sensuous desires is to practice altruistic love. Our good conduct is our true wealth. If some people say there is no God, it only means that they are at too great a distance to be aware of Him. Men are born with a helpless lamenting cry; they should die with a smile of happy joy. Do not belittle any religion or give predominance to any religion. Love knows no fear and so love needs no falsehood to support it. Do not use poisonous words against anyone, for, words wound more fatally than even arrows. You must be a lotus unfolding its petals when the sun rises in the sky, unaffected by the slush where it is born or even the water which sustains it! Be loving, begin to perceive your inner voice and follow it. The root is education and the fruit is virtue. Of all the insanities that harass man, God-madness is the least harmful, and the most beneficial. You may be able to pay back any debt; but the debt you owe your mother, you never can repay. Love is the light that guides the feet of man in the wilderness. Every experience that is drawn through any of the senses has an effect on one's health. Mine, not thine, this sense of greed is the root of all evil. This distinction is applied even to God! -- my God, not yours! Your God, not mine! Discipline is the mark of intelligent living. No one can judge another, for, when another is judged you are yourself condemned. Love seeks no reward; Love is its own reward. One without power does not mean lack of physical or mental strength. Speak soft and sweet; sympathise with suffering and loss and ignorance: try your best to apply the salve of soothing words and timely succor. The Lord is but a witness; He is above all hate and anger, of attachment derived from " mine " and " thine " . Nothing is to be used as itself, for itself. " Seeing is believing: I will believe in God only if I see Him; " but are all things seen or heard or touched or tasted, as real as they seem? Either the Government must have the capacity to educate and reform the people or the people must have the capacity to educate the Government. Peace - It can come only from the Fountain of Peace within. It is best to live with honor for just a day than with dishonor for many decades; better a short lived celestial swan than a century-lived crow. Every sense is an outlet for the energy of man in a direction that binds him to the objective world. Spiritual progress is right living, good conduct, moral behaviour. Do all acts as offerings to God; do not classify some as `my work' and some as `His work'. The reasoning faculty must be employed to distinguish between the limited and the unlimited, the Temporary and the Eternal. Life is a mirage; It comes from no visible rain; It falls into no recognizable sea. When the magnet does not attract the needle, the fault lies in the dirt that covers up the needle. Food should not be too salty, too hot, too bitter, too sweet, too sour. There should not be any trace of dislike or distrust on the score of nationality, language, caste, economic status, scholarship, age or sex. The end of knowledge is love. The end of education is character. Each country is but a room in the mansion of God. The very joy derived from service reacts on the body and makes you free from disease. The age period 16 - 30 is a crucial stage, when man achieves best and struggles hardest to achieve. Man is a spark of the Divine. All things in creation are subject to the law of change and man too is subject to this law. Service is spiritual discipline, not a pastime of the rich and well-placed. Too much food results in dullness of mind. God alone is the giver of life, the guardian of life, and the goal of life. All spiritual practice must be directed to the removal of the husk and the revelation of the kernel. The same current activates all. Man is now able to soar into outer space and reach up to the moon; but he is not moral enough to live at peace with his neighbor! The food that one eats has to be pure, free from the subtle evils radiated by the persons who collect the materials, who cook the dishes, and who serve them. Whatever is to our advantage will appear right to us; We do not usually look upon a matter from the other fellow's standpoint. However high a bird may soar, it has sooner or later to perch on a tree top, to enjoy quiet. The purpose of living is to achieve the `living in God' When you feel you cannot do good, at least desist from doing evil. Condemn the wrong and extol the right as soon as you notice either in your children; that will settle them on the straight path. Awake, Arise and Stop not until the goal is reached. Limiting birth by artificial means is an absurdly wrong step. The consequences of this act is irresponsible fatherhood or frustrated motherhood. The mind fixed in the awareness of the One is like a rock, unaffected by doubt, stable, secure. Instead of making the senses which are at best very poor guides and informants his servants, man has made them his masters. Jesus said:First - He is a messenger of God.Second - He is the son of God.Third - He and His Father are one. Women have equal chances and equal rights to attain Godhead Let the wave of memory, the storm of desire, the fire of emotion pass through without affecting your equanimity. Silence is the speech of the spiritual seeker All men are cells in the same divine organism, in the divine body. That should be your faith, your fortune, your fort, your fullness. Hate screechesFear squealsConceit trumpetsBut love sings lullabies. Food cooked in water should not be used the next day; it becomes harmful. No society can find its fulfillment, no social ideal can fructify, without the blossoming of the spirit of man. Patience is all the strength that man needs. The earlier years of life are the most crucial, and so the mother and the father have to share the responsibility for the upbringing. Through the media of films, books, music and the behavior of elders, young minds are excited and aroused into indulgences. The God of death does not give notice of His arrival to take hold of you. He is not like the photographer who says, " I am clicking, are you ready? " Whenever you get a little leisure, do not spend it in talking about sundries, but utilize it in meditating on God or in doing service to others. Greed yields only sorrow; contentment is best. Whatever acts a good or bad man may do, the fruits thereof follow him and will never stop pursuing him. It is not the standard of living that is important, but the manner of living. You must render service out of spontaneous urge from within, with a heart filled with love. A chance conglomeration of humans does not become a society. A society has to be welded into a unit by the consciousness of kinship in God. Unity is divinity; Purity us enlightenment. Reform the body, reconstruct the mind, regulate the way of living, then, the country will become automatically strong and prosperous. Forget the harm that anyone has done to you, and forget the good that you have done to others. There is only one royal road for the spiritual journey...Love. If one student is bad, only that student is affected. But if one teacher is bad, hundreds of students get spoiled. Your thoughts play a vital role in shaping your life. Religion is three-fourths character. The present is a product of the past, but it is also the seed for the future. Open the gates of wisdom, tear the veil of ignorance, enter the abode of Divine Bliss. Rest in peace forever. Form a Satsang, where you meet and exchange truths and virtuos talk; where you study holy books and discourses on the glory of God. All work is God's. He inspires, He helps, He executes, He enjoys, He is pleased, He reaps, He sowed. Have faith in yourself. When you have no faith in the wave, how can you get faith in the ocean? Do not contemplate on death; it is just an incident in life; contemplate on God, who is the master of all life. You must welcome tests because it gives you confidence and it ensures promotion. So long as you say 'I am' there is bound to be fear, but once you say and feel 'I am God' you get unconquerable strength. By eating flesh one develops violent tendencies and animal diseases. Do not get swelled up when people praise you and do not feel dejected when people blame you. Serve man until you see God in all men. Knowledge without devotion to God produces hatred. What is the unmistakable mark of a wise man? It is love, love for all humanity. Service springs out of love and it scatters love in profusion. Soft sweet speech is the expression of genuine love. Mankind can find happiness only in unity, not in diversity. Philosophy that cannot be understood, scriptures that are not practised - it is a waste of time to talk of them. Anger is the harvest of the bewitching mind; it enslaves man and fogs his understanding. People are born for different tasks, but in order to survive every one requires the same nourishment; inner peace. Whatever the trouble, however great the sorrow, persist and win by recollecting the Lord. Those who have gone through pain and suffering can understand and sympathise with those who are in pain The basic Truth in all religions, irrespective of country or race is one and the same. Whenever and wherever you put yourself in touch with God, that is the state of meditation. The mind is a bundle of desires - remove the threads of attachment one by one; at the end the 'cloth' disappears and the mind is clear and pure. Practice silence - for the voice of God can be heard in the region of your heart only when the tongue is stilled and storm is stilled and the waves are calm. Practice the vocabulary of love - unlearn the language of hate and contempt. God is in you, around you, behind you, above you, beside you. Of all the righteous acts, help rendered to those needing it, is the most righteous. Surrendering the fruit of action to the Lord is real sacrifice. My birthday is the date when divinity blossoms in your heart. God is neither distant nor distinct from you. What is offered to God is totally free from all defects and imperfections. The joy that we cause in the heart of God is the only worthwhile achievement. The acid test by which an activity can be confirmed as holy or sacred is to examine whether it promotes attachment or avoids bondage. Body is like a flashlight. Eye is like the bulb Mind is the battery cell Intelligence is the switch Only when the four work together do you get the light. Any happiness that you can give to others will result in happiness for yourself in the end. Man must realize that he cannot get anything without sharing it with humanity around him. So, you must believe that happiness of the people around you will lead to your own happiness in due course. Illnesses are caused more by malnutrition of the mind than of the body. I will recommend the repetition of the Name of God. That is Vitamin G. That is the medicine; regulated life and habits are 2/3 of the treatment, while the medicine is just 1/3 only. It is only when you have both divine grace and human endeavor that you can experience bliss, just as you can enjoy the breeze of a fan only when you have both a fan and the electrical energy to operate it. Do not think that only those who worship a picture or image with pompous paraphernalia are devotees. Whoever walks straight along the moral path, whoever acts as he speaks and speaks as he has seen, whoever melts at another's woe and exults at another's joy .... is a devotee, perhaps a greater devotee. This is bad; this is good - can such judgements be ever made about anything in God's creation when all are manifestations of His will?. Love is one without a second. When this love is directed towards the world, it is called attachment (anuraga), and when directed towards God, it is called prema (devotional love). The play is His The role is His gift The lines are written by Him He directs, He decides the dress and decoration, The gesture and the tone, The entrance and the exit. You have to act well to receive His approbation When the curtain falls Earn by your efficiency and enthusiasm The right to play higher and higher roles That is the meaning and purpose of life Living with God is the true education Living for God is the true devotion Living in God is the true spirituality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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