Auxiliaries of Meditation by Swami Sivananda (a)WHAT IS MEDITATION 1. Meditation is the flow of continuous thought on one thing or God or Atman. Meditation is the keeping up of one idea of God alone always like the continuous flow of oil (Taila-dharavat). Yogins call this ‘Dhyana.’ Jnanins term this ‘Nididhyasana.’ Bhaktas style this ‘Bhajan.’ Concentration is fixing the mind on a point or object, either internal (in the body) or external (on any outside object or image). Meditation follows concentration. In Dhyana all worldly thoughts are shut out from the mind. The mind is filled or saturated with Divine thoughts, with the Divine Glory, the Divine Presence. (b)PLACE 2. Have a separate meditation-room under lock and key. Do not allow anybody to enter the room. Keep it holy. Burn incense in the morning and evening. Keep a photo of Lord Krishna, Siva, Rama, Devi or your Ishta Devata or Guru. Place your Asana (seat) in front of the picture. Keep some books also such as the Gita, the Ramayana and other scriptures. When you repeat the Mantra or the Name of the Lord, the powerful vibrations will be lodged in the ether of the room. In six months’ time you will feel peace and purity in the atmosphere of the room. Whenever your mind is disturbed by worldly influence, sit in the room and repeat the Name of the Lord for half an hour; then you will find an entire change in the mind immediately. Practise and feel the soothing spiritual influence yourself. Nothing is like spiritual Sadhana. You will find a local Mussoorie, Himalayas, in your own house. 3. Solitude and intense meditation are two important requisites for Self-realisation. The banks of the Ganga or the Narmada, Himalayan scenery, lovely flower-garden, sacred temple-these are the places which elevate the mind in concentration and meditation. Have recourse to them. 4. A solitary place, spiritual vibratory conditions as at Uttarkasi, Rishikesh, Badri Narayan, a cool place and temperate climate-these conditions are indispensably requisite for concentration of mind. Just as the salt melts in water, the Sattvic mind melts in silence during meditation in Brahman, its Adhishthana (substratum).(c)TIME5. Get up at 4 in the morning in Brahmamuhurta. It is very favourable for spiritual contemplation and to start worship of God. In the early morning the mind is calm pure and quite refreshed after slumber. The mind is like a blank sheet of paper and comparatively free from worldly Samskaras (mental impressions). It can be moulded very easily at this time. The atmosphere also is charged with more Sattva at this particular time. Wash your hands, feet and face with cold water if you find it difficult to take a bath. This will suffice. 6. Always choose that part of the day or night when your mind is clear and when you are least likely to be disturbed. You can have a sitting just before retiring to bed. The mind will be calm at this time. 7. You can have good meditation on Sundays because this is a holiday, and the mind is free. Do vigorous meditation on Sundays. You can have good meditation when you live on milk and fruits alone or when you fast. Use your commonsense always and try to bring out good result in meditation. (d)WHERE TO CONCENTRATE 8. Concentrate gently either on the lotus of the heart (Anahata Chakra) or at the space between the two eyebrows (Trikuti). Close your eyes. 9. The seat of mind is Ajna Chakra at Trikuti. The mind can be easily controlled if you concentrate on Trikuti. Bhaktas should concentrate on the heart. Yogins and Vedantins should concentrate at Ajna Chakra. 10. Crown of the head (Sahasrara) is another seat for concentration. Some Vedantins concentrate here. Some Yogins concentrate at the tip of the nose (Nasikagra Drishti). Stick to one centre in concentration. Cling to it tenaciously. If you concentrate on heart, stick to it. Never change it. Guru will select the centre for concentration, if you are a student of faith. If you are a man of self-reliance, you can select it for yourself. (e)YOGIC DIET11. Take Mitahara, Sattvic diet. Overloading the stomach with rice, vegetables, Dhal and bread brings sleep and interferes with Sadhana. A glutton or a sensualist, a dullard or a lazy man cannot practice meditation. A diet on milk renders the body very, very light. You can sit on one Asana for hours together with ease and comfort. If you feel weak, you can take for a day or two a little rice and milk or barley and milk or any light diet. Those who are in the field of service and who do platform lectures and other intense spiritual propagandic activities need solid, substantial food. (f)ASANA12. Asana steadies the body; Bandhas and Mudras make the mind firm; Pranayama makes the body light; Nadi-suddhi produces steadiness of the mind. Having acquired these qualifications you will have to fix the mind on Brahman. Then only meditation will go on steadily with ease and happiness. For meditation, concentration and Japa, Padmasana or Siddhasana is prescribed. For general health and keeping up of Brahmacharya, Sirshasana, Sarvangasana, Matsyasana, Paschimottanasana are good.

Meditate by Swami Sivananda Meditation is the keeping up of the one idea-be it of Nirguna Brahman, Saguna Brahman, image or an abstract idea. It follows concentration where all the rays of the mind are focussed on to a single thought. Ultimately even this single thought gives place to Awareness-just awareness and illumination-where all problems dissolve themselves. When you enter into deep meditation, you will have no consciousness of your body or surroundings. You will have equanimity of mind. You will not hear any sounds. The consciousness of egoism also will gradually vanish. You will experience inexplicable joy and indescribable happiness. Gradually reasoning and reflection give place to awareness. If you can meditate for half an hour, you will be able to engage yourself with peace and spiritual strength in the battle of life for one week through the force of this meditation. Such is the beneficial result of this meditation. As you have to move with people of different natures in your daily life, get the strength and peace from meditation and you will have no trouble and worry then. Sit down with a composed mind. Assert your mastery over the body and mind. Plunge deep into the chamber of your heart and enter into the stupendous ocean of Silence. Listen to the voice which is soundless.

Wisdom by Swami Sivananda GIVE UP ATTACHMENT Attachment is the first child of Maya. This whole Lila of the Lord is kept up by the force of attachment. There is in the mind gummy substance which is like a mixture of castor oil, glue, gum-arabic, mucilage of tragacanth, gluten paste, honey, glycerine, jack fruit’s juice and all other pasty substances of the world. The mind is glued, as it were, to the objects with this mixture. Therefore the attachment is very strong. Selfishness causes attachment. Attachment is the root-cause for all the miseries and troubles of this world. Work incessantly without an identification. Then alone you can have real happiness. You will yourself feel that you are a different being. This is the master-key to open the realms of Brahmic Bliss. SHUN SENSUAL ENJOYMENTS Look out for an unchangeable, infinite and Supreme happiness which must come from a Being in whom there is no change. Search and find out such Being, and if you could only succeed in your quest, then you can get that unalterable happiness from Him. Sensual enjoyment is attended with various defects. It is attended with various sorts of sins, pains, weaknesses, attachments, slave mentality, weak will, severe exertion and struggle, bad habits, cravings, aggravation of desires and mental restlessness. Therefore shun all sorts of sensual enjoyments. HAVE A BALANCED MINDThough the cow grazes on the pastures having been separated from the calf, her mind is always fixed on the calf only. Similarly you should fix the mind on God when you do Japa, and give your hand to work. Renounce all attachment. Be balanced in success or failure, gain or loss, victory or defeat, pleasure or pain. Discipline your mind cautiously. This is your master-key to open the doors of the realm of Bliss. This is the secret of success in Yoga. Feel and think that you breathe, live and work for God alone, in every second of your life, and that without Him life is absolutely useless. Feel the pangs of separation while at work if you forget Him even for a fraction of a second. COAX THE MIND Let not your heart give way to trials. Be ever intent on your spiritual Sadhana. Learn to discriminate. Develop true lasting Vairagya by association with wise people. Make the mind understand about the unreal nature of objects and the defects of a sensual life. Talk to your mind. Coax the mind. It will hear your words. Gradually the mind-wandering will cease. Then the mind will abide firmly in the centre of the source. Become a Yogi. Yoga will put an end to all sorts of pain. Yoga will destroy all Kleshas (afflictions). Wake up. Open your eyes. Practise Yoga. My Child! DISCIPLINE THE MIND Destroy the Sankalpas or imagination of the mind. Discipline the mind in a perfect manner through discrimination, enquiry, dispassion and regular meditation on Atman. Have a wide outlook on life. See God in everything, in every face. Give up all that is false and untrue. Pray fervently. Lead a life of virtue and happiness. Renounce all your sorrows, fears and anxieties, and walk in the path laid down by the scriptures. You will attain supreme peace and eternal bliss. KEEP THE MIND FULLY OCCUPIED Understand fully the aim and purpose of life. Yield not to temptations. Develop virtuous qualities like humility, forgiveness, tolerance, etc. Wish eagerly and fervently to attain God-consciousness. Have faith, interest and attention. You are bound to succeed. Conserve all energy and utilise it for higher spiritual achievements in life. Purify. Be just. Be true. Be sincere in your attempts. Respect all prophets and saints. You will shine as a dynamic Yogi. Keep the mind fully occupied. Sing the name of the Lord. Twirl the beads. Study the scriptures. Think of God and meditate upon Him with true devotion and feeling and merge in Him. This is the goal of life. GIVE NO LENIENCY TO MIND Mere hearing of eloquent valuable spiritual lectures will not do in the spiritual path. You will have to act according to them. You will have to give your whole heart, mind and soul to practice. Then only you will have progress in the path. Follow the instructions of your master and the teachings of the scriptures to the very letter. Give no leniency to the mind. Exact, implicit, strict obedience to the instructions is expected of you. Do not fight for rights. Think more about your duties and less about your rights. These rights are worthless. It is wasting of time and energy. Assert your birthright of God-consciousness. Realise this and become wise. LEARN TO DISCRIMINATE Know things in their proper light. Do not be deluded. Emotion is mistaken for devotion; violent jumping in the air during Sankirtan for Divine ecstasy; Rajasic restlessness and motion for divine activities and Karma Yoga; a Tamasic man for a Sattvic man; Tandri and deep sleep for Samadhi; Manorajya or building castles in the air for meditation; physical nudity for the Jivanmukti state. Understand the laws of the universe. Move tactfully in this world. Learn the secrets of Nature. Learn to discriminate and become wise. Fight out the inner battle again and come out victorious! SACRIFICE PLEASURE TO SECURE BLISS Spiritual pursuits, and practice of Yoga are really sweet, but appear to be bitter; sensual pursuits, which are really bitter, appear to be sweet. This is due to the perversion of intellect caused by Avidya. Select some good songs or Dhwanis and repeat them during night along with your friends and relatives. Even during day while working, you can sing the select Dhwanis of your Ishta Mantra. By this you will have continuity of Divine thoughts. May you always shine with the divine splendour and inexhaustible wealth of Atma Jnana, which is the common property of all mankind! THINK RIGHTLY Worry does great harm to the astral body and the mind. Energy is wasted by worry. It causes inflammation and drains the vitality of man.

Surrender to the Lord by Swami Sivananda Sadhana or spiritual practice should make you ever cheerful, more concentrated, joyful, balanced, peaceful, contented, blissful, dispassionate, fearless, courageous, compassionate, angerless, ‘I’-less, desireless, mineless. Sadhana should give you rich inner life, introspective inner vision and unruffled state of mind under all conditions of life. These are the signs of your spiritual growth. Seeing of visions, lights, hearing of Anahata sounds, Divya Gandha, etc., have not much spiritual value, although they indicate you have attained first degree of concentration. Man can never separate himself from God, for God is the Cosmos and man its component. There is only one God, the Self of all beings. There is only one law, the law of cause and effect. There is only one religion, the religion of Self-realisation. Religion is the most rational science of life, the science of man as he essentially is, the science which shows him how he is a part of Cosmos, how he ought to abide by the law of the Cosmos, and aim at the fulfilment of the evolutional process of the Cosmos. Religion is practical philosophy. Philosophy is the understanding of the ultimate Principle that governs life. Religion is the art of practicing it, i.e. living the spirit of philosophy.

Signs of Spiritual Growth by Swami Sivananda Sadhana or spiritual practice should make you ever cheerful, more concentrated, joyful, balanced, peaceful, contented, blissful, dispassionate, fearless, courageous, compassionate, angerless, ‘I’-less, desireless, mineless. Sadhana should give you rich inner life, introspective inner vision and unruffled state of mind under all conditions of life. These are the signs of your spiritual growth. Seeing of visions, lights, hearing of Anahata sounds, Divya Gandha, etc., have not much spiritual value, although they indicate you have attained first degree of concentration. Man can never separate himself from God, for God is the Cosmos and man its component. There is only one God, the Self of all beings. There is only one law, the law of cause and effect. There is only one religion, the religion of Self-realisation. Religion is the most rational science of life, the science of man as he essentially is, the science which shows him how he is a part of Cosmos, how he ought to abide by the law of the Cosmos, and aim at the fulfilment of the evolutional process of the Cosmos. Religion is practical philosophy. Philosophy is the understanding of the ultimate Principle that governs life. Religion is the art of practicing it, i.e. living the spirit of philosophy.

Adapt, Adjust, Accomodate by Swami Sivananda Bear insult. Bear injury. This is the essence of all Sadhana. This is the most important Sadhana. Forgive those who slander or speak ill of you. Do not harm any one who injures you. If anybody from aversion speaks disparagingly of you, greet him courteously without minding those disagreeable words. Wrath is the daughter of ignorance, the sister of jealousy and the mother of hard-heartedness. With boldness, manliness and self-reliance, combine humility, softness of speech and behaviour and self-denial. Be ready to serve others. Put up with provocation and abuse without retaliation. Remove all harshness and rudeness from your nature. Courtesy and politeness must become part of your very nature. While coming in contact with Raga, Dvesha, lust, anger and greed, we have to see that the friction does not ignite us. Let us always keep handy the cooling balm of Bhagavan’s Divine Name and His reflection. Do not argue much. Speak only measured words. If anyone abuses or insults, keep quiet. Identify yourself with the Atman. Atman is the same in all. It can never be hurt or be insulted. Watch your thoughts, words and actions very carefully. Know the power of words and use them cautiously. Respect all. Speak sweet measured words. Be kind. Cultivate patience, love and humility. Enquire ‘Who am I?’ HE WHO GIVES RESPECT, GETS IT. Be serene and tranquil under all circumstances. Cultivate this virtue, Shama (serenity), again and again through constant and strenuous endeavour. Serenity is like a rock; waves of irritation may dash on it, but cannot affect it. Meditate daily on the ever-tranquil Atman or the Eternal which is unchanging. You will attain this sublime virtue gradually. The divine light will descend only on a calm mind. An aspirant with a calm mind only can enter into deep meditation and Nirvikalpa Samadhi. He alone can practice Nishkama or selfless Karma Yoga. Each Sadhaka should bear in mind that divine life is to be lived in small details. If you are divine in small details, you can be divine in big things. Unless you are careful in your day-to-day life and mould your life in accordance with your idealism, it cannot bear fruit. Doubt or uncertainty is a great obstacle in the path of Self-realisation. It bars the spiritual progress. This must be removed by Satsanga, study of religious books, Vichara and reasoning. It will again and again raise its head to mislead the aspirant. It should be killed beyond resurrection by certainty of conviction and firm unshakable faith based on reasoning. Doubt is your great enemy. Doubt causes restlessness of mind. Destroy all doubts through Vichara and Jnana. Introspect regularly. Practise self-examination for ten minutes before you go to bed. Sit comfortably on a chair. Close your eyes. Think of all actions-good and bad-that you did during the course of the day. Think of all the mistakes that you committed consciously or unconsciously. A man, who has no life of introspection, whose mind is of outgoing tendencies, cannot find out his own mistakes. The self-conceit acts as a veil and blurs the mental vision. If an aspirant wants to grow, he must admit his defects when they are pointed out by others. He must try his level best to eradicate them and must thank the man who has pointed out his defects. Then he can grow in spirituality. Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression. Do not repeat them in future. Be cautious. Just think of the causes which led to your failures and try to remove them in future. Strengthen yourself with new vigour and virtues. Develop slowly your will-power. Every temptation that is resisted, every evil thought that is curbed, every desire that is subdued, every bitter word that is withheld, every noble aspiration that is encouraged, every sublime thought that is cultivated, adds to the development of will-force, good character and attainment of eternal bliss and immortality. Subconscious life is more powerful than your ordinary life of objective consciousness. Beneath your conscious life there is a very wide region of subconscious life. The subconscious life can modify and influence your conscious life. Through the practice of Yoga you can modify, control and influence the subconscious depths. All habits are imbedded in subconscious. The mind is a product of experience. It is the result of past thinking and is modified by present thinking. From experience you get Samskara, from Samskara you get Vasana, from Vasana you get Vritti. Then imagination (Kalpana) makes the Vritti into a desire (Iccha). Ego attaches itself to the desire and it becomes then an urge (Trishna). Then you are forced to do Cheshta or action to fulfil the desire. Action gives rise to experience and so the cycle is repeated. Samskaras or impressions you have created during your Sadhana period within a closed room, will be wiped out if you are not careful or vigilant during your period of activity in the world. So constantly dwell on these ideas, “The whole world is my body. All bodies are mine. All lives are mine. All pains are mine. All joys are mine!” Jealousy, anger, hatred, egoism, all will vanish. The mind is the creator of all fancies, concepts and through these of worries. A little control over the mind should be exercised when small ripples of disturbance pass over the surface. Sit calmly and watch the mind-wanderings carefully. Find out what are its habitual likings and thoughts. Just as you remove at once from your shoes a pebble that troubles you, so also you must be able to remove at once any tormenting thought from your mind. All your troubles and miseries are due to your egoism. It is egoism that has limited you. The cause of your misery does not come from without. Annihilate this egoism. You will enjoy infinite bliss and a life of expansion. The secret of renunciation is renunciation of

Serve, Love, Give, Purify by Swami Sivananda Become a Karma Yogi and work for the well-being of the world. You must do universal service in order to attain the state of being one with the universal consciousness. It is only through selfless activities, unattached work and loving service that one can acquire the precious gem of purity, patience and humility. Wherever there is distress share what you have and alleviate human suffering wherever it is possible. Thus you will be able to achieve the goal for which God has given this human body. While doing selfless service, an insidious feeling of self approbation may creep in unnoticed. This may later manifest itself in the form of a sort of indulgent attitude and a lofty contempt for those who are not following, a similar life. A constant humility kept alive by a ceaseless exercise of it in service is the sure armour against this foe. Spiritualise all activities. Feel you are an instrument in the Lord’s hands and that all the Indriyas (senses) belong to Him. Repeat the formula ‘I am Thine; all is Thine; Thy Will be done.’ Feel that the whole world is a manifestation of the Lord and you are serving the Lord in all names and forms. Whatever you do-your actions and the results thereof-consecrate them all to the Lord at the end of each day. Do not identify yourself with actions. Then your heart will be purified and you will be ready to receive the divine light and grace. Rest not with being good. Do good also. Be kind. Be compassionate. Let not virtue wither for want of exercise. God is love. Love is God. Selfishness, greed, egoism, vanity, pride, hatred contract the heart and stand in the way of developing universal love. Feel that the whole world is your body, your own home. Melt and destroy all barriers that separate man from man. Idea of superiority is ignorance. Develop Visvaprema-all-embracing love. Unite with all. Separateness is death. Unity is eternal life. God is love. The only true religion is the religion of love or the religion of heart. Feel for others as you feel for yourself. Love expects no reward. Love knows no fear. Love Divine gives-does not demand. Love thinks no evil; imputes no motive. To love is to share and serve. Do charity-amounting to at least one tenth of your income or six Paise per Rupee. Happiness comes to him who gives happiness to others. Give, Give. Give in plenty, in humility and with joy. Thus in the very process of giving enrich yourself too. If a man, who has not removed jealousy, backbiting, hatred, pride, selfishness says, “I am meditating for six hours daily,” it is all nonsense. Excel. There is no hope of getting into a meditative mood even after a year unless a man removes all these Vrittis and purifies his mind first by selfless service at least for six months. Excel in Service, Expand in Love, Advance in Knowledge. Service is Love in expression, Love is concentrated Knowledge, Knowledge is diffused love. PURIFY Spirituality means growing into the form of Divine Ideal. It is the transformation of your nature from human to Divine. This is brought about by Abhyasa, i.e., spiritual practice or Sadhana and Vairagya leading to renunciation. Conscious attempt to merge ourselves in the Supreme Reality is called spiritual Sadhana, which should be the common aim of all, though the process may be different. If you wish to evolve quickly, you must have the right kind of Sadhana. If you are a student of the path of self-reliance, you can select the Sadhana for your daily practice, yourself. If you are a student of the path of self-surrender, you should get the right kind of Sadhana from a Guru and practice it with intense faith. Constant Satsanga with the wise and study of the Srutis under a Guru will slowly wipe out the wrong and worldly Samskaras. Make intense inner Sadhana the keynote of your life. Base your life upon the ceaseless remembrance of the Divine consciousness and constant feeling of His presence. Sadhana is at first mechanical and it is only in the later stages that it becomes a part and parcel of one’s own life. It appears as a drudgery in the beginning, but later on it imparts joy, peace, strength, courage and freedom. Do not be slack in you Sadhana. It is Sadhana that will help you in the long run. It is the only asset in this life. Be regular in your Sadhana-and attain Self-realisation in this very birth. Never mind repeated failures in your Sadhana. Nil desperandum. Despair not. Do not give up the struggle or the Sadhana. Stand up and fight again. Struggle again. You are nearer to success each time. Every failure is a steppingstone to success. You are sure to succeed in the long run. Only when you have purified the heart, silenced the mind, stilled the thoughts and surging emotions, withdrawn the outgoing senses, thinned out the Vasanas, you can behold the glorious Atman during deep meditation. The practical method of realising one’s divine nature is the complete transformation of the base animal nature, transcending the human nature and awakening fully the dormant spiritual traits within. This is done through perfect ethical evolution, self-restraint, self-analysis, self-purification, concentration, meditation, practice of selfless love and service to all and systematic inner culture through right speech and right conduct. This alone is the pathway to Yoga and inner unfoldment. Never complain against bad environments. Create your own mental world wherever you remain and wherever you go. Do not try to run away from bad unfavourable environments. God has placed you there to make you grow quickly. The world is not a hindrance to your spiritual path. The world is your Guru. The world is a training school. The world is Virat or Isvara. Perfect serenity, cultivation of divine virtues, entertaining holy thoughts, discipline of diet-all these pave the way to

The Universal Prayer by Swami Sivananda O Adorable Lord of Mercy and Love!Salutations and prostrations unto Thee.Thou art Satchidananda.Thou art Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute.Thou art Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient.Thou art the Indweller of all beings. Grant us an understanding heart,Equal vision, balanced mind,Faith, devotion and wisdom.Grant us inner spiritual strengthTo resist temptations and to control the mind.Free us from egoism, lust, greed, hatred, anger and jealousy.Fill our hearts with divine virtues. Let us behold Thee in all these names and forms.Let us serve Thee in all these names and forms.Let us ever remember Thee.Let us ever sing Thy glories.Let Thy Name be ever on our lips.Let us abide in Thee for ever and ever.

Power by Swami Sivananda Aspire Fervently Give up thirsting for sensual objects. Cling fast to the faith in the Divinity. Aspire fervently and constantly. You will have pure mind. Never hurt a man in thought, word or deed. Always do good and kind acts. Purge yourself of all miseries and sorrows. Merge in calmness and silence. You will attain supreme peace and eternal happiness. Destroy the tossing of the mind through Viveka, constant meditation and ceaseless Brahma Vichara (Atmic enquiry). Direct your attention to selfless service and worship of the Lord. You will attain supreme joy. STICK TO YOUR PRINCIPLESFollow the Truth always. Strive for it ever in thought, word and deed. Be compassionate. Be bold. Resign yourself to the Lord. There is no room for lamentation and despair. Stick tenaciously to your principles and ideals. Do your duty without looking to the fruits or consequences of your actions and God will be with you. Become dispassionate. Learn to discriminate. Know thyself and be free from attachment. You will go beyond “Time” and “Death”. BE FIERY IN YOUR DETERMINATIONBe always cheerful and smile away your worries. Follow the correct principles of living. Be temperate in eating, drinking, sleeping, amusements and in all other things. Cultivate a very strong faith in God. Silence the surging emotions and bubbling thoughts. Do not be carried away by the temptations of the world. Be careful. Be wise. Get away from the company of worldly-minded persons. Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even in your smallest act. Always act with faith and determination. Be firm in your resolve and fiery in your determination. BE FIRM IN YOUR VOWS Do your duties properly. Be firm in your vows and true in speech. Possess good character. Be kind to all. Conquer wrath. Become master of self. Get rid of envy. You will soon attain God-realisation. Take refuge in the Name of the Lord. Do not think very often of your defects and weaknesses. Aspire fervently. Grow in spirituality. You will attain Divinity. Meditate on the glory and splendour of the Supreme Being who illumines everything, who is indivisible, the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss-Absolute. You will attain the Supreme. NEVER DESPAIR You have got Svatantrya in action. You can do your Karma in any way you like. You can become a Yogi or Jnani by right thinking and right action. Man is not a helpless being. He has a free will of his own. Therefore overcome all your unfavourable circumstances. Have courage. Be bold. Never despair. You will succeed. There is nothing in the world which cannot be achieved by a man by the right sort of efforts. Wake up now. Open your eyes. Become a virtuous man. Do good actions. Sing Hari’s name. Have constant Satsanga. All evil habits will be eradicated. Purify. Concentrate. Meditate. You will realise the goal. AS YOU THINK, SO YOU BECOME “As a man thinketh, so he becometh” is one of the greatest laws of nature. Think you are pure, pure you will become. Think that you are a man, man you will become. Think you are Brahman, Brahman you will become. Become an embodiment of good nature. Do always good actions. Serve. Love. Give. Observe Brahmacharya and Mouna. Control anger. Make others happy. Live to serve others. Then only will you enjoy happiness. DRAW STRENGTH FROM WITHIN Do not allow the mind to go its own way altogether. Keep your Prana and senses under your control, and bring the mind under your control with the help of the intellect strengthened by Sattva. Be slow to make a promise but be quick to carry it out. Cultivate an amiable, loving nature and adaptability. Be courageous. Never despair. Draw strength from within. Feel the divine presence everywhere. Dive deep into the Divine source. You will realise the infinite bliss. CONQUEST OF NATURE To live is to fight for the ideal and goal. Life is a series of awakenings. Conquer the mind and the senses. These are your real enemies. Live under lifelong vows. Conquer your internal and external nature. Fight against the dark antagonistic evil forces, through Japa and meditation. Soar high always in the realms of higher spiritual knowledge. Show your manliness and spiritual strength now. THIS WORLD IS A GREAT SCHOOLThis world is a great school. It is for thy education. Be wise. Be in the spirit of Yoga. Utilise all opportunities to the best possible advantage. There is no such thing as bad. Your capacities and will-power will develop. You will receive more of Divine Light, Knowledge, Purity, Peace and Spiritual strength. Smile with the flowers and the green grass. Shake hands with the shrubs, ferns and twigs. Develop friendship with all neighbours, dogs, cats, cows, human beings, trees, in fact, with all nature’s creations. You will have a perfect and rich life. Open your eyes now. Wake up from your deep slumber and profound inertia. Regain the lost divinity. Thou art Divine. Thou art Atman. Realise this and be free. THE WORLD IS YOUR BODY Actions produce Samskaras or impressions or potencies. The impressions coalesce together through repetition and form tendencies. Tendencies develop into habits and character. The sum total of the tendencies of a man is his character. Character generates Will. Therefore, if the character is pure and strong the Will also will be pure and strong and vice versa. Therefore sow the seed of good habits at once. It will grow gradually. It will assert itself to gain a seat in the body and mind, and work by itself till it gets sanguine success. All the old morbid habits will be destroyed. Feel that the whole world is your own home or body. Feel that God dwells in all creatures of this universe. “Isavasyamidam sarvam”. You will attain the Supreme. UNDERSTAND THE SECRET OF KARMA-YOGA Look at the stupendous and magnanimous work turned out by Lord Buddha, Sri Sankara and other Karma Yogins of yore. Their names are handed down from posterity to posterity. Their names are still

Glory of Sadachara or Right Conduct by Swami Sivananda 1. A man, who has attached ethical perfection by the continued practice of right conduct or Yama and Niyama, has got a magnetic personality. He can influence millions. Character gives a strong personality to man. People respect a man who has good character. Moral people command respect everywhere. He who is honest, sincere, truthful, kind and liberal-hearted always commands respect and influence at the people. Sattvic virtues make a man Divine. He who speaks truth and practices Brahmacharya becomes a great and dynamic personality. Even if he speaks a word there is power in it and people are magnetized. Character building is of paramount importance if a man wants to develop his personality. No development of a strong personality is possible without celibacy. Personality can be developed. But the practice of virtue is indispensable. 2. A man may die but his character remains. His thoughts remain. It is the character that gives real force and power to man. Character is power. They say knowledge is power but I say with all the emphasis at my command that character is power. Without character the attainment of knowledge is impossible. That man who has no character is practically a dead man in this world. He is ignored and despised by the community. If you want success in life, if you want to influence others, if you want to progress well in the spiritual path, if you wish to have God-realisation, you must possess an unblemished or spotless character. The character of a man survives or outlives him. Sri Sankara, Buddha, Jesus and other Rishis of yore are remembered even now because they had wonderful character. Character is a mighty soul-force. It is like a sweet flower that wafts its fragrance far and wide. A man of noble traits and good character possesses a tremendous personality. Personality is character only. A man may be a skillful artist, a clever songster, an adorable poet or a great scientist, but if he has no character he has no real position in the society. 3. You must be polite, civil and courteous. You must treat others with respect and consideration. Good manners and soft words have brought many a difficult thing to pass. He who gives respect to others gets respect. Humility brings respect by itself. Humility is a virtue that subdues the hearts of others. A man of humility is a powerful magnet or loadstone. 4. Note carefully how the Rishis had given instructions to their students when they had finished their course of study: “Speak the truth. Do your duty. Do not neglect the study of the Vedas. Do not swerve from Truth. Do not swerve from duty. Do not neglect your welfare. Do not neglect your prosperity. Do not neglect the learning and teachings of Vedas. Do not neglect the duties towards God and forefathers. May the Mother be thy God (Matri-devo bhava). May the Father be thy God (Pitri-devo bhava). May the preceptor be thy God (Acharya-devo bhava). May the guest be thy God (Atithi-devo bhava). Do such actions as are blameless. Those that are good works to us, they should be performed by thee, and none else. Those Brahmins that are superior to us, they should be comforted by thee with seats, etc. Give with faith. Do not give without faith. Give with joy, with modesty, with fear, with kindness.” 5. Righteousness is eternal. Do not leave the path of righteousness even if your life is in danger. Do not leave righteousness for the sake of some material gain. A virtuous life and a clean conscience give great deal of comfort to a man while living and at the time of death also. A holy man with piety is far superior to the mighty potentate. God is much pleased with a pious man. Lord Krishna says: “Even if the most sinful worshipeth Me, with undivided heart, he too must be accounted righteous, for he hath rightly resolved.” There is a great hope even for a cutthroat, if he makes a strong determination and takes up the spiritual path. 6. Dear friends! Do your duties in a satisfactory manner in accordance with Sadachara. Apply yourself diligently to all kinds of your daily duties. Consult the Sastras and Mahatmas whenever you are in doubt. Build up your character. This will give you success in life. Practise daily to remove old evil habits. Establish daily virtuous healthy habits. Character will help you to attain the goal of life. Character is your very being. Evolve. Expand. Grow. May the character take you to the Atmic Bliss and Self-realisation. 7. Nectar’s sons! Children of Immortality! Shake off all weaknesses. Stand up. Gird up the loins. Have Sadachara satisfactorily in accordance with your caste or stage in life. Evolve quickly in spiritual path. Eternal Bliss, Supreme Peace, Infinite Knowledge can be had only in God (Atman). Practice of Sadachara will surely lead you to the attainment of God-consciousness. There is no happiness in finite objects. Infinite alone is Bliss. Understand the Truth through the practice of Sadachara. This world is unreal. It is like a mirage. Senses and mind are deceiving you at every moment. Wake up. Open your eyes. Learn to discriminate. Do not trust your Indriyas. They are your enemies. It is very difficult to get a human birth. Life is short. Time is fleeting. Walk in the path of Sadachara. Those who cling to unreal things of this world are verily committing suicide. Struggle hard to practice Sadachara. Keep up the ideal always before your eyes. Attempt to realise the ideal. Stick to Sadachara with leech-like tenacity. Practise it and realise Sat-chit-ananda state right now in this very second.