Guru Purnima Sri Swami Chidananda Cream Essence of Vedanta In his famous and memorable Sloka Sri Sankaracharya says: “Slokardhena Pravakshyami Yaduktam Granthakotishu, Brahma Satyam Jaganmithya, Jiva Brahmaiva Naaparah”. This gives the very essence of all spiritual wisdom, and it is the last word in transcendental realisation expressed in the form of this great Sloka. He says in half a Sloka the wisdom that you will find if you ramble in thousands of scriptures–The transcendent alone is real, imperishable, unborn. Ajo Nityah Saswatoyam Purano. That alone is real which is beginningless and endless, which is eternal and imperishable. This phenomenal universe and countless millions of such universes are like passing moments, are like a flash of lightning. These will pass away soon and nothing more will be heard of them. These are unreal;–not that they do not actually exist, they are only illusive reality and in essence the seer which perceives this universe is the same as that ultimate Satchidananda (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss absolute). This is the gem in our cultural treasure that Sankara has left for us and it is a great precious treasure for the whole world. Wonderful peace and bliss is to be found in the spiritual Reality, the Bhuma which is within you. Realise this and be free. Sarvam Duhkham Vivekinah Now this ultimate declaration has been given. But how to attain it? Because, we know that in our actual sensuous experience, our mental impressions are fortunately or unfortunately gathered through the instruments of the mind and the senses. So, when our entire sensuous experience gives us a perception of Asat, Achit and Duhkha (non-existence, insentience and sorrow), how can we find the Satchidananda Atman? Everything in this world is fleeting in character. We do not find Chit (consciousness) anywhere; we find Jada (insentience) everywhere. We do not find Ananda. Sarvam Duhkham Vivekinah. Anityam Asukham. All these declaration say that there is only pain to be experienced in this world. We only find Asat, Jada and Duhkha. If these are constantly experienced by us, how can we find Satchidananda? How to know “Deho naaham, Jivo naaham” (I am not the body, I am the soul)? That is the question. Three Things Hard to Attain And for that also, the same Sankaracharya, who was the most wonderful transcendentalist and at the same time a very practical realist, has given us the path. He has shown us the way by which we have to attain it step by step and gradually, and what he had to say he has given in a wonderful and precious book called the Viveka-Chudamani. In it there is a Sloka: Durlabham tryamevaitaddevaanugraha hetukam manushyatvam mumukshutvam mahapurusha samsryaha. These three things are very difficult to obtain. Only through the grace of the Gods that we, Jivas, obtain them. To be born as a human being is no small privilege. It is a very, very precious gift of the Gods to the Jiva. Having got human birth, to have an aspiration for Liberation is the next difficult thing to obtain. So, if we obtain both these, we are doubly blessed. Having been born as human beings, if we do not know what do, and yet even after knowing that if we do not know the way, we are not fully blessed. But if we get the shelter of the feet of a Mahapurusha, one who has known what has to be known, one who has attained what has to be attained, and one who is in a position to show us the way, we have to admit that all of us here are thrice blessed. This unique blessing that we have got has to be remembered by us in the morning, noon and evening. Then only will we know what a precious boon we have got. Then alone will we be careful not to waste the opportunity. When you know the real value of a thing, you take proper care of it. Otherwise you may waste it and may repent later on. Surrender to Guru We are in this Punya Bhumi (holy land, i.e. India), ideal place for spiritual realisation, and we have got the unique blessing of having our Guru by the side of the Himalayas and by the side of the holy Ganges. Therefore, we have got everything perfect. And the only thing that stands in the way of our spiritual realisation is our own mind, the ego, or you call it by any name you like. It is precisely in order to see that this obstacle is removed and we get at the precious goal of human life that one comes to the Guru. Guru has destroyed his mind and he knows how one has to destroy it. Therefore, to such a man we surrender ourselves. Now we come to the central point. If the Guru is to bestow his blessings upon us, and if we are to make the highest use of them, an important thing is needed. This will be best understood by taking an example. Suppose a man is afflicted with a disease. He goes to the doctor and then he tells him his condition. You have to tell your entire condition to the doctor, and then the doctor gives you a prescription and also a medicine. Thereafter the entire responsibility is shifted from the doctor to the patient. The moment you surrender yourself to the doctor, the prescription is given to you and then the entire responsibility is shifted from the doctor to the patient. The doctor has done his very best. He has diagnosed the disease and given you the medicine, but if you do not take the medicine in the manner instructed by the doctor, the medicine is as good as useless. If the doctor has asked you to take such and such a diet and you do not obey his instructions, then what will be your fate? Who is to be held responsible? Who is to blame? I hope that every sincere man who does not want to escape his responsibility will admit that

Tulasidas’ Gift to Humanity Sri Swami Chidananda The life and work of the great soul whose birthday we joyously celebrate on this auspicious seventh day of the month of Sravan, are themselves rich legacies left by the saint-poet to us of the present-day. In this connection we have to take careful note of one special point regarding the origin of his greatest work Tulasi-Ramayana, popularly known as Ramacharita-Manas. This much-venerated scripture was started by Tulasidas upon one Sri Rama Navami Day, and it is said that on that particular Sri Rama Navami Day the heavenly bodies presented the exact identical conjunctions and astronomical juxtapositions as were present upon the actual day of Bhagavan Sri Rama’s Avatar upon earth, many thousands of years ago. Thus it may be said that in the birth of this inspiring and life-transforming poetical work of the great Tulasi Das, we have a reincarnation of that very divinity (this time in a different form) as appeared in the person of Lord Rama previously. The sacred Ramacharita Manas is, therefore, Bhagavan Sri Rama Himself manifesting and expressing through the written word. No evil realise the sanctity and the glory of the Ramacharita-Manas. Saint Tulasi Das himself was fully aware of this fact, for he states in unmistakable terms: “That man who recites or listens to or sings the lifestory of the ornament of Raghu’s Race (Rama) gets cleansed of all impurities of this iron age and without difficulty attains straight-away to the divine abode of Lord Rama.” Study of this rare treasure is, therefore, like unto a dip in the transcendental ocean of Satchidananda itself. It is a nectarine lake bathing in which you attain freedom from all afflictions and casting aside the shackles of birth and death, you rise up into the realm of eternal bliss and immortality. Hail, all Hail, to the divine Ramacharita-Manas. All glory be unto its saintly author. The life of this great saint is filled with a number of inspiring incidents which come as a flood of light revealing to us certain lofty truths of spiritual life. Upon one occasion the jealous enemies of the saintly Tulasi Das wished to destroy the precious manuscripts then being written day-by-day, by the saint. They hired two murderous ruffians for this purpose, who were to break into the house of Tulasi Das at dead of night and bring away the manuscripts. When these fierce felons had gained entrance into his abode on a dark night and were stealthily moving towards the altar wherein the manuscripts reposed, lo, two shining youths with blazing eyes and angered looks confronted them with drawn bows wherein glittered sharp and deadly arrows ready poised to spring forth upon the midnight marauders and make quick end of them, then and there. The ruffians were struck down with fear. They cry out in terror, run up to the sleeping saint and fall at his feet entreating him to protect their lives. They cry: “Oh, sire, save us, oh, save us from these wrathful, young warriors with terrific looks.” Thus, it was that in the life of this great saint a tangible presence and the ever-protecting hand of the Lord was a living fact. Similarly did the divine presence come visibly to his aid, when the then emperor tried to persecute the saint. The Lord Hanuman assumed innumerable forms so devastated the capital that the emperor had to come to his knees and ask pardon of saint Tulasi Das. The declaration of the Lord in the Gita that he ever abides by those, who constantly think of Him is practically demonstrated in the experience of Tulasi Das. In his inspiring life, again, we have the evidence of the power of the divine name. Being the ardent votary of Ram-Nam Tulasi Das performed the unbelievable miracle of bringing back to life a dead man through the power of Nama-Kirtan. Man can do almost anything, but to give life to the dead is the prerogative of Lord alone. But the Lord showed through his devotee that He and His Divine Name are one and the same. Through the power of the Name the Lord enabled Tulasi Das to do what He alone could do. By this he had proved for us that the practice of the divine name alone is sufficient to make a man divine as the Nam is the Yuga-Dharma of this age. Before concluding, one more valuable lesson may be gained from the life, namely, the untold benefits of developing our Viveka-Buddhi. As a youth, Saint Tulasi Das was mentally attached to his beautiful young wife. His entire heart’s love and his entire poetical talents were directed and offered at the feet of his beloved. But one day a small incident opened his eye to the folly of such physical attachment and, lo and behold! there was a transformation wrought overnight in this loveful youth. No more the passionate swain, but was left now the young Sadhu with his determination and dispassion fully awakened and thirsting for the realisation of his true Beloved, the Lord Himself. This was possible, because within him Tulasi Das had already the faculty of Viveka in all its fulness though dormant and inactive due to ignorance. It was like dry gun powder all ready to be fired. The one incident acted as a spark to awaken the blaze. But the ordinary man, who has neglected to develop this precious faculty of Viveka and Vichara gets any number of awakening knocks, warnings and frequent reminders from nature, but yet he continues to be the same man. Despite mother Prakriti’s severest blows he fails to learn a lesson and will neither awaken nor be transformed. Not so with true seekers, spiritual aspirants and Sadhakas. For these are men of the stuff, like that out of which saint Tulasi Das was made. Full well do they cultivate the treasure of Viveka, Vairagya, Vichara and the like in their inner beings that even a slight rousing impulse from any

Life is One Sri Swami Chidananda There was a poet who once wrote, “You cannot pluck a little flowerWithout the shaking of a star.” All life is one. There is one common consciousness which links the life of all beings into one great cosmic unity. There was once a Sufi mystic who was established in this state of cosmic consciousness. He was a gardener. One day a friend of his came to visit him. In the conversation that they were having he was distracted and the sharp gardening tool which he was using hit his leg. His friend was startled , for he saw, oozing out of the wound in his leg, not red blood but a thin, pale fluid. It was the sap of plants. This Sufi mystic was in an a absolute rapport, a perfect harmony with all life. He was at one with the plants, He had entered into their very consciousness. His life and their life was entirely one. Many other stories could be told about mystics who have attained this state of absolute consciousness with all life. One such cosmic being was sitting in that state one day in the courtyard of a great temple situated on the bank of a river. A ferryboat was carrying passengers across the river. One disembarking passenger queried the ferryman regarding the cost of the fare. First there was a discussion. Then hot words. Then a lively argument. Suddenly the passenger lunged forward and hit the ferryman. And this mystic sitting nearby was so sensitive that the blow caused him to fall over unconscious. It was as though the passenger has delivered the blow on him. There is another poem in which the poet says, “One touch of nature makes all life kin.” The poet here refers to the original nature in which all forms of life are related to the One. Vedanta proclaims the oneness of all existence. Vedanta declares that there is one divine principle present in all things. The first Sloka of the first Upanishad says, “Whatever exists is pervaded by the one great Cosmic Being. That Being permeates, saturates and pervades all things in the universe.” Even modern science is now confirming this great truth. At the back of all this diversity the back of all this multifariousness, there is something common to all life. If you touch it, you experience cosmic consciousness. The Vedantic method is deductive; the scientific method is inductive. The Vedantic method starts with the one and proceeds to the many. The scientific method starts with the many and proceeds to the one. Now it seems almost as though modern science, especially modern physical science, is proposing a theory which corroborates nearly verbatim the central thesis of the ancient Sakta school of philosophy in India. The Sakta school postulates this thesis: that universal energy or cosmic force is the ultimate factor in existence. Isn’t science saying much the same thing today? But science does not specify whether this force is conscious and intelligent or not. Whereas the Sakta philosophy is very specific on this point. The Sakta philosophy states that energy or force is the very nature of pure Consciousness. Modern scientists are noncommittal on this point. Everything is the outcome of force. This they do admit. Force is conscious. This they do not at all accept. For, if this force is conscious the implications is clear. There must be some vast intelligence guiding the movement of the cosmos–an intelligence much greater than man’s reducing man, in fact, to no more than a puny pawn pushed about according to the degree of that great intelligence. The very idea is so intolerable to most scientists, it is so ego-unflattering, that they refuse to accept it. Only to a few, only to those who are humble and unpretentious, is it credible. The Sakta school of philosophy plainly states that man borrows light from another Source of intelligence. Without this light the intellect would be inert, for it is that light which illumines the intellect and enables it to function. Man borrows it from pure Consciousness. It is, therefore, pure Consciousness which lies behind man’s intellect. Pure Consciousness alone is real. The intellect is conscious when man is in the waking state, semiconscious when he is in the dream state and unconscious when he is in the deep sleep state. This consciousness is not continuous. When you wake up in the morning, it rises, but it sinks or sets, so to speak, when you go to sleep at night. It is therefore transitory and temporary, not permanent or real. If it were real, it would never be discontinued. The consciousness of ‘I am’ , on the other hand , is always present even in the deep sleep state. “I slept well,” you say on waking up in the morning. So the consciousness is continuous. You affirm the existence of an ‘I’ at all times: waking, dreaming and sleeping. The ‘I’ principle is the substratum upon which all the three states of your consciousness are supported. This ‘I’ principle is common to all sentient beings . It is a mysterious factor which binds life into one great cosmic unity. Ponder upon it. For eventually you must know everything about it. “The word would be much better place and people here would be much, much happier if everybody would do one simple thing,” an old Truth-seeker once said to me. “What is that, Tabby?” I asked. “Let everybody write in the air in huge letters: MYOB!” was the answer. “Tabby, what is MYOB?” I asked. “Mind Your Own Business!” she said and added, “If everybody would mind his own business, the world would be quite all right.” I found another meaning in her little homily. Do you know What Your Own is in Sanskrit? The word in Sanskrit is Atman. Atman is your own self. So, mind your own business really means mind Your Own Self. Now this Atman-business is the one thing we don’t do. We

Quest for Peace Sri Swami Chidananda We talk constantly about peace–it is one of the most popular topics of discussion in the world today. Peace between nations, peace in our societies, peace in our schools, peace in our families, peace within ourselves. Yet, although billions of dollars and millions of hours are spent each year on think tanks, brainstorming sessions and international conferences, this much-desired peace continues to elude us. What is the secret of finding this elusive treasure? Let us discuss it. Because without peace both inner and outer–all is meaningless. We can spend millions of dollars building posh downtown centres in our cities, but if we are at war with another country, they will bomb that centre to ashes in a second. We can spend thousands of dollars building beautiful homes, but if our neighbourhood is our enemy, our windows will be smashed and our new lawns destroyed. We can work hard and successfully at our jobs, but if we come home to turmoil in the house, there is no joy in the success obtained at work that day, for there is no one with whom to share. We can devote ourselves to obtaining high education, top credentials and a beautiful figure. However, if we are miserable inside, no outer achievement will ever pacify us. Recently in Chicago a woman came to see me. She told that she was stressed and tense. She said that in order to sleep at night she took a pill called calmpose. I told her that she did not need to take calmpose. “Just calm you pose”, I said “And you will sleep beautifully at night and be peaceful all day.” If we are peaceful inside, humble inside, then nothing outside can ruffle us. So, the first message today is, calm your pose and you will never need to take calmpose. The obstacles and the solution are buried in this statement. Listen: I want peace. What do we have? An ‘I’, a ‘want’ and a ‘peace’. If you remove the ‘I’ and the ‘want’, what is left out? Peace. You do not have to look for peace, find peace or create peace. All you have to do is remove the ‘I’ and remove the ‘want’ and peace stands there in its full glory for the entire world to imbibe. It is the ‘I’ and the ‘want’ which obscure this treasure from our view. So, how to remove these? First let’s talk about the ‘I’. ‘I’ is one of the greatest obstacles to peace. ‘I’ is our ego. ‘I’ is our sense of ownership, doership and pride. This ‘I’ says, “I want to be in the centre.” Isn’t it true? We always want to be the ones getting the glory, the appreciation, the prestige. Even when we don’t do anything still we want to be appreciated. That is our downfall. We are so proud, this ‘I’ is so proud. It thinks, “Oh, I am so successful. I am so good.” But the truth is that we only go to work; God works. We can do nothing without His grace. One minute we are at our desks, acting like king of the world. The next minute, one nerve, just one microscopic nerve in our brain fails and we can no longer speak or write. One small blockage in one tiny blood vessel and we cannot even go to the bathroom by ourselves. We must be fed and taken care of for the rest of our lives. So, what to be proud of? He works. We just go to work. As soon as we realise this, then we can take our little ‘I’ and merge it in the big ‘I’, the universal ‘I’, the divine ‘I’. Then we surrender our lives and our every action to Him. Then we say, “God, let my tiny drop of water merge with your great ocean. Let me be a tool for Your will and Your work.” It is through this selfless surrender to Him, that the pain of the ‘I’ is removed and with that all our troubles and unrest disappear. Remember, we said “I want peace”. ‘I’ and ‘want’ are the barriers of peace. If you remove them, then there is nothing left but peace. So, first we merge this individual, obstructing ‘I’ with the divine ‘I’, the universal ‘I’ and in doing so we become free of the pride, ego and tension which block our attainment of peace. Then, we remove the ‘want’, our wants, our perceived needs, our desires. What obstacles these are to peace? The more we have, the more we want. People always think that if they attain something more, whether it’s more money, a better job, a degree, a good husband, then they will be happy. It is not the having or not having that is the issue. The issue is the wanting, the yearning and the expecting. These external things never bring any lasting happiness. We must give more and want less. Then, we will know true joy and peace. Peace comes through prayer. It doesn’t matter what name you use for God or what language you pray in. You can pray to Allah in Arabic, or you can pray to Jesus in English, or you can pray to Adonai in Hebrew, or you can pray to Lord Buddha in Japanese, or you can pray to Lord Krsna in Sanskrit. It doesn’t matter what name or form you use. It doesn’t matter what language you pray in. Just pray. And then you will see the magic. The fruit of prayer is faith. The fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is devotion. The fruit of devotion is service. The fruit of service is peace. Through this–prayer, faith, love, devotion and service–we will all, inevitably attain that sought-after state of inner peace. Then, when we are at peace inside, that harmony will radiate out to all those around us, bringing peace to our relations, peace to our communities, peace to

Dwell in God-thought Sri Swami Chidananda Revered and beloved Holy Master Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji, among his numerous teachings, stressed the necessity of being constantly aware that God is omnipresent, that God is also the indwelling reality in each and every one of us: “Thou art satchidananda. Thou art omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. Thou art the indweller of all beings.” He wished us to recite this every day so as to freshly evoke within us the awareness of His presence within and without–of His presence everywhere as well as right at the very centre of our being. For the more constantly we dwell in God-thought, the more constantly God dwells close to us. The more constantly we hold on to God-thought, the more continuously we keep moving towards Him; we move in His direction–ultimately towards God-experience. The more we dwell upon Him as the one and only eternal Reality unchanging, beginningless and endless, everywhere present–the more we dwell upon Him as the one constant unchanging eternal Reality, the more we are able to turn our gaze towards the outer world of changing names and forms and begin to perceive them for what they are, namely, temporary unrealities, temporary appearances, whose existence is also temporary. Not only are their name and form and state of existence at any given moment in time temporary and subject to change, their very existence itself is also temporary. We begin to see that everything is headed towards dissolution, and one day they will all cease to exist. Thus it is that the reality of the Absolute Being enables us to overcome the demand of the passing appearance upon our attention as well as their mysterious ability to delude us into thinking that they are to be taken as real. Every day, when we wake up from sleep, we behold them. Yesterday we beheld them, today we behold them, tomorrow we will also behold them. For days, months and years we have been beholding them, and, therefore, we think that they must be real. Thus, repetition of an experience on our part becomes their claim to be recognised as permanent realities on their part. But if you turn this process around and subject them to a test by the measuring rod of that selfsame strictly subjective consciousness and experience, then, due to the same reason that they claim recognition as permanent realities, that very reason itself calls their bluff and that very reason proves that they are unrealities. If they say, “Do you not see that we are before you every time you wake up? All your life, since birth, you have been experiencing us every day from the moment you wake up throughout the day,” you can retort, “Be gone! For every day, each 24 hours, the moment I go to sleep, you are no more. So, all my life, from the moment of my birth till today, you have been proved to be non-existent every night when I retire and go to sleep. So I know on the basis of my own subjective experience of the sleep state of consciousness that you really do not exist. So, when you appear to exist for some time, and then disappear and cease to exist another time, your existence cannot be called real for it is momentary. It is contradicted every day. You are, therefore, only a temporary reality. You have no claim to be recognised as permanent realities. Impermanence is your nature; changefulness is your nature.” Thus it is that we have to subject the outer world experience to a keen scrutiny upon the basis of our own deep subjective consciousness, our subjective experience day after day. That is why it is said that that Being alone exists, that Being alone is real. It is eternal, unchanging, permanent and indestructible. And when you enter into an experience of That, you become eternal. You cease to be a temporary phenomenon. You partake of that same glorious nature of the ultimate Reality. And as we said, to achieve this end, the more continuously and constantly we keep ourselves in a state of God-thought, the more continuously and constantly God is close to us. And the more you keep up this practice of continuous, unbroken God-thought, the more you begin to move in the direction of that Reality. This is the essence of sadhana. This is the heart of yoga. This is the purpose of meditation. This is the reason why constant remembrance of God, repetition of God’s name, has always been prescribed and advised by the great spiritual masters. May we dwell upon this fact of our inner spiritual life and become benefited and blessed by it. May divine grace and Holy Master’s blessings enable us to constantly dwell upon this fact and become supremely blessed. God bless us all!

How to Get Your Desires Fulfilled Sri N. Ananthanarayanan Man is moved by desire. Life is maintained by hope of getting one’s desires fulfilled. Instinctive desires, impulsive desires, rational desires, irrational desires, worldly desires, spiritual desires–they chase man all through life. Even the old man who is approaching death has a myriad desires in his mind. As Sivananda says, “The capacity may vanish, but the craving remains”. “Be desireless” says the preacher, but he himself is quite often after more money, a larger audience, a greater reputation. The universality of desire does not sanctify it, but only shows how nearly impossible it is to give up desires. That is why the spiritual seeker is exhorted, first of all, to substitute bad desires by good desires, and later, to replace all desires by an all-consuming desire for God. How to get one’s good desires, righteous desires, legitimate desires fulfilled? What is the secret of success in achieving one’s ambitions, in realising one’s aspirations, in finding fulfilment of one’s fond hopes? The man of the world is concerned with an answer to this vital question. If you desire something, you must work for it. There must be exertion or Purushartha. Everyone understands the matter thus far. But what puzzles people quite often is how, after repeated exertion, they fail to achieve the desired result. “Destiny!” says the spiritual preacher, “You are not destined to get it”. Then he goes on to explain the Law of Karma and its ramifications to the disappointed man in an attempt to console him. But what poor consolation for the disappointed man! Is there no foolproof method of getting one’s cherished desires fulfilled? There is. It is the method of the Mantras. There are as many Mantras as there are desires. Recite the appropriate Mantra with faith and devotion and get what you want. I suggested the Sarasvati Mantra to a person who was almost illiterate. Today that person possesses more wisdom than the most educated. I placed the Lakshmi Mantra before an unemployed man. He landed a job within six months. I recommended the Katyayani Mantra to an unmarried woman of forty years whose only fault was a Dosha or defect in the planetary combinations in her horoscope. That lady got happily married a couple of years after her beginning to recite the Mantra. But I must confess that in the case of all three, their faith in the potency of Mantra Japa excelled my own. And now their success has increased my own faith in Mantras and their power. If you do not like the method of the Mantras, take to the method of whole-hearted prayer. When I say whole-hearted prayer, I mean that it should come from the innermost recesses of your heart, and not from your lips alone. The yearning must be intense, almost desperate. And you must feel the reality of God’s all-pervading presence, feel that He is listening to you, feel that He has the power to answer your prayer and the compassion to do so. Then your prayer will be answered. All this is made much easier if you can go to a realised saint (who, incidentally, is no different from God) or to the presence of a powerful Deity or Pratyaksha Devata and address your prayer to the saint or the Devata. In such a case, what happens is this: your prayer, your desire, is taken up or absorbed by the intense spiritual aura or vibrations of the saint or the Deity, and in the process, becomes the desire of the saint himself or the Deity Itself. No wonder, then, that it fructifies soon enough and easily enough. A third method of getting your desires fulfilled is to expand in your consciousness and identify yourself with an ever-expanding spectrum of men and matter. The more you expand in this way, the sooner your desire will come to fruition. In other words, the extent of your identification with the cosmos or the extent of your nearness to God will determine the speed with which your desires get fulfilled. The closer you are to God, the faster will be the achievement of your ambitions. This method is not as difficult to practise as it might appear. Once you have a good grasp of the basic spiritual laws, a sound understanding of man and his relationship to God and the universe, all that is required is to feel your identity with the rest of creation in an ever-greater measure. The fourth and the last method is the really difficult one, because in this you have to give up your desires to gain the desired objects. Paradoxical, but true. The spiritual law that governs the operation of this paradox is more accurate than all the laws of mathematics, physics and the rest of the natural sciences. This infallible law states: “Desire a thing and it recedes from your grasp. Give up a thing and it comes to you unsought”. But the giving up should be total and spontaneous. If you say with your mouth, “I give up my desire for wealth”, but cherish the desire in your heart, wealth will not accrue to you. But if you really do not care one little bit for wealth, for whatever reason, then money will flow to you from all sides. It is the same with all other objects of desire. That is why a good doctor always advises his patient, “Don’t bother too much about your health”. Because, not bothering about one’s health is the surest way to preserve one’s health. When you are truly fed up with the objects of desire, they will crowd around you. But, at that point, even if they crowd around you, you have no use for them. You need them no more. Desire, object of desire, satisfaction of desire–these words and phrases have lost all meaning for you. It is the highest stage of the renunciate monk.

Living in the Present Sri N. Ananthanarayanan A very distinguished Indian, now no more, had once gone to London to attend a Royal function. On his return to India, while narrating his experiences to friends, he is said to have remarked: “Ar-rhey! They say, ‘Queen! Queen! Queen!’. What man! The queen is just like any other woman”. Even so, everyone says, “New Year! New Year! New Year!”. What New Year?! It is like every other year. For that matter, why only the new year? Each fresh month is a new month. Each week, each day, each hour, when it is born, is new too. Why, each fresh moment is a new moment. Live every moment fully and well. Live in the present. Time is but a concept. Past, present and future are but man-made notions, concepts of convenience invented by man for the purpose of Vyavahara or worldly dealings. There is no past apart from the present. Dead present becomes the past, though in common usage we refer to the dead past. The past is never dead. It is the present which, when it dies, becomes the past like man who, when he dies, becomes a corpse. Likewise, the future too has no existence apart from the present. The future is only the yet-to-be-born present. The future is only the present in embryo. The truth of the matter is: there is present only. Present is life. Present is existence. Present is consciousness. Many waste their time endlessly brooding over the past and day-dreaming about the future. And in the process they miss the present. How sad! Thinking over past mistakes, you lose the joy of the present as well. Building castles in the air about the future–castles which may never materialise–you let go God-given opportunities for living a rich life in the present. Squeeze the maximum out of your life by living in the present, by living each moment. Face the present boldly with faith in God and courage in your heart. Squeeze the maximum out of each moment by living it. Get the maximum essence out of life by living concentratedly each God-given moment. Have you ever seen little boys sucking the pulp and juice out of a ripe mango? They will not leave a grain of pulp or a drop of juice. Such should be your effort in drawing the maximum blessings out of each moment of your earthly existence. The present is there with you now. The same cannot be said about the future. You may or may not be. Even if you continue to be alive, you may not be healthy in the future. You may lose a limb or two in some accident, or go blind, or go deaf. Who knows? God forbid but who knows? Is it not prudence, then, that when God has given you a healthy body, an intelligent mind and all comforts, you should utilise time well, not just well but most profitably, in a manner beneficial to yourself as well as to those around you? The man who declared, “Give me health and a day and I shall make the pomp of emperors ridiculous” apparently knew very well the secret of living in the present. Living in the present implies having your priorities in proper order and tackling the foremost items with all the resources at your disposal, throwing yourself body, mind and soul into the task on hand, forgetting the past and the future. Little children always live in the present. No matter what they may be doing, their entire attention is on that. They may be eating or they may be playing; they may be watching a ladybird with intense curiosity or they may be chasing a dog lustily–they are totally involved. They are intensely intertwined with life in the present. Little children forget the past and ignore the future. Can we not live like little children? You are out on a walk and the scenery is breathtaking. The air is crisp and clear. The sky is blue with not a speck of cloud or mist or haze. The birds are calling, chirping, twittering. The trees, the hills–all is green and fine. Enjoy it all–now where you are–instead of planning for the future and dreaming about the dead past. Give yourself over to the sights and sounds. Breathe in the fresh mountain air consciously. Bask in the sun’s rays. Get attuned to the bird’s songs and soak yourself in nature. Forget the rest. Just forget. That is living in the present. You are lightly asleep. The Satsang music on the loudspeaker wakes you up: “Sri Krishna Govinda Hare Murare,Hey Natha Narayana Vasudeva!” The Nama Sankirtan is sweet, inspiring, soul-satisfying. All right. Shake off the drowsiness at once and sit up and get in tune with the Kirtan Dhvani. Give your mind over to Sri Krishna. Visualise Him. Then and there become full of Bhakti-Bhav. Assume a prayerful attitude. Imagine yourself kneeling before Him and join-in in the singing from your room itself, from your bed itself. Those five minutes or ten minutes are marvellously well spent, are fully lived. That is living in the present. When you are doing one thing, do not think of another thing. It is the surest way to do everything badly and slovenly. If you are at the stove heating milk and if you allow the mind to wander over past and future, the milk will boil over. If you have spent a full fifteen minutes to make a good cup of coffee, and as you put the cup to your lips your mind goes astray into regions wild, you would have drunk the coffee without ever knowing that you did so. And in the process miss that refreshing feeling which you would have otherwise gained! Or, let us suppose you are trying to do Mayurasan, the Peacock Pose, or even actually doing it and your mind takes a trip elsewhere. What happens? In a jiffy, you nose-dive into your Yoga mat. Gurudev tells us the beautiful

Pain is a Blessing in Disguise Sri Swami Chidananda Unknown to you, the Divine has been shaping you gradually for the noble, sublime life spiritual through various means. He has been putting opportunities in your way, and bringing obstacles; giving bitter experiences. God does more miracles through painful and unpleasant experiences than He does through pleasant experiences. Pain is an eye-opener. When one realises the ground truth that association with all temporary things is fraught with sorrow, then only our journey to Eternal begins. Sorrow, therefore, seems to have some purpose. Pain is a blessing in disguise. Pain turns your mind towards God, in whom alone there is lasting happiness and peace. This mundane life is full of miseries. Life is not a bed of roses. Ups and downs, troubles and tribulations are common in this world. There is no way to escape from them. The reactions of one’s past actions have to be gone through. There are many instances of those who had to undergo a lot of sufferings: Harishchandra, Nala, Dharmaraja, Savitri, Damayanti and Draupadi. Even Lord Christ had to undergo a lot of suffering. God sometimes puts His devotees in difficult situations in order to strengthen them spiritually. Face them bravely. Each obstacle will strengthen you. Each failure is a stepping-stone to success. Please be happy in whatever circumstances God has placed you. Have intense faith in Him. Rely on Him, He knows what is best for you. Pray to God to give you strength to face them calmly. He will protect you and guide you. Difficulties come in our path to test our strength. As such, we should welcome them. And with faith and trust in the Lord and His holy Name, we should tide over them. Remember: even this will pass away. God’s ways are mysterious. The world is the play of God. Be a witness in this play. God is kind and merciful. Therefore, despair not. Be calm and serene. It is worry that weakens the mind and body. You cannot remove worries by worrying. Be ever cheerful and happy. All unpleasant happenings are so much ‘account settled’, and makes your burden lighter. There must be unshaken faith in God during trials, disappointments and difficulties. Ever be rooted in God. Hope and help come when one is utterly helpless. He is Karunanidhi, kind and all love. There is no end to His mercy. Those who surrender to Him will have no fear.

Focussing Of The Mind Sri Swami Sivananda Radiant immortal Atman! Beloved sadhakas and seekers! Some sadhakas are very impatient. They want to have the experience at the very beginning of their sadhana. And they think that only such experience constitutes the sign that they are progressing. They want to have a tree within days of planting a seed! You should not be too impatient. You must have sufficient abhyasa (practice) before you start looking for results. This impatience in sadhaka is a result of not realising that a good part of sadhana goes not into the structure of spiritual life, but into its foundation. When the foundation of a building is being built, no structure is seen above the surface of the ground. Someone looking from far off will see nothing there. Yet something important, something indispensable is being done. If you want to see walls and rooms within a few days of starting the construction, it is impractical view and approach. Many spiritual teachers offer techniques, which will show results. Someone presses your eyeballs and make you see flashes of light. There are organisations that promise this type of spiritual experiences, awakening of Kundalini, siddhis (psychic powers). But then, are you trying to lead a spiritual life, or do you want to get some results? What is that you understand about a life of nivritti, of renunciation, of seeking? Are you paying attention to your spiritual life or are you paying attention to your mental acrobatic? These questions have to be very, very definitely made part of your consideration. Spiritual teachers lay down together with sadhana some principles, certain ideals, some way of life. First and foremost, try to know that all sadhana, all yoga-abhyasa have one aim: to remove distraction of the mind and focus it. And thus bring about a state of one-pointedness, concentration, and to integrate your life, your thoughts, feelings emotions, sentiments, imagination and aspirations towards one unified quest, one clearly defined goal. All sadhana–japa, meditation, kirtan, puja, upasana–should make you totally absorbed, one-pointed, completely focussed. The focussing of the mind is sadhana, that is abhyasa. It is the key to success. It is the solution to all problems. And it does not come in a day. A life governed by principles, moving towards an ideal is yoga and sadhana and spiritual life. God bless you!

Key Guidelines To Successful Meditation Sri Swami Sivananda Retire to a quiet place or room from where you do not fear interruption so that your mind may feel quite secure and at rest. The ideal condition cannot always be obtained, in which case you should do the best you can. You should be alone by yourself in communion with God or Brahman. If you find it difficult to concentrate your mind within a room, come outside and sit in an open place or terrace or by the side of a river or in a quiet corner of a garden. You will have good concentration. That place where you can get concentration of mind is the right place for your meditation and Yogic practices. This is the general rule. At 4 a.m. do Sirshasana for 5 minutes. Then take rest for five minutes. Then sit and meditate. You will have wonderful meditation. Before doing meditation do 20 mild Kumbhakas. Then sit for meditation. Pranayama drives away drowsiness and laziness and makes the mind steady. Read the 11th and 13th Slokas of Chapter VI of the Bhagavad Gita wherein a description of the seat is given. Spread a fourfold blanket and over this spread a piece of soft white cloth. This will do nicely. If you can get a good tiger-skin or a deer-skin, it is all the better. A tiger-skin has got its own advantages. It generates electricity in the body quickly and does not allow leakage of electric current from the body. It is full of magnetism. Face the East or the North. A spiritual neophyte should observe this rule. In facing the North he is in communion with the Rishis of the Himalayas and he is mysteriously benefited by their currents. Sit in your meditation posture. Keep the head, neck and trunk in one straight line. Do not bend either forwards or backwards. Lock the fingers. You must have a mental image of God or Brahman before you begin to meditate. Have a background of thought–either a concrete background of your Ishta Murthy along with the Mantra or an abstract background of the idea of Infinity with OM if you are a student of Jnana Yoga. This will destroy all other worldly thoughts and take you to the goal. Through force of habit, the mind will at once take shelter in this background the moment you release it from worldly activities. Close the eyes. Concentrate the gaze on the Trikuti. Now chant Dirgha Pranava or long OM forcibly for five minutes. This will remove Vikshepa or tossing of the mind. Concentration will ensue. Now repeat OM mentally with Brahma-bhavana. Whenever the mind begins to wander, again chant OM verbally. As soon as the mind gets calm, mentally repeat OM again. The same process can be adopted for Saguna meditation also. When you sit for meditation in the morning, send out your love and peace to all living beings. Say: Sarvesham Santir Bhavatu. May peace be unto all. Sarvesham Poornam Bhavatu. May prosperity be unto all. Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu. May happiness be unto the whole world. When you are a neophyte in meditation, start repeating some sublime Slokas or Stotras or hymns for ten minutes as soon as you sit for meditation. This will elevate the mind. Then the mind can be easily withdrawn from the worldly objects. Then stop this kind of thinking also and fix the mind on one idea only by repeated and strenuous efforts. Then Nishtha will ensue. As you are not used to meditation, you feel tired and hungry when you sit for meditation. This will pass off soon. Continue your practice. Again and again withdraw the mind from the worldly objects when it runs away from the Lakshya and fix it there. This sort of combat will go on for some months. Make no violent efforts to control the mind, but rather allow it to run along for a while and exhaust its efforts. It will take advantage of the opportunity and will jump around like an unchained monkey at first, until it gradually slows down and looks to you for orders. It may take sometime to tame it down first, but each time you try, it will come around to you in a shorter time. Relax all the muscles and nerves. Relax the brain. Calm the objective mind. Close the eyes. Do not voluntarily and violently drive away intruding thoughts. Gently allow the divine thoughts to flow. Steadily think of the Lakshya, the object of meditation. Have sublime Sattvic thoughts. Vicious thoughts will, by themselves, vanish. In meditation, do not strain the eyes. Do not strain the brain. Do not struggle or wrestle with the mind. It is a serious mistake. Many neophytes commit this grave error. That is the reason why they get easily tired soon. They get headache and they have to get up very often to pass urine during the course of meditation owing to the irritation set up in the micturition centre in the spinal cord. If you strain yourself in meditation and go beyond your capacity, laziness and inactive nature will supervene. Meditation should come naturally on account of serenity of the mind induced by the practice of Pratyahara. Some students like to concentrate with open eyes, some with closed eyes, some others with half-opened eyes. If you meditate with closed eyes, dust or foreign particles will not fall in your eyes. Some students, whom lights and jerks trouble, prefer concentration with open eyes. In some who meditate with closed eyes, sleep overpowers them within a short time. If the eyes are open, the mind wanders to objects in the beginners. Use your common sense and adopt that which suits you best. Overcome other obstacles by suitable, intelligent methods. In the beginning when you are a neophyte, you can close your eyes to remove the distraction of mind, as you are very weak. But later on, you must meditate with eyes open, even during walking. You must keep your balance of mind