Sivananda Ashram Spiritual organisations with high aims and objects should be started only by Mahatmas who are absolutely free, perfect and unselfish. If religious institutions are started by selfish people, they become fighting centres and a menace to society and bring ruin to those who are associated with the workers. In the long run, through ill-managed Institutions and Ashrams, people lose faith in God and religion and condemn all Mahatmas as pseudo Yogis. Sometimes selfish persons start spiritual institutions as business undertakings. They misguide the people. Even an Ashram started by a self-realised person, with high aims and objects in the early stages may get polluted later on by mercenary motives. The founders must have extraordinary capacity to serve mankind. Then and then alone can real service be done at all times. When there is lack of interest and Sraddha in householders, it becomes difficult to carry on systematic work. Above all, it is extremely difficult to get workers with ability and devotion. These days aspirants do not appreciate much the value of selfless service. Many of the Ashrams suffer for lack of able workers. THE ASHRAM GREW BY ITSELF I never thought of starting an Ashram. When the great rush of students and devotees came to me for spiritual guidance, with a view to render help to them and to make them useful to the world, I created some fields of activities for their evolution and for public good, encouraged them much in their studies and their Sadhana, and arranged necessary comforts and conveniences for their boarding and lodging, using the donations I received from some admirers for my personal use. Thus, in course of time, I found around me a huge Ashram and an Ideal Institution with congenial environment-a big Spiritual Colony-SHIVANANDA NAGAR. I did not work with big plans or schemes. I did not approach any great person or Maharajah for getting money. The world appreciated the service done here on right lines. A little help came from the divine source and I carefully utilised every cent of it for bringing maximum spiritual good to the world. Several new palatial buildings crop up every year and yet there is lack of accommodation for the inmates and the stream of visitors. At every stage, there was splendid development of work. On many occasions devotees pressed me to undertake propaganda tours for collecting money. That was impossible for me. I take delight in giving and serving all. In 1940, grand arrangements were made for an extensive tour in the Punjab. I sent a telegram at once and cancelled the programme. The telegraphic message conveys the attitude with which I manage the affairs of the Ashram: “I do not care if the Divine Life Society flourishes or not. If it is the Grace of the Lord and if we carry on our Sadhana and service with the right attitude, Bhava and Sraddha, help is bound to come from Divine Source. Let me do as much as possible by remaining in my own small Kutir on the banks of the Ganga. When the honey is there, the bees will come by themselves. Shun ruthlessly the desire for money.” In a short period the work grew. Regular classes are now conducted on Yoga, Bhakti, Vedanta and Health. Today over 300 students live by my side with all comforts and conveniences, tread the path of Yoga, and serve the world in a variety of ways. Glory to the Lord. Blessed are the aspirants. Students of different cults and faiths come from various countries and stay with me for weeks and months. Devotees from all parts of India come to the Ashram frequently and join the collective Sadhana and Satsanga.

My Religion, Its Technique and Dissemination I love seclusion. I have to hide myself at times. I do not crave for name and fame. I did not spend much time in a deep study of all the scriptures and religions of the world, for preparing thrilling lectures. I never liked to spend time in writing fine essays for publication through books or newspapers. I was not pleased when people called me: “Mahatma, Guru Maharaj.” I never planned for any Institution to perpetuate my name. But the Divine Will was different. The whole world came to me with all divine glory and splendour. That may be due to the intense prayers of thousands of sincere seekers after Truth coupled with my own inborn tendencies to share with others what I have and to serve the world on a large scale on the right lines, for the attainment of Light, Peace, Knowledge and Power. I was induced to start the Divine Life Society when I found some facility and useful hands to carry on the work. I carried the Message of the Sages and Saints and taught the world the way for Peace and Bliss. Because of the popularity of the Divine Life Society, many learned and pious souls from far off lands have come to see me and, sharing with me the love for selfless service, are doing valuable work in spreading right knowledge, which alone can confer lasting peace and happiness. Many foreign Branches of the Divine Life Society are reprinting parts of my writings and distributing them free in their respective regions. THE NEED OF THE HOUR When man gets entangled in selfishness, greed, lust, passion, he naturally forgets all about God. He always thinks of his body, family and children. He constantly attends to his food, drink, comforts and conveniences. He is drowned in the ocean of Samsara. Materialism and scepticism reign supreme. He gets irritated by little things and begins to fight. There is restlessness, misery, panic and chaos everywhere. Now the whole world seems to be in the grip of materialism. The invention of new kinds of bombs causes terror everywhere. People have lost faith in holy scriptures and the teachings of the sages and saints. People have become irreligious owing to wrong education and evil influences. The stirring events since the advent of the twentieth century did not fail to have their effect upon all spiritual-minded people, Sannyasins, saints and men-of-God. The horrors of world wars moved them greatly. The fateful epidemic and the world-wide depression that followed it, touched their compassionate heart. They saw that the sufferings of mankind were mostly brought on by its own deeds. To awaken man to his errors and follies and to make him mend his ways so that he may enthusiastically utilise his life for attaining worthier ends, was felt to be the urgent need of the age. Millions were eagerly looking for such guidance. This silent prayer was heard and I saw the birth of the Divine Life Mission with its task of rescuing man from the forces of bestiality and brutality and divinising his life upon this planet. Just at this critical juncture, I started the Divine Life Society. Now people consider it a blessing to the world. It has as its basis the quintessence of the teachings of all religions and of all saints and prophets of the world. Its principles are broad, universal, all-embracing and in accordance with science and reason. It has set for itself the task of raising man above the sorrows and miseries of this mundane life by making him see the Blissful Divinity that is hidden behind all outward forms. Good thoughts pervade and influence all good people. The thought-currents generated by the Divine Life Movement have had their effect upon the people of Europe and America, and now there is a great thirst for peace all over the world. Millions dread the speedy termination of the race by nuclear weapons. UNIVERSAL IDEALS FOR SPIRITUAL PERFECTION The Divine Life Society is an all-embracing and all-inclusive Institution; its objects, ideals and aims are very broad and universal. It does not condemn any of the principles or tenets of any cult. It includes all the fundamental principles of all religions and cults. There are no pet dogmas or sectarian tenets. It leads people to the spiritual path. It enables people to take easily to the Divine Life even while living in the world and following the teachings of some particular cult or religion. The Society has brought about a vigorous awakening throughout the world and has contributed much to a new life of freedom in action, a life of harmony amidst worldly turmoils and a life of bliss through mental non-attachment and mental renunciation of desires, egoism and mine-ness. There is universal appreciation of the principles, aims, ideals of the society and the method of its work. It lays great stress on the practical side of Sadhana. It expounds in a rational and scientific manner the Yoga of Synthesis. Members belonging to various institutions and organisations in all parts of the world become members of the Divine Life Society and write to me for spiritual guidance. I take special care of them and give them lessons through post for their spiritual progress and welfare. The Divine Life Society proclaims that any man can attain Wisdom in his own station of life, be he a Brahmachari, Grihastha, Vanaprastha or Sannyasi, be he a scavenger, Brahmin, Sudra or Kshatriya, be he a busy man of the world or a silent Sadhaka of the Himalayas. Divine Knowledge is not the sole property of Sannyasins, recluses. It explains how although the central basis is Jnana Yoga, Vedanta, it is necessary for one to practise Karma Yoga for purification of mind and heart; Hatha Yoga to keep up good health and strength and purify the Prana and steady the mind; Raja Yoga to destroy the Sankalpas and induce concentration in meditation; and Jnana Yoga to remove

Light on the Path of Renunciation Every Religion has a band of anchorites who lead the life of seclusion and meditation. There are Bhikkus in Buddhism, Fakirs in Mohammedanism, Sufistic Fakirs in Sufism, Fathers and Reverends in Christianity. The glory of a religion will be lost if there are no monks leading a life of renunciation and service to the world. It is these people that maintain the religions of the world. They give solace to the householders when they are in trouble and distress. They are the harbingers of peace and wisdom. They heal the sick, comfort the forlorn and bring help to the hopeless, joy to the depressed, strength to the weak, and knowledge to the ignorant. One true Sannyasin can change the thought-currents of the world for better. A real Sannyasi is a mighty potentate of this earth. Sannyasins have done sublime work in the past. They are working wonders at present. One real Sannyasin can change the destiny of the whole world. I dance in joy when I see or hear from an aspirant who entertains genuine devotion, aspiration and inclination for the path of renunciation and tries to get out of this quagmire of Samsara. Through prayers and thought-currents I am in very close touch with such students and help them a lot. They are all attracted towards me and leave the world quickly with a great hope for the future. I welcome them with great joy and train them nicely in a variety of ways in the path of Yoga and take care of them until they are able to stand firm in the path. YOUTH IS THE BEST PERIOD FOR RENUNCIATION In scriptures, the order of Sannyasa is mentioned for those who have passed the Brahmacharya, Grihastha and Vanaprastha stages of life. That means people took Sannyasa in their old age, on the verge of death. It is quite good to have some peace at the time of death. By this they may get a good birth. From experience I find that tremendous energy is needed for purposes of contemplation, clear vision and extraordinary purity of body, mind and heart. I consider youth, with abundant energy and mental purity, as the foremost qualification for the path of renunciation. I have all admiration for those young Brahmacharis who do not have any worldly bondage and entanglements. They can be moulded nicely. Viveka, Vairagya, Shat-sampat and Mumukshutva are the primary qualifications to students prescribed by the scriptures. It will not be possible to have all the above qualifications when people live in worldly environments with heavy responsibilities, anxieties and worries. By the time they develop one virtue or try to remove a single defect or evil in the mind, they get entangled in various other directions. The vibrations of the materialistic world are not favourable for spiritual progress in the early stages. They have to spend their entire energy solely in resisting the temptations. Therefore I prefer young persons. Necessary qualifications will come by themselves when they tread the path of Yoga, in a favourable atmosphere, and when they live in the company of Yogis, in a place far away from the temptations and attraction of sense-objects. NO RIGID CONDITIONS ARE ATTACHED I heartily welcome all types of people. Old people can take bath in the holy Ganga and spend their time in prayers and Bhajan and enjoy the benefits of Satsanga. Young persons will evolve quickly through a dynamic Sadhana and bring spiritual good to the world. If people only show some symptom of disgust for sensual enjoyment coupled with a taste for the path of Yoga, I at once give them Sannyasa and share with them what I have and encourage them to a great extent. It is a great surprise to many to see that I give initiation through post also. Some students who are not in a position to come to the Himalayas have taken Sannyasa by receiving the sacred cloth and instructions by post. I cannot express their joy in full. They have made wonderful progress. I closely watch them. The entire voluntary donation I receive from devotees for my personal use is spent in providing comforts and conveniences to the students, for their welfare and peace and in creating hundreds of avenues in which they can quickly evolve and help the world in a variety of ways. In my method of work for the spiritual uplift of mankind, I permit even married people to take to the path of renunciation and live like Sannyasins. There are many who have taken to the order of Sannyasa when they have a family and children. After some training here, they go back and live near the family or a little away and take care of the family with complete detachment and gloriously prosper in their Sadhana. The point of my method is that I look to the motive and the inner purity of the seeker. I do not impose too many rules and restrictions on food and dress. External conformity to rules is not of much value. My students can live in any place, in any dress and yet effectively follow my instructions. They all set an example to the whole world. Glory to the true, ideal Sannyasin who leads an exemplary life. This world is in need of ideal Sannyasins who will serve the country and humanity with divine consciousness and disseminate true knowledge and carry the message of the Sages and Saints to every door. May Sannyasins, the repositories of divine knowledge, the torch-bearers of Truth, the beacon-lights of the world, the corner-stones of spiritual edifices and the central pillars of the eternal Dharma or religion, guide the nations of the world.

In The Master’s Own Words Taken From The Autobiography of Swami Sivananda) SIVA’S EXPERIENCE I have seen God in my own Self.I have negated name and form, and what remains is Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute and nothing else.I behold God everywhere. There is no veil.I am One. There is no duality.I rest in my own Self. My bliss is beyond description.The world of dreams has gone. I alone exist. Swami Sivananda SIVA’S MESSAGE Delight in good.Make up your mind to tread the spiritual path.Be patient.Go slowly. Go ahead. Be deliberate. Assert. Recognize.Realise: I am the immortal Soul.This is the discipline.This is Siva’s message.

Highest Teachings in Instructions 1. Reduce your wants to the utmost minimum. 2. Adapt yourself to circumstances. 3. Never be attached to anything or anybody. 4. Share what you have with others. 5. Be ever ready to serve. Lose no opportunity. Serve with Atma Bhava. 6. Entertain Akarta and Sakshi Bhava. 7. Speak measured and sweet words. 8. Have a burning thirst for God-realisation. 9. Renounce all your belongings and surrender yourself unto God. 10. Spiritual path is a sharp-edged razor path. A Guru is absolutely necessary. 11. Have great patience and perseverance. 12. Never leave the Abhyasa even for a day. 13. The Guru will only guide you. You should yourself tread the path. 14. Life is short. Time of death is uncertain. Apply yourself seriously to Yogic Sadhana. 15. Maintain daily spiritual diary and record correctly your progress and failures. Stick to resolves. 16. Do not complain that there is no time for Sadhana. Reduce sleep and tall talks. Stick to Brahmamuhurta. 17. Let the thought of God (Reality) keep away the thought of the world. 18. Forget the feeling that you are so and so-a male or a female-by vigorous Brahma Chintana. 19. Never postpone a thing for tomorrow if it is possible for you to do it today. 20. Do not boast or make a show of your abilities. Be simple and humble. 21. Be cheerful always. Give up worries. 22. Be indifferent to things that do not concern you. 23. Fly away from company and discussion. 24. Be alone for a few hours daily. 25. Give up greediness, jealousy and hoarding. 26. Control your emotions by discrimination and Vairagya. 27. Maintain equilibrium of mind always. 28. Think twice before you speak and thrice before you act. 29. Give up back-biting, criticising and fault-finding. Beware of reaction. 30. Find out your own faults and weaknesses. See only good in others. Praise the virtues of others. 31. Forgive and forget the harm done by others. Do good to those who hate you. 32. Shun lust, anger, egoism, Moha and Lobha like a venomous cobra. 33. Be prepared to suffer any amount of pain. 34. Have a set of maxims always with you to induce Vairagya. 35. Treat sensual enjoyment as poison, vomited food, Vishta or urine. They cannot give you satisfaction. 36. Preserve your Virya carefully. Sleep always separately. 37. Revere ladies as Mother Divine. Root out the sex idea. Prostrate before all. 38. See God in every face, in everything. 39. Take to Sankirtan, Satsanga, prayer, when the mind is overpowered by lower instincts. 40. Face obstacles coolly and boldly. 41. Care not for criticism when you are in the right path. Yield not to flattery. 42. Respect rogues and scoundrels. Serve them. 43. Admit your faults plainly. 44. Take care of your health. Do not neglect daily Asanas and exercises. 45. Be active and nimble always. 46. Develop your heart by giving. Be extraordinarily charitable. Give more than one’s expectations. 47. Desires multiply misery. Develop contentment. 48. Control the senses one by one. 49. Develop Brahmakara Vritti by repeated thinking. 50. Have a check over all your thoughts. Keep them pure and sublime. 51. Do not lose temper when anybody insults, taunts or rebukes you. It is a mere play of words and a variety of sounds. 52. Rest your mind in God and live in Truth. 53. Be up and doing in the path of perfection. 54. Have a definite aim in your life and proceed cautiously. 55. Benefits of Mouna are incalculable. Never give up this practice. 56. Four important means for passion to enter the mind are sound, touch, sight and thoughts. Be vigilant! 57. Have intimate connection with none but God. Mix little with others. 58. Be moderate in everything. Extremes are always dangerous. 59. Every day have self-analysis and introspection. Know the amount of your growth. 60. Give up curiosities in spiritual path. Conserve your energy and concentrate. Think little of food, body and relatives. Think more of Atman. You must realise in this very birth itself!

Yoga of Synthesis Yoga of Synthesis is suitable for the vast majority of persons. It is a unique Yoga. Man is a strange complex mixture of will, feeling and thought. He is a triune being. He is like a tricycle or a three-wheeled chariot. He wills to possess the objects of his desires. He has emotion; and so he feels. He has reason and so he thinks and ratiocinates. In some the emotional element may preponderate, while in some others the rational element may dominate. Just as will, feelings and thought are not distinct and separate, so also, work, devotion and knowledge are not exclusive of one another. He must, therefore develop his heart, intellect and hand. Then alone can he attain perfection. Many aspirants have lop-sided development. They do not possess an integral development, as they neglect one or the other of these aspects of their personality. One-sided development is not commendable. Religion and Yoga must educate and develop the whole man – his heart, intellect and hand. Then only he will have integral development. In the mind there are three defects, viz., Mala or impurity, Vikshepa or tossing, and Avarana or veil. The impurities of the mind should be removed by the practice of Karma Yoga, by selfless service. The tossing should be removed by worship or Upasana, by Japa and devotion. The veil should be torn down by the practice of Jnana Yoga, i.e., by study of Vedantic literature, enquiry, self-analysis, service to the Guru, and deep meditation. Only then Self-realization is possible. If you want to see your face clearly in a mirror, you must remove the dirt in the mirror, keep it steady, and remove the covering also. You can see your face clearly in the bottom of a lake only if the turbidity is removed, if the water that is agitated by the wind is rendered still, and if the moss that is lying on the surface is removed. Even so is the case with Self-realization. Action, emotion and intelligence are the three horses that are linked to this body-chariot. They should work in perfect harmony or unison. Then only the chariot will run smoothly. There must be integral development. You must have the head of Sankara, the heart of Buddha, and the hand of Janaka. The Yoga of Synthesis alone will develop the head, heart and hand, and lead one to perfection. To become harmoniously balanced in all directions is the ideal of religion and of Yoga. This can be achieved by the practice of the Yoga of Synthesis. To behold the one Self in all beings is Jnana, wisdom; to love the Self is Bhakti, devotion; to serve the Self is Karma, action. When the Jnana Yogi attains wisdom, he is endowed with devotion and self less activity. Karma Yoga is for him a spontaneous expression of his spiritual nature, as he sees the one Self in all. When the devotee attains perfection in devotion, he is possessed of wisdom and activity. For him also, Karma Yoga is a spontaneous expression of his divine nature, as he beholds the one Lord everywhere. The Karma Yogi attains wisdom and devotion when his actions are wholly selfless. The three paths are, in fact, one in which the three different temperaments emphasize one or the other of its inseparable constituents. Yoga supplies the method by which the Self can be seen, loved and served. Hence everyone should have one Yoga as the basic Yoga and combine other Yogas. You can combine Nishkama Karma Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Sankirtan Yoga, etc., with Jnana Yoga as the basis. This is my Yoga of Synthesis, which will ensure rapid spiritual progress. A little practice of Hatha Yoga (Asanas and Pranayamas) will give you good health. Raja Yoga will steady your mind. Upasana and Karma Yoga will purify your heart and prepare you for the practice of Vedanta. Sankirtan will relax your mind and inspire you. Meditation will take you to liberation. Such a Yogi has all-round development. The Yoga of Synthesis will help you to attain God-realization quickly. Upanishads, Gita and all other scriptures speak of this Yoga. Therefore, O Mokshapriya, practice this unique Yoga of Synthesis and attain Self-realization quickly. Here is my little song of the Yoga of Synthesis, for your daily practice: Eat a little, drink a littleTalk a little, sleep a littleMix a little, move a littleServe a little, rest a littleWork a little, relax a littleStudy a little, worship a littleDo Asana a little, Pranayama a littleReflect a little, meditate a littleDo Japa a little, do Kirtan a littleWrite Mantra a little, have Satsang a littleServe, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, RealizeBe good, Do good; Be kind, Be compassionateEnquire ‘Who am I ?’, Know the Self and be Free

Moksha Gita Fear not, my child. In reality there is no death for thee. There is a means for crossing this ocean of relative existence and attaining immortality or the supreme bliss. I shall teach thee now Brahma-vidya (knowledge of the absolute). Salutation to Satchidananda Para (Supreme) Brahman, that glorious first preceptor, who is self-luminous, eternal, indivisible, pure, spotless, desireless, attributeless, timeless, spaceless, changeless, beginningless and endless. That ultimate reality which is the support for this world, body, prana (life), mind and senses, which is the womb for the vedas, which is all-pervading and all-permeating, which is colourless, odourless, tasteless, nameless and formless-that something shines eternally. Some indescribable supreme principle which is imperishable, unborn, undecaying, fearless, motionless, one without a second, ancient and infinite – that alone exists. What is neither short nor long, neither that much nor this much, neither black nor white, neither stout nor thin, neither good nor bad-that should be understood as Brahman. That which is neither subtle nor dense, which has neither caste nor name, which is immutable, immortal and bodiless, which is beyond the reach of mind and speech-that should be understood as Brahman. Brahman is distinct from the gross, subtle and causal bodies. He is the soul of all. He is the inner ruler of all. He is eternally free. He is without action, and without motion. Brahman cannot be defined. To define Brahman is to deny Brahman. The only adequate description of Brahman is a series of negatives. That is the reason why the Upanishads declare, “Neti-neti”, “not this, not this”. Maya (illusion) is the upadhi (limiting adjunct) of Isvara (God). She is the illusory power of Brahman. She keeps the lila (creative play) of Isvara (God), through her three gunas (qualities), viz., satva (purity), rajas (passion) and tamas (darkness). Maya is not non-existent because it appears, neither is it existent because it is destroyed by the dawn of knowledge. Maya-is ‘not That’. It is an indescribable appearance. Maya is neither sat (real) nor asat (unreal). Maya is anadi santam (beginningless) but has an end only for the sage who has realised the self). Maya-is suddha satva or pure satva. He who gets knowledge of the self having overcome maya or the illusory power, will alone know what maya is, how it arises and is destroyed. The five elements, the five tanmatras (subtle or root elements), and the various objects of the world are all products or modifications of maya. Just as you can infer the existence of fire through smoke, so also you can infer the existence of maya through its various manifestations. Maya is of the nature of mind. Maya generates different degrees of illusion. Maya pervades everywhere. If your mind is destroyed by discrimination and vicara (enquiry into the self), then maya will not afflict you. This mind which ever hankers after sensual objects is the seed of maya. If the mind is annihilated maya will vanish. You will attain the state of quiescence. Brahma jnana (knowledge of the absolute) will dawn in you. Avidya (ignorance) is malina satva (weakened purity). It is the upadhi (limiting adjunct) of jiva (individual soul). It is the karana sarira (causal body) of the individual soul. Avidya is anandamaya kosa. Avidya is a false perception by which the ignorant jiva takes the body and intellect as pure, permanent and a source of pleasure. Just as a king acts the part of a beggar, out of his own free will on the stage in a drama, so also the Satchidananda Brahman acts the part of a jiva in the drama of the world out of his own free will for sport. Just as men with a defective vision behold a white thing as yellow, so does one perceive the self as the body on account of avidya or ignorance. When one gets knowledge of the self, this avidya vanishes. It is the destruction of avidya that is the Brahmic seat. Just as the mirror is dimmed by dirt, so Brahman is veiled by avidya. Therefore human beings are deluded by this avidya. Mind, senses, egoism, intellect and body are the efforts of avidya. If the cause is destroyed, the effects are destroyed by themselves. This universe of names and forms has its origin in ignorance. It is dissolved by knowledge of the self. The universe, being other than the self, is unreal and like a dream. It is like a mirage. Just as a snake is superimposed on the rope, silver on the mother-of-pearl, a thief in the post, city in the clouds, mirage in the desert, blueness in the sky, so also this world is superimposed on Brahman. Just as it is water alone that appears as waves, ripples, etc., gold alone as ear rings, bangles, etc., clay alone as pots, jars, etc., threads alone as cloth, towel, etc., so also does Brahman alone appear as many universes. Children regard a wooden elephant as an elephant, but the grown-up persons treat it as wood. Even so the wise behold only Brahman everywhere but the ignorant perceive the non-self only. The whole universe is within Brahman. It appears as external to you, just as your body appears external to you in the mirror on account of maya (illusion). Just as a man does not behold the object which he has seen in his dream when awake, so also the jivanmukta (liberated sage) does not perceive the universe after he attains knowledge of Brahman. The mind has the power of creating or undoing the whole universe in the twinkling of an eye. Slay this mind through vicara (enquiry), destruction of vasanas (psychological impressions or conditioning) and control of its fluctuation. Mind is a bundle of vasanas (subtle desires). Through vasanas bondage is caused. Destruction of vasanas will bring freedom. The mind will attain quiescence like a gheeless lamp if the vasanas are destroyed. Just as a silk-worm is caught in its own cocoon, so also man is caught in this vast net of samsara

Towards Perfection STRIVE Strive. Strive to realise God. This is the purpose of human birth. The perfection of the realisation of absolute knowledge, supreme bliss and immortality is the one and only goal in human life. Release from the round of births and life in eternity is the goal of man. Till self realisation is attained, man is subject to the law of karma and rebirth. Finish your task Godrealisation in this life itself; do not postpone it. Just as food is necessary for the body so also daily meditation and prayer are necessary for the soul. O man! Wake up from this slumber of ignorance. Why do you waste your life building castles in the air? Turn your gaze within. Stop all this hurry and worry. Sit down and relax. Dive deep within. Discover the pearl of atman. You will be freed from birth and death here and now. Remember the goal every moment of this life. Strive incessantly to realize it by living a life of detachment, dispassion, devotion, deep meditation and samadhi (self knowledge). O man! Nothing is permanent. All things change. All things pass away. Seek the permanent, changeless, immortal atman and be free. He is truly wise who lives in the eternal and who is endowed with discrimination and dispassion. Life is a transforming process by which attachment, fear, anger, hatred and lust are transformed by steady and rigorous discipline and meditation into joy, bliss, peace and love. In simplicity is the secret of real beauty. Simplify your life. Be humble, pure, straight forward and true to yourself and others. Be good and do good so that each tomorrow will find you farther than today. Be humble, be meek, be pure, be holy, be godly and peaceful. Be charitable. Be moral. Be humble. Be courageous. Be pure. Meditate. Become wise. Whoever does anything with enthusiasm, patience and perseverance, never fails to achieve his object. Annihilate desires. Seek the company of saints and devotees. Control the mind. Control anger. Be charitable. Help the needy. Kill the ego. Be grateful. Respect the great. Be truthful. Indulge not in gossip. You will attain the supreme blessedness. REALISE THY TRUE NATURE First, learn to know yourself, the true value of your own character. Then alone you will be able to serve humanity and benefit people. You are taintless, tranquil, pure consciousness; you are beyond nature. All this time you have been duped by illusion, maya. Know one individual (yourself) correctly and you can know the whole world. To know thy self, is to know God. Seek perfection, freedom and eternal bliss in the atman or self, by the self and through the self. Talk only of the atman. Purify, meditate, lose yourself in Brahman or the absolute and you will find your self, you will know your self. Nobody doubts his own existence, though he may doubt the existence of God. Find the truth, the source of your own self and then you will know everything. The more you know the more you will grow in humility. I climbed the peak of vedanta and merged in the Light of Lights. How can I express it? To express the unspeakable all words are feeble. I am the witness the eternal, pure, infinite, internal self. I am Siva himself. I am changeless. None of the things of the world have touched me, will ever touch me. I have no moods I am beyond moods. I am the blissful atman. The light which illumines the intellect, the sun, the moon, the stars and also yonder lamp, is bliss eternal. That light am I. Om. If you find you need a place of perfect security and peace then come, sit in my heart and be one with me. There is a central harmony within you, a wisdom, a spirit of wholeness which is divine. That is immortal atman, your own innermost soul or self. Dwell in this atman. Realise this atman and be free for ever. The atman or supreme self must be realised. This is practical religion. Open the eye of your heart, Enjoy the vision of the Lord. Break the seal of your ego, Realise the eternal bliss of the self. Clean the dirt of your mind’s mirror, Behold the beauty of the majestic atman. Sit on the horse of brahmakara vrtti. Reach your destination; the home of eternal peace. Still the waves of the mind, Take a dip in the ocean of bliss, Shut up your mouth and the mouth of the mind And enjoy the peace of supreme silence. PERSEVERE IN SADHANA Let the sadhana (spiritual practice) always be regular, continuous, unbroken and earnest. Not only regularity but also continuity in sadhana and meditation are necessary if you want to attain self realisation quickly. A spiritual stream, once set going, does not dry up unless the channel bed gets blocked, unless there is stagnation. Be vigilant eternally. Meditate regularly. Annihilate the under current of vasana (habit patterns). Patience, perseverance, courage, determination, discrimination and dispassion are needed to tread the spiritual path. Put away thoughts, stimuli, perceptions, intentions, emotions, feelings, preoccupations and deliberations arising out of the senses and the sense objects. You will attain supreme blessedness or the peace of the eternal. Keep the flame of thy aspiration ever kindled bright. Let purity, serenity, compassion, truth and oneness, manifest in thy thoughts and actions. Through penance, prayer and meditation the soul ascends on the divine chariot, to the realms of infinite bliss, to God’s halls of wisdom. Regularity is of paramount importance in spiritual practice. Spiritual aspirants must be arduous and efficient in performing their tasks without a break. Pray without a break. Have unshakable faith. Remember vairagya (dispassion) and abhyasa (constant practice). Prayer is the wing by which you fly to God. Meditation or intuition is the eye by which you see God. Pray fervently unto the Lord. Pray for the Lord’s light and guidance. Meditate on the great truth within. Strive ever to keep thyself close

Essential Jnana PHILOSOPHY OF OM The sound produced in the flowing of the river Ganges, the sound that is heard at a distance, the sound that proceeds from the bustle of the market, that is produced by the flywheel when it is set in motion, that is caused when it rains, or there is a conflagration, or thunder-it is all Om only. Split any word and you will find. Om there. Om is allpervading, like akasa (space), like Brahman, the absolute. Om is the symbol of Brahman. It is the word of power. It is the sacred monosyllable. It is the essence of the vedas. It is the boat to take you across to the other shore of fearlessness and immortality. The word Om is the most appropriate name of Brahman. By its application, by its chanting, he becomes propitiated Om is emblematic of Brahman, as images are of material objects. When you hear the sound ‘tree’. you at once understand it has a root, a stem, branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. Similarly too, when you hear the sabda (sound) Om it denotes Satchidananda Srahman existence absolute, knowledge absolute, bliss absolute. Sabda (word) and artha (meaning) are inseparable. All collections of words (speech), terminate in one sound-Om. All objects are denoted by sounds, and all sounds merge in Om. The whole universe comes out of Om and is absorbed into Om. Hence Om is very important. Om should be worshipped. Om should be chanted loudly. Om should be repeated mentally, with deep meaning and feeling. Om should be meditated upon. Watch the breath. When you inhale, the sound so is produced. When you exhale, the sound ham is produced. You are naturally uttering Soham-I am he-or-he am I-with every breath. The breath reminds you that you are in essence identical with the supreme self. In Soham the s and the h are consonants. If you delete them you get oam or om. Consonants depend on vowels for their existence. S and h represent names and forms, or this universe which is phenomenal or relative or empirical or dependent existence. Om is the only solid reality. Om is the soul of your breath. As soon as you sit for meditation chant Om loudly, three, six or twelve times. This drives away worldly thoughts from the mind and removes vikshep (tossing of the mind). Later you may take to the mental repetition of Om. INSTRUCTIONS IN MEDITATION Just as the light is burning within the hurricane lamp, so also the divine flame is burning from time immemorial in the lamp of your heart. Close your eyes. Merge yourself within the divine flame. Plunge deep into the chambers of your heart. Meditate on this divine flame and become one with the flame of God. If the wick within the lamp is small, the light will also be small. If the wick is big, the light also will be powerful. Similarly if the jiva (individual soul) is pure, if he practises meditation, the manifestation of the self will be powerful. He will radiate a big light. Likewise the purer the soul, the greater the expression. If the magnet is powerful, it will influence the iron filings even when they are placed at a distance. Even so, if the yogi is an advanced person, he will have greater influence over the persons with whom he comes in contact. He can exert his influence on persons even when they live in distant places. During meditation note how long you can shut out all worldly thoughts. Watch the mind. Try to increase the period. Fill the mind with thoughts of God again and again. In meditation do not strain the eyes. Do not strain the brain. Do not struggle or wrestle with the mind. Relax. Gently allow divine thoughts to flow. Steadily think of laksya (point of meditation). Do not voluntarily and violently drive away the intruding thoughts. Have sublime (satvic) thoughts. The vicious thoughts will vanish by themselves. If there is much strain in your meditation reduce the duration of each sitting for a few days. Those who meditate for four or five hours at a stretch can have two meditative poses. Keep the spine erect. You must daily increase your vairagya (dispassion) and meditation on satvic virtues such as patience, perseverance, mercy, love and forgiveness. Vairagya and good qualities help meditation. Meditation increases the satvic qualities . THE GLIMPSE AND THE GOAL When you get a flash of illumination, do not be frightened. It will be a new experience of immense joy. Do not turn back. Do not give up meditation. Do not stop there. You will have to advance still further. This is only a glimpse of truth. This is not the whole experience. This is not the highest realisation. This is only a new platform. Try to ascend further. Reach the Bhuma (the infinite). Now alone you are proof against all temptation. You will drink deep the nectar of immortality. This is the acme or final state. You can take eternal rest now. You need not meditate any further. This is the final goal. You have within yourself tremendous powers and latent faculties of which you have really never had any conception. You must awaken these dormant powers and faculties by the practice of meditation and yoga. You must develop your will and control your senses and mind. You must purify yourself and practise regular meditation, then only can you become a superman or God man. Every human being has within himself various potentialities and capacities. He is a magazine of power and knowledge. As he evolves he unfolds new powers, new faculties, new qualities. Now he can change his environment and influence others. He can subdue others’ minds. He can conquer internal and external nature. He can enter into superconscious state. The wise cut asunder the knot of egoism by the sharp sword of constant meditation. Then dawns supreme knowledge of the self or full illumination or selfrealisation. The liberated sage