What Life Has Taught Me I hold that real religion is the religion of the heart. The heart must be purified first. Truth, love and purity are the basis of real religion. Control over the baser nature, conquest of mind, cultivation of virtues, service of humanity, goodwill, fellowship and amity constitute the fundamentals of true religion. And I try to teach them mostly by example, which I consider to be weightier, than all precepts. I consider goodness of being and doing constitutes the rock bottom of one’s life. By goodness I mean the capacity to feel with others, and live and feel as others do, and to act so that no one is hurt by the act. Goodness is the face of godliness. I have learnt that it is foremost duty of the man to learn to give – give in charity, give in plenty, give with love, give without any expectation. Charity is incomplete without charity of disposition, charity of feeling, charity of understanding. To behold the Atman in every being or form, to feel Brahman everywhere at all times and all conditions of life… is my creed. To live in Brahman, to melt in Brahman and to dissolve in Brahman is my creed. By dwelling in such union with Brahman, to utilise the hands, mind, senses and the body for the service of humanity, for singing the Names of the Lord, for elevating the devotees, for giving instructions to sincere aspirants and disseminating knowledge throughout the world is my creed, if you call it one. To be cosmic friend and cosmic benefactor, a friend of the poor, the forlorn, the helpless and the fallen is my creed. It is my sacred creed to serve sick persons, to nurse them with care, sympathy and love, to cheer the depressed, to infuse power and joy in all, to feel oneness with each and everyone, and to treat all with equal vision is my highest creed.I take immense delight in service. Service has elevated me. Service has purified me. This body is meant for service. I live to serve everyone and make the whole world happy.

Essays by Swami Sivananda We present herewith the lessons Swami Sivananda drew from his life, and some widely appealing teachings�

PHILOSOPHY AND TEACHINGS OF SWAMI SIVANANDA PHILOSOPHY Swami Sivananda respected all religions, saints and sages. Every person – irrespective of his religion or country – was received by Swamiji with the same warmth and love. He advocated: “Mankind is one family. All beings are children of the one Divine. He believed that the fundamental principles of all religions are the same, and all saints teach us and lead us to the same Truth”. ‘Adapt, adjust and accommodate’ was the motto which he practised to perfection in his thought, speech and action. He accepted all that was good from all sources and propounded the basic Truth of all religions in his philosophy, but jettisoned the redundant ceremonies and paraphernalia. He gives the quintessence of all religions in a very simple, apt and appealing manner. He says: “There is only one religion – the religion of love, the religion of unity and oneness”. He used to sing: UNIVERSAL RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS The essentials of all religions are the same: Serve, love, give, purify, meditate, realise; Be good, do good, be kind, be compassionate; Enquire ‘who am I’ know the Self and be free. Love all, serve all, serve the Lord in all. Speak the truth, be pure, be humble, Concentrate, meditate, attain Self-realisation. These are the essentials of all religions. Customs, conventions, ceremonies are non-essentials. Do not fight over petty non-essentials. Be tolerant, be catholic, have a broad outlook. Respect all Prophets, all Saints, all Messengers. All Saints speak the same language. Even as Swamiji tried to integrate the basic tenets of all religions, so also he integrated various Paths of Yoga and called this ‘Yoga of Synthesis’. Like Buddha, he chose the path of moderation. His main admonition is: “Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realise; Be good, Do good, Be kind, Be compassionate.” The terms ‘Serve, Love, Meditate, Realise’ denote the four main Paths of Yoga, namely Karma Yoga (Yoga of Action), Bhakti Yoga (Yoga of Devotion), Raja Yoga (Yoga of Meditation) and Jnana Yoga (Yoga of Knowledge). That is, he advocated synthesis of all the Paths of Yoga on the rock-foundation of purity which is to be develop through broad-mindedness and generosity reflected through charity which is symbolised here by the word give. As a practical philosopher, Swamiji instructed everyone – irrespective of his spiritual level – to be good and to do good to others. “Real happiness”, he says, “is in making others happy.” His vision of Jnana Yoga was in seeing the Lord in every being and serving all the living creatures as if it is worship of the Lord. He was open-minded and did not impose on any aspirant a rigid sadhana programme. Swamiji believed that each sadhaka requires a different amalgam of spiritual practices, and that the sadhaka himself should find out a suitable mode by properly blending different Paths of Yoga, in accordance with his aptitude and temperament while keeping one Path as the main Path. Swamiji has given a very significant view of Yoga. He says: “Yoga is not a religion, but an aid to the practice of the basic truths in all religions. God dwells in all. Yoga is union with God, union with all. Yoga is for all and is universal. It is not a sectarian affair but a way to God. To live in God, to commune with God is Yoga. Yoga is life in God, life in perfection, peace, lasting happiness and eternal Bliss. Yoga shows you the way, unites you with God. You can turn out efficient work within a short span of time and have success in every walk of life.” His explanation of the main paths of Yoga is very explicit and apt. He says: “To behold the one Self in all is Jnana Yoga. To love the Self in all is Bhakti Yoga. To serve the Self in all is Karma Yoga. Karma Yoga is suitable for a man of active temperament, Bhakti Yoga for a man of devotional temperament, Raja Yoga for a man of mystical temperament, and Jnana Yoga for a man of rational and philosophical temperament.” He used to suggest Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga sadhana to beginners, and only after proper purification, and control of mind and senses, he was initiating the sadhakas into meditation and Jnana Yoga sadhana. We present here an article ‘Serve, Love, Meditate, Realise’ by Swamiji for better understanding of his philosophy. SERVE, LOVE, MEDITATE, REALISE I have only one message and only one common subject: and that is: “Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate and Realise. Be Good Do Good”. Reflect deeply on these wonderful words, which reveal the secret of harmony, peace, joy, success and Bliss. Remember that the salt of life is selfless service, the bread of life is universal love; the water of life is purity. Hence serve, love and be pure. The fragrance of life is generosity; the sweetness of life is devotion; the pivot of life is meditation. The goal of human life is Self-realisation. Therefore be devoted and generous. Meditate and realize the Self. Man is a triune being: 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. 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

Who are Fit to be My Disciples Though I give much freedom and liberty in dress and external forms, I am very strict with my students with regard to the essentials. The rules prescribed by the Order of Sannyasa must be followed. Then only can they shine as ideal Sannyasins. Comfortable Sannyasa is very dangerous. They should not give lenience to the mind. Fashionable, independent Sannyasins are a menace to society. The people in the world curse such Sannyasins and treat them with disrespect and contempt. They, however exalted in the spiritual line, should not live in the company of women or householders and freely mix with others. Burning Vairagya with simple living and high thinking must be the ideal at every moment of their lives. No doubt renunciation is mental. That does not mean that you can do anything and live in any way you like. That will bring your downfall. Strive for perfection by following the traditional rules for discipline and control of mind and senses. Discipline in food and dress will naturally manifest itself if you have genuine Vairagya and dispassion. External observance of the rules will help you to stick to the path. Maya works havoc. Maya deludes. Beware. Be cautious at every step and watch the Vrittis of the mind. My disciples should have no superiority complex. They are not dry philosophers who spend all their time and energy in preaching alone. They have self-sacrifice and serve the world with their silent and intense Sadhana. In the midst of intense service, they learn the way to rivet the mind on the Lakshya. They are rooted in the idea: “The world is a long dream (Deergha Svapna), perishable. Truth alone is Real.” For my students, there is no world. They perceive the Divinity behind all names and forms. PURIFY THE INNER NATURE Purify your mind. Develop Sattvic qualities such as nobility, courage, magnanimity, generosity, love, straightforwardness, truthfulness. Eradicate all evil qualities such as lust, greed, anger, avarice, Raga-dvesha and other negative traits which stand in your way of ethical perfection and Self-realisation. Ethical perfection is a pre-requisite to Self-realisation. No amount of practice can be of any value to the aspirant if he ignores this side of Sadhana. Love all. Prostrate yourself before everybody. Become humble. Talk loving, sweet, endearing words. Give up selfishness, pride, egoism, hypocrisy. Regenerate your lower nature. Find out through self-introspection if you want real freedom and liberation or you are just inquisitive about higher things or have a lurking desire for obtaining money, name and fame by exhibiting spiritual powers. Become sincere. All qualifications will come by themselves when you are in the company of evolved persons and live in an atmosphere charged with spiritual vibrations. ATTITUDE TOWARDS WOMEN My silent adorations and prostrations to all women, who are manifestations of the Divine Mother, Sakti or Kaali. They are the backbone of society and upholders of religion. If they are inspired, the whole world will be inspired. There is a peculiar religious instinct in them. They have natural, inborn divine qualities. In olden days, Hindu ladies also led the life of celibacy, served the Rishis, meditated on the Atman and obtained Brahma Jnana. In ancient days there were many Siddhas, Brahma Jnanis, Vairagis, Bhaktas and advanced Yogis among women. By their purity and perfection they could do miraculous things when there were occasions for utilising their spiritual power. There are instances of their giving life to the dead, stopping the rising of the sun in the morning and of controlling the elements also. Even today you can find many women in Rishikesh, Haridwar, Brindavan. Banaras and other holy places in India, who have renounced the world and taken to the path of Yoga. I do not detest anybody. I revere a woman as my own self. I regard women as Mother Durga or Divine Mother. Women are dynamic forces on earth. Religion is sustained through their piety. To passionate youths, I have written a lot about the perishable nature of the physical body of women. It is just to develop in them a strong Vairagya and help control of their senses and mind. Though for the sake of inducing Vairagya in men I have given a negative description of women, I have great reverence for them. I serve them. I have done Kirtans with them in various Sankirtan Sammelans in the Punjab and the U.P. Many ladies come to the Ashram from Delhi and other places even if they get two or three days’ holidays. They come in groups and join the daily Satsanga and enjoy the peace and bliss, and stay within the Ashram for days and weeks. SHOULD WOMEN RENOUNCE THE WORLD No doubt it is difficult for young women to get on in the Sannyasa line. They do not have the same liberty and freedom as men. Men can live and move about in any way and sleep anywhere. They can go from door to door for alms and maintain themselves. But women are greatly at a disadvantage and suffer thereby. It is a pity that there are not many ideal institutions in India exclusively for women where they can live peacefully, serve the world and evolve. Ideal institutions with all comforts and conveniences for women, who are spiritually-inclined, are a great need of the hour. For ages, this important work has been neglected. I get letters from some sincere cultured ladies expressing a desire to tread the path of renunciation. In 1936, I gave a reply to a devotee giving my helpful suggestions: “I cannot safely suggest any Ashram where you can live peacefully and evolve. You should get a decent amount from your parents. Invest it in a Bank. You can lead a simple life with the interest you get from the deposit. This is the best way. Even then, live in an Ashram where you have advanced souls, Mahatmas, or live with some elderly ladies of a religious temperament. Devote all your time to