Salutations again and again at the Holy Feet of the great Sage, Sri Vyasa Bhagavan or Sri Krishna Dwaipayana,
who edited the Vedas, composed the Brahmasutras, and wrote the Mahabharata and the eighteen Puranas including the Srimad Bhagavata; salutations to the Brahmavidya Gurus, all Saints and Sages of yore up to the present day.
Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya, who was an Avatara of Lord Siva, delved into the precious wisdom of the Upanishads and brought out the most rare gem in the form of the unparalleled Advaita philosophy or the Monistic idealism which gives you, in a nutshell, the glorious truth that you are in essence Divine beings, ever perfect, free, full and blissful. This idea is contained in his famous memorable Sloka: ‘Slokardhena pravakshyami yaduktam granthakotibhih, Brahma satyam jaganmithya,
jivo brahmaiva naparah.’ This gives the very essence of all spiritual wisdom, and it is the last word in the transcendental realisation expressed in the form of this famous Sloka. Bliss is to be found in the spiritual Reality which is within you. Realise this and be free.
Now this ultimate declaration has been given- -well and good. But how to attain it? Because you know that in your actual experience of worldly pleasures, your mental impressions are, unfortunately, gathered through the instruments of the mind and the senses. So, when your entire experience of pleasure gives you a perception of Asat, Achit and Duhkha, how can you find the Satchidananda Atman? Everything in this world is fleeting in character. You do not find Chit (consciousness) anywhere but only the Jada (insentient) everywhere. ‘Sarvam duhkham vivekinah’- according to this declaration there is only pain to be experienced in this world. If pain is constantly experienced by you, how can you find Ananda or Bliss? And in answer to this, seers and sages of yore have shown the way by which we have to reach our goal, step by step.
In the Vivekachudamani, there is a Sloka which runs as follows: ‘Durlabham trayamevaitat devanugraha-hetukam; Manushyatyam maumukshutvam mahapurushasamsrayah.’ Three things are very difficult to obtain. Only through the grace of God the Jivas obtain them. To be born as a human being is no small privilege. It is a very precious gift given by God to the Jiva. Having got a human birth, to have an aspiration for liberation is the next difficult thing to obtain So, if one obtains both these, one is indeed doubly blessed. But having been born as a human being, if you do not want to know, and yet even after knowing
1
H.H. Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj
H.H. Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj
that, if you do not know the way, you are not fully blessed. Therefore, if you get the shelter of a Mahapurusha, one who has known what has to be attained and one who is in a position to show you the way, you can admit that you are thrice blessed. This unique blessing has to be remembered always. Then alone will you be careful not to waste the opportunity. When you know the real value of a thing, you take proper care of it, and not otherwise.
The only thing that stands in the way of your spiritual realisation is your own mind, the ego, or call it by any name you like. It is precisely in order to see that this obstacle is removed and one gets at the ultimate goal of human life that one goes to the preceptor or Guru. The Guru has destroyed the limiting mind and he knows the method as to how one has to destroy it. Let us suppose that a man who is desirous of leading a spiritual life goes to a Guru and asks for his advice and guidance, and the Guru tells him, "Be good, lead a virtuous life, serve selflessly, love all, share with others what you have, purify the mind, meditate with one-pointed mind, etc." But, if the man does not sincerely strive to follow the Guru's advice, what benefit will he thereby derive? Absolutely nothing. He will be in no way better than what he was. It seems that one does not want to practise anything, but there is only the expectation of the result. What a sad state of affairs!
This life on earth is a halting place on the way to the achievement of the Goal of life. Earthly life is transitory, for it is seen that everything that is born dies. Death is not the end of life, since without a continuation of life there from the value of the deeds and experiences in this life would be rendered nugatory. There were births and deaths in the past, there will be births and deaths in the future too, until Self- realisation is attained. Life is a long chain of which the recurring births, planetary lives and deaths are links."
"Birth is caused by desires and actions, and birth becomes the cause of further desires and actions. This present life is, therefore, meant to train the individual to qualify himself for a higher life, viz., to stop births and deaths ultimately. This life is not the goal or the end, even as the path is not the same as the destination. If earthly life were the final goal, none would have died here, there would not have been mutation, pain and sorrow, and there would be no sense of imperfection and no further urge or aspiration to transcend the present condition. The ever-changing world proves the existence of an unchanging imperishable Being.
Remember that you came alone to this world and also you will pass away alone from this world. None will help you except what you have done here in this life. Your deeds will search you out and follow you, as calves follow their mothers even in the midst of a big herd.
Your life is short and there are many obstacles to get over. Therefore, exert, now with earnestness. Waste not precious time, but utilise every moment for the noblest of causes. Finish your journey quickly by practising right Sadhana (spiritual endeavour) with the guidance of Guru or preceptor. Great shall be your glory and glorious shall be your success. May peace be with you on your spiritual path! May blessedness wait upon you in all your -pursuits! May the Supreme Master, the Lord of all, shower His blessings upon all!
You have wasted much your life. A little time is left. Make the best use of it. You too can realise God and be ever happy.
- Swami Sivananda
The Vyasa Purnima is the sacred occasion when the Vedic
Preceptor, Vyasa, and all the Brahmavidya-Gurus are worshipped. Spiritual seekers of all stages of life are all actually the disciples of these great Gurus who have handed down spiritual knowledge through Shishya-parampara. The qualities of the soul and the knowledge of God are not matters of individual caprice but facts of intuition and realisation. Knowledge does not suddenly arise in the individual without any reason. It comes through Purva-punya, Satsanga, Guruseva and Vichara. Even the requisite qualities which precede knowledge are not imbibed except through contact with the perfected ones. Spiritual qualities and natures are not parts of the ordinary human conduct and hence, they cannot be had by the worldly-wise. Even if the sense of sight is healthy, no perception is possible without light. In man, however, this spiritual sense is generally not felt, because it is obscured by the sense of worldly contacts and the consequent anxiety, worry and dissatisfaction. There is neither real virtue nor real knowledge in the common man, because these two are not in relationship with his natural instincts.
Neither the means (virtue) nor the end (knowledge) is the property of the superficial nature. They are found only in the depth within. The external instincts constitute the flow of the downward current of the river of life, and
one is given the strength to swim against this current and manifest the higher natures of virtue and knowledge by
the Shakti that proceeds as the result of contact with one who has scaled the heights of spirituality, the Brahmanishtha Guru.
In fact, it is the Guru who provides the disciple with the means as well as the end, with the sense of sight as well as the object of sight. Arjuna was given both the eye to behold the Glorious Form (Vishwaroopa) and was shown the Form itself by his Teacher, Sri Krishna. It is sometimes believed by some rationalists that no Guru is necessary, but only the self can elevate itself through itself without any aid. But there is some misconception in those who hold this view. Though all knowledge and all power is really hidden in one's own self, it is not possible to make this manifest very easily. The great misfortune of the common individual is that it can have no knowledge except through coming into contact with an external environment belonging to some other person, place, time, thing or condition. All men are controlled by the stresses of life and the urges of the senses. Their minds cannot be diverted from their natural courses to the spiritual reality, because it is not the habit of the mind to concern itself with unworldly conditions. If it is so very easy to draw out knowledge from within, without the help of a teacher, why should children be sent to
Guru-Guru- The God-The God- IncarnateIncarnate ( S r i S w a m i S i v a n a n d a )
3
schools and why should there be so many colleges on earth? Though knowledge is revealed from inside and not imported from the teacher, the latter's role is not insignificant. No doubt, aspiration, perseverance and personal ability and calibre play a very important part in the rise of knowledge. But, this does not mean that knowledge can spring forth automatically without effort and devotion. Cases of those who had attained perfection without study under any Guru, should not be cited as authorities against the necessity for a Guru; for such great men are the anomalies of spiritual life and not the common normality. They come into existence as spiritual masters as a result of the intense service, study and meditation practised in previous births. They had already studied under the Guru. The present birth is only its continuative spiritual effect. Hence, the importance of the Guru is not lessened thereby.
Moreover, man has got a habit of living as his whim directs him. This whim is generally the product of yielding to the ego and the senses. Surrender to the Guru, on the other hand, means the complete abstention from giving
way to such lower impulses and the attempt at unearthing the potential spiritual capacities within. When a spiritual person is guiding the inexperienced Sadhaka, he cannot go astray. Further, it is possible for the Guru to train the mind of the disciple through Shakti Sanchara or infusing his own spiritual energy into the disciple. The Guru works in the disciple's mind and even does the Sadhana for the sake of the disciple. There is nothing which a Guru, cannot do for the Shishya. The Guru is therefore, God Himself to the disciple. The Guru Purnima is the day of the worship of the Guru, the day of celebration in the remembrance of the sages who have been compassionate enough to impart Brahmavidya to aspirants.
On this hallowed occasion, worship your Guru and pray to him for bestowing grace upon you. Worship the great Rishis, Vasishtha, Vyasa, Suka, Dattatreya, and solicit their blessings. Control the senses. Lead an austere life Pray. Do Japa and Kirtan. Meditate. You shall attain Immortality and Eternal Bliss. May the blessings of the Brahmavidya Gurus be upon you all!
A foolish devotee had a golden image of Buddha, which she took with her wherever she went. In the course of her wandering, she came to a monastery where hundreds of images of Buddha were present. She did not like the other Buddhas, she liked that the fumes should go to the others. She drew a curtain round the image. In a few months her Buddha became dark and grim, while the others were shining brighter, still.
Similar is the case with the narrow-hearted persons. They do not honour others’ faith. But as a river without tributaries suffers dearth, their faith too lacks firmness and dies an immature death. One should develop the heart to embrace the other faiths, also. The religion that embrace all and fights with none is the real religion. Such a religion alone will endure, while others will vanish like bubbles, such an enduring religion is the religion of truth, purity, non-violence and love.
- Swami Sivananda
4
Homage unto the Divine - the all- pervading, ever present, enveloping and interpenetrating all things
that exist, and being our own indweller! To that Being, in whose presence we are gathered here at this morning hour, homage and adorations! Loving salutations and prostrations to thee, beloved and Holy Master, thou who art our life's light and guide, thou who art our perennial source of inspiration, our strong solace and guidance. Thou who art the pervading presence in this Ashram of thine. Be gracious to us and illumine us from within as well as from without, with the light of your wisdom teachings that have the power to bestow liberation, fearlessness, peace and joy.
Radiant Atman, beloved children of the Divine! Let us move forward towards the very holy and sacred days that are ahead of us. Let us move forward towards that day which our ancients set apart for a special worship of all the Brahma Vidya Gurus of this sacred Motherland of ours. Let us prepare ourselves to be thrice blessed by worshipping these
PREPARE YOURSELF FOR GURU PURNIMA, SADHANA WEEK AND GURUDEV'S
PUNYATITHI ARADHANA DAY
illumined seers and sages who gave us the ancient Vedic way of life, the Sanatana Vedic Dharma, and who are the real fathers of this nation, the givers of our culture. Let us adore all the great Brahma Jnanis who have given us the divine vision of the one eternal, infinite Reality behind innumerable, ever passing and ever changing names and forms that make up the phenomenal universe. Let us be thrice blessed by worshipping those who have given to us our Dharma, a way of righteousness and goodness, a way of life that ennobles our human status and makes it ideal holy and ultimately divine. For in the measure that we humble ourselves before these great ones, their grace and benedictions will enter into our lives and uplift us and enlighten us. It is to the extent that we are able to empty ourselves of ourselves that we can make ourselves a fit receptacle to receive the grace of these great ones and be benefited by their teachings. They have left this heritage for posterity forever out of their infinite, universal love for the welfare of all.
We shall be thrice blessed if we thus make ourselves fit for the receiving of their grace. This is always so, but today we are made specially aware that our life should be a constant, earnest and humble striving to make ourselves the right vessel to receive that which God wants to shower. All Sadhana is but this preparation, all Yoga is but this preparation. All divine life is but this preparation, so that we are fully prepared for the fullness of divine consciousness.
(Swami Chidananda)
5
Let us adore all these great Gurus and particularly our own beloved Holy Master, our worshipful Gurudev, who in his graciousness made this Ashram and created every facility for the spiritual upliftment and progress of all sincere seeking souls. This is veritably a Sadhana Ashram where all Yogas and every variety of Sadhana may be practised and all the basic creature comforts including security of food, shelter and clothing are available. Actually, more than what is necessary is made available. And that can become a danger and a trap. Where too many things to satisfy the senses are made available, then the consciousness becomes settled on the gross level of the body, in sense appetites and sense satisfactions, desires and their fulfilment. There is no greater danger for a real seeker than to live in a place where everything is available for the mere asking. And if you ask with a louder voice, you will get more. And if you are ready to fight, you will get everything. And this is a greater danger than anything else, for then all the risks and dangers of the materialistic milieu, where sense satisfaction is the order of the day, we will import into our life of seclusion in this Himalayan retreat. We bring the outer materialistic world of sense satisfaction right into the midst of this idyllic surroundings of this mountain Ashram. It is not that the organisation is the loser. Rather it is the seeker who loses his path, loses sight of the goal and loses this one golden chance, the great opportunity given by God.
Therefore, even where all wants and needs are provided, one should live the life of
simplicity, the life of self-control; one should live the life of Sadhana, of intense dwelling upon the Divine, of constantly focusing upon the great goal. That is what we should pray for at the feet of the Divine in these days when we are moving towards the triple blessing of worshipping the ancient and the modern Gurus including our own Holy Master upon the sacred Guru Purnima, three days from now.
Make Guru Purnima a day of personal Sadhana and bless yourself, and then enter into the spirit of Sadhana during the following seven days. Be an ideal Sadhak, a seeker, a devotee of the Lord. Be a self-controlled "Yogi. Be a Mumukshu and Jijnasu participating in all the Satsangas and Sadhanas and be ever ready to serve in whatever capacity. Become thrice blessed and crown it all with the adoration of the Master upon the anniversary of his attaining the eternal, upon the 26th Punyatithi, offering him homage and worship and asking him to bless you that living in his Ashram, you may follow the way of life that he has outlined for us.
Diligently study the 'Essence of Yoga' where he has given the quintessence of his Divine Life pattern of living, being and doing. This contains the quintessence of Dharma, the quintessence of Yoga and the very heart of Vedanta and his concept of Divine Life. We thus pray to him, "O Holy Master dwelling in this Ashram which you have brought into being for my sake, thou who has blessed me with the great privilege of living on the banks of Ganga in this holy Himalayan area, bless me that I may be able to follow this divine way of life. Show me the way, ever be removing the veil that obscures my vision. May I enter with fervour into living the divine life and make myself an embodiment of divinity. Divine be my thoughts and emotions. Divine be my sentiments and feelings. Divine be my words and deeds. Grant that my life is the ideal life of
6
your vision, your conception. This is the boon I ask from thee, O Master!"
In this way, upon the 26th anniversary of his Maha Samadhi, let us move forward to meet his golden gift in the form of this spiritual period and raise ourselves to newer heights of consciousness, to newer heights of being and doing. These are the thoughts and feelings that I have to share with you this morning. This sharing is done with immense good will towards you all, with great humility towards
beloved and worshipful Holy Master Gurudev and with gratefulness to God that He gives me this occasion of sharing with His children.
Thus with gratitude, humility and good will, I have placed before you these thoughts, wishing you your highest good, your supreme welfare. God bless you all. Gurudev's grace be ever upon you. May He bless you all!
Hari Om Tat Sat!
Realisation cannot come to you as a miracle done by your Guru Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus, Rama Tirtha have all done Sadhana. Lord Krishna
asks Arjuna to develop Vairagya and Abhyasa. He did not say to him, “I will give you Mukti now.” Therefore, abandon the wrong notion that your Guru will give you Samadhi and Mukti. Strive, purify, meditate and realise.
Guru kripa-grace of a Guru-is very necessary. That does not mean that the disciple should sit idle. He must do rigid Purushartha spiritual practices. The whole work must be done by the student. Nowadays, people want a drop of water from the Kamandalu of a Sannyasin and desire to enter into Samadhi immediately. They are not prepared to undergo any Sadhana for purification and self-realisation. They want a magic pill to push them into Samadhi if you have got such delusion give it up immediately.
The Guru and the Shastras, can show you the path and remove your doubts. Anubhava of the Aparoksha kind or direct intuitive knowledge is left for your own experience, A hungry man will have to eat for himself. He who has a severe itching will have to scratch for himself.
No doubt, the Guru's blessing can do everything. But how can one have his blessings? By pleasing the Guru. A Guru can be pleased with his disciple only if the latter carries out his spiritual instructions implicitly. Carefully follow therefore, the instructions of the Guru. Act up to his instructions. Then only will you deserve his blessings, and then alone his blessings can do everything
- Swami Sivananda
7
What does The Divine Life Society teach? What is its message? The Divine Life Society was founded by
the great saint and sage Swami Sivananda to act as a representation of ways and means to implement human aspiration. Basically mankind, humanity, has a uniform aspiration. This was realised by stalwarts such as Swami Sivananda, and he was not the only stalwart that modern India produced. There were equally great giants who lived in the twentieth century: Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Ramatirtha, Sri Aurobindo, Ramana Maharishi and Mahatma Gandhi, to mention only a few.
It was necessary, at least in the beginning of the twentieth century, to awaken mankind in two ways. At this time India, and the world as a whole, were passing through a sort of crisis. The forces of history seemed to work in a way in which somehow, for reasons not very clear even to investigative minds, the senses and the mind of man moved in the direction of material comfort. There was the Industrial Revolution and a craving for satisfactions which can be called political, social, physical or material, and there was a stifling and extinguishing of the inner longings of man, which somehow did not appear to be there at all. There was a seeking for comfort. Materialistic forces-call them scientific, call them the forces of physics, chemistry and biology, and so on-seemed to emphasise an aspect of living which converted man into a kind of tool, a means to an end, which was a life of comfort.
SRI SWAMI KRISHNANANDA
Materialism is the name that we give to a philosophy and doctrine which emphasises that life is impossible without dependence on externals. We are always hanging on something outside us. Now, this is contrary to what we call freedom. A total dependence on external factors, even if it is on gadgets that make us comfortable, cannot be regarded as anything contributory to the freedom of the human individual. Freedom was completely lost in every sense-politically, socially, and even in family circles. The soul of humanity was almost dying. The soul does not die, of course, but it was clouded, just as the sun does not become non-existent even when there is an eclipse. Even when there is a thunderstorm and dark clouds hover in the sky and it appears that the midday sun has completely gone, it has really not gone. The spirit of humanity's longing was not dead because the spirit cannot die. Yet, it appears as if it was not there on account of the clouding of this inner light of the spirit of mankind by these materialistic and externally motivated desires.
There was a need, therefore, to rouse the spirit of mankind. Swami Sivananda and people of that kind were, no doubt, born in India, but their message was not only for Indians. It was a world consciousness that was surging forth to wake up the sleeping spirit of man and make him conscious of his universal destiny.
We belong to a family; it is true. Each one of us has a family of his own or her own. But you know that notwithstanding the fact you have
THE MESSAGE OF SWAMI SIVANANDA AND THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY*
8
a family and you are not really connected to someone else's family, as citizens of a nation, your family is connected to other families also. And though you are an Indian, a citizen of Bharatavarsha in the same way as you may belong to a family, yet you do not entirely belong to India because no person can entirely belong to only a region of the Earth, in the same way as one cannot live a closeted life which is restricted merely to one's own little family or community, ignoring its relationship with the entire national welfare. Therefore, you are Indian, but you are not merely that. You belong to the whole of humanity.
Now comes a masterstroke of these messengers of Truth. You do not belong merely to humanity. Your concern even with humanity is not a completion of your aspirations. Though it is true that you do not merely belong to one country, that you belong to the whole world, this is also a limitation. You belong to a larger administrative area extending beyond the Earth. This Earth is a planet going around the Sun, and so it has a relationship with the whole solar system to which it belongs Therefore, may say that, finally, there is nothing which is not vitally related to the whole of creation.
Our session here at this moment may look like a little gathering in this hall of the Ashram, but we are sitting on the face of the Earth. We are sitting in the solar system. We are sitting in the universe. We are not sitting in Rishikesh. This is not Muni-ki-reti, this is not Uttar Pradesh, this is not India, this is not Earth; this is the solar system. Widen your eyes still more and understand that it is not merely that; this is the universe in which you are.
These relationships of man, therefore, are to be studied in their essentiality. Culture, to
define it broadly and simply, may be said to be that demeanour, that conduct, that behaviour, that way of expression of an individual which is in consonance with the consciousness of one's belonging to the government of the universe. Once you are aware of this, you immediately become aware of what sort of behaviour is expected of you in relation to your neighbour. You know how to behave with another person, with any living being, because you belong to this family of the cosmos.
This large, wide, deep, cosmic message is not only of Swami Sivananda of The Divine Life Society. It is a message of all the Masters, of all the prophets, of all the founders of religious faiths, and even of the great geniuses in science, because science is no longer merely the study of electricity, magnetism, sound, light, heat, etc. It is the study of cosmic forces which have turned man into a citizen of that administrative area we call
- Swami Krishnananda
9
Salutations to Lord Ganesha who is Brahman Himself, who is the Supreme Lord, who is the energy of Lord Shiva,
who is the source of all bliss, and who is the bestower of all virtuous qualities and success in all undertakings.
Mushikavaahana modaka hasta, Chaamara karna vilambita sutra,
Vaamana rupa maheshwara putra, Vighna vinaayaka paada namaste
MEANING: "O Lord Vinayaka! The remover of all obstacles, the son of Lord Shiva, with a form which is very short, with mouse as Thy vehicle, with sweet pudding in hand, with wide ears and long hanging trunk, I prostrate at Thy lotus like feet!"
Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most popular of Hindu festivals. This is the birthday of Lord Ganesha. It is the day most sacred to Lord Ganesha. It falls on the 4th day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada. (August-September). It is observed throughout India, as well as by devoted Hindus in all parts of the world. Clay figures of the Deity are made and after being
worshipped for two days, or in some cases ten days, they are consigned into water.
Lord Ganesha is the elephant-headed God. He is worshipped first in any prayers. His Names are repeated first before any auspicious work is begun, before any kind of worship is begun.
He is the Lord of power and wisdom. He is the eldest son of Lord Shiva and the elder brother of Skanda or Kartikeya. He is the energy of Lord Shiva and so He is called the son of Shankar and Umadevi. By worshipping Lord Ganesha, mothers hope to earn for their sons the sterling virtues of Ganesha.
The following story is narrated about His birth and how He came to have the head of an elephant:
Once upon a time, the Goddess Gauri (consort of Lord Shiva), while bathing, created Ganesha as a pure white being out of the mud of Her Body and placed Him at the entrance of the house. She told Him not to allow anyone to enter while she went inside for a bath. Lord Shiva Himself was returning home quite thirsty and was stopped by Ganesha at the gate. Shiva became angry and cut off Ganesha's head as He thought Ganesha was an outsider.
When Gauri came to know of this, she was sorely grieved. To console her grief, Shiva ordered His servants to cut off and bring to Him the head of any creature that might be sleeping with its head facing north. The servants went on their mission and found only an elephant in that position. The sacrifice was thus made and the elephant's head was brought before Shiva. The Lord then joined the elephant's head onto the body of Ganesha.
Lord Shiva made His son worthy of worship at the beginning of all undertakings, marriages,
10
expeditions, studies, etc. He ordained that the annual worship of Ganesha should take place on the 4th day of the bright half of Bhadrapada. Without the Grace of Sri Ganesha and His help, nothing whatsoever can be achieved. No action can be undertaken without His support, grace or blessing.
In his first lesson in the alphabet, a Maharashtrian child is initiated into the Mantra of Lord Ganesha, Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah. Only then is the alphabet taught.
The following are some of the common Names of Lord Ganesha: Dhoomraketu, Sumukha, Ekadanta, Gajakarnaka, Lambodara, Vighnaraja, Ganadhyaksha, Phalachandra, Gajanana, Vinayaka, Vakratunda, Siddhivinayaka, Surpakarna, Heramba, Skandapurvaja, Kapila and Vighneshwara. He is also known by many as Maha-Ganapati.
His Mantra is Om Gung Ganapataye Namah. Spiritual aspirants who worship Ganesha as their tutelary Deity repeat this Mantra or Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah.
The devotees of Ganesha also do Japa of the Ganesha Gayatri Mantra. This is as follows:
Tat purushaaya vidmahe Vakratundaaya dheemahi Tanno danti prachodayaat
Lord Ganesha is an embodiment of wisdom and bliss. He is the Lord of Brahmacharins. He is foremost amongst the celibates.
He has as his vehicle a small mouse. He is the presiding Deity of the Muladhara Chakra, the psychic centre in the body in which the Kundalini Shakti resides.
· He is the Lord who removes all obstacles on the path of the spiritual aspirant, and bestows upon him worldly as well as spiritual success.
Hence He is called Vighna Vinayaka. His Bija Akshara (root syllable) is Gung, pronounced to rhyme with the English word "sung" He is the Lord of harmony and peace.
Lord Ganesha represents Om or the Pranava, which is the chief Mantra among the Hindus. Nothing can be done without uttering it. This explains the practice of invoking Ganesha before beginning any rite or undertaking any project. His two feet represent the power of knowledge and the power of action. The elephant head is significant in that it is the only figure in nature that has the form of the symbol for Om.
The significance of riding on a mouse is the complete conquest over egoism. The holding of the Ankusha represents His rulership of the world. It is the emblem of Divine Royalty.
Ganesha is the first God. Riding on a mouse, one of nature's smallest creatures and having the head of an elephant, the biggest of all animals, denotes that Ganesha is the creator of all creatures. Elephants are very wise animals; this indicates that Lord Ganesha is an embodiment of wisdom. It also denotes the process of evolution the mouse gradually evolves into an elephant and finally becomes a man. This is why Ganesha has a human
11
body, an elephant's head and a mouse as His vehicle. This is the symbolic philosophy of His form.
He is the Lord of Ganas or groups, for instance groups of elements, groups of senses, etc. He is the head of the followers of Shiva or the celestial servants of Lord Shiva.
The Vaishnavas also worship Lord Ganesha. They have given Him the name of Tumbikkai Alwar which means the divinity with the
proboscis (the elephant's trunk). Lord Ganesha's two powers are the Kundalini and the Vallabha or power of love.
Take fresh spiritual resolves and pray to Lord Ganesha for inner spiritual strength to attain success in all your undertakings.
May the blessings of Sri Ganesha be upon you all! May He remove all the obstacles that stand in your spiritual path! May He bestow on you all material prosperity as well as liberation!
There was a millionaire in a small town who was far-farmed for the magnanimity of his heart. People used to compare him with Karna of the Mahabharata, who never refused anything to anybody. One day a poor Brahmin approached him for help. The Brahmin narrated the millionaire all his difficulties and pleaded for help. The rich man said: “I will certainly do what I can to help you,” and sent the Brahmin away. Soon after, the millionaire sent the Brahmin plenty of gold, rice and other provisions, silk clothes and furniture. The poor Brahmin was beside himself with joy. He never expected so much. He only expected Rs.5. But he got things worth over a thousand rupees. But to the rich man, that was nothing. He even felt that the poor Brahmin might not be satisfied with what he gave. So he had the things sent to the Brahmin; and the Brahmin was doubly grateful for this, too. “Without even giving me the trouble of carrying all this, the noble man has sent them through his own servants,” he thought with supreme gratitude. He entered the millionaire’s service and served him throughout his life.
The millionaire is God; and the poor Brahmin is a pious Sadhaka. Troubled on all sides by innumerable desired and cravings, the Sadhaka resorts to the lotus-feet of the Lord, for relief from them. Through prayer and meditation, he approaches the Lord. He feels His divine Presence within him. He receiveds the assurance from the Lord that His Grace will descend on him. Lo, behold1 The flood of Grace very soon washed out all the Trishnas and Vasanas and fills the Sadhaka’s Antahkarana with the golden virtues, food-grains of knowledge, clothing of Vairagya and the other items of Sadhana-Chatushtaya, and the furniture (sofa, chair, etc., intended to sit comfortably and relax himself) of meditation and Samadhi. To the Almighty these are nothing! for He can even confer Indrahood and Bramanhood on his devotees. But, for the Sadhaka they mean something invaluable. The Sadhaka is thrilled to feel that the Lord did not even wait till he had departed from this world and gone to His Abode, but had sent His gifts to the Sadhaka’s own abode-this world. Filled with supreme devotion, the Sadhaka ever afterwards serves the Lord and dedicates himself to the dissemination of His Glory and His Lilas.
- Swami Sivananda
12
1. , , , .
2. . , . , () , . .
3. () .
4. .
5. , . .
6. , .
7. () .
8. . .
9. , .
, .
10. .
11. ? . ? ?
12. .
13. .
14. , ,
15. .
16. , , .
17.
3
13
.
18. , , .
19. .
20. .
21. .
22. , , .
, , . - .
23. . . . . ( )
24. . . .
25. , .
26. , .
27. () .
28. .
29. . . .
30. , .
31. , .
32. , , , , , ? , !
33. . .
34. .
35. ? .
36. .
37. . . , . .
38.
14
, , .
39. .
40. .
41. , . .
42. , , , . ( )
43. , .
44. . .
, () .
45. . . .
46. . .
47. , , , .
48. , .
49. .
50. .
51. , , , . .
, . . . . . , . ' ' . ' ' . . , . . . . . . .
-
?
15
: , ? , . ?
: . . . . . , . , . . . . . . . . . . .
, . , , .
. . . : “ ”. , . .
, , , . , , . . , . , . . , . .
?
16
, , . .
" :
: :"
( , . , . " , ?” . . , . . , . , . , , . , . , . “ , ”. , .
. .
, . . .
, .
. . . . , , . ,
, . , . . , . , , .
. . , . - , . , . . , . .
: ?
: .
17
18
Every one of you should clearly understand the aim of your life. You should then chalk out the line of work that is congenial to your aim. You should work hard to realise the aim. You should have your ideal and you should try every second to live up to that ideal. You can realise the ideal right now in this very second or after ten years by walking with faltering steps. It does not matter much. The ideal and the aim must be there. Then you can develop your will and attain success.
- SWAMI SIVANANDA
18
Observe the laws of health, Follow the rules of hygiene;
Prevention is better than cure, Nip the malady in its bud.
Diseases are destroyers of health, Health is the means for God-realisation;
Keep the body healthy and strong, Fast once a month or take milk and fruits.
Masticate the food thoroughly, Have a balanced diet;
Take moderate quantity of food, Avoid stimulants and intoxicants.
Go to bed early, rise early, Keep the bowels open, with nature's help;'
Take a cold morning bath, Avoid late suppers at night. Bask in the sun for a while,
Run in the open air; Take a long walk,
Do Asanas and exercises. Qualify as your own doctor,
Have knowledge of diseases and their symptoms; Ward off troubles as they arise, Nurse the sick for mental purity.
Have simple living and high thinking, Lead a life of continence;
Pray fervently, meditate regularly, Attain Eternal Bliss and Immortality!
-Swami Sivananda
HE ALT
19
ADAPTABILITY : Adaptability is a virtue or noble quality by which one adapts or fits himself to others, whatever their nature may be. This is a most desirable habit or quality for success in life. This has to be developed slowly. The vast majority of persons do not know how to adjust themselves with others. He who knows the art or science of adaptability pulls on quite well in this world and is always happy under all conditions of life.
Humility and obedience are necessary for developing adaptability. The egoistic, proud man finds it very difficult to adapt himself. A man of adaptability has to make some sacrifice. Adaptability develops the spirit of sacrifice. It kills selfishness. A man of adaptability has to share what he has with others. He has to bear insult and hard words. A man of adaptability develops the feeling of unity or oneness of life. Adaptability brings eventually Atma-Jnana.
AHAMKARA (EGOISM) : Ahamkara or egoism is the self- arrogating principle in man. It has its seat in the mind. It is under the influence of egoism that man commits evils and wrong actions. Though it is nothing, it is everything for the worldly people. It is deep rooted. Anxieties and troubles proceed from egoism. Ahamkara destroys our virtues and peace of mind. He who is free from egoism is very happy and peaceful.
An aspirant who treads the path of devotion destroys his egoism through self-surrender to the Lord. He says, "I am Thine, my Lord. All is Thine. Thy will be done." He feels that he is an instrument in the hands of the Lord. He dedicates all his actions and the fruits of his actions to the Lord. A Karma Yogin destroys his egoism through self-sacrifice. Destroy Ahamkara and rest in Brahman.
- Swami Sivananda
LIGHT ON LIFE
Search the words given in bold letters above in the forest of letters:
Lust for power, material greed, sensual excitement, selfishness, passion, passion for wealth and the lower appetites have drawn man from his true life in Spirit into the materialistic life. He can regain his lost Divine glory if he practises in right earnest the principles of Bhakti. Bhakti transmutes animal nature into Divine Nature and raises him to the pinnacle of Divine glory and splendour.
May you develop Bhakti so that it will lead you to attain Godhead or Self-realisation in this very life! May the spiritual flame grow brighter in you!
- Swami Sivananda
R E D G T B I K E O A G E A Y
A O I E A R N E S T T L P D U
I G V L R I G H T T T O R E H
D O I I S G O E A R A R I V O
U D N F P H F S R A I Y N E Y
A H E E I T L P I N N A C L E
S E L F R E A L I S A T I O N
E A R B I R M E T M T E P P O
T D E H T I E N I U U N L E A
E P G A U E T D O T R U E M R
V I A K A G R O W E E M S E P
B E I T L U A U O S P I R I T
N I N I E Y E R I E Y T O N E
21
Once a mother engaged a tutor for her mischievous but pet boy. She could not tolerate the tutor scolding the boy. So, she engaged another tutor for her boy. The new tutor began to beat the boy in order to correct him and make him good. The mother wished to have her son's manners corrected and cultured but could not suffer the sight of the son being put to trouble with arduous task and punishments. She was neither willing to send the son away to school; for, it meant being separated from the son for some time during the day. All her efforts were directed in keeping the boy attractive.
As days passed by and years rolled on, tutor after tutor came and went but the brain of the boy remained as it was when it came into this world; nevertheless, the boy grew into a handsome youth and thence into a man. He could not pull on in this world, for he had neither intelligence nor money, neither capacity to work nor good manners to pull on with the remaining members of either his family or of the society at large. People scoffed at him and condemned him. He was lost to himself and to the world.
Sivananda Says:
Like the mother, your aspiration is. Your body and external habits are like the mischievous son.
You wish to make yourself a great spiritual hero in the eyes of the public. You go from teacher to teacher because you cannot undergo the ordeal of patiently obeying any teacher. You do not like to strain the body. You think that if you maintain an external show with a well developed body, with beard and matted locks, you will pass for a good man. Your Abhimana to the body is so great that you cannot forget it for a few minutes and sit in Sadhana. In your wandering from Guru to Guru, you have not been able to assimilate anything. Remember, 'A rolling stone gathers no mass in original?'
You go about into the world without intelligence or capacity. You cannot tune yourself to any, society. You have been lost to yourself and to the world at large.
O Man, practise Sadhana while you are young. Leave out this Abhimana for body. Undergo a little initial hardship. It is no hardship when compared to the bliss, that you shall reap as the harvest.
- Swami Sivananda
22
The Enemies of the Soul
Every human being has within himself a fount of inexhaustible strength and joy, because he is essentially the Divine Self. But due to wrong ways of thinking and feeling man acquires various weaknesses which do not allow him to develop his inner potentiality. These weaknesses or impurities in the mind obscure the majesty of the Self as clouds in the sky obscure the brilliance of the Sun
The soul has six dangerous enemies, referred to as Shad-ripus. These impurities are • Kama or desire for sense pleasures, passion in particular; • Krodha or anger; • Lobha or greed; • Moha or delusion, infatuation; • Mada or pride; and • Matsarya or jealousy. As long as these enemies are not conquered one cannot enjoy real prosperity or peace in life, nor attain Enlightenment.
In Vedic literature there is an intriguing verse which sheds light on these enemies of the soul:
"O Indra, may you crush by your thunderbolt the demon that moves in the form of an owl, an owl's young one, a dog, a Chakravaka or ruddy goose, an eagle, and a vulture." (Atharva Veda 8/4/22 and Rigveda 7/6/104).
What is the demon in the form of an owl? Moha or delusion. An owl cannot see during the day when other animals can see. Thus, the owl is a symbol for a person that is blinded by delusion. A person overcome by Moha can see only within the range of his egoistic feeling but beyond that he is blind.
What is the demon in the form of an owl's young one? Jealousy or Matsurya. Jealousy
O Children of Light!
thrives in the absence of the light of rationality and reason. If you were to understand another person's life with penetrating vision, you would realize that there is nothing in that life to be jealous about. Everyone's life in this world of relativity has severe shortcomings. Thus, being jealous of someone for any apparent form of prosperity is usually totally irrational. That irrational envy born of delusion is the offspring of the owl of Moha.
What is the demon that comes in the form of a dog? This demon is Krodha or anger. When dogs fight they are totally unable to control themselves. You may teach your dog all types of lessons in training school, but when another dog challenges him for food, for example, he loses his temper completely.
The demon that comes in the form of the Chakravakra or ruddy goose is Kama or desire. This animal is well-known for its amorous courtship. The demon that soars in the form of an eagle is Mada or egoistic pride. Finally, the demon the form of a vulture is Lobha or greed. Seized by greed, one does
23
24
not have any discrimination. He is driven to possess and devour everything, just as a vulture eats all types of carrion without any reservations.
Indra in this context refers to God, the Almighty. An aspirant seeks the blessings of God for the destruction of all these enemies of the soul.
An aspirant must reflect deeply (with a generous sense of humor) upon this Vedic satire of human weaknesses. Due to his own shortcomings, does he really want to be as uncontrolled as an angry dog, as absurd as an amorous goose, or as greedy and undiscriminating as a vulture? Unfortunately, wrong ways of thinking and feeling often make human beings less virtuous rather than more elevated than their animal counterparts. However, with persistent introspection and sincere self-effort, every person can become the embodiment of Divine bliss and perfection that he is intended to be and attain the goal of life-Enlightenment.
Strive at all times to keep the company of devotees of God. Evil company is the fuel of lustful and impure thoughts. The power of Satsang is described in the various scriptures. Sri Shankara, the great sage, says: “One gets dispassion by keeping the company of holy people. Through dispassion you come to understand that you are really not this body. By having dispassion the mind becomes steady. When the mind is absorbed in deep prayer one attains peace”.
“Yato Dharmas Tato Jaya!” – “Where there is Righteousness, there is victory!” True victory in life is the attainment of mastery over the mind and senses, which leads directly to the attainment of self-realization.
Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita
WORDS OF WISDOM
All Satsangs we bathe in the powerful spiritual currents created by devotional songs and discourses. We get purified and filled with divine thoughts.
Even a moment in the company of wise people is quite sufficient to overhaul the old, vicious mental impressions of those who are worldly-minded. The minds of the holy ones are extremely powerful. They radiate spiritual vibrations and pure thought currents. They have a wonderful impact on the minds of worldly-minded people.
The personal contact of saints is a blessing to worldly-minded persons. Serving them with love and affection purified the mind rapidly. Satsang elevates the mind to great heights. Just as a single matchstick burns huge bundles of cotton in a few seconds, so also the company of saints burns all sins and impurities, all thoughts and mental impressions. That is why Sri Sankara and others have spoken so highly of Satsang.
From “The Art of Positive Feeling” by Swami Jyotirmayananda