(March 31,2013) Ashtanga Yoga by Swami Sivananda

Ashtanga Yoga by Swami Sivananda

From Divine Life Society Publication “Yoga in Daily Life” by Swami Sivananda

Patanjali's Raja Yoga is generally termed the Ashtanga Yoga or the Yoga of Eight Limbs, through the practice of which freedom is achieved. These eight limbs are:

1. Yama or Eternal Vows:
• Ahimsa (non-violence)
• Satya (truth)
• Asteya (non-stealing)
• Brahmacharya (continence) and
• Aparigraha (non-avariciousness);
2. Niyama or Observances:
• Saucha (purity)
• Santosha (contentment)
• Tapas (austerities)
• Svadhyaya (study) and
• Ishvarapranidhana (surrender to God);
3. Asana (firm, comfortable meditative posture);
4. Pranayama (the regulation of the Vital Force);
5. Pratyahara (abstraction of the senses and mind from objects);
6. Dharana (concentration);
7. Dhyana (meditation); and
8. Samadhi (superconscious state or trance)

These eight limbs have been scientifically arranged and dealt with. They are the natural steps in the ladder which takes man from his human to the real divine nature. From the gross to the subtle, all the chords that bind the Purusha to Prakriti are cut asunder. This snapping of the ties releases the Purusha to enjoy his Independence, Kaivalya Moksha. This is the goal of Raja Yoga.

Yama and Niyama purify the individual's actions and make them more Sattvic. Tamas and Rajas which are the pillars of Samsara are pulled down through the practice of the Ten Canons of Yama and Niyama. Inner purity is increased. The individual's nature itself is made Sattvic. Asana gives the individual control over the Rajasic impulses; and at the same time it forms the foundation of the grand structure of Antaranga Sadhana, or the Inner Yoga-process. Pranayama brings the aspirant face to face with the Life-Principle. Control of this Life-Principle gives him an insight into its motive force. He is made aware of the fact that it is desire that sustains the life-force. Desire is the cause of externalization of the mind. Desire is the bed of Vrittis. Vrittis together form the mind, and it is the mind that links Purusha with Prakriti. The mind or the Chitta is the subtlest form of Prakriti's manifestations.

If mind is to be destroyed, Vrittis are to be eradicated. If Vrittis are to be eradicated, desire is to be rooted out. The Yogi than rapidly withdraws all the rays of the mind from their external propulsion (Pratyahara). To find the root of the mind, the Seed-Desire, he needs the light of the whole mind. At the same time, prevention of the externalization of the mind breaks the vicious circle, as desire is deprived of its active manifestation. This concentrated beam of light is then directed towards the root of the mind itself (Dharana); and the mind is held in check. Now the consciousness which had so long been flowing outward collects itself and flows back into its source - the Purusha within, which is Dhyana. The link with Prakriti is gone. The Purusha experiences the transcendental state of independence - Kaivalya - in Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Now ignorance is destroyed. The Purusha realizes that it was only His consciousness that gave Prakriti its power to please Him, to give Him joy, to delude Him, and to bind Him. He enjoys the bliss of His own nature and remains for ever independent and blissful. All thought ceases once for all in Nirvikalpa Samadhi. The seeds of Desire and Vasanas and Samskaras are fried in toto; this is Nirbija Samadhi. The Yogi in this supreme state loses all external consciousness, all awareness of duality and multiplicity; he loses even the I-idea (Asmita) in Asamprajnata Samadhi. That is the Supreme State where the Seer (Purusha) is established in His own Svarupa.
Do not imagine that you are an Uttama Adhikari and that you have only to sit in meditation and enter into Samadhi. You will have a terrible downfall. Even after years of practice you will find you have not progressed an inch forward, because there are deep within you lurking desires and cravings, evil Vrittis which are far beyond your reach. Be humble. Make a searching analysis of your heart and mind. Even if you are really a first-class aspirant, think you are an aspirant of the lowest class and practice the eightfold Sadhana prescribed by Raja Yoga. The more time you spend in the first two steps, viz., Yama and Niyama, the less will be the time needed to attain perfection in meditation. It is the preparation that takes very long. But do not wait for perfection in Yama and Niyama, in order to take up the higher practices of Asana, Pranayama and meditation. Try to get established in Yama and Niyama, and at the same time practice Asana, Pranayama and meditation as much as you can. The two must go hand in hand. Then success will be rapid. You will soon enter into Nirvikalpa Samadhi and attain Kaivalya Moksha. What that supreme state is no one has described, and no words can describe. Practice, O bold aspirant, and realize it for yourself. May you shine as a Yogi in this very birth!

Continue to read:

Yoga in Daily life by Swami Sivananda

Sadhana Tattva or the Science of Seven Cultures by Swami Sivananda

Raja Yoga by Swami Sivananda

(March 30,2013) Course of Sadhana by Swami Sivananda

Course of Sadhana by Swami Sivananda

From Divine Life Society Publication “Yoga in Daily Life” by Swami Sivananda

1. BRAHMA MUHURTA - Get up at 4 a.m. Answer calls of nature. Clean your teeth and wash your mouth. Take bath where possible. Arrange to sit for Dhyana as quickly as possible, for Brahma Muhurta is extremely favourable for meditation on God.

2. ASANA - Practise to sit in one Asana only, preferably Padmasana or any convenient pose in which you will be able to sit for long hours without physical strain. Sit erect with body, head and neck in a straight line. Sit for at least one hour from 5 to 6 a.m. at a stretch without any physical movement.

3. PRAYER - Offer mental prostrations to Acharyas, your own Guru and Ishta Devata. Pray that all beings be happy, peaceful and blissful. Recite a few prayer Slokas that will produce sublime thoughts. Pray for knowledge and devotion only.

4. JAPA - Do Japa of Ishta Mantra mentally from 5 to 10 Malas (of 108 beads) daily.

5. DHYANA - Before going to actual meditation, practise simple Pranayama for two minutes. Feel the indwelling presence of the Lord and his form in you. Think of the attributes of the Lord, such as purity, love, perfection, all-pervading intelligence, bliss-absolute, omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience of Him in and around you. Meditate now on the form of Ishta Devata. When the mind runs away from the object of meditation, repeat Ishta Mantra. This will steady the mind. Have another sitting for meditation at night. Do not neglect meditation as it is most important. Regularity in the practice of meditation is divinising of oneself for God-realisation.

6. SVADHYAYA - Read one chapter or ten verses of the Bhagavad Gita with meaning and any holy text which will increase your psychic and spiritual culture, daily.

7. PHYSICAL EXERCISE - Practise Asanas, Surya Namaskara or any useful exercise for physical movement of the body in any form best suited to you.

8. FOOD - Take light simple food. Have a balanced diet. Fast on Ekadasi days or take milk and fruits or root only. Offer to God every food you take.

9. SEVA - Do some selfless service for one hour daily or for one or more hours on Sundays and holidays.

10. ENERGY - Practise abstinence from speech and also be free from worldly thoughts for two hours daily and four to eight hours on Sundays and holidays. Observe celibacy according to your age and circumstances. Restrict the indulgence to once a month. Decrease it gradually to once a year. Finally take a vow of abstinence for whole life.

11. SLEEP - Go to bed early or not later than 10 p.m. A rest for more than six hours is not necessary.

12. SPIRITUAL DIARY - Maintain a regular diary from the day you begin Sadhana. Stick to your daily routine at any cost, never say tomorrow, for that tomorrow never comes. In your practice of Sadhana in seclusion, the spiritual diary maintained, takes the place of an absentee Guru, for, it reminds you to be regular in your daily habits and spiritual practices.

Continue to read:

Yoga in Daily life by Swami Sivananda

Gayathri Japa by Swami Sivananda

Guide to Sadhakas by Swami Sivananda

(March 29,2013) Sadhana – The Life of Swami Sivananda

Sadhana – The life of Swami Sivananda

From Divine Life Society Publication “HIS HOLINESS SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA SARASWATI MAHARAJ”

Swami Sivananda dressed to clothe himself, ate to live, and lived to serve humanity. A small dilapidated Kutir (hut), not resorted to by others and infested with scorpions, protected him from rain and sun. Living in that Kutir, he did intense Tapas (austerities), observed silence, and fasted. Often he fasted for days on end. He would keep a good stock of bread in his room, and for a week have this, together with Ganges water. He would stand up to the hips in the ice-cold Ganges in winter mornings and commence his Japa, coming out only when the sun appeared. He would spend more than twelve hours in daily meditation. With all his intense Tapas, Swamiji did not neglect service of the sick. He visited the huts of the Sadhus with medicines, served them, and shampooed their legs. He begged food on their behalf and fed them with his own hands when they fell sick. He brought water from the Ganges and washed their Kutirs. He attended upon cholera and small-pox cases. If necessary, he kept vigil through the night by the side of the bed of the ailing Sadhu. He carried sick persons on his back to the hospital. With some money from his insurance policy that had matured, Swamiji started a charitable dispensary at Lakshmanjula in 1927. He served the pilgrims and saw Narayana in them.

Swamiji practiced all the various Yogas and studied the scriptures. After years of intense and unbroken Sadhana, he enjoyed the bliss of Nirvikalpa Samadhi. He had come to the end of his spiritual journey.

He used to gather bits of paper and used envelopes, and stitch them into little notebooks. He entered some self-instructions in them. Some of the instructions found in them read thus: "Give up salt, give up sugar, give up spices, give up vegetables, give up chutnies, give up tamarind". In another we read: Serve Bhangis, serve rogues, serve inferiors, remove faecal matter, clean clothes of Sadhus - take delight, carry water". In another page: "Do not revenge, resist not evil, return good for evil, bear insult and injury". On some neat little pages we again read: "Forget like a child any injury done by somebody immediately. Never keep it in the heart. It kindles hatred. Cultivate Maitri (friendship), Karuna (compassion), Daya (mercy), Prema (love), Kshama (forgiveness)". In another paragraph we see: "Develop good manners, extreme politeness, courtesy, etiquette, good demeanour, nobility, gentleness, mildness. Never be rude, harsh, or cruel. There is nothing to be hated in the world. Hatred is ignorance. All contempt for anything or being must be removed through love and Vichara (enquiry)".

Swamiji traveled the whole length and breadth of India during his Parivrajaka (wandering monk) life. He returned after the pilgrimage, to Rishikesh, and in the year 1936 sowed the seed of The Divine Life Society on the bank of the holy Ganga.

Continue to read:

20 Spiritual Instructions by Swami Sivananda

What is Japa by Swami Sivananda

Japa Sadhana by Swami Krishnananda

Gurudev’s Sadhana by Swami Devananda

What is Brahma-Muhurta? Q & A by Swami Sivananda

Q: What is Brahma-Muhurta?
A: 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. is termed as Brahma-Muhurta.
Q: Why is it eulogised by Rishis?
A: Because it is favourable for meditation on God or Brahman. Hence it is called Brahma-Muhurta.
Q: What are the advantages gained by Sadhakas by meditating at this particular hour?
A: At this particular hour the mind is very calm and serene. It is free from worldly thoughts, worries and anxieties. The mind is like a blank sheet of paper and comparatively free from worldly Samskaras. It can be very easily moulded at this time before worldly distractions enter the mind. Further the atmosphere also is charged with more Sattva at this particular time. There is no bustle and noise outside.

Continue Reading:
Q & A on Meditation by Swami Sivananda

(March 28,2013) “The Integral Life of an ideal Householder” by Swami Krishnananda

The Integral Life of an ideal Householder

From “The Integrated Life according to the Brahmasutra” by Swami Krishnananda

'Kritsna-bhavat-tu Grihinopasamharah' (III.4.48), is the Sutra used to explain the life of a householder. The meaning of the Sutra is that the life of a householder is integral. This Sutra is based on the following concluding passage in the Chandogya Upanishad: 'One who has studied the Vedas from the teacher according to rule, in the time left over from doing service to the teacher, he, who after having come back, settles down in a home, continues the study in more detail, who concentrates all his senses in the Self, who practises non-hatred to all creatures, he who behaves thus throughout his life, reaches the world of the Creator.'

How is a householder integral? The integral life is a life of non-attachment on one side and freedom from hatred on another side. That is why it is called integral.  

There are four gradational achievements or attainments conceived in ancient times for the development of the person. It was believed that a person would live for a hundred years. Therefore, the calculation is that for twenty-five years one must live like a Brahmachari, with energy arising out of self-control and the study of holy scriptures, and the service of Guru.

After that one enters married life and he fulfils the duties of a householder. In Indian culture, attachment is prohibited everywhere. He cannot be attached to his wife, though he has a duty to her, he cannot be attached to his property, and he cannot be attached even to his son and daughter. Duty is emphasised as the very purpose of life. The fulfilment of the means of personal and social relationship is the duty of a householder. That there is such a thing as 'duty' without 'attachment' is normally hard to conceive.

When the social relationships are taken care of, and the needs of the instinct of living a family life are also matured systematically, the householder retires from this duty to have any social relations. Retirement means the freedom from the necessity to be involved in social relations. Now, there is a concept of the super-individual who does not think in terms of personal self-restraint, study, Guru-seva etc., nor does he think of social relations, but dedicates himself to uniting his mind with universal relations. This is a higher stage above that of a householder. That is the Vanaprastha, a stage staggering to thought.

Then comes Sannyasa. A Sannyasin is a person whose mind is centred in the Universal Absolute, that person is more than a super-individual, he is a Cosmic Individual, known as 'Jivanmukta'. Sannyasins are respected as God Himself because their minds are centred in Absolute Being.

The ideal householder's life is almost a miracle. He conserves energy like the Brahmachari in a more widened way. The self-restraint of the Brahmachari is personal and individual. The householder's self-restraint is more difficult because he has to maintain a behaviour of non-attachment coupled simultaneously with duty towards everyone in every field of duty. He feeds the Brahmacharis and Sanyasins, and feeds guests with love even sacrificing his own meal when necessary. He takes care of animals around, would not hurt even ants in the house by leading them out peacefully. He worships God like the Sannyasin, reads the holy lore like the Brahmachari, and is detached from emotional contacts like the Vanaprastha. His life is a continuous sacrifice. Rightly, the Brahma Sutra mentions him specially as the one whose life is perfectly integrated.

The attempt to overstep the householder's duties and seek the universal aspirations of a Sannyasin directly from the Brahmacharya stage is a highly ambitious and laudable enterprise. But there is also a danger. It is difficult to believe that the individual sense of the Brahmachari can suddenly effloresce into the universal longings of the Sannyasin. People, mostly, suffer a shipwreck here and turn arrogant, due to false imagination of high achievements, while there are actually none. Great things require a great price in the form of determined meditations.

Continue to read – (Divine Life Society Publications)

The integrated life according to The Brahmasutra by Swami Krishnananda

Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha - Brahmacharya, Grahastha, Vanaprastha, Sanyasa by Swami Krishnananda

(March 27,2013) You are the waves in the Sea of Consciousness by Swami Krishnananda

You are the waves in the Sea of Consciousness

From Yoga, Meditation and Japa Sadhana by Swami Krishnananda

People ask, “Does God exist?” This is a meaningless question. If the world exists, God must exist, because God is only a name that we give to the Consciousness that indwells the whole universe, just as consciousness indwells your own individual personality.

You may ask, “How do you know there is Consciousness everywhere?” I ask you, “How do you know your friend has consciousness?” You know you have consciousness, but you cannot see consciousness in your friend. But you infer from his intelligent activity that he has consciousness. Likewise, from the activity of the cosmos we can infer the presence of a Cosmic Intelligence.

This Cosmic Intelligence, immanent in all objects, is what is called God, the Supreme Being.

The analysis of the process of perception of objects will give you an indication that the world is made up of Consciousness, and not matter. It is only by inference that you can come to this conclusion, not by direct, visible, sensory perception.

You look at an object, a mountain which is a mile off, in front of you. How do you come to know that there is a mountain in front of you? Your eyes do not touch the mountain and the mountain does not touch your eyes. Both are far from each other. There is a connecting link between the mountain and your eyes. That is the reason why you are able to know that there is a mountain. But what is the connecting link? You may say it is light rays. No. Light rays are inert. Inasmuch as inertness cannot produce an intelligent perception, we cannot accede that the light rays which are inert can be the connecting link, really.

The connecting link between the mountain (or an object) and the perceiving consciousness would be one of the two things in this world: either it is consciousness or it is matter. If you say that matter or anything material is the connecting link between the mountain and your consciousness, there would be a gap between consciousness and the object. This is because consciousness cannot become matter and matter cannot become consciousness, they being characterised differently, just as milk cannot become stone and stone cannot become milk. Thus, if the connecting link is matter, there would be a gap between matter and consciousness and there would be no connection between the two, and you would not know that there is a mountain in front of you. So, that cannot be. And, naturally, the other alternative is that the connecting link is consciousness. Consciousness can mix with consciousness. By this inference we come to the conclusion that consciousness must be hidden behind even material objects—otherwise, perception itself would be impossible. Just as we infer the presence of intelligence by the activity of people outside, we infer the presence of intelligence in the world by the analysis of the activity of the individual, which is known as perception.

World is ultimately Consciousness in its nature; it is not matter. You are also not matter, because your whole personality remains unaffected even though the limbs are cut off. You are Consciousness. You are not a body. You are something far more than a body. Likewise, there is an immanent principle of Consciousness in the whole cosmos. This immanent Consciousness is what is called the Absolute, or Brahman, or the Atman. It is called the Self (i.e. the Atman), because it always remains hidden in the individual as the seeing principle, and not the seen object, because Consciousness cannot become an object which you can see with your senses. So, the Universal Consciousness, being incapable of being converted into an object, remains ever as a subject, as the Self. The Supreme Consciousness, which is the Absolute, is the Self of everyone.

If you can retain this state of mind for a few minutes—that the universe is a sea of Consciousness and you are like waves in this sea of Consciousness, and that there is nothing like matter or inorganic stuff in the world—this is universality of perception, as different from individual perception of objects. This is meditation.

Continue to read (Divine Life Society Publications)

“Yoga Meditation and Japa Sadhana” by Swami Krishnananda

Japa Sadhana by Swami Krishnananda

“What is Japa?” by Swami Sivananda

HOLI - Special message from Swami Sivananda

HOLI

From “Hindu Fasts & Festivals” by Swami Sivananda

Festivals like Holi have their own spiritual value. Apart from the various amusements, they create faith in God if properly observed. Hindu festivals always have a spiritual significance. They wean man away from sensual pleasures and take him gradually to the spiritual path and divine communion. People perform havan and offer the new grains that are harvested to the gods before using them.

There should be worship of God, religious gatherings and Kirtan of the Lord’s Names on such occasions, not merely the sprinkling of coloured water and lighting of bonfires. These functions are to be considered most sacred and spent in devotional prayers, visiting holy places, bathing in sacred waters, and Satsang with great souls. Abundant charity should be done to the poor. Then only can Holi be said to have been properly celebrated. The devotees of the Lord should remember the delightful pastimes of the Lord on such happy occasions.

All great Hindu festivals have religious, social and hygienic elements in them. Holi is no exception. Every season has a festival of its own. Holi is the great spring festival of India. Being an agricultural country, India’s two big festivals come during the harvest time when the barns and granaries of our farmers are full and they have reason to enjoy the fruits of their hard labour. The harvest season is a festive season all over the world.

Man wants relaxation and change after hard work. He needs to be cheered when he is depressed on account of work and anxieties. Festivals like Holi supply him with the real food and tonic to restore his cheer and peace of mind.

The religious element in the Holi festival consists of worship of Krishna. In some places it is also called the Dol Yatra. The word dol literally means “a swing”. An image of Sri Krishna as a babe is placed in a little swing-cradle and decorated with flowers and painted with coloured powders. The pure, innocent frolics of little Krishna with the merry milkmaids (Gopis) of Brindavan are commemorated. Devotees chant the Name of Krishna and sing Holi-songs relating to the frolics of little Krishna with the Gopis.

The social element during Holi is the uniting or “embracing” of the great and the small, of the rich and the poor. It is also the uniting of equals. The festival teaches us to “let the dead bury the dead”. We should forget the outgoing year’s ill-feelings and begin the new year with feelings of love, sympathy, co-operation and equality with all. We should try to feel this oneness or unity with the Self also.

Holi also means “sacrifice”. Burn all the impurities of the mind, such as egoism, vanity and lust, through the fire of devotion and knowledge. Ignite cosmic love, mercy, generosity, selflessness, truthfulness and purity through the fire of Yogic practice. This is the real spirit of Holi. Rise from the mire of stupidity and absurdity and dive deep into the ocean of divinity.

The call of Holi is to always keep ablaze the light of God-love shining in your heart. Inner illumination is the real Holi. The spring season is the manifestation of the Lord, according to the Bhagavad Gita. Holi is said there to be His heart.

Continue to read

Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Swami Sivananda

(March 26,2013) Yoga and the practice of religion by Swami Sivananda

YOGA AND THE PRACTICE OF RELIGION

From Goal of Life is God Realization by Swami Sivananda

Yoga is a conscious and sustained attempt towards self-perfection. The goal of Yoga is to calm the mind so that it may mirror without distortion the Atman that is behind the mind.

Restrain the senses. Control the mind. Meditate regularly. Be a Yogi, be a Yogi, be a Yogi. Live the Yogic life and spread the great doctrine.

You have forgotten to look within, to gaze within, to introspect, concentrate and meditate, and so you are ignorant, you are lost in darkness.

Introspect. Look within. Try to remove your defects. This is the real Sadhana. This is the most difficult Sadhana. You will have to do it at any cost. Intellectual development is nothing. It is more easy.

Sit at the Central Library, Baroda or Imperial Library, Calcutta for three to six years with a dictionary by your side. You can develop your intellect. But removal of defects needs a great deal of struggle for many years. Many vicious habits will have to be rent asunder.

There are big Mandalesvars (Hindu spiritual head) who can deliver lectures for a week on one Sloka of the Gita or the Upanishads. They command respect, and yet they are disliked by the public, because they still have great defects. They have not done much introspection. They have not done drastic Sadhana to remove their defects. They have developed only their intellect. What a great pity!

True religion begins where intellect ends. An impure heart, a conceited intellect, cannot understand the spirit of religion.

Religion is a manifestation of the eternal glow of the Spirit within man. The main purpose of religion is the unfoldment of the divinity within man.

Prayer and meditation are the chief pillars of religion. A life of selfless service and sacrifice, with regular prayer and meditation, is the highest religion.

Practice of religion is the practice of righteousness, goodness, justice, truth, love, and purity. The righteous man is the truly religious man.

The ringing notes of religion are: Be good. Do good. Be pure. Be kind. Be compassionate. Serve all. Love all. See God in all.

The practice of these precepts alone will awaken man to the consciousness of the unity of existence and the realisation of the Divine Spirit within and without.

Religion is life. Life is sacrifice. One may meticulously perform religious devotion, and yet be very irreligious at heart and conduct. Religion should be a living experience in the life of man.

Continue to read:

Goal of Life is God Realization by Swami Sivananda, Divine Life Society, Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India

Practical hints on Sadhana by  Swami Krishnananda

Weekly Guided Meditation & Spiritual Study - March 30, 2013 - "Daily Sadhana"

FREE ONLINE GUIDED MEDITATION

Every Saturday, from NY through Skype @ 6:30 am EST

With blessings and guidance from Swami Padmanabhanandaji, Divine Life Society 

This week - DISCUSSIONS ON SWAMI CHIDANANDA’s DAILY SVADYAYA  "DAILY SADHANA" 
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RELATED TOPICS FROM VEDANTA

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OM NAMO BHAGAVATHE SIVANANDAYA

Svadyaya for March 30, 2013

Daily Sadhana

Even in the midst of activities, keep up the current of God awareness. Try to see the presence of God wherever you go, because he is the all-pervading Reality. Let there be actual spiritual life in you: study of spiritual books or scriptures, daily meditation, repetition of the Divine Name. Read the scriptures without fail every day. It will inspire you and fill your heart and mind with life-transforming spiritual ideas. Try to bring about a transformation in your psychological being first by trying to erase the world awareness from your mind, and evoke within it spiritual awareness through daily study. During your secular life keep up a golden thread of God remembrance, God awareness. Be connected by an unbroken stream of spiritual awareness, even while you are functioning in your daily life, in your office.

Make your life totally spiritual through regular sadhana. Let life become the process of fulfilling God’s plan for you, which is the ultimate Experience of the divine perfection, your true Self. The fact remains that you are an eternal immortal, divine Spirit. This fact is never effaced. It is the one reality. Therefore, be aware of that reality, live from this standpoint of truth. Base your consciousness upon this reality about yourself, and then give your hands, feet and mind, as much as necessary to the business of this world.

Every day, morning and evening, sit silent, drop the world from your consciousness, and be aware of your Self and the Divine Being. Calm the mind. Keep the body straight, breathe rhythmically, and raise your consciousness by the repetition of the solemn pranava nada (sound of Om), which is the symbol of the Universal Consciousness. Thus upon the awareness of pranava enter into an awareness of the Divine, and stay in that awareness. There is nothing – there is no time, no space. There is only vast, limitless ocean of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss absolute (Sat-Chit-Ananda). And feel, “I am a part of that infinite ocean of Bliss, peace and luminosity. Feel yourself as the all perfect, imperishable, ever blissful, ever peaceful, Consciousness.

Let us be optimistic in action, not only in feeling and wishing. Let us contribute towards the possibility of a better future for mankind by bringing into the life stream of human thought and feeling, a spiritual quality through our own dynamic spiritual living. Beloved friends in the Spirit, spiritual life is the most pressing, urgent and indispensable need of humanity today.

God Bless You!
Swami Chidananda

Continue to read:

Sadhana - The Spiritual Way (Audio and Video available)
Sadhana - Swami Sivananda (from the Book "Bliss Divine")
Free Online Books on Yoga, Religion and Philosophy - Divine Life Society Publications

(March 25,2013) “Japa Sadhana” by Swami Krishnananda

“Japa Sadhana” by Swami Krishnananda

Yoga, Meditation and Japa Sadhana by Swami Krishnananda

The world of experience may be said to be constituted of three important factors: 'thought', 'name' and 'form'. These three are internally connected with one another and is a very important aspect of spiritual practice, or sadhana, known as Japa Yoga (the yoga of japa). In the Bhagavadgita, the Lord has referred to this aspect of spiritual sadhana as perhaps the best among the known methods of approach to God. Yajnanam japayajnosmi: "Among all the sacrifices, sadhanas, austerities or forms of tapas, I am represented by japa," says Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

In a famous system of spiritual thought known as tantra or agama sastra, it is said that the expression of a particular name in a recognised manner automatically projects a particular form, usually known as the yantra. The yantra is not merely a geometrical drawing or a formation, but a shape that a name is supposed to take when it is made manifest through expression.

For instance a 'tree' is a name, a sound symbol that is supposed to indicate or point to a form which we know as the physical existence of the object known as the tree. And our scriptures tell us that as we can evoke a particular form in our consciousness by the utterance of a corresponding name, we can also invoke in our mind, in our consciousness, the form of God, the Supreme Being Himself, by the recitation of the Name which is the sacred expression of that ultimate form of Reality or Existence, God Almighty.

What is meant by japa sadhana? The contemplation of the implied meaning of a particular symbolic expression, the utterance of a Name - that is japa. The Name of God is compared to fire that burns. The recitation of a mantra, therefore, accelerates the process of the revelation of the Sattva(equilibrium) in us, transforming the rajas(Inertia) and the tamas(distraction) in our nature.

In fact, japa involves three important elements, or shaktis, or powers, viz., mantra-shakti, devata-shakti and sadhana-shakti. The sadhana-shakti is the power that is within our own selves; the mantra-shakti is the power that is hidden in the peculiar combination or juxtaposition of the letters of the formula; and the devata-shakti is, again, the power of the immanence of a higher principle in the mantra.

The mantra-shastra is a secret which tells us that every letter of the alphabet is a condensed form of energy. Sounds are really energy manifest. An aura is produced around that sadhaka who takes to japa sadhana honestly and sincerely. We purify not only our nature inwardly but we also purify the atmosphere outside. We become a source of inspiration to people when we actually take to japa sadhana with concentration of mind and with real faith in the efficacy of the practice.

And in japa sadhana, we try to attune ourselves(our inner psychological constitution) with that Omnipresent structure of the cosmos which is Ishvara-shakti, or Divine Will operating.

God will hear your prayers through His All-pervading ears. Sarvatah panipadam tat sarvatokshi-siromukham: "Everywhere It has ears, everywhere It has eyes." Your prayers will be heard, and this will be a service that you do to your own Atman, your soul, for its salvation. Not only that, it will be a great service that you do to humanity itself. May I request  you to take to this sadhana honestly, with intense faith, and you will see wonders, miracles manifesting themselves.

Continue to read:

Yoga, Meditation and Japa Sadhana by Swami Krishnananda

What is Japa? By Swami Sivananda

Gurudev’s Sadhana by Swami Devananda

What is Japa? by Swami Sivananda

 What Is Japa?

Japa is the repetition of any Mantra or Name of the Lord. In this Kaliyuga, Japa is an easy way for God-realisation. Tukaram, Dhruva, Valmiki, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Narsi Mehta, Gauranga, Ramdas, Mira—all had attained salvation by uttering the name of God. Why not you also, my dear friends? Japa is an important Anga of Yoga.
Any Mantra is powerful. It is a mass of radiant energy. Japa is of three kinds:
(1) Vaikhari or verbal with Ucchara.
(2) Upamsu with humming sound.
(3) Manasika wherein the lips do not move. It is done with the mind and mind alone.
Upamsu brings fruits thousand times more than that of Vaikhari. Manasika brings fruits crores of times than Vaikhari.
Mind wants varieties, new sensations. It gets disgusted with monotony. Just as you want brinjal vegetable today, Lauki tomorrow and Parwal day after tomorrow, the mind wants varieties in Japa also; otherwise it becomes dull. It refuses to work.
Do Vaikhari for some time, then Upamsu for some time and then Manasika for some time. The repetition of a Mantra serves as a gate-keeper. When the mind runs away, the repetition of the Mantra will at once tell you that some other evil-intruding thoughts have entered the mind.

Benefits Of Japa

There is Mantra Sakti and Mantra Chaitanya in every Mantra. It changes the mental substance from passion to purity, from Rajas into Sattva. It calms, strengthens the mind. It makes the mind Antarmukha, introspective. It checks the outgoing tendencies of the mind. It eradicates all kinds of evil thoughts and inclinations. It destroys Vasanas and reduces the force of thought. Eventually it leads to the direct Darshan of God or Ishta Devata. Japa purifies the mind, induces Vairagya, destroys Vasanas and brings you face to face with God.

Instructions On Japa

Have Suddha, Sattvic Bhava when you repeat the Mantra. Repeat the Mantra at least 21,600 times daily, to correspond with the 21,600 Soham breaths.
You must do the Japa regularly. The shorter the Mantra the greater is the concentration. Of all the Mantras, Rama, Rama, Rama is the best. It is easy to repeat also. If you are tired of repeating the Mantra at one stroke, have three or more sittings; from morning 4 to 7, evening 4 to 5 and night 6 to 8.
Repeat the Mantra very quickly for some time and when you find that the mind is wandering much then repeat it slowly. The golden rule is to repeat the Mantra neither too slow nor too quick. Observe the happy medium.
Everyone of you should have a separate meditation room. Make a small enclosure in a corner of a room with screen and sit for Japa if you cannot manage to get a separate room. Do not allow anybody to frequent the place. Both morning and night sit there regularly for 10 minutes. Gradually increase the time as much as you can. This is very, very important.
In this Kali Yuga when rigid Hatha Yoga Kriyas are difficult to be performed owing to poor physique of people and when people do not possess sharp intellect and power of inflection and ratiocination, Japa and Kirtan are easy methods for Self-realisation. Ram Prasad of Bengal had Darshan of Mother Kali through Kirtan alone. “Na-aham vasami Vaikunthe yoginam hridaye na cha, mad bhakta yatra gayanti tatra tishthami Narada—I dwell not in Vaikuntha, nor in the hearts of Yogins; but I dwell there where my Bhaktas sing of Me, O Narada!”

Mantra For Japa

Select any one of the following Mantras. Repeat it with concentration from 10 to 50 Malas from 4 to 6 a.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. regularly, everyday.

Mantras	Deities
Om Gam Ganapataye Namah	—Ganapati
Om Namassivaya	—Lord Siva
Om Namo Narayanaya	—Lord Narayana
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya	—Lord Krishna
Om Kling Krishnaya Govindaya Gopijana Vallabhaya Svaha	—Lord Krishna
Om Sri Rama, Jaya Rama, Jaya Jaya Ram	—Lord Rama
Om Ram Ramaya Namah	—Lord Rama
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare	—Mahamantra

Jugal Mantra
1. Sita Ram
2. Radheshyam
3. Sri Sita Ramachandrabhyo Namah

Saranagati Mantra
1. Sri Rama Saranam Mama
2. Sri Sita Rama Saranam Mama
3. Sri Ramachandra Saranam Prapadye
4. Sri Krishna Saranam Mama

Continue to read:
Yoga in Daily Life by Swami Sivananda, Divine Life Society Publication.

(March 24,2013) “Gurudev’s Sadhana”

Gurudev’s Sadhana

From Divine Life Society Publication - “Some Reminiscences of Gurudev Swami Sivananda” 
by Sri Swami Devananda

In early 1956-1957 Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj used to go to Satsanga exactly at 7 p.m., and start with chanting of OM and Jaya Ganesha Kirtan. And before leaving for Satsanga from the inner resting room of his Kutir he would go to the Puja room, do Arati of Lord Krishna there personally. Then after smearing Vibhuti and Sindhur on the forehead he would come out and sit on the verandah for a few minutes to meet visitors or devotees, or to talk to his personal attendants or Ashram officials on any matter that needed urgent attention. This was his daily routine before going to Satsanga. Sometimes after returning from Satsanga also he used to sit in the same verandah to give instructions to his attendants or to the secretary.

During the year 1960 Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj started living in Gurudev’s Kutir. Since then whenever Gurudev came to the Verandah he would call Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj to speak to him on any important matter. Sometimes Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj would come and prostrate before Swamiji and tell him about Ashram affairs. This was almost everyday routine upto 1963. In 1963, exactly one month before Gurudev attaining Mahasamadhi, Gurudev one day came out to the verandah as usual and sat in the chair. At this time Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj, Dr. Hridayananda Mataji, Sri Swami Santanandaji Maharaj and myself were present there. Gurudev then casually called Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj and said to him, “Krishnanandaji, I do my Sadhana daily in the morning.” Of course Guru Maharaj used to get up early in the morning between 3-30 and 4-00. After morning wash he would go to his inner room and until he called, no one could enter his room. So we did not know what Gurudev’s Sadhana was. Now Gurudev himself told us about his daily Sadhana. It was indeed a revelation to us. 

Gurudev said, “I get up daily between 3-30 and 4-00. a.m. As soon as I get up I offer prayers to the Lord. Then I press the calling bell and two of my attendants come to my room to help me to go to the bathroom. When I see them I think they are two parts of Virat Purusha who has come to help me. First I mentally prostrate before them and then with their help go to the bathroom. After the bath I come back and sit in my room. Then I start my Sadhana like this. First I think of the omnipotent, omniscient Paramatman and meditate on Him for some time. Thereafter I pray mentally to the Trimurtis and all gods in all their names and forms. Then I mentally visit all Holy pilgrim centres and bathe in all the Holy Rivers and Seas, in each and every place. I prostrate before the presiding Deity and worship mentally all the Devatas. Afterwards I do Japa of all Deities, one Maala each. Then I recite four Mahavakyas and some Vedic Hymns from the Vedas. Also I recite selected Mantras from the 10 Upanishads. I got by heart some slokas from the Epics of Mahabharata, Ramayana and Srimad Bhagavatam and I repeat them. I remember the saints and sages and mentally prostrate to them. Then I mentally think of the Acharyas—Sankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya and all other great Acharyas. I prostrate to them mentally. Then I recite some of the Hymns and Stotras taught by them. After this I do Pranava Japa and meditate. After meditation I do a few exercises on the bed itself, followed by Pranayama. 

The entire routine of my Sadhana takes about 2-2 1/2 hours. After this I ring the bell for my attendants to bring my breakfast. Breakfast over, I go to office work. For the convenience of some devotees who wish to have a private Darshan to talk about their personal matters. I sit on the Verandah. Before they enter the main door I repeat Mahamrityunjaya Mantra three times and pray for their happiness and health, these devotees usually come to me to speak about their problems, spiritual or otherwise. I listen to them patiently and I pray to God mentally to give them courage and strength to overcome their problems and difficulties. Afterwards the visitors sit with me in silence. Then repeating Tryambaka Mantra I distribute the Holy Prasad to them. This has been my Sadhana over the Years.” All four of us were thrilled to hear from Gurudev’s own words about his Sadhana and all of us felt elevated and prostrated to him in deep devotion. Some times Gurudev would say to the devotees at the end of their meeting. “Sab accha ho Jayaga. Bhagavan ko yad rakho.” This is like reminding us not to forget our Sadhana and God is always with us.

May we follow in his footprints of Sadhana and reach the Divine. May Sadgurudev bless us all to progress in our daily spiritual Sadhana. Sadgurubhagavan Ki Jai!

From Divine Life Society Publication - “Some Reminiscences of Gurudev Swami Sivananda” by Sri Swami Devananda Read in PDF

Visit Divine Life Society Webpage to read more messages from Gurudev Swami Sivananda Maharaj

Q & A: What are the marks of spiritual progress?

266. What are the marks of spiritual progress? How can I know whether he is advanced in the spiritual path or not?

Peace, cheerfulness, contentment, dispassion, fearlessness and an unperturbed state of mind under all conditions indicate that you are advancing in the spiritual path.

Spiritual progress is not measured by Siddhis or powers, but only by the depth of your bliss in meditation.

These are sure tests of your spiritual progress:

Is your interest in inner spiritual activity and outer Sadhana increasing day after day?

Does spiritual life mean to your consciousness a matter of great delight, a delight far transcending the happiness that the world of vital pleasures affords you or offers you?

Has your personal awareness come to a possession of a sense of peace and strength which men who are not aspirants do not find in their everyday lives?

Do you feel certain that your power of discrimination and light of thought have been steadily growing?

Is your life being gradually led to such experiences which reveal to you the operation of a will and intelligence other than your own, the will and intelligence of the Omnipotent Lord?

Has there come into the conscious activities of your everyday life, the active function of a new delightful angle of vision, a new perspective, a strong sense of self-possession, a steadily growing convinction of your dependence upon and intimate relation with the all-pervading Divinity?

If your answers to all these questions or to any one of them are in the affirmative, be absolutely sure that you are progressing, and progressing speedily, in the spiritual path.

For additional reading
The Divine Life Society Publication "May I Answer That" by Swami Sivananda

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