(Aug 16,2014) Spiritual Message for the Day – Garland of Vedanta by Sri Swami Sivananda

 Garland of Vedanta

Divine Life Society Publication: Lectures on Yoga and Vedanta by Sri Swami Sivananda

A Vedantin says, ‘Nothing is mine and everything is mine’. As the world is a mere appearance he is quite right in saying, ‘nothing is mine.’ As he has realised the Self, as the world has no independent existence apart from Brahman or the Self, he says, ‘everything is mine.’ He has controlled the organ of smell and Prithvi Tattva (Earth element) and so all objects of smell and sense belong to him. He has controlled the palate or tongue and the Apas Tattva (Water element) and so all objects of taste, fruits and other dainties belong to him. He has controlled the organ of sight or eye and Agni Tattva (Fire element) and so all objects of sight and beauties and gardens belong to him. He has controlled the organ of touch and Vayu Tattva (Wind element) and so all objects of touch belong to him. He has controlled the organ of hearing and the Akasa Tattva (Ether element) and so all the sounds and music belong to him.

Identification with the body (Deha Adhyasa) brings pain. When one attains knowledge of the Self, he will experience no pain although there is some disease in the body. He is above body consciousness. A highly developed Hatha Yogi only, who has control over the atoms and Kaya Siddhi, can keep his body without ailment. Rise above body and always identify yourself with the painless, diseaseless Atman. You will be free from pain. When you are in deep sleep there is no pain even if you are suffering from any disease. When you are under chloroform there is no pain even if the leg is amputated. It is the linking of the mind with the body that causes pain. If the mind is taken away from the body consciously and fixed on all-blissful Self through constant meditation you will have no pain even if the body is subject to any kind of ailments. This is Jnana Yoga Sadhana. Prarabdha has to be worked out. Therefore the body will be subject to diseases. The Jivanmukta will not experience any pain. The onlookers may wrongly imagine that the sage is also suffering. It is a serious mistake. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had cancer in the throat. Buddha had chronic dysentery. Sankara had piles. But they experienced no pain. When doctors asked Ramakrishna Paramahamsa: "Why do you suffer like this? Can you not undergo the operation"? He replied, "I have given my mind to Mother Kali. How can I think of my body? How can I bring my mind back to the cage of flesh? I am always in bliss."

If you are deluded by a mirage for some time, you will not be affected by it again when you come to know that it is a mirage only but not water. Even so the world will appear for a Jivanmukta but he knows that it is unreal. He will not be attracted a bit by the objects. It is no more the world of sorrow for him. He knows fully well that it is mere appearance owing to the play of Maya.

The will of a Jivanmukta becomes one with they cosmic will. He experiences the bliss of cosmic consciousness. He feels that all ears are his ears, all eyes are his eyes, all mouths are his mouths, all tongues are his tongues, all hands are his hands, all legs are his legs, all minds are his minds. This will be a magnanimous experience indeed. Words will fail to describe adequately the grandeur of this experience. Realise this experience and be free.

O man! In essence thou art the blessed divinity. Thou art the immortal blissful Self. Why are you attracted towards the physical beauty, the beauty of landscapes and flowers when you are yourself the Beauty of beauties, the fountain-source of all beauties? Why do you admire the sun, moon, stars and lightning, when you are yourself the Sun of suns, the Light of lights? Why do you say ‘I am 40 years of age’, ‘I am at death’s door’, ‘Time has passed away’, when you are yourself the Eternity? Why do you say ‘I am fat’, ‘I am 5 feet 6 inches’, when you are the Infinite? Why do you say ‘I have no money’, ‘I am very poor’, ‘I am penniless’, when you are the Emperor of the three worlds, the source of all wealth? Why do you say ‘I am helpless’, ‘I am your most obedient servant’, when you are the Director and Governor of the whole world? Why do you say, ‘I am miserable’, ‘I am restless’, when you are the embodiment of Bliss and Peace? Why are you afraid of death or Lord Yama, when you are Existence Absolute? Why do you say ‘I am unwell’, ‘I am suffering from a chronic disease’, when you are all-health? Why do you say ‘I am ignorant’, ‘I know nothing’, when you are Knowledge Absolute? Realise the mysterious Sat-Chit-Ananda Atman through purification, concentration, meditation and identification. Rejoice in this wonderful Self and be free. Tat Tvam Asi—Thou art That, O dear Satyakama bold. 

 Excerpts from:

Garland of Vedanta - Lectures on Yoga and Vedanta by Sri Swami Sivananda

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(Nov 4,2013 ) Spiritual Message for the Day – All About Fear by Swami Sivananda

All About Fear

Divine Life Society Publication: Conquest of Fear by Swami Sivananda

1. Rise Up! O Man!

Fear is illusory; it cannot live. Courage is eternal, it will not die. Perils, calamities, dangers are the certain lot of every man who is a denizen of this world. Therefore, O Man! Fortify your mind with courage and patience. Fortitude, courage, presence of mind will sustain you through all dangers. Just as a rock on the sea-shore stands firm and the dashing of the waves does not affect it even a bit, even so a man who is endowed with courage is not affected by the dark perilous waves of this Samsara. He stands adamant in all trying conditions and circumstances and comes out victorious.

A man of courage does not tremble in the hour of danger. He is not embarrassed and bewildered. He does not sink down. He is not overwhelmed by despair. He smiles away all dangers and difficulties, blows the trumpet of triumph and attains victory in the end.

The threatening of fear are a terror to the heart. Lead a virtuous life. Live in God. Be good. Serve. Love. Give. Meditate. Nothing can frighten you. The Lord of Death will be afraid of you. The terrors, even of death, will be no terror to you.

Terrify not your soul with vain imaginary fears; from fear proceeds misfortune and failure. The fears of a coward expose him to danger. A coward dies many times before his actual death. Be bold. Be cheerful. Allow not your heart to sink down from the phantasy of imaginary fears. Have self-confidence and faith. Thy birthright is courage. You are Nectar’s son. You are a child of light. You are an offspring of Immortal Brahman. Claim thy Birthright now. Rise Up! O Man! Roar OM OM OM. You are the lion of Vedanta.

2. What Is Fear?

The Sanskrit equivalent for fear is "Bhaya". Fear is an emotion or Vritti in the mind that is produced when one’s life is in danger on account of external forces or things. Man reacts to the situation with a fear-emotion.

It is characterized by pallor of the face, palpitation of heart, slowing of pulse or stoppage, tremor of limbs, perspiration, expressionless condition of the eyes, in extreme cases - choking of voice, inability to speak, etc. The body becomes like a log of wood. The mind gets stunned. The functions of the senses are inhibited. In extreme cases one may die of shock. In ordinary cases when the cause of fear is removed, he slowly recovers from the morbid symptoms and comes back to his original state.

3. Cause Of Fear

Ignorance is the cause of fear. Man tasted the "forbidden fruit" and became a slave of lust. He forgot his original, divine nature and was thus caught up in the whirlpool of ignorance. The infinite fearless Brahman became the finite Jiva with fear. Identification of the body or Dehadhyasa is the cause of fear.

Dehadhyasa is another form of ignorance. This physical body is an instrument for man’s sensual enjoyment. If he suffers from any disease he is afraid that he will lose this body which serves him as a vehicle for his enjoyment. He tries his level best to preserve this body. All other causes of fear are traceable to Dehadhyasa.

Feeling of inferiority is another cause of fear. This negative feeling produces lack of self-reliance or self-confidence in man. He is afraid of those who are superior to him in talents, power, position and efficiency. He feels that he is incapable of doing anything.

Some physical deformity or deficiency, lack of physical and mental efficiency, wrong training in children, are other causes of fear.

There is no other way to get rid of fear than realization of the Self.

4. Fear And Raga

Fear (Bhaya) and Raga (attachment) are modifications or Vrittis in the mind. They are temporary whirlpools or waves. The substance of the mind is nothing but Raga and fear. They are twin-sisters. Hence they are closely related to each other. If you destroy fear and Raga there is neither life nor existence for the mind. The Upanishad declares, "Detachment, faith, fear, Raga, shyness, modesty, shame. etc.," are only mind.

Fear is a product of ignorance or Avidya. Man forgets his essential, divine nature through Moha or infatuation and identification with the body. He was the all-pervading immortal fearless Soul or Brahman in the beginning. He was the "Santam (Peaceful), Ajaram (decayless), Amritam (immortal), Abhayam (fearless) Brahman." On account of egoism he became a rebellious child. He separated himself from his Father. He had division of property. He started his own independent living in this earth-plane. He rented a house in the mundane world. He entered the body-house of flesh and bone and became a little timid man, a little Jiva, with all sorts of fears. Thus started his downfall on account of his quarrel with his Almighty Father and owing to his starting a new egoistic living with Raga-Dvesha.

He was bodiless muscle-less, fleshless, boneless, I-less, mine-less, desireless, Vasana-less, when he was one with the Father, when there was a joint family. And so he was absolutely fearless, and ever blissful and peaceful. He had no thought of body, house, property, wife, children, position and prestige. He had no thought of diseases of body and fall from his social status or prestige. He had no thought of enemies, war, riots and of running to any place for safety, security. His original bode was peacefully secure and free from any sort of a danger and enemies. It was all one Brahman community.

In his new, independent egoistic life, he became selfish, crooked, narrow, and mean-minded. He entertained low thoughts. Every day fears multiplied, as he was very much attached to his body, the bodies of wife, children, and to his house, property, etc.

Raga (attachment) is the long-standing associate of fear. Wherever there is Raga, there is fear. Fear and Raga co-exist. Man is attached to his wife. So there is fear of losing her. As he is attached to his children, house and property, he has fear of losing his house, property and children. He is drowned in sorrow and gets terrible shock if these objects are destroyed or lost. Hence Raga is the cause of fear. If there is no Raga, there is no fear. The first link in the chain of Raga is his attachment to his body. All kinds of Raga start from this Raga to the physical body.

Lord Krishna says in His Gita: "Vitaragabhayakrodhah sthitadheer muniruchyate". "He who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of stable mind." Abandon attachment through practice of non-attachment or Vairagya and attachment to the lotus feet of the Lord or fearless Brahman. All fears will vanish.

You are attached to a fountain-pen, walking stick, book, watch, towel, cloth. Fear slowly creeps in. There is fear of losing them. Always entertain the thought "All objects are illusory, perishable and pain-giving." You will have no attachment. Even if there is attachment, it will be mild. You can drive it away with slight thinking and discrimination.

Give up attachment to this body by identifying yourself with the pure, all-pervading immortal Atman or Brahman. All sorts of fears and attachments will totally disappear. May you all be free from Fear and Raga! May you all be established in the fearless, (Abhaya, Nirbhaya) Brahman through the practice of courage and meditation on the fearless, immortal Brahman.

Excerpts from:

All About Fear: Conquest of Fear by Swami Sivananda
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Weekly Guided Meditation & Spiritual Study - April 6, 2013 - "Sadhana for Modern Man"

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" SADHANA FOR MODERN MAN" 
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OM NAMO BHAGAVATHE SIVANANDAYA

Svadyaya for April 6, 2013

SADHANA FOR MODERN MAN

Sadhana is the purpose for which we have come to this earth-plane. This is called sadhana-bhumi, for it is the earth-plane alone, upon which sadhana for Self-realisation can be done. God-realisation is the main end and aim of life. In the present age, the one vehicle for sadhana, which is very important – the human body – has degenerated most frightfully. In spite of this degeneracy on the physical plane, mentally man has evolved a great deal. He should shift the emphasis of sadhana from the physical to the mental. We have to admit that we have limitations of time and energy.

For this Vedanta has given the right clue. It lays all the emphasis on mental culture. Vedanta is a complete divine psychology. We have forgotten our real nature. What is the remedy for this? To remember it and reassert it. Autosuggestion is the mainstay, the pillar, of Vedanta. It says, “Remember your lost heritage, your real nature, and assert it again and again, and again.” You can let your whole body be engaged in any activity throughout the day. At the same time, you can unbrokenly carry on the divine current of Atmik assertion going on. This autosuggestion will become more a latent aptitude than a bhav. When it is established into a permanent bhav, then that bhav will translate itself into practice. As you think, so you become.

There are two obstacles for this autosuggestion. Firstly, vices or the impurities of mind. Two methods are prescribed for overcoming them. One is thinking of the opposite – pratipaksha bhavana – and asserting the presence of that which you wish to gain. By asserting the opposite of your present vices, you grow into the nature of the virtues and the vices disappear. The other is the law that the positive always overcomes the negative. Therefore, certain positive assertions are constantly prescribed. This overcomes the negative dehadhyasa – identification with the body and the mind. And the identification with Atman is reasserted. Body upadhi and other upadhis hold down the mind from soaring into Atmik realms. In order to counteract them, sattavik upadhis are purposely prescribed. He is asked to be in spiritual surroundings. He is asked to do japa, kirtan and meditation. The mental upadhis should be made sattavic through autosuggestion, through pratipaksha bhavana, through always trying to be positive, and through voluntarily taking divine upadhis. Man is asked to take sannyasa. That gives powerful colouring to the mind. The colouring of the mind should be made divine. In an incredibly short time, he will see that the whole world stands transformed before him.

God Bless You!

Swami Chidananda