We are getting back to a normal life after two years of enforced isolation. How have we coped in the last two years. If we conducted a self-examination, what would we discover about ourselves.
Let us pose these questions to ourselves. Continue reading
It is a busy life. We want to be everywhere at the same time and dabble in everything. It is becoming even more frenetic as most of us are juggling multi tasks. We are always searching for a quick way to relax and meditate. Continue reading
Pranava means “cosmic sound” in Sanskrit. It is the name of the mantra Om. Meditating on pranava leads to liberation because it brings about unity with Brahman, the absolute truth. Continue reading
An ongoing meditation practice will lead you to satisfaction and bliss, if you are undistracted and intent. It is a continuous practice. Continue reading
In these harsh and disturbed times, we can contribute by self-purification. Cleansing of our thoughts will lead to removal of negativity. I have taken the liberty of combining the teachings of the Veda with the teachings from the Bible. It is only possible for us to end the conflict by practicing detachment, and empathy. Atma Bhava love for our brethren will lead to a resolution. Good Friday is for us to seek forgiveness, not only for ourselves but for saving mother earth. Continue reading
I am always overawed when I read what Swamiji has said. There is new inspiration every time and I learn something amulya (priceless). It is contemporary even after five decades. Continue reading
Meditation is such a powerful word, and its implications are that if we meditate daily, we are very advanced beings. I am using the exact description of the Hindi word ‘pahucha hua’ (a holy man), which is applied to a person who does daily sadhana along with the rituals, which reinforce the image. As a child I have heard sannyasins described so. I imagined that they had reached a distant destination as this word also means reaching. Continue reading
As given by Swami Satyanananda Saraswati.
Just breathe. Be aware of your natural and spontaneous breath. Be aware of your ingoing breath and be aware of your outgoing breath. No effort. Your breathing pattern can vary, sometime your breaths are short, sometimes they are long. Now when you inhale add So, and when you exhale add Ham. You are affirming that you are saying So with your ingoing breath and Ham with your outgoing breath. You are not making any loud sounds, it is normal breathing. You can do this anywhere and anytime. Practice for 2 to 3 minutes, or longer. You will feel calmer and centred. It will enable you in your daily meditation.
This little sadhana was given in1968. It is wonderful, try it, share it with kids, your loved ones and on people who are sick.
Aim Hrim Klim
Swami Satyananda has a very different view of snorers. We all know people who snore and we can laugh at them, or get mad at them, but they continue to snore unrelentlessly. Once I was travelling in the night train and two compartments away there was a man snoring. He was so loud, we could hear him over the chugging and whistling of the train. My teenage son was with me. We started imitating him, but it had no effect. My son, shouted and said bro please stop. It had no effect. We passed the night sleepless and our neighbor woke up bright eyed. Continue reading
1. Pride, Vanity, Conceit, Self-Glorification: Any form of hurt is due
to pride, an inflated ego, one that is excessively attached to what
it thinks it knows, believes, possesses or how it looks. When you
expect other people to make you feel good you are going to be
hurt because they do those things that make them feel good.
Often they waste time and energy trying to save face or plotting
revenge. Solution to these problems is inquiry into isvara. Where
did your special qualities come from. 2. Pretension, Affectation:
Claiming something that has no basis in fact. Creating fake
identies brings a lot of stress. Problem of judging your value in
comparison to other people. 3. Non-Injury: Mutual expectation of
non injury. It may be injury if vegetarians hurt the feelings of non
vegetarians. A bad thought doesn’t go to the other person. It stays
in your mind and hurts yourself. You should think the opposite
thought. Think before you speak or act. Only help people when
they ask you for help. 4. Accommodation, Commodiousness:
Making room for people in your life, being not too busy to pay
attention to other people. People want to be heard. At least you
can spend enough time to find out what others want from you.
Accomodation to the needs of others is a sign for a sense of nonduality.
If you are aiming for sainthood, non-injury and
accommodation are the minimum requirements. Wisdom and
scriptural knowledge are not necessary, only these values. 5.
Straightforwardness, Truthfulness. Your actions should be in line
with your thoughts. Diplomacy and manners are helpful to
communicate unpleasant information successfully. 6. Service to
the Teacher. By keeping your mind on the Self, doing your karma
yoga. The teacher has nothing to gain. Teacher wants to share the
love of god with you. 7. Cleanliness: Outer cleanliness. A mind with
no secrets. Transparency. Being natural. The bad stuff was given
to you by isvara too. It is not your fault. When you acknowledge
your vulnerability and your selfishness you are over it.
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How to overcome tamas?
When you are rajasic and succesful you
have no time to pay attention to yourself. Stuck in sattva. Danger
of vanity and stop of growth. Verse 58: “Success is easier to attain
by informal devotion than by any other means.” If you bring
discipline into your life you do things that are good for you and
your self esteem grows. Verse 59: “Devotion is easiest because it
does not depend on any other authority; it is self-validating.” In
Vedanta you have to live according to the scripture. Verse 60:
“Furthermore, devotion is the embodiment of peace and supreme
joy.” Verse 61: “Once all worldly and spiritual duties are consigned
to God, the devotee need not worry about gain and loss.” Ishvara
takes care of your worldly affairs. Do the best every day and then
see what happens. Manusha the one who thinks and worry. Verse
62: “To attain non-dual devotion, do not abandon responsibilities
in this world, but surrender the results of all actions to the
Lord.”Expression of Karma Yoga. When you give the actions to the
Lord then your worry stops. Karma Yoga and gratitude. Gratitude
as a sadhana. Honesty and purity. Verses 63, 64: “Don’t chase
money or entertain yourself with sex. Don’t compromise your
values and don’t quarrel with others. Relinquish false pride,
hypocrisy and other vices.” Fearless moral inventory is necessary.
12 step program. Sorting out spiritual and material values. Fully
assimilate the good values, renounce the bad values. In the
Bhagavad Gita the values are called knowledge.
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Meditation on the silence. It is impossible not to love. You are 
Love: Sat Chid Ananda. Every action is motivated by love of
the self. What is existence? Scripture as the appropriate
means of knowledge. You are not a person. The person is an
object known to you. Three states. Experience of the self?
Everything you see reflects you. What are you doing to be
aware or to exist?
More: Vedanta Seminars.
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You need not control the higher divine emotions. When you enter into deep meditation, you need not repeat the mantra. Allow the meditation to merge in samadhi. Swami Sivananda speaks a little more about meditation, and then other general topics, in this letter with advice to an aspirant.
For more lectures and kirtans in Swami Sivananda’s own voice, please visit www.swami-sivananda.de .
Historical recording of Swami Sivananda, 1887-1963, one of the greatest yoga masters of modern India. To find out more about Swami Sivananda: http://www.sivanandaonline.org, http://my.yoga-vidya.org . Copyright the Divine Life Society .
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Swami Sivananda gives a short lecture on the philosophy and meditation of Om. Om is everything – the symbol of Brahman, the sacred mono-syllable to take you to immortality. All mantras begin with om. Historical recording of Swami Sivananda, 1887-1963, one of the greatest yoga masters of modern India. To find out more about Swami Sivananda: http://www.sivanandaonline.org, http://my.yoga-vidya.org . Copyright the Divine Life Society .
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Leela Mata, Ayurveda expert, speaks about who can benefit from Panchakarma programs, expecially in Ashrams. She talks about the special benefits to do Panchakarma in an Ashram environment with Meditation, Mantra-Chanting, Asanas and Pranayama, in a spiritual Atmosphere. Leela Mata directs Panchakarma Programs in Peaceful Valley Ashram Pennsylvania and in Yoga Vidya Ashram Germany explains who can benefit from an ayurvedic Panachkarma treatment. Panachakarma can treat almost any desease but it also depends on the person and facilities. In an ashram it is not also a only Panchakarma treatment, the patients are doing also asanas, pranayama and meditation. More information referring ayurveda in general and certains treatments at http://www.yoga-vidya.org
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