833 – Sayings of the Masters

Swami Sivananda

Simple life is a veritable blessing, because it makes one free from cravings and desires, which cause suffering and pain.

Bhakti is a force that will influence our civilization, culture and relationships.

Empty yourself. Tune your radio. Unite your mind. The rest will take place when the proper time is due.

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831 – Namaste International Women’s Day

#InspireInclusion

Live in the presence of the Divine Mother. Close your eyes and visualize nature. Nature with her diamond, dazzling stars, the milky way, the flowers, the birds, clouds, mountains, sky – the countless beauties of creation – is the Divine Mother. In nature you behold the divine aspect of God, which is the mother. It is full of human kindness, beauty, gentleness and kindness. The beauty in the world bespeaks the creative motherly instinct of God, and when we look upon all good in nature, we experience a feeling of tenderness within us – we can see and feel God as Mother in nature. – Swami Yogananda

Dear ones, all of us love nature and it does not matter whether we are females, males or trans. This love that we experience is maternal love and love which is unconditional. We all have it in us and it has nothing to do with what gender we are. And that is the miracle of God. Continue reading

800 – Parental love

What is parental love based on? Father’s love is based on reason and motherly love is based on emotions and unconditional love. Actually, now when we examine parental love, we have to exclude male and female affection. We must address it as who assume the fraternal role and who assumes the maternal role. Continue reading

796 – Appreciate God’s Creation

A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

It is such an apt saying. We tend to shut ourselves in and become oblivious of the music, poetry and art. We are self-involved and are like the businessman in “The Little Prince,” who spent all his time counting the stars continuously.

The little prince and the businessman

Let me refresh your memory. The little prince arrived at the fourth planet. It belonged to a businessman. He did not even raise his head at the prince’s arrival. The prince greeted him and told him that his cigarette had gone out. The businessman ignored him and kept adding the numbers. He replied that he did not have time to light his cigarette again. Then he let out a deep breath and said that it makes five-hundred and one million, six hundred and twenty-two-thousand, seven hundred-thirty-one.

The prince asked, five hundred million what? The man said, “You are still there, I can’t stop, I have so much to do and I am concerned with matters of consequences.”

The prince was persistent and he had never let go of a question, so he asked,” Five hundred and one million of what?” The business man lifted his head up and said, “I have been disturbed only three times in the 54 years of my life, living on this planet. The first time a silly goose fell and made an infernal noise. The second time I had an attack of rheumatism as I do not get enough exercise. I have no free time. As I was saying five-hundred-and one million—.” The prince asked,” Millions of what?”

The businessman realized that he would not be left in peace, if he did not answer. He replied, “Millions of those little objects, which one sometimes sees in the sky.” The prince was not one to let go, he questioned, “Flies?” The businessman said, “Oh no. Little glittering objects.” “Bees?” the curious prince said. The businessman replied, “Oh no. Little golden objects that make lazy men dream. I am not lazy and I have no time as I am dealing with matters of consequence.”

The prince exclaimed,” You mean the stars?” He answered,” Yes, the stars.” The prince could not be quiet and he said,” What will you do with the numbers?” The businessman said,” I own the stars and it is making me rich.” The prince said “The stars belong to nobody.”

The businessman elaborated and said that if one found a diamond, it would belong to the finder. The prince was not satisfied with his answer and said that he could not put the stars in the bank. The businessman said that he could write the number of the stars on a piece of paper and lock it in a drawer. It was of great consequence to him.

The prince said that he had owned a rose he watered it daily and he owned three volcanoes, which he cleaned every week.

The businessman was silenced.

Aware of the beauty

What do we learn, my dear ones? Caring and sharing are important. Giving is essential as only then we learn about kindness and generosity. We should explore with our senses, listening, reading and appreciating. When we do this, we become more aware of the beauty created around us, which enables our senses to appreciate and absorb it. The businessman was only thinking about possession and was oblivious of the allure of the glimmering stars.

Perceptive philosophers like Goethe and sensitive writers like Antoine de Saint-Exupery create awareness sensitivity within us.

Aim Hrim Klim

 

790 – Do we understand the meaning of forgiveness?

So, watch yourselves. If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying: ‘I repent, you must forgive them.’ – Matthew 5:23—24

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. – Colossians 3:13

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. – Bhagavad Gita 16.3

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785 – Hygiene and Sanyam

When we think and speak about hygiene, what do we mean? Hygiene is physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and pranic cleansing of the body. This cleansing is possible if we disinfect our thoughts. Our thoughts are the influencers of our health in every aspect. And that is why we must learn the gentle sadhana of Sanyam. Continue reading

723 – Liberation / Freedom

What does it mean to be liberated? When we speak about liberation, we think of freedom from tradition and escape from conservative ideas. I have been thinking about this word my dear ones, and my understanding of it is to be free from fear. Continue reading

705 – 365 days of the year practice forgiveness

What I cannot understand is that why should we seek forgiveness and grant forgiveness only on special days. In reality, my dear ones we should be practicing this three hundred and sixty-five days of the year. Forgiveness means different things to different people. It involves an intentional decision to become free of resentment and anger. It also means ridding oneself of hurts and offences. Continue reading

703 – What is better, laughter or prayers?

Laughter is far more sacred than prayer, because prayer can be done by anyone, it does not require much intelligence. Laughter requires intelligence, it requires presence of mind, a quickness of seeing into things. In deep laughter the ego disappears if the ego is there it will keep you serious. – Osho

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687 – The rich get richer and the poor get poorer

Percy Bysshe Shelley is listed as a romantic poet. Romanticism in poetry is defined as the development of the individual and embracing of the natural world in poetic form. “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer,” is attributed to Percy Bysshe Shelley. He further wrote that “to him that hath, more shall be given; and from him that hath not, the little that hath shall be taken away.” Continue reading