Words like tolerance, compassion and benevolence are used in our daily language. Do we really understand the meaning of these words? How can we inculcate their usage and application in our ongoing life? Continue reading
Swami Satyananda Saraswati, my Guru and founder of the Bihar School of Yoga, spent twelve years in Swami Sivananda’s ashram. In that period, he found that many persons wrote to Swami Sivananda, asking for help and treatment for their health problems. He would suggest that they practice Yoga. Continue reading
Those who collect strings of attachment
With mother, father, relations, sons, wife,
Body, wealth, house, friends and family,
Make a rope out of them and tie it to my feet,
Those who are impartial, having no desires,
In whose heart there is no place
For happiness and sorrows, courage and fear.
Such bhaktas reside in my heart,
In the same manner as riches
Reside in the heart of a greedy man. – Ramacharitamanas
Mysticism is the belief that one can experience a direct connection with God, or a unifying principle in life. It can also refer to any altered state of consciousness or ecstasy that has a spiritual or religious meaning. In Hinduism one seeks the union with a higher being and this can be described as a mystical dimension. Continue reading
Swami Satyananda Saraswati said that one must accept oneself as one was. ‘An important step in yoga is to accept your nature as much as you’re able.’ He spoke a lot on self-acceptance and the reason is that acceptance of self is crucial to yoga and tantra. Tantra is called the way to acceptance. Continue reading
Whatever is happening is also for good.
Whatever will happen, shall also be good.
What have you lost that you cry for?
What did you bring that you have lost?
What did you create that was destroyed?
What you have taken, has been from here.
What you gave has been given here.
What belongs to you today,
Belonged to someone yesterday.
And will be someone else’s tomorrow. – Bhagavad Gita
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.
Swami Satyananda asked God to help him only twice.
In 1963 and in 1989, he asked for help from the Divine. He had been told by Swami Sivananda to spread the message of Yoga and to present it in a logical and effective way. From 1956 to 1963 he travelled all over Asia as a wandering sannyasin. On his travels he found that it was almost impossible to become a Seer. Continue reading
Whatever may seem to bind or limit you
Declare yourself free from it now.
There is nothing in the outer world
No person, no condition, no circumstance
That can take away the freedom
Which is yours in spirit.
Instead of wishing that you were free
To live your life differently
Accept the truth that right now
You are free, free to change your thinking
Free to change your outlook on life
Free to be all that you long to be.
Make this day of freedom, spiritual freedom,
Declare yourself free from anxiety and fear
Free from any belief in luck or limitation.
1977, Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Continue reading
An ashram develops with the blessings of the Guru and his Guru’s august presence. Swami Sivananda was a Ram Bhakta and like Hanuman he always chanted the name of Rama. The Bihar School of Yoga Ashram was established by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, and all his Gurubhais established ashrams wherever they were, when Swami Sivananda left his body. Continue reading
Swami Sivananda’s mission and vision was to make people aware of the divine life. He said that material stuff was only one end of the spectrum. In order to experience the evolution of our consciousness, we had to live a healthy life. A healthy life was a balanced body and mind. Continue reading
There are five sacrifices which we must offer daily and these are spoken about by all Gurus. There are five Gods also associated with the sacrifices.
Each one of these has an outer and external meaning. Continue reading
It is said that meditation creates a fire which burns away our sins. What is sin? Actions which create uneasiness and abnormal feelings in the mind are sins. – Swami Satyananda Saraswati
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. – Genesis 4:7
What comes out of a person is what defiles them. – Mark 6:20-23
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. – Proverbs 17:22
Butterflies can’t see their wings. They can’t see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. People are like that as well. – Anonymous
Behold the joys of beauty. Admire the brilliance of the diamond in the darkest coal mine. Look at the luster of the eyes in the ugliest face. To one blessed with insight, whatever s/he sees is touched by the divine painter, who expresses himself in such infinite and ineffable beauty. – Swami Sivananda
As spoken of by a Guru.
In the world of sorrow,
pain and trouble,
desires go on erupting.
Bear with everything,
This world is a festival
That lasts for a very short time.