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We present herewith the lessons Swami Sivananda
drew from his life, and some widely appealing teachings :
What Life Has Taught Me
The World
Life
Divine Life
Religion
Practical Hints
Universal Brotherhood
Virtue
Sadhana
The Purpose Of Life
Prayer Trials and Tribulations
Peace
Charity
Time
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What Life Has
Taught Me
Swami Sivananda
I hold that real religion is the religion of the heart.
The heart must be purified first. Truth, love and purity are the basis
of real religion. Control over the baser nature, conquest of mind, cultivation
of virtues, service of humanity, goodwill, fellowship and amity constitute
the fundamentals of true religion. And I try to teach them mostly by example,
which I consider to be weightier, than all precepts.
I consider goodness of being and doing constitutes the
rock bottom of one's life. By goodness I mean the capacity to feel with
others, and live and feel as others do, and to act so that no one is hurt
by the act. Goodness is the face of godliness.
I have learnt that it is foremost duty of the man to
learn to give - give in charity, give in plenty, give with love, give
without any expectation. Charity is incomplete without charity of disposition,
charity of feeling, charity of understanding.
To behold the Atman in every being or form, to feel Brahman
everywhere at all times and all conditions of life . . . is my creed.
To live in Brahman, to melt in Brahman and to dissolve in Brahman is my
creed. By dwelling in such union with Brahman, to utilise the hands, mind,
senses and the body for the service of humanity, for singing the Names
of the Lord, for elevating the devotees, for giving instructions to sincere
aspirants and disseminating knowledge throughout the world is my creed,
if you call it one. To be cosmic friend and cosmic benefactor, a friend
of the poor, the forlorn, the helpless and the fallen is my creed. It
is my sacred creed to serve sick persons, to nurse them with care, sympathy
and love, to cheer the depressed, to infuse power and joy in all, to feel
oneness with each and everyone, and to treat all with equal vision is
my highest creed.
I take immense delight in service. Service has elevated
me. Service has purified me. This body is meant for service. I live to
serve everyone and make the whole world happy.
The World
After the transcendental Experience, Swami Sivananda
found the drishya jagat (the world perceived through the senses) as a
long-drawn dream. Its reality was, for him, as ephemeral as that of a
dream. Yet he did not hate the world, nor has he undervalued its importance.
He had always treated the world as a training ground, and as an opportunity
for evolution of the individual soul. Here are some of his teachings on
this subject:
· This world is a vast school of experience. World is the best
teacher for those who want to be benefited. Learn and gain.
· World is an arena of developing various sattvic qualities.
· The world is only a temporary resting-place for you. It is like
a public inn. You are here to learn some lessons, which can help you in
your spiritual progress.
· This world is only a halting place. Persevere in your sadhana.
Lead a life of selfless service, renunciation, dispassion and meditation.
Life
Swami Sivananda considered human birth as a rare opportunity
for the individual soul to evolve itself to perfection and merge into
the Supreme Soul. He even treated trials, tribulations and difficulties
as stepping-stones in this ladder of evolution. His wonderful positive
approach makes his views on life a treasure to be preserved very carefully.
Here are some of his teachings on this subject:
· Life is God in expression. Life is a voyage in the infinite ocean
of time. Life is journey from impurity to purity, from hatred to cosmic
love, from death to Immortality, from imperfection to perfection, from
diversity to unity, from ignorance to eternal Wisdom, from pain to eternal
Bliss.
· Life is a great opportunity provided by the
Lord for His children to evolve into Himself.
· Study the book of books - the book of life - again and again.
The opening words of this book are: "You are all-pervading Soul."
Live in the Eternal. Tat Tvam Asi. Thou art That. Realise this and be
free.
· Make it a habit to see the brighter side of life, when reverses
make their impact on you.
· In times of strifes and struggles, you must learn to withdraw
inward, and find solace in God within yourself.
· Everyone, without exception, can find something to be grateful,
if only he will search for it.
· Trials, tribulations and difficulties are stepping-stones to
success. Out of defeats and
failures wring victory.
· God has planned what is best for you. You need not plan anything.
Your life is in His hands. Do not be anxious for tomorrow.
· Live in the present. Forget the past. Give up hopes of the future.
Take hold of each day as if it were the last day and utilise every second
in prayer, meditation and service. Let your life become a continuous sacrifice
to God.
· The body is a gift to thee from God. Utilise this body well in
the service of the Lord in (the form of) humanity and constant spiritual
endeavour.
· Be kind to all. Love all. Serve all. Be generous and tolerant
towards all. Serve the Lord in all. See the Lord in the poor, the downtrodden
and oppressed, and serve them with Narayana bhava. The Lord will be highly
pleased with you. You can attain Immortality
· Like Him, you are Divinity, goodness, purity and truth.
· The salt of life is selfless service. The bread of life is universal
love. The water of life is purity. The sweetness of life is devotion.
The fragrance of life is generosity. The goal of life is emancipation.
· Live the life divine. Live a life of service and love. Stand
steadfast in the pursuit of Truth.
· Serve, love, give, purify. Be good, do good. Be kind, be compassionate.
Be generous, be charitable. Be tolerant, be patient, be persevering. Be
pure, be wise. Concentrate. Meditate. You will soon attain God-realisation.
· Success comes to those who dare and act. It seldom comes to the
timid. May you all attain success in life!
Divine Life
Swami Sivananda gave the most important call to mankind:
'You are essentially divine. Every man can attain Divinity. It is the
birthright of man to attain that Divinity'. He gave a call to seek God
within one's own inner recess of the heart. That Atman (Self) hidden deep
within is no other than the Absolute. And that is your real nature. Here
are some of his teachings on this subject:
Within you is the hidden God,
Within you is immortal Soul!
Kill the little 'I'.
Die to live.
Lead the Divine Life.
Within you is the fountain of joy.
Within you is the ocean of bliss.
Rest peacefully in your own Atma,
And drink the nectar of Immortality.
· Lead the Divine Life. Share what you have with
others. Have perfect faith in God. Love thy neighbour as thy self. Behold
one Atman in all. This is the way to supreme blessedness.
· Divine life or Yoga does not ask man to change his religion,
or to run away from home. It wants 'Detach. Attach'. Detach the mind from
the objects of the world, and attach it to the Lord.
· The temple of divine life has four pillars: meditation, purity,
love and righteousness.
· Let all your actions be full of love, godliness and purity. This
is divine life.
· To be selfish is demoniac life. To be selfless is divine life.
· To speak truth at all costs, to speak sweetly with love, to practise
non-violence, celibacy, to behold the Lord in all forms is divine life.
· O beloved disciple! Feel His presence everywhere. Love all. Serve
all. Be kind to all. Be tolerant. Be humble. Be pure. Be patient. Be forgiving.
This is divine life.
· To be ever in communion with the Lord by annihilating mine-ness
and egoism through faith, devotion and self-surrender is divine life.
· To study the Gita, the Upanishads, the Ramayana, Bhagavatam,
Yoga-Vasishtha, Koran, the Bible, Zend-Avesta, and to follow the teachings
contained therein is divine life.
· Drive away rajas (passion) and tamas (inertia) and fill the mind
with sattva (purity). This is divine life.
· Cultivate the divine virtues: straight-forwardness, courage,
serenity, generosity, mercy, and self-restraint. This is divine life.
· Keep up a balanced mind in success and failure, censure and praise,
honour and dishonour, gain or loss, heat and cold. This is divine life.
· Divine life is life in God or Brahman. Give up identification
with the body, wife, children and property. Identify yourself with the
All-pervading, Immortal Brahman, and rest peacefully in Brahman. This
is divine life.
Religion
Swami Sivananda respected all religions equally. He found
that the fundamental tenets of all religions are the same. In his teachings,
he talks about only those ideals, which are shared by all the major religions.
His teachings have, therefore, universal appeal. Here are some of his
teachings that reflect his broad outlook on religion:
· The fundamentals of all religions are the same.
Non-essentials only differ. Every religion teaches: There is one, eternal,
all-pervading, all-blissful, all-peaceful Supreme Being. Speak the truth.
Love all. Serve all. Purify your heart. Never hurt others' feelings. Be
pure. Observe celibacy. Control the senses and the mind. Concentrate.
Meditate and attain God-realisation.
· One religion is as good as another. One road to the Supreme is
as good as any other road. There are different kinds of roses but the
scent is one. Religion is one, but many are its forms of practice. The
essentials of all religions are the same. Let not sectarians blind your
vision into a narrow view of religion. All prophets are messengers of
God. Their words are infallible and sacred.
· "Do as you would be done by. Do unto others as you wish
others do unto you." This is the whole of Dharma. Attend to this
carefully. Practise this in your daily life.
· There is only one religion, the religion of love, religion of
oneness.
· Religion consists in doing good to others, and in practice of
love, mercy, truthfulness and purity in all walks of life.
· This is the essence of true religion: Love all beings, serve
all with atma-bhava (attitude of being your own self). Slay egoism. Destroy
likes and dislikes. Realise the Self or Atma.
· The universal religion is the religion of the heart or love,
the realisation of oneness.
· That which brings well-being to human beings is dharma. Dharma
is termed as duty, righteousness, etc. Do unto others as you wish others
to do unto you - this is the whole of dharma. If one wishes his own advancement
and prosperity, one should follow the path of righteousness and conduct
himself properly.
· Religion unites the individual Soul with the Supreme Soul. Religion
shows the way to Self-realisation and eternal life in Brahman.
· Religion consists in doing good to others, and in the practice
of love, mercy, truthfulness, non-violence and purity in all walks of
life.
· Every religion emphatically declares: "One can attain eternal
Bliss and Immortality by God-realisation. Speak the truth, observe celibacy,
love others and practise self-restraint."
· There is only one religion, the religion of truth and love, the
religion of heart, the religion of service, sacrifice and renunciation.
It is the religion of goodness, kindness and tolerance. Behold the oneness
of all religions. All religions point to one single aspiration of human
soul. And that is to transcend the limitations of environment and circumstances
and get into the State of final beatitude and sublime peace - the natural
craving of the soul. All religions are the fulfilment of the natural urge
in man, which is essentially spiritual.
· 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.
· Religion is practical philosophy; philosophy is theoretical religion.
· Religion is not a denial of life. It is fullness of life. Man
becomes God through discipline, self-restraint and meditation. That is
religion. Religion is living in God.
· All the prophets have reassured in most emphatic terms the fundamental
truth that all religions are branches of the same tree. They have taught
that the same sap of universalism flows in all their systems.
· Be good and do good; this is the essence of dharma. Goodness
leads to godliness. By practising goodness, one lays foundation for the
highest attainment of God-consciousness.
· The ringing notes of religion are: Be good. Be pure. Be kind.
Be compassionate. Serve all. Love all. See God in all.
· The righteous man is the truly religious man. Practice of religion
is the practice of righteousness, goodness, truth, love and purity.
· Religion is life. Life is sacrifice. Religion should be a living
experience in the life of a man. A life of selfless service and sacrifice,
with regular prayer and meditation, is the highest religion.
· Religion is the source of goodness and happiness, the basis of
virtue and prosperity of the individual, and through the individuals,
of the nation.
· A life of purity, virtue, goodness, self-control, selflessness
and humility forms the common basis of all yogas, all spiritual attainments
and all practical religions.
· No one can be religious without being ethical-minded and moral
in his practical life.
· The cardinal principle of Hindu ethical teachings is universal
love on which is built the magnificent edifice of humanism.
· That man who practises the religion of universal compassion achieves
the highest good.
Practical Hints
Swami Sivananda was known as a practical vedantin. Even
after the transcendental Experience, he showed deep concern and compassion
for the men in the world and their welfare with the awareness that for
them, this world was the only reality. He tried to inspire them to take
up the path of virtue, nobility and purity, and called them to evolve
on the spiritual ladder. He advocated perfection in all actions. Here
are some of his teachings that will provide guidance in the daily life
of man of the world:
Share with others what you have,
Physical, mental, moral and spiritual.
Do not hoard wealth.
Do not covet the wealth of others.
In sharing there is joy and peace.
Sharing generates cosmic love
And destroys greed.
Sharing removes selfishness
And creates selflessness.
Sharing purifies your heart.
Sharing develops oneness.
· The three things to cultivate: non-injury, truth, purity.
The three things to possess: faith, tolerance, amiability.
The three things to be: honest, just, virtuous.
The three things to have: patience, compassion, fellowship.
The three things to acquire: sincerity, regularity, perseverance.
The three things to inculcate: generosity, gentleness, universality.
The three things to eradicate: pride, vanity, egoism.
The three things to conquer: lust, anger, greed.
The three things to renounce: selfishness, desires, hypocrisy.
The three things to control: mind, senses, breath.
The three things to avoid: backbiting, criticism, crookedness.
The three things to repudiate: attachment, infatuation, materialism.
The three things to enquire: Who am I? What is Truth? What is Maya?
The three things to introspect: the nature within, weaknesses, susceptibilities.
The three things to promote: Dharma, peace, welfare.
The three things to foster: brotherhood, understanding, amity.
The three things to curb: self-justification, self-pity, self-praise.
The three things to do: shravan, manan, nididhyasan (hearing of Holy Scriptures,
reflection, profound meditation).
The three things to follow: teachings of Guru, injunctions of scriptures,
dictates of the conscience.
· The three things:
Eat sparingly, breathe deeply, talk kindly.
Work energetically, think usefully, stick resolutely.
Act rightly, behave properly, speak politely.
Pray whole-heartedly, serve lovingly, surrender completely.
Contemplate seriously, meditate intensely, realise quickly.
· Let all your actions be full of love, goodness and purity.
· Consider your house as the Lord's temple, every action as service
of the Lord. This is the easy way for spiritualising all your actions.
· Be good, do good. Be kind, be tolerant, be generous, be charitable.
Be patient, be persevering. Be pure, be wise.
· Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, at all times,
with all zeal, strength, love and heart. To be good is to be human. Goodness
makes life a blessing. A good deed is never lost. It purifies the heart
and leads to the descent of Divine Light and dawn of Divine grace.
· Feed the hungry, nurse the sick, comfort the afflicted, and lighten
the sorrow of the sorrowful. Clothe the naked. Educate the illiterate.
Feed the poor. Raise the downtrodden. Be a lamp to those who have lost
their way. The world is burning with misery and suffering. Wake up, O
Man! Serve. Serve with love. Serve untiringly.
· Do not speak ill of others. Injure not any creature. Do not waste
a single moment.
· Speak the truth at any cost. It gives spiritual power. Control
anger by developing patience, kshama (forgiveness), cosmic love, service
and daya (compassion). You must cultivate humility, magnanimity (udarata)
and courage.
· You are divine. Therefore, be what you are. Be aware of your
divinity and live your life divinely. Your origin is Divine.
· Check the vritti of doing violence through prayer, worship, meditation,
enquiry, pranayama, sattvic food, and study of sacred books. Study the
lives of the Apostles of non-violence Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus, Mahatma
Gandhi, and others, again and again. Draw inspiration from them. Generate
again and again, currents of love by cultivating Atma-bhava (treating
others as one's own self) or Narayana-bhava (seeing the Lord only in every
one).
· Develop keen interest for selfless service. Be kind to all. Love
all. Serve the Lord in all. Be tolerant and generous towards all. That
is the way to reach the Goal.
· Behold good alone in everything. Develop again and again the
good-finding faculty. Destroy the evil-finding quality to its very root.
Rise above good and evil.
· Good conduct is the one cause of happiness. The rules of conduct
are: charity, purity of moral conduct, service of others with courtesy
and politeness, and nursing the sick and the elders.
· In giving you are enriched. Give, give, give. Again give. Give
abundantly.
· A comforting word is charity. Lightening the sorrow of the sorrowful
is charity. Speaking kind and encouraging words when a man is in distress
is charity. Thinking good of others is charity. Every good action is charity.
· Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest
acts. This is the secret of success.
· Convert yourself first before you try to convert others. Reform
yourself first before you attempt to reform others.
· Light the lamp of love. Sow the seed of love. Dispel all darkness
of suffering and ignorance with the light of love. Feel everyone's pain
as your own. Serve them and help them with love. Cheer up the depressed.
· Remain in the world, but do not be worldly-minded.
· God is in the heaven of your heart. Search for Him in your heart,
you will find Him there. Purify your heart first. Remove the weeds of
jealousy and lust; withdraw the senses, still the mind, subdue the bubbling
thoughts, silence the surging emotions. You can meet now your Beloved.
· All creation is the family of God. Identify yourself with everything
that lives. Live in peace with friend and foe.
· As far as possible, take sattvic food such as fruits, milk, green
leafy vegetables. Love all. Be humble and simple. Discipline your mind
and senses through detachment. Have a balanced mind in pleasure and pain.
Be patient in difficulties, dangers and troubles. Stand adamant. You will
overcome obstacles.
· The grace of God is proportional to the purification of the heart.
So the important thing is to lead a righteous life - a life devoid of
lust, anger, greed, hatred, jealousy, etc. Try to live a life of truthfulness.
Never hurt anyone by thought, word or action. Have satsanga (company of
saints), study religious books, sing the Lord's name. Do japa.
· Develop the power of deep and concentrated thinking. Many obscure
points will be rendered quite clear. You will get answers and solutions
from within.
Universal Brotherhood
Swami Sivananda had a unique broad outlook right from
his boyhood. He gave a call to stick to the fundamental principles of
religions, which are common to all of them. He believed that all religions
are one; there is only one religion - that of love and universal brotherhood.
His advaitic (non-dual) experience enabled him to see the one Cosmic Consciousness,
the Atman, pervading every being and even every inert thing. He treated
all beings as his own self. As this vedantic vision gives a new meaning
to life, we present here some of his teachings on Universal Brotherhood:
· One soul abides in all. There is one humanity. There is one brotherhood.
None is high. None is low. All are equal. Man-made barriers should be
ruthlessly broken down. Then alone there will be peace in the world.
· There is only one caste, the caste of humanity. There is only
one religion, the religion of love. There is only one commandment, the
commandment of truthfulness. There is only one law, the law of cause and
effect. There is only one God, the omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient
Lord. There is only one language, the language of heart.
· The highest ideal is cosmic love. Cosmic love is subtler than
ether; so it pervades every atom of creation. The cosmic love itself is
God, for God is love.
· The secret of blessed life is cosmic love.
· Develop cosmic love and universal brotherhood. See God in everything.
Leave petty-mindedness. Expand. Evolve. Develop large-heartedness.
· You will have to develop boundless love for all beings. This
is the first and foremost qualification of an aspirant.
· When one Atman dwells in all living beings, why do you hate others?
Why do you sneer and frown at others? Why do you use harsh words? Why
do you exploit others? Why are you intolerant? Destroy all barriers and
prejudices that separate man from man. Recognise the worth of others.
Let all life be sacred.
· All life is one. The world is one home. All are members of one
human family. Cultivate cosmic love. Learn to live as members of a single
family. Champion the ideal of one humanity. The whole world is one family
of God. Feel this. Realise this. Live in peace in one world. Be happy.
Virtue
Swami Sivananda had many things common with Lord Buddha.
Like Lord Buddha, Swami Sivananda gave great importance to sadachara or
ethical and moral life, and advocated a middle path, the path of moderation.
Like Maharshi Patanjali, he considers moral life as a prerequisite for
the spiritual path. Here are some of his teachings on this subject:
· Ethics is the science of morality. Morality is religion in practice.
Religion is morality in principle. Basic principles of morality are everywhere
the same, because it all comes from God. Universality is the very root
of morality.
· Practice of ethics will help you to live in harmony with your
fellow-beings and all other people. Your heart will be purified. Your
conscience will be cleansed. It will confer on you lasting happiness and
final liberation by invoking God's grace.
· Ethics lead to restraint of the lower self and thereby the mind
is calmed. Through calmness of mind, discrimination dawns and one knows
the Self. Without ethical perfection there is no spiritual progress.
· The way in which a rational being should behave towards other
creatures is dealt with in the science of morals or ethics. That aspect
of ethical science, which treats of the modes of right conduct, moral
living and performance of duty, is sadachara.
· To speak the truth, to practise ahimsa (not to hurt others in
thought, word and deed), not to speak harsh words to anyone, not to show
any anger towards anybody, not too abuse others or speak ill of others,
and to see God in all beings is sadachara.
· Conduct has been said to be superior to all the branches of knowledge.
To speak the truth, to practise ahimsa - not to hurt others in thought,
word and deed- not to speak harsh words to anyone, not to abuse others
or to speak ill of others, not to show anger to anyone and to see God
in all beings is sadachara.
· One should be well established in sadachara, if one wants to
attain perfection.
· When you are virtuous, you are nearer to God.
· Truth can never be realised, except by those who are established
in morality and goodness.
· The man of right conduct always cares for the welfare of all
beings. He lives in harmony with his neighbours and all people. He never
hurts the feelings of others and never speaks lies. He checks the evil
tendencies of the mind and prepares himself through the practice of right
conduct to attain the bliss of union with Paramatma.
· Let all your life be a radiation of virtue, the inner perfection,
that is inherent in each soul.
· Unselfishness is the touchstone of virtue. Be unselfish, humble
and pure.
· Be good, do good. The whole ethics is contained in this. Goodness
implies kindness, benevolence and morality. Virtue follows goodness. Doing
good is an act of benevolence, compassion, mercy. A good man is ever happy.
He always lives with God. Do all the good you can, to all people, at all
times, with all zeal, strength, love and heart. To be good is human. A
good is never lost. It purifies the heart and leads to descent of Divine
Light and the dawn of Divine Grace.
· Goodness is love in action. Good is conquest of evil. Little
words of cheer, encouragement, sympathy and kindness, little acts of kindness,
little virtuous deeds, little silent victories over temptations will pave
the way to the attainment of eternal Bliss, perennial Joy, everlasting
Peace and Immortality.
· Rigidly observe truth and purity in your thoughts, speech, actions,
in your motives and conduct. Be loving, tolerant and charitable in your
opinion of men and things, in dealings with others.
· He who shows courtesy breeds friendship. He who plants kindness
reaps love.
· By virtuous deeds and right thoughts you can disarm destiny.
· If you want to enthrone God in your heart, you must eradicate
all evil vrittis. You will have to remove all the dross of impurities
from the mind, if you want to have communion with the Lord, if you want
to call upon God earnestly to take His seat in your heart.
· Virtuous qualities such as generosity, forgiveness, mercy, tolerance,
adaptability, courage, patience, balanced state of mind and cosmic love
should be assiduously cultivated.
· Compassion is the best virtue. Compassion is the attitude of
the mind, which impels one to help all creatures who are afflicted.
· Love is the greatest healing power in the world. It is love that
sustains life.
· It is living of life in a noble way characterised by purity,
truth, love, compassion, self-control, selflessness and service that takes
one towards Self-realisation.
· Virtue is punya or merit or dharma. Vice is papa or demerit or
adharma. That which makes you sattvic, that which elevates you, that which
bestows shreyas or salvation is virtue. That which hurls a man down in
the abyss of ignorance is vice.
· Virtue on the human plane is the very emanation of the Divine
Essence. On this plane God is expressed as virtue; and so if we pracitse
virtue, we grow in godliness.
· Divine unfoldment is based upon a life of purity, goodness, self-control,
selflessness and humility.
· Purity is the secret key to the mansion of blessedness.
· By virtuous deeds and right thoughts you can disarm destiny.
You have a free will to act. Purushartha is right exertion.
Sadhana
Swami Sivananda had practised very intense sadhana, which
may have no parallel in modern times. He had practised to perfection sadhana
in various Paths of Yoga. Through this most intense sadhana, he attained
the supreme Bliss, unalloyed Joy and eternal Happiness. And so he tries
to awaken man from the slumber of ignorance and gives a call to attain
that highest Experience through sadhana. This makes his instructions on
sadhana all the more important. Here are some of his teachings on this
subject:
· Now is the time for you to start a spiritual
life, not tomorrow.
· Sadhana is any practice to steady the wandering mind and to fix
it on God. He who does sadhana is called a sadhaka. Self-restraint, purification
of the mind, cultivation of divine virtues, prayer, japa, kirtan, dharana
or concentration, meditation is sadhana.
· 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. Removal of your defects needs a great deal of struggle
for many years. Vicious habits will have to be rent asunder.
· You must have a pure mind if you want to realise the Self. Unless
the mind is set free and you cast away all desires, worries, delusion,
pride, lust, attachment, likes and dislikes, it cannot enter the domain
of supreme peace and unalloyed felicity or the Immortal Abode. Drive off
all negative thoughts. Become positive always. Positive overpowers the
negative.
Mind is compared to a garden. Just as you can cultivate good flowers and
fruits in a garden by ploughing and manuring the land, and removing the
weeds and thorns, and watering the plants and trees; so also you can cultivate
the flower of devotion in the garden of your mind by removing the impurities
of the mind, such as lust, anger, greed, delusion and pride, and watering
it with divine thoughts. When the garden is clean, when there are no weeds
and thorns, you can get good fruits. So also, when the mind is pure, the
mind is free from lust, anger, etc., you can have the fruit of deep meditation.
Therefore, cleanse the mind of impurities first.
· Awake, Friends! Get ready for the holy communion. Start japa,
kirtan, meditation, enquiry. How sweet is meditation! Hear the sweet music
of the inner Soul.
· Spiritualise all your activities. This is very important.
· Have satsanga. Meditate. Enquire: "Who am I?" The ignorance
will vanish. Brahma-jnana will dawn. Climb steadily and reach the peak
of wisdom by intensifying dispassion and practising intense sadhana..
· The two obstacles to Self-realisation are egoism and desire.
Egoism is the most dangerous weakness of man. It brings downfall of the
spiritual aspirant. The moment egoism comes in, there will be immediate
blocking to the free flow of the Divine Energy. Therefore, slay this egoism.
The Purpose
Of Life
According to Indian philosophy, it is only through the
human birth that the supreme Experience can be attained and the individual
soul can finally merge into the Supreme Soul. And that is the purpose
and the goal of human birth. Swami Sivananda lays repeatedly great emphasis
on this aspect, and assures that you can attain That in this very birth.
His teachings on this subject are worth reading, reflecting and contemplating
daily. Here are some of his teachings on this subject
· The purpose of life is to realise the oneness
of all creation and one's identity with the Divinity. True life is life
in God.
· The goal of life is God-realisation. Never forget this. It is
your birthright.
· To become divine is the aim of life.
· The purpose of human birth is to achieve Divine Consciousness.
You have come here to attain supreme and unalloyed Bliss.
· The purpose of your existence is to serve with divine bhava (attitude),
to purify and steady the mind, to attain freedom and perfection, which
is Self-realisation.
· In one sentence I can tell you what I myself wish to convey to
you. It is: "Know thy Self and be free." This is the very essence
of spiritual discourses.
· Have definite, chief aim - God-realisation. Practise self-control,
have a fully ripe and pure mind. Cultivate strong discrimination, burning
yearning for liberation. Meditate ceaselessly on your inner Self which
is the only Reality, which is pure Consciousness, have perfect faith in
guru and God.
· Do not miss the golden opportunity this life gives you for God-realisation.
Let each day dawn for you as a fresh opportunity and occasion, opening
up before you to move one step further towards the great attainment of
God-realisation.
· Identify yourself with the pure, immortal Atma, the non-dual
Brahman.
· O man! Wake up. Precious is human birth. It is given to you to
do rigorous yoga-abhyasa (practice of Yoga) and to attain the supreme
goal of God-realisation. Awaken the soul-force in you. You can work wonders.
· There is a para-vastu (transcendental Principle) in the innermost
recess of your heart- the daharakasha. It is self-luminous, sva-prakasha.
· Recognise, O Prem, that you are the living Truth. Realise that
you are always inseparable from the one Essence that is the substratum
of all these names and forms, these false shadowy appearances. Get yourself
firmly established in that Brahman, the Light of lights. Nothing can disturb
you now. You have become invulnerable.
· Stand up, O Prem! Follow me. Enjoy the Bliss of Atman. The river
of Atmic joy is flowing all around. There is deluge of the Bliss of Self.
Drink the nectar to your heart's content.
Karma Yoga
Swami Sivananda maintained that unless the mind becomes
free from the impurities of man's lower nature and man purifies himself
by selfless service, he cannot take up the advanced spiritual practices.
Karma Yoga or selfless service is the starting block. He used to allot
selfless service to new aspirants. Even after attaining the highest State
selfless service continues, because the yogi has become totally selfless
and it becomes his very nature to help others. In this way, Swamiji's
entire life was a saga of selfless service, and had he helped others without
ever thinking about his own self. Swami Venkatesananda has observed: "The
world has never seen another person who has rejoiced to give - to give
his all, to give himself, to give unasked. Posterity might well call him
'Give-ananda' (one who rejoices in giving) instead of Siv-ananda. There
is not a thing, which he would not give without the least thought. Giving
spontaneously is his second nature, basic urge." Gurudev Swami Sivananda
himself has said: "I take immense delight in service. Service has
elevated me. Service has purified me. This body is meant for service.
I live to serve everyone and make the whole world happy." And also,
"To give people and to share what I have is my inborn nature. I spent
all my energy and time in relieving human suffering by serving the poor
and the sick day and night with a sympathetic heart. This kind of selfless
service gave me purification of heart and mind and led me to spiritual
path."
· Karma Yoga is the Yoga of selfless service. It purifies the heart
and leads to the descent of Divine Grace, and dawn of wisdom of the Self.
· God's plan for man's evolution is work. Love of God and service
of man is the secret of true life. Service of man is service of God. Do
service of others with the feeling that God dwells in all and receives
your service as worship. Service is worship of God.
· Do not lose a single opportunity in helping and serving others.
Do not expect anything when you serve a man or when you give a gift. Thank
him for giving you a good opportunity to serve him.
· By doing service you purify your heart. Egoism, hatred, jealousy,
idea of superiority vanish. Humility, pure love, sympathy, tolerance and
mercy are developed. Selfishness is eradicated. You develop a broad heart
with broad, generous views. You realise One-in-all and all-in-One. Sense
of separateness is annihilated. You feel unbound joy.
· Do not expect the fruits of your actions. Give up agency or doership.
Feel that you are an instrument in the hands of the Lord and that God
does everything. Be balanced in success and failure. Be not attached to
the actions themselves.
· Actions should be performed without attachment, without the feeling
of doing. Perform works merely for God's sake, abandoning even such attachment
as 'May God be pleased'.
· The spirit of service must be innate or inherent in you. Make
others truly happy as you strive to make yourself happy. Speak a helpful
word. Give a cheering smile. Do a kind act. Wipe the tears of one who
is in distress. Render smooth a rough place in another's path. You will
feel great joy.
· Work is worship. Work is meditation. Serve all with intense love,
without expectation of fruit or reward. You will realise God. Service
of humanity is service of God.
· A karmayogi does not expect even a return of love, appreciation,
gratitude or admiration from the people whom he is serving.
· Actions do not bind. It is only the erroneous idea 'I am acting'
that binds. Serve everyone without the idea of doership. Serve everyone
without the idea of agency. Feel that you are only a nimitta (instrument)
in the hands of God.
· When you serve others, feel that you are serving the Lord in
them, or your own Self.
· Remember that all are His children. Serve the poor.
· Keep God in your heart, selfless service in your hands and God's
name on your lips.
· There is not an iota of hope to realise the Self without self-purification
by Nishkama Karma Yoga (Yoga of selfless action).
· Of all the paths for the individual soul to realise the Supreme
Soul, the Karma Yoga is the best, safest and quickest, and is suited to
modern conditions and temperament of the people.
· A doctor who works in the hospital should think that all patients
are manifestations of God. He should think, 'I am doing all my actions
to please the Lord.' He should think that he works to carry out the Divine
Will in the grand plan. He should consecrate all his actions at His feet.
· Bhava is important in the practice of Karma Yoga. Every action
becomes a yogic activity or an offering unto the Lord, when it is performed
with the right bhava or spirit. Spiritualise all your actions.
· Service of sick and suffering persons, service to society or
country, in any form with atma-bhava or Narayana-bhava will constitute
Nishkama Karma Yoga in the broad sense of the term.
· Karma Yoga is a leveller. It removes all illusory distinctions
and differences, and leads to unity and advaitic feeling of oneness. It
removes inertia and idleness and gives you good health.
· If you abandon attachment to the fruit of actions, if you are
contented, if you consecrate the fruits of actions and the actions themselves
to the Lord, you will attain emancipation. You are (then) not doing anything,
although doing actions.
· Purify your mind through selfless service of humanity. Service
of humanity is service of God. See Lord Narayana in the poor and sick.
Serve him with intense faith and bhava. When you purify yourself by untiring
service for a number of years, the light of Knowledge will flash in you
and you will ultimately merge in God.
· God helps those who help themselves. God's grace will descend
on those persons who exert. Be up and doing. Strive. Plod. Persevere.
The Lord will shower His grace upon you.
· The spirit of service must be deeply ingrained in your very bones,
cells, tissues and nerves. My dear friends! Evince intense zeal and enthusiasm
for work. Be fiery in the spirit of service.
Bhakti Yoga
Swami Sivananda says that ego and selfishness are the
main obstacles preventing man from attaining his real nature, which is
divine perfection. Bhakti Yoga (Yoga of devotion) helps the aspirant in
transcending these obstacles. A bhakta (devotee) forgets his self and
treats all men as children of the Lord. Swami Venkatesananda saw in Swami
Sivananda, an embodiment of love and Bhakti Yoga as well: "If love
walked on earth in human garb it could not have excelled Gurudev (Swami
Sivananda) in his self-giving compassion. Gurudev's life is but a song
of love, a love that had no thought for self, but constantly wished and
practised welfare of everyone…Welfare of man is his gospel of positivism."
Way to God :
Start the day with God,
Fill the day with God,
End the day with God,
Live the day with God.
This is the way to God.
·That Yoga through
which the devotee unites himself with the Lord is Bhakti Yoga. Prayer,
japa, kirtan, remembrance, worship, meditation, self-surrender are all
limbs of Bhakti Yoga.
·Bhakti is devotion or unselfish love. Bhakti
is an intense attachment to God, deep interest in God and things concerned
with God. Bhakti is resting in God. It is supreme love for God. Love for
God should be unselfish. There should be no earthly motive behind love
for God. There is no selfish expectation in Bhakti. The devotee wants
God and God alone.
· Bhakti is the direct approach to the Ideal through the heart.
Love is natural to everybody. Bhakti can be practised under all conditions
and by all alike. It is available for everyone. Bhakti is easier than
any other way of approach to God.
· Bhakti Yoga is a method to kill the sense of separateness or
egoism. It annihilates the modifications of mind and fills it with universal
consciousness. The ego cannot assert now, for God alone is everywhere.
· How does love for God give us Liberation from samsara? Man is
an egoistic entity. His only enemy is ego. It is difficult to separate
the 'I' notion from the body. Bhakti Yoga is the method to kill the sense
of separateness or egoism. It annihilates modifications of the mind and
fills the individual with Universal Consciousness. Objective consciousness
is dead when the presence of God is felt everywhere.
· Bhakti is the passport to the Kingdom of the Lord. Practise sadachara
(right conduct), ahimsa, satyam (truth) and brahmacharya (celibacy). Destroy
worldly passions and cravings. Then alone Bhakti will grow.
· A real devotee says: "Let me be endowed with purity, spiritual
strength, spirit of selfless service and divine virtues." A devotee
should become an embodiment of goodness. He must be ever ready to do good
to all living beings. He who rejoices in the welfare of all beings obtains
the peace of the Eternal, (and) develops Advaitic (non-dual) Consciousness
eventually.
· Righteousness will become svabhava (nature) of the Lord's bhakta.
He is not bound by any rules; but his conduct will be beyond reproach
- pure and sublime. Dharma is made by him. He will possess all experiences-
success and failure, censure and praise, pleasure and pain - as His blessings,
and will ever be happy in His remembrance, in His service.
· All is God and nothing but God. When the presence of God is felt
everywhere, objective consciousness is dead - there is no object except
God. Who is there to be loved or hated? The bhakta (devotee) is, therefore,
blissful at all times.
· God is always with you. He will protect and deliver you. Take
refuge in Him. His blessings will overflow in your life and transform
your mind and your body. Feel His presence everywhere.
· The child thinks of the mother and mother alone. Even so, the
devotee should entertain in his heart the picture of his Ishtam (chosen
Deity) and Ishtam alone.
· The whole world is Vrindavan (the holy place of Lord Krishna)
for a devotee. He beholds the Lord everywhere. He says: "Sarvam Vishnumayam
jagat- the whole world is Lord Vishnu only."
· O children of Divinity! Wake up. Open your eyes. Remember God,
the imperishable, the only source of everlasting Happiness. Do not waste
your time. Strive ceaselessly. Feel His indwelling presence everywhere.
God is full of mercy, love and compassion.
· Bhakti transmutes man into divinity. It makes him perfect. It
gives him eternal satisfaction. It weans the mind from the sensual objects.
It makes him rejoice in God. It blossoms afterwards into Jnana (Knowledge).
It leads to Immortality or God-realisation.
· Pray to Him like a child. Be frank and confess all your troubles
before Him. If you take one step nearer to the Divine Being, He will come
a hundred by leaps and bounds to you.
· Surrender everything to Him. Let Him mould you in any way He
likes. He will remove all defects and weaknesses.
· Give up all selfish efforts and free yourself from the wild unrest
of life. Be in tune with Divine Will. Cross the wide ocean of strife by
calming the mind through ceaseless meditation and reach the other shore
of peace, fearlessness and Immortality.
· The devotee, who has no will of his own, says unto the Lord:
"O Lord! I am Thine. All is Thine. I am not a separate entity. You
are doing everything taking myself as instrument. I am doing nothing.
You are the doer. Thy Will be done. Thou art just. Thou dost everything
for me"
· The greater the intensity of surrender, the more the descent
of the Lord's grace. The descent of grace is in direct proportion to the
degree of self-surrender. Obtain the grace of the Lord through self-surrender.
You will be able to cross Maya.
· In surrendering one's will to the Lord's, his will becomes one
with the Cosmic Will. He becomes one with the Lord.
· God is full of mercy, love and compassion. He has been described
as 'Ocean of mercy.' If you pray to Him from the bottom of your heart,
He will purify your thoughts, speech and actions in the fire of Divine
Love. Kindle the flame of Divine Love in your heart.
· Lord Krishna says: "I am under complete control of My bhaktas.
They have taken entire possession of My heart. How can I leave them when
they have renounced everything for My sake?" The Lord is really devotee's
own. He is depicted as having sold Himself to His devotees, so to say.
He becomes a slave of His Devotees.
· Have full trust in Him. Rest in peace. All cares, worries, anxieties,
tribulations and egoistic efforts will terminate now.
· Devotion and earthly desire cannot exist side by side. They are
like light and darkness.
· Para Bhakti, the supreme devotion, and jnana are one. The devotee
of Para Bhakti does not perform any rituals. He beholds his Lord everywhere.
The whole world is the svarupa (form) of the Lord.
Prayer Trials
and Tribulations
Swami Sivananda, like Mahatma Gandhi, gave great importance
to prayer. He made evening satsanga a regular feature of the Ashram activities,
and he used to attend it most regularly. He had the conviction that God
listens to the sincere prayer coming from the heart, and he used to pray
to the Lord and sing bhajans (devotional songs) with exceptionally rare
bhava (feeling). Bhajan and kirtan are also a form of prayer and Swamiji
excelled in them too. He used to slip into divine ecstasy while doing
kirtan (singing the Lord's names), and often was dancing with the kirtan.
He made Sankirtan (group kirtan) popular. Very fittingly, he was known
as Sankirtan Samrat - king of group singing. His views on prayer are as
inspiring as his bhajans:
· Prayer is an effort of man to commune with the Lord. When you
pray, you are in tune with the Infinity. You link yourself with Hiranyagarbha
- the inexhaustible cosmic storehouse of power - and thus draw power,
energy, light and strength. Prayer is a mighty spiritual force.
· Prayer is depending on God for help in distress. Prayer is expecting
God to decide what is best for you when you are in a dilemma.
· Prayer represents a mystic state when the individual consciousness
is absorbed in God. Prayer is uplifting the soul to God. It is an act
of love and adoration to Him.
· There is nothing so purifying as prayer. Prayer lightens the
heart and fills the mind with peace, strength and purity. Prayer works
wonders.
· Prayer elevates, inspires, redeems. It fills the mind with purity.
It brings man nearer to God. It keeps him in tune with God, and makes
him feel the Divine Consciousness and his essential, immortal and blissful
nature. Through prayer Divine grace and Divine Light descend.
· Prayer is a spiritual food for the soul.
· Prayer is a master key to open the realm of Elysian Bliss.
· Prayer should come from the innermost recess of the heart. Then
alone it will be heard at once.
· God listens to, and answers all your prayers. God ever responds
to the appeal of His sincere devotees. Prayer that comes from a sincere,
pure heart is at once heard by the Lord.
· There are no problems that cannot be dissolved by prayer, no
sufferings that cannot be allayed by prayer, no difficulties that cannot
be surmounted by prayer, and no evil that cannot be overcome by prayer.
Prayer is the miracle by which God's power flows into human veins.
· Prayer should be lifelong, and your life should be one long prayer.
· Through prayer empty your heart and God shall fill it with Consciousness-Delite,
and you shall be all full.
· Attune your heart with the Lord by doing fervent and sincere
prayer daily. Prayer must become habitual. If you pray regularly, your
life will be gradually changed and moulded.
· Prayer expands the heart. Prayer purifies the heart. It fills
the heart with immense power and strength.
· Prayer fills the mind with purity. It will keep your mind in
tune with the Lord. It will instil in your heart joy, peace and bliss.
· Prayer generates spiritual currents, and produces tranquillity
of the mind. There is nothing so purifying as prayer.
· Essentially, prayer should be selfless as far as possible. We
should first pray for the good of others, for the welfare and peace of
the world and for our own spiritual evolution; we should pray for eradication
of our evil qualities, for wisdom and knowledge, for goodness and saintliness.
"Asato maa sad-gamaya; Tamaso maa jyotir-gamaya; mrityormaa amritam
gamaya. Lead me from unreal to the Real; from darkness to the Light; from
mortality to Immortality." This is the best prayer - the prayer for
the Light, for the Truth, for Immortality.
· Prayer cleanses the dross and steadies the mind. It washes off
the impurities of the heart with the pure waters of spiritual emotions,
corrects the defects and shortcomings, and prepares the mind for the reception
of Self-knowledge.
· Pray to God fervently: "O Lord! Make my will strong to resist
all temptations, to control my indriyas (senses) and my lower nature.
Enthrone Thyself in my heart. Make me fit to dwell in Thee for ever."
· Prayer grinds the flint of egoism, breaks the walls of pride,
and consumes the fire of selfishness.
· By prayer you dwell in the Lord who is all happiness and the
sweetest of sweets. It opens the eye of intuition. Wherever you turn this
'eye', you see nothing but God - the transcendent Divinity.
· Pray fervently for the descent of the Divine Light.
· God wants your heart when you pray. Lay bare your heart. Melt
the mind in the agni (fire) of divine love. Crave for His mercy.
· Do not pray for the attainment of some selfish ends or mundane
gains. It should be done without expectation of fruit. Pray for His mercy.
Pray for light, purity and guidance.
· Repetition of stotras or hymns will elevate your mind, inspire
you.
· Common mass-prayer is very inspiring. A huge spiritual current
is generated during mass-prayer. In times of danger and calamity, mass
prayer works wonders.
· Prayer for the departed souls bestows peace on them.
Peace
Swami Sivananda had a genuine concern for world peace.
When the World War II prolonged and there was unparalleled destruction
of life and property, he could not remain a silent witness to the happenings,
and launched a non-stop Mahamantra Kirtan Yajna on December 3, 1963. And
this kirtan continues non-stop round-the-clock even today after about
sixty years. Such was his concern for world peace! According to Indian
philosophy, peace cannot be found in outer things of sense-objects; but
it is to be sought within. Some of his teachings on this subject are given
here:
Peace is a divine attribute. The innermost Atman that
lies concealed in the chambers of your heart is an embodiment of peace.
It is a quality of the soul. It fills the pure heart. It runs away from
selfish people. Attain this peace through desirelessness, discrimination
and constant meditation on the ever-peaceful Atman.
Peace is freedom from disturbance, anxiety, agitation,
riot or violence. It is harmony, silence, calm, repose, rest. It is the
happy, natural state of the mind.
Peace is not in money, estate, bungalows or possessions.
Peace does not dwell in outward things but within the soul. Nothing can
bring you peace, but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace, but the victory
over your lower self, triumph over senses and mind, desires and cravings.
Peace is in the heart of a desireless man, who has controlled his senses
and mind. Greed, lust, jealousy, envy, anger, pride and egoism are the
enemies of peace. Slay these enemies by the sword of dispassion, discrimination
and non-attachment. You will enjoy perpetual peace.
Everything happens by the will of the Lord. Do not swerve
an inch from this conviction. Worry not. You will be ever at peace. If
you enter the wonderful calm of divine peace by stilling the bubbling
mind by straining the thoughts and withdrawing the outgoing senses, all
disturbing noises will die away.
Why do people fight among themselves? The heart must
change. Greed and selfishness must perish. Then alone there will be peace
in the world.
Charity
"I have learnt that it is the foremost duty of man
to learn to give - give in charity, give in plenty, give with love, give
without any expectation. Charity is incomplete without charity of disposition,
charity of feeling, charity of understanding." -Swami Sivananda
The inborn tendencies of helping others, sharing all
that he had with others and always giving plentiful had made Swami Sivananda
a personification of charity. During the early days of the Ashram, even
when the entire ration was exhausted and there was no money to buy fresh
ration, he would keep on giving in plenty. He had given generously to
the thief who had stolen things from the Ashram, and even to the person
who had tried to kill him! His charity and generosity had no bounds. Here
are some gems of his broad vision:
· Charity is the disposition to think favourably
of others and do them good. In a general sense, charity means love, benevolence
and goodwill. In a theoretical sense, it is universal goodwill to man
and supreme love to God.
· Charity is love in action. True charity is the desire to be useful
to others without thought of recompense or reward.
· Every good act is charity. To be kind and loving is charity.
To forget and forgive some harm done to you is charity. A kind word said
to a suffering man is charity.
· The whole world is your home. You are a citizen of the world.
Cultivate a generous feeling for the welfare of the whole world.
· He who lives as a trustee of his property and spends his money
in charity thinks that the property really belongs to the Lord, and lives
happily.
· Think well towards suffering people. Pray for their welfare.
Feel that every being is a manifestation of the Lord. This will accomplish
more good than much money.
· Sins can be destroyed by charity. Lord Jesus says: "Charity
covereth a multitude of sins." Charity is a great purifier of heart.
· See God everywhere. Share with all. O Man! Give plenty in charity.
You will enjoy peace, plenty and prosperity.
Time
Swami Sivananda was one of the most regular and punctual
persons ever. He was always there five minutes before time for all the
programmes. He had fixed daily routine and fixed time for each activity
- even for writing! And he always could maintain his very tight time-schedule.
His eagerness to utilise every second most appropriately and profitably,
made him to train and to shape his close disciples in that very mould.
He used to move round the rooms of disciples between 3.45 and 4.00 in
the early morning singing divine kirtan to wake them up! He would keep
ready the daily assignment for disciples before the disciple came, and
thus made them to work very hard and to utilise every minute at their
disposal. In the first five minutes in the office, he would give different
tasks to fifteen assistants to keep them busy and working hard throughout
the whole day. That tradition of adhering to the time-schedule continues
even today. All the activities of the Ashram always commence exactly at
the scheduled time. Swamiji had mastered the art of making maximum utilisation
of every minute at his disposal. Let us learn something from him through
his inspiring teachings:
· Time is more precious than money. Time is more
precious than the most valuable thing in the world. It is the richest
treasure. Time is the soul of the world. Time is life. Utilise time profitably;
waste not even a second.
· Time is the rat that cuts off the thread of life in this universe.
There is nothing in the world, which the all-devouring time will spare.
Time pervades and controls all things.
· Life is not meant for eating, drinking, dressing and procreating.
There is something grand and sublime behind. There is an eternal life
of Bliss behind. Every second must be well utilised for the achievement
of this goal of life.
· Life is short. Time is fleeting. Obstacles are many. The world
is full of miseries. People have risen to greatness and prominence by
utilising every second profitably.
· Keep daily diary. Reduce your sleep. Give up all the idle talk.
Understand the value of time. Draw up a daily routine and stick to it
tenaciously. Grow. Evolve. Expand. Get success in life.
· Life is a link in the chain of time. If you waste time, you waste
life. Do not postpone doing good deeds; for there is no certainty of life.
What you propose to do tomorrow, do it today. What you propose to do today,
do this very instant.
If you have wiped out tears of even one man, by a single word of comfort
and cheer, by a single good deed, you may count that day well spent. You
have done an act that is pleasing to the Lord. But if you have not done
so, you have lived in vain that day
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