Wisdom

" In this world drama, whatever role may be assigned to us by the director, we should play that role faithfully and to the best of our ability and capacity, without entertaining such thoughts as this role is good or bad. There is no question of our likes or dislikes here. The 'director' knows best what role is suited to whom and allots them accordingly. In his view, all roles are equally important and they all contribute to the success of the drama in equal measure.

In the same way, our roles in the world, with all their corresponding actions, by themselves, are neither good nor bad. Whatever actions have been decided for us by our samskaaras (culture) or vaasanaas (tendencies) is to be accepted and discharged without grumbling. If we grumble, it will only spoil our role-actions. Therefore, actions prompted or ordained by samskaaras should be performed willingly without any grievance and grudge. "

- His Holiness Sri Ganapati Sachidananda Swamiji in " Sadguru Sookti Sangraha: Words of Spiritual Wisdom-A collection. " Pg. 104

" Man's existence on this earth is as perishable as a bubble on water. This true knowledge makes life productive and useful. It emancipates man. Man should not lead an aimless life. He should always try to enrich his career. The material world is the best training ground where hard lessons on life are learnt. Happiness and misery are both intermingled. They cannot be separated. Hence one has to treat both equally.

Man blunders and suffers due to ignorance. Right understanding removes all evils. Man should gain wisdom that can never be misused. Wisdom enriches life. A wise man discriminates between the temporary and the permanent. He follows the path of attaining permanent happiness which is the eternal bliss. "

" God is omnipresent. There is no place where He is not present. He is self-effulgent. An honest and sincere attempt to apprehend His source of eternal effulgence is by itself self elevating and rewarding.

“ Make it a habit to chant the following verse along with Datta Stava in your prayer and before taking food. This verse is the Guru Paduka Sloka (praise of Guru's feet). By doing so, you will be blessed by the Guru both in the material and spiritual progress.

Sri Bhooyuta Sri Hari Chihnitaabhyam
Agastya Rekhaadibhi ranchitaabhyaam
Nigoodha Beejakshara Mudritaabhyaam
Namo Namaha Sadguru Paadukabhyam "

“The limitless grace of Sadguru washes our sins, removes our grief. Meditate on him. Maya (illusions) is very powerful. It won't leave even sages. Obedience to Sadguru definitely uplifts you. Be lawful and righteous in your worldly life. Sympathize with the downtrodden. Help them with kindness. The Vedas are the wicks and Sachchidananda's gospel is the oil - which makes the light of knowledge glow with more and more brilliance in your own heart. "

“The final outcome of selflessness is pure love. God is very much pleased only by selfless worship. It is not good to worship various deities like Shiva, Ganapati, etc. while entertaining and thinking of several selfish desires. Similarly, many people offer religious services like special decorations and several types of worship at the temples while their mind is full of desires. They do all these services and worship with an expectation of fulfillment of their desires. It is not good to do so. One must do puja (worship) with a pure and selfless mind. "

“The simple way of reaching the Lord is that of love and love alone. As a devotee loves the Lord passionately the Lord’s heart melts in sympathy for him. Therefore unswerving devotion is the simplest way to attain the Lord. Scholarship, wealth or elaborate rituals are not needed to earn the grace of the Lord. He is satisfied even with the offering of a flower, a fruit or a leaf. But the offering has to be done with pure love and devotion. This is the only condition.

Shabari offered only a fruit to Sri Rama and Gajendra offered only a flower to his Lord. And both attained Mukti by those simple offerings. Therefore, even the most poor and illiterate person can earn the grace of the Lord if he has in his heart sincere love and devotion for the Lord. This is the
idea. "

“Manasa Devi bestows the grace of Universal Mother to her devotees. Whichever Mantra one recites, the very invocation of Manasa Devi enables the person to attain quicker achievement (Siddhi) of the mantra. May your desires be fulfilled with the grace of Manasa Devi. "

“Some people say " I am sad " and go on explaining the reason for their bad mood. They go on telling it to everyone even though no one is really interested in it. Their intention is to get a little solace. Alas! The actual result is the reverse. The listener’s mood also will be spoiled; he also becomes sad by these words. Hence it is wise not to spoil other’s happiness, but to bear one’s sorrow and to get rid of it by consoling oneself and take timely action for remedy.

Suppose one says, " I am happy " , generally the response won’t be similar. It is easier to spread sorrow than happiness among others. Hence always try to increase happiness around. "

“Yoga is not some effort to merely to get a degree or diploma. It is to be remembered always that the practices of Yoga must continue until the last breath. "

" Samah satrau ca mitra ca sarvabhuta hite ratah
Mukta manasa rogah asau atmaramo babhuvah

He who treats both enemies and friends equally, who is interested in doing good to all beings, and who rests in his own Self is free from all mental diseases. "

" One becomes what one thinks. This is the law. We should always remember this inevitable law because we are the makers of our own future. If a man ever thinks of his wealth and relations he will ever remain earth-bound and suffer. If he forgets his human side and thinks of the divinity dwelling in him, he becomes divine and attains the Supreme Godhead. Therefore one should always meditate on God, the divine spirit within him, that is, his own self. He should practice it throughout his life so that the thought of God remains uppermost in his mind at the time of his death. "

“A little of attention is enough to deserve Swamiji's grace and improve one's thirst for emancipation and hunger for knowledge. If you make one step towards him, Swamiji makes 100 or even 1000 steps towards you. If you recede by a single step, Swamiji recedes by 100 or 1000 steps. It is up to you to make efforts to deserve his grace. "

“Truth is one's mother
Knowledge is one's father
Righteousness is one's wife
Compassion is one's brother
Tranquility is one's son
Forbearance is one's friend
These are one's six virtuous relatives. "

“God is within each of us though it may not be possible for us to see Him. The eyelids protect our eyes and yet we cannot see them without the aid of a mirror. Similarly, God is there but we may not be able to see Him without the help of the Sadguru. "

" Our destiny is not decided or governed by a supernatural power. God is not responsible for the happiness or misery that we experience in our life. If we make God responsible for our misfortune, then we make God arbitrary and cruel. An all-merciful God cannot shower miseries on us. Our happiness and our miseries are the results of our own thought and actions. God does not force them upon us. If we think good and do well, we get happiness. If we think of wicked things and do wicked actions we get miseries in return. This in short is the law of Karma.”

" Those devotees who have completely surrendered to the Lord do not think of anything other than the Lord. They seek the Lord alone and think of Him always as for them there is nothing dearer than the Lord. This is ‘Ananya Chinta’. The Lord takes upon Himself the responsibility of protecting such devotees by taking care of their needs under all circumstances. This is the promise given by the Lord in His Gita message. The Lord says, " I provide whatever they need and protect whatever is given to them. " This is what “Yogakshemam Vahaamyaham” means.

In fact, the devotees who have taken refuge in the Lord do not desire to have anything for themselves. Therefore, the Lord Himself arranges to provide what they need and protect whatever they have obtained. "

" Generally people can think only of those things about which they have some idea. Therefore the Lord gives a description of His attributes.

The Lord, the Supreme Being, is Kavi. The word Kavi means omniscient, intelligent and knowing the past, present and future. Kavi also signifies the one who can see much beyond what ordinary people can see (Krantadarshi) and one who can realize the transcendental entity (Atindriya darshi).

He is Purana, which means the Ancient One. There was nothing prior to the Lord. Everything including the whole cosmos has originated from Him.

He is Anusasita, the ruler or the Lord of the whole universe.

He is Anoraneeyaan, the subtlest among things subtle.

He is Sarvasya Daata, meaning the support of all. As the ocean is the support of all the waves, so also, Brahman is the support of the whole universe.

He is Achintya Purusha. He cannot be comprehended by the ordinary mind. But a mind which is fully purified by austerities and meditation can become one with Him.

He is Adityavarna, resplendent like the Sun, being luminous with the eternal light of consciousness.

He is Tamasah Parastaat, beyond the darkness of ignorance and delusion.

At the time of death one should contemplate on the Lord by understanding Him through these eight attributes with a steady mind endowed with devotion and strength of Yoga. Thus causing the life-force (Prana) to enter the space between the eye-brows by stages, the Yogi reaches the Supreme Divine Spirit. "

" Don't magnify others faults and defects. Instead, magnify their good deeds and their acts of love. If you behave like that, others will surely be transformed and improve their good conduct. You also will definitely get spiritual enlightenment and peace of mind. Your mind becomes purer and you obtain spiritual experience. "

" In this Kali Yuga, God has blessed us with one golden opportunity: to chant His name always. That is the most important thing we have to do. When we've started this, do it like a diksha (vow.) Don't leave this under any circumstance. Whenever you forget chanting, sit at the end of the day and count the time in seconds-- how many seconds you've wasted—by doing that great Maharishi's count. Count it only in seconds. "

" Whether scholars praise or blame, whether prosperity comes or goes, whether death occurs today itself or after many decades, the really heroic people do not go astray even a bit from the right path. "

" The huge tree exists unmanifested in a seed. It manifests if the seed is worn in earth and if due care is taken to nurture the plant. Similarly the power of the bheeja akshara - (seed letter) manifests by japa (repetition) of the divine name in a proper way with rapt attention, firm faith and deep devotion. "

“Generally, devotion is of two types, i.e. the selfish and the selfless. More than 99% of devotees are selfish. It is rather paradoxical that a devotee seeks more and more money and material wealth as per his desires while praying to God. However, one misses the truth that what all God wanted to give has already been given. It is rather computerized by the Almighty. Further good or bad effects are caused by one's good or bad deeds. God's decisions are the wisest and God's intentions result in definite events. "

" For a true practicant, selfless love to humanity, firm faith in and deep devotion to God are highly essential. It is our common knowledge that small beginnings have great ends. Failures are the stepping-stones to success. No change is sudden. Ups and downs are quite natural in life, just as light and darkness of the day and night. Hence one must never lose heart and strive to progress in the path to perfection. Guru’s grace cannot be obtained at once all of a sudden. You cannot have something for nothing. Swamiji repeatedly assures that he takes hundred steps towards to bless you, provided you make at least one step towards him. This applies to God's grace also. "

Swamiji answers the question, " does chanting or Japa of Mantra without understanding it’s meaning or without concentration bring any benefit? Is it just not physical exercise of mouth and tongue? " " There is the benefit of the repetition of Beejakshara - which is a self-energized letter. But this type of chanting without concentration brings only 20% benefit. If you do Japa with concentration and devotion you get 80% benefit. The day you become fully silent you get 100% benefit. Doing Japa without concentration is a drama. I permit this type of drama with the hope that one day it brings change. While singing Bhajans bend your head a little or close your eyes. It helps you to reach the other plane.

" Remember God and worship Him when you're happy. Forget yourself when you're in sorrows. The peace comes to you of its own accord. Zeal and courage of the mind can be acquired by serenity. "

“ . . . One has to remain in the society of men and learn to see the God in them all. There is no question of winning over the feeling of Ahamkara (the feeling of I.) If one can develop equanimity in reaction to the pairs of opposites and learn to overcome the feeling of having been insulted by
others, it is victory achieved over Ahamkara. "

“It is easy to become confused and unsteady. Don’t hate the confusion and fickleness of your mind. Pay loving attention to these defects. Make a thorough study of the causes therefore. By timely and proper action, confusion and unsteadiness vanish. It is not enough to treat the patient for the outward symptoms. It is essential to find out the real cause of the disease and to remove it. "

“The feeling, 'I am helping others and going to help others' is wrong. It is mixed with Ahamkara (the feeling of I.) The feeling to possess must be, 'the Lord who is the entire universe of which I am only a minute particle.' It is like the finger being only a part of the body and it cannot be the body. The Lord, wishing to conduct acts of welfare, uses the medium He chooses best. It is like using the finger to scratch an itchy spot on the back. 'He' decides to choose the individual. The individual will know about the will of the Lord through his Guru and then only the feeling sprouts inside the heart of the individual to assist others. Again, it is like the finger and the back. It is not the power in the finger to get the finger to scratch the back the finger can never do the function of the body totally. "

“Failures are stepping-stones to success. Sometime rapid success achieved early may eventually lead to final failure. Small beginnings have great ends. Tiny drops make a mighty ocean. Tamoguna or the trait of tamasa causes too much thirst, excessive hunger, too much sleep, deep contentment and persistent depression. People of such a trait say again and again, 'I have not got anything useful and beneficial.' This is a wrong conception and an unwise person becomes gloomy. Set right what all you have got already and utilize your powers of the mind and intellect to advance spiritually. "

“It is quite common that grief or anger makes one quite irritated. Such negative upsurge of feelings make the blood pressure increase and the body gets heated. This is called tapa or burning. If such an awkward state of mind persists, gradually a man loses discretion and the memory of moral principles will fade away for the time being. As a result, evil thoughts, words and actions will ensure leading one to commit more and more sins. Thus, tapa and papa (sin) go together. The underlying principle to be followed is that one must try to control one’s thoughts without allowing the mind to go astray by the pulls and pressures of lust, greed or egoism. Then only it is possible to be balanced and righteous in one’s conduct. The vision of the guru brings about serenity and placidity to the devotee " .

“In spite of many desires that rise in our mind, Bhakthi should be predominant. One should not pretend to have Bhakthi. In order to please the Guru, or God, you need not imitate Bhakthi. It is a great treasure of strength. Wealth, fame and all kinds of treasures do not equal Bhakthi. Earning Bhakthi and possessing it is a great asset itself. Man is not a man at all without Bhakthi. Such a rare treasure of Bhakthi should be offered to Lord. Bhakthi for the sake of fulfilling the desires may not go a long way. Suppose those desires are partly fulfilled or not at all fulfilled, then the devotees will automatically lose their devotion, as they had tagged a desire to their love. "

A devotee asked the following question of Swamiji many years ago: " Those of us who are not initiated by you, can we still consider you as Sadguru? " Swamiji answered: “Yes. Why not? Ekalavya is an example. You all are initiated today. Even singing Bhajans with Swamiji is a simple initiation. It is indirect initiation. Singing along with Swamiji is no ordinary event. "

“Virtuous men avoid harsh and lustful speech. Harsh words are sharper than a razor. A harsh word can pierce the heart of a man and take his life. Words spoken cannot be taken back. Therefore, be careful when you speak. "

“Never think you cannot donate much. Consider your walking as Pradakshina, your talk as Mantra, you bath as Abhisheka, you eating as Naivedya. That is the highest form of devotion. Never miss the opportunity. "

" The sayings of the Guru are more precious than gold and diamonds. You utilize the wealth of wisdom of the Guru at all times, under all circumstances, whether pleasant or painful. Every word of the Guru, His every gesture and His every movement are valuable. The precepts of the Guru help you at all times. Not only should you listen to the Guru with abiding attention, but also you should remember the golden gospel always and translate the same into action in your daily life. Ponder over the teachings of the master as often as possible. The perfect master is your true friend, philosopher and guide.

“Hence learn the secret of the easy method of worship. Go on singing the glory of Guru Datta's philosophy. This is the way - offer the following - your intellect as flower, your body as leaves. Offer them without any more doubts. Enjoy the secret fruit of knowledge. Shed tears of divine joy. This is the meaning of true worship. Truth is the Yaga (fire worship), patience is the Mantra. It is doubtless that Datta is all pervasive. The intellect is very active in the morning. By night it gets tired. So also a flower, fresh in the morning, withers in the night. The body perishes in due course like a leaf. Hence, if you offer the intellect and body to God, they are energized by His mercy. Patience is highly essential. Don't be hasty. If a problem arises, consider it thoroughly from all aspects, if necessary for a day or so, but do not panic or worry. "

“It is only the ignorant and the unwise people who fight about their narrow dogmas, cults and isms. However, God is one and one alone. There is no need of picking up a quarrel with someone else who follows a different religion. Such an attitude symbolizes narrow mindedness, which does not lead one nearer to god, but drags him far, far away from the divinity. "

“One day, Sri Krishna and Arjuna went for a walk. After going a long distance, they reached the house of a rich merchant who was very miserly and arrogant. As Sri Krishna and Arjuna felt thirsty, they went into the house of the merchant in quest of water to quench their thirst. But, at that time, the merchant was busy counting his cash and writing his accounts. So, he did not receive Sri Krishna with proper regards and respects. But Sri Krishna blessed him in return and said, 'Oh Merchant, as you are more fond of wealth than Me, I bless you with more wealth. May you grow more rich and become the richest man in the country.' Having blessed the man thus, Sri Krishna left the place along with Arjuna.
Sri Krishna next went to the house of a poverty-stricken man. This poor man was living in a thatched shed. He had only a cow as his possession. He was seeking out his livelihood by selling the milk of this cow. As soon as he saw Sri Krishna coming to his hut, overwhelmed with joy, he rushed to the Lord and fell at His feet and received Him with all respect and love. He had an old mat, which he spread on the floor and prayed to the Lord to sit on it.

The poor man’s eyes were filled with tears of love for his beloved God. He said, 'Oh, Lord Krishna, I am blessed today. How great is your love for me. I never thought, oh Lord, you would visit me in this life.' Thereafter, he offered the fresh milk given by his cow to Sri Krishna and Arjuna, and said, ‘Oh Krishna, oh God, I don’t have anything else except this milk to offer you. Please accept and drink this milk and bless me.’
Highly pleased by the devotion of this poor man, the Lord drank the milk with pleasure. Afterwards, Sri Krishna blessed the devotee and came out of the hut. Nearing the gate, Sri Krishna saw the poor man's cow and wished that it should die immediately. Arjuna got irritated seeing the conduct of Sri Krishna and said, ‘Oh Lord, why do you want the cow to die? This poor man is very much devoted to you. Without the cow, how can he live? You have been good enough to bless the rich man who did not show any respect to you at all. I am not able to understand your strange behavior.'
Sri Krishna replied, ‘Arjuna, there is nothing wrong in my behavior. The rich man, when he gets more wealth, will become more egoistic and arrogant and that will lead him to lot of miseries and turmoil, which will make him turn his mind towards God. The poor man, on the contrary, is a great devotee of mine. But he has some attachment to his cow, which is an obstacle to his mind to get settled in his heart. What he wants is Mukti (liberation) and not worldly possessions. Shortly, he will be giving up his body. But, he is very much worried about the safety of his cow after his death. This obstacle being now removed, his mind will merge in Me and enjoy Eternal Bliss.'

The moral is, all the restlessness, frustration, and miseries of man are caused by his attachment to worldly objects. Therefore the man wedded to attachment can never grow in spiritual stature. On the other hand, he who is free from attachment evolves in excellence and delights in God. "

“It is natural that a tiger kills a deer for its food. However, an elephant eats grass. What is the difference? The elephant is mightiest of all the animals. The moral we can draw from these two examples is that the vegetarian food can make you strong and healthy.’’

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“ . . . When it comes to spiritual learning, the interest exhibited by the student when he faces hardship in his pursuit itself is said to be Guru Dakshina (offering of fees to the Guru.)(So open the scriptures.) That is, the attitude of the student not to lose heart when faced with difficulties
in his spiritual pursuit is Guru Dakshina.“

“ However intelligent one may be, if one is not vigilant, one is easily knocked out of his path by the mire of delusion. The senses are so powerful as to draw away the mind from his chosen divine ideal. Therefore, night and day, at all times and under all circumstances, vigilance is necessary to preserve the mind from lapsing into impurities. The devotee, therefore, remembering always the key word, ‘vigilance,’ should engage himself in practices to discipline his mind and keep it always pure and sublime.”

“For any one, all days are not quite similar. Ever hour, every minute, every moment is precious. One must patiently wait every moment in the presence of Sadguru to wipe out one’s sins by doing japa, pranayama or meditation. The presence or the vision of the deity in the temple is called sannidhi, 'Sat' + 'Nidhi' meaning a precious treasure. As one’s devotion improves and becomes purer, the presence of the guru can surely be felt inwardly, even while the guru is far, far away physically " .

" This precious birth is gifted by God to correct you. Hence, think of the corrective measures you have to implement yourself at every stage of your life to improve yourself. Mind your business. The world would have been a happier place to live in had everyone minded his own business. "

“Realize that hardships are lessons – silent teachings. If you do not have the time and the capacity to learn directly from the Upanishads and Mahabharata, learn through Sadguru’s teachings. When you get happiness, consider it Sadguru’s blessings. When you face hardships, think that your Sadguru is teaching a lesson. Consider that there was some mistake in your wish or that you could not wish properly or that whatever has happened has happened for your good.”

1. You must possess unflinching devotion towards the Almighty.
2. This devotion (Bhakti) should transform in to concentration power.
3. It has already been said that concentration is a special kind of power. You must use this power to meditate upon the Almighty only. You should not use it for anything else.
4. You must always remember that this power of concentration came to you because of the blessing of the Almighty and that it was not the result of your efforts.
5. Remembering this, you must beg the Almighty to bestow the power to meditate. You must in fact drown in meditation so much that you should not even be aware that you are meditating!
6. You should at no point of time use the meditative power for acquiring any power or powers.
7. You must always bear in mind that the Almighty you are meditating upon is all powerful, all knowing and beyond constraints of time and space.
These are the seven steps. If you climb these steps one by one, you will be able to acquire not one, but innumerable powers which are available in nature. How? Because, all these powers are within yourself! And also because you have become one with the Almighty who is omnipotent and omnipresent! "

“Do not consult the mind, which is fickle like a monkey. It always runs after the tempting objects of the world and finally makes man land in calamities. If you yield to the dictates of the mind, you will receive only blows. There is a story of a monkey, which had entered into a shop where dry fruits were sold.

The shopkeeper was not in the shop. The monkey thought that it could finish everything within no time. It saw a jar full of cashew nuts. It put both of its hands inside the jar and clenched the nuts in its palms. But, as the neck of the jar was very narrow, it could not take out its hands with cashew nuts full in its folded fists. If it gave up those nuts, it could easily take its hands out. But it did not want to let go the cashew nuts. Temptations are strong. It was struggling to pull its hands out. As the struggle was going on, the shopkeeper came, and saw the monkey. He took a big stick and started beating it. The monkey did not give up the nuts, and so it died at the hands of the shopkeeper. In the same way, people yield to desires and invite miseries in their trail. "

“Why does the guru smile always? There are three reasons. He is the embodiment of the perennial bliss i.e. Ananda svarupa. Secondly, He smiles at your ignorance; thirdly, with His inspiring smile He encourages us to get rid of grief.”

" By serving your Guru you get imparted in Yoga. Through (the practice of) Yoga you yourself have to attain realization. If you water the grapevine it yields grapes, but it does not put the grapes into your mouth. "

“A sincere seeker of spirituality should get up at 4 am or utmost at 5 am. If so, he will master any tough subject of study. This principle is applicable either for a student of material knowledge or a spiritual aspirant. Some people question,’ Why should we get up so early?' The reply is we must do physical exercises and thereafter, we must meditate, study, plan our work, and do japa, Bhajans or study of pious books. These activities are more effective and beneficial when performed at dawn. "

" A student is said to be useful if he does not give up his pursuit, come what may. It is enough if a Sadguru comes to know that the student has such determination. If a Guru feels that his disciple will carry out the Sadhana as per his instruction, he will be prepared to do anything for the disciple. If the student achieves the goal by striving hard in the path laid down by the Guru, the Guru will become immensely pleased. He will consider it as his Guru Dakshina (fees.) This is the characteristic of a spiritual Guru. To please the Guru in this manner is the characteristic of a real disciple. "

“Whatever we think throughout our life as the dearest of our objective, that we shall get, and that we shall experience. And if we entertain that thought of God constantly throughout our life, then certainly we will be able to think of Him at the time of our death. That final thought of God will enable us to contact Him and reach Him. "

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“Man’s mind is engaged in a thousand and one activities. It is endowed with tremendous speed. It can go to the moon and come back within a second. Assisted by sense organs, it runs after sense pleasures ceaselessly. In short, it is engaged in all activities except the one that will lead it to Godhood. Hence comes the necessity of restraining its activities, imposing controls on it and putting it on the proper track.”

“Don’t worry about the future and the past. You are not really doing anything. Leave it to God. All is God’s will and play. If you want to worry, feel free, but you will only have miserable life in return. "

The most important among all Dharmas is that Dharma which allows man to live. Therefore suicide is considered a great sin. After all, the question of Dharma comes only if a person is alive. When we apply this rule from the Vyashti level (individual) to the Samishti level (collective), we can interpret Dharma as that which ensures continuance of human race. Whatever helps for the destruction of mankind is a great sin. Man's desire to live is a fundamental one. In fact, it is a fundamental right. The human race as a whole also has this right. Therefore, the first and the last purpose of Dharma is to ensure that the human race continues.

" Man loves to satisfy his own interests. At the same time he will also have love for the Almighty who is in fact fulfilling his desires. Although man doesn't really know the real nature of the Almighty, this love will continue. In the beginning, this love will have fulfillment of man's desires as its basis. Gradually, as man's understanding of the Almighty improves, he will learn to love the Almighty regardless of whether his desires are being fulfilled or not. This is strange, but true. "

“A person, irrespective of profession, must keep his word. He must be loyal and true to himself. "

“Lustful desire (kama) is the foremost force that that harasses man and stands in the way of his progress in divine life. Another evil force is anger (Krodha), which is but an effect of desire. If there is no desire, there cannot be any anger, as there cannot be any effect when there is no cause. Sri Krishna says the twin evils of desire and anger constitute the power behind all the sins committed by man. "

“(Desire) is all devouring like fire . . . Fire cannot be extinguished if you go on pouring oil on it. The more fuel you put into the fire, the more lustily will it burn. No one can satisfy the hunger of fire. Therefore, those who think desire can be conquered by gratification are deluded. Any attempt to satisfy a desire only makes it stronger and more clamorous for further enjoyment.
How then can desire be conquered? If you don’t put fuel into the fire, definitely the fire will weaken and slowly disappear. So also, let no attempt be made to satisfy desire and then it will die a natural death. The rejection of desire as soon as it is born in the mind is the way to overcome it.”

" . . . If a man always thinks in these lines, ‘I am not the body, I am not the senses, I am not the mind, I am not the intellect. I am the blessed Atman, infinite and ever blissful' – then it becomes easy for him to control the vagaries of his mind and senses. The man who is not in God–consciousness, however great may be his will power, is sure to fall, for the slightest thought of sense pleasure will drive him to gratify his desires. "

“Real happiness can be had only in God. God-realization alone can give supreme happiness to mankind. When you serve your Guru selflessly, forgetting your miseries and sufferings, you get a glimpse of that real happiness. Keep Guru always in your mind, then you get real happiness. "

“If your devotion to God is firm by the strength of your will power, then effects of your past karmas cannot shake you. Let good come in thousands or miseries come in thousands, you remain unaffected. Your mind will ever remain in the thought of God. So will power is greater and stronger than Karma. "

“There are some people, who, despite possessing the organ of sight can be branded as ‘blind.’ To this special group of blind people belong those, who, engrossed in lust, have lost their ability to see and are thus ‘blind.’ There are also others who are ‘blinded’ by intoxication. Those who fall prey to greed are also ‘blind.’ All these people are as blind as those who are born without the organ of sight.
Medical Science has no remedy for the above-mentioned ‘Special blindness.’ Sadguru alone can remove their ‘blindness.’
Is it not mentioned in the Guru Geeta that Sadguru, with the help of the instrument called wisdom, opens the eyes of those ‘blinded’ by ignorance?”

" A judge gives punishment in accordance to the offence. Excepting capital punishment, all others have a time limit. After serving the sentence, the offender is ‘washed’ of his crime. In God’s justice, even death is a punishment with time limit. Just as a criminal becomes ‘clean’ after serving the sentence, man too becomes pure by undergoing the punishment given by God.

When the sins are completely washed off, that stage is called divinity. This is the ultimate destination of man. To reach it, the best route is to accept the punishments given by God with an attitude of surrender. "

“One has to suffer the consequences of one’s deeds. But by repeating the name of God, you can lessen its intensity. If you were destined to have a wound as wide as a ploughshare, you will get a pinprick at least. The effect of karma can be counteracted to a great extent by japa and austerities.

“In fact, ‘I’ am all of you. You don’t realize this. I am of both masculine and feminine forms. In your form I experience unhappiness. In my form, I teach you and punish you. In your form I am praising me. Because I am plural, I am also singular. “Do you experience unhappiness?” you may ask. Because I know the happiness of all, I know unhappiness also. But because you don’t understand happiness, you are unhappy. If this delusion goes, the unhappiness will not be there anymore. If you forget this truth for one minute, you will suffer for ten days. What is the remedy? Meditate upon your Sadguru in every breath of yours. There is no other way. One must return to where one came from. Guru mantra is the fastest plane.”

“One can offer whatever one has - whether they are feelings, or one’s karma - to the Almighty and experience the blissful state it bestows. "

“In the lineage of Ikshwaku, (the originator of Rama's lineage), a king called Khani Netra was born.

Even after several years of married life, he did not have any issues. Some priests told him that he would beget a son if he offered deer flesh to the gods through fire sacrifice. The king set out for hunting. Even after much search, he could not find even one deer. Thinking that it would be cruel to kill any other animal, he refrained from hunting other animals.

After some time, a deer appeared before him and said, " O! King! I have no issues since many years. I am unable to bear this shortcoming. Therefore, kill me and relieve me of this suffering " . The king wondered if the deer was mocking him.

In the meantime, another deer came there and said, " O! King! I have innumerable children. I am unable to feed them all. I am unable to protect them from wild animals. I am suffering from fear all the time because of this. Please have mercy on me and relieve me of my suffering by killing me " .

Both the deer appeared like Gurus to the king. He thought " there issuffering if you don't have children; there is suffering if you have children. Therefore, it is foolish to kill an animal just to have an issue. Instead, it would be good if I give up desires and simply spend my time worshipping the Almighty. "

So thinking, Khani Netra undertook penance. In due course of time, he begot a son called Karanthama.
See! If we give up desires and pray the Almighty without selfishness, He will certainly bless us with what we really need. "

“Concentration of mind cannot be achieved merely by practice. One should add, like one adds salt while preparing a dish, the ingredient call vairagya (disinterestedness) to it.”

“ . . . A man may not use abusive words while talking to others. But in his mind, if he uses these words, he becomes a man of false conduct. No doubt he kept his mouth shut. But his mind was full of envy and hatred. So it misbehaved. Such an act cannot free a man of guilt. Similarly, he might have controlled his organs of action, he might have given up objects of enjoyments, but if he keeps on looking at pictures that would excite lust in him and if he contemplates on them, he will be affected by the fault of indulgence.

Giving up physical actions and allowing the mind to roam about will not do any good in one’s spiritual progress. The idea is, along with the giving up of the objects of enjoyments physically, one should put more amount of effort to steady the mind and make it pure.”

“To err is human. Committing mistakes knowingly leads to more evil effects. True. But to realize, ‘I am committing a mistake, I am not capable of preventing it now,’ helps one to overcome such a situation in future. For such realization to set in, one should indulge in Satsang-friendship of the noble. For such realization to stay forever, one should practice Divya nama sankeertana. Associating with noble men and chanting Divine names of the Almighty should go hand-in-hand, failing which, mistakes assume threatening proportions. "

“Due to ego, you think you are the doer of all actions and thus you are attached to your actions. As a result, the merits and demerits of your actions will taint you, and your life, then, would take a downward trend. Elders say to have ego-sense is a sin and results in one’s own downfall.

Ego blinds your eyes and veils your wisdom. What others easily see as a grave mistake in you may not appear to you even as a slight one.

When the ego blinds the mind like a thick fog, as you will not be able to see even a big pit in front of you, even so you will not be able to know the evil nature that dwells in your mind.

There is only one way to get out of this danger. You have to give up the feelings of doer ship. You have to realize that God does all actions through you. If this idea becomes firm in you, ego will disappear. "

“The more one tries to contract the senses by force, the more unruly they become. Hence adopt proper diet to chasten the tongue. Listen to Bhajans, Bhagavad-Gita and such sacred literature to purify the ear. Instead of forceful control, divert and properly channelise your powers of senses. Exhort your senses, ‘Don't deceive me.’ By continuous Satsang - linking our mind and senses by something noble, one can be purified. The devotion should be firm and continuous. "

“Bheeja akshara (seed letter) is the genesis of the entire creation. It is permanent and immortal. It uplifts the people who are shackled by the bondages of the world. Sages attained supernatural powers and became famous only by repetition of mantra consisting of bheeja akshara. These powerful seed letters were bestowed by Lord Siva in his cosmic dance. Bheeja akshara is colorful i.e. it has multi- faceted brilliance. Another form of bheeja askhara is Nada - the divine sound given out in various forms like mantras and epics by the noble sages for human well being.

“There is no happiness while living in this body. The world is full of sorrow. Happiness is only an empty word. Only those who have received the grace of the Guru can recognize Him as God, and that is their real joy.”

" God is the only friend of yours both in calamity and adversity. The Lord knows what you want and is pleased only with your sincere devotion. No outward show is needed to please God. God is within each one of us though it may not be possible for us to see Him. The eyelids protect our eyes and yet we cannot see them without the aid of a mirror. Similarly God is there but we may not be able to see Him without the help of the Sadguru. The basic ingredient of all religions and faiths is one and the same. It is experiencing the existence of God through the realization of the Divinity of Man. " - Sri Swamiji