ETERNAL MESSAGES   By   SRI SWAMI CHIDANANDA CONTENTS Publishers’ Note On Divine Life Japa And Remembrance Of God Obstacles On The Spiritual Path Advice To Householders On Sadhana PUBLISHERS’ NOTE This brochure “ETERNAL MESSAGES” is a collection of spiritual advice given periodically to earnest seekers by our President Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj, through his correspondence. These inspiring and elevating messages to seekers have been gathered and systematically arranged by his long time assistant and secretary, Swami Vimalananda. We are happy to release this little volume for the benefit of serious aspirants all over the world on the joyous occasion of Amrita Mahotsava (Platinum Jubilee) of our President Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj. We hope, the study of this brochure will immensely benefit the spiritually thirsty souls. May the blessings of the Almighty be upon you all. —THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY On Divine Life The practice of virtue, the worship of God and Paropakar to others—these three form the very essence of a truly noble life. Never neglect them. Ever practise them. This is real earning (Kamayi). He who has this earning, he accumulates the greatest wealth even though his earthly income may be modest. Blessed self! accumulate this wealth by living a Divine life in the midst of your ordinary secular life. Have a rich inner life. Joy and peace will come to you. All men are, by nature, equal. One Atman dwells in all beings. Man is the trinity of body, mind and soul. Consciousness is veiled by mind and matter. Therefore he is not able to realise his essential Divine nature. To know one’s essential nature and realise one’s own Divinity is the fulfilment of the mission of this human life. You ask for my blessings. Who am I to bless? I am your servant. For I am the servant of the Servants of God. Thondar thondan. Saints and holy people bless devotees. I am neither of these. I am the little seeker, a mere Sadhak. You have certainly my most earnest and sincere prayers to Bhagavan and to Sri Gurudev for the most successful and glorious conduct of the series of lectures right up to the very end. Not only this year and the next year and the next, but also for many many more years to come. As for blessings, you have them from Gurudev Himself. It is only those who have received blessings who can be engaged with such work as you are doing. There is no doubt about this. This is my conviction. Before you open the Dispensary, offer prayers to the Lord. Treat the patients with love and kindness. Kindness and love cure them more rapidly than medicines. See God in them. This is the secret to attain joy and happiness. Man is a soul having a body. Man is essentially a spiritual being. Man’s innermost essence is Atman or the Divine Spirit. Realising the Spirit, man achieves security, freedom, immortality find Bliss Eternal. Therefore take up spiritual Sadhana and try to lead and live Divine Life. Inner urge towards the spiritual life and the heart’s desire to draw closer unto and commune with the Supreme is a gift from God. It is a practical expression of Grace. Peace is a divine attribute. It is a quality of the Soul or Atman. It is found only in the pure heart. Real inner Peace is independent of external conditions. By feeling the Lord’s presence everywhere, you can become fearless, and enjoy infinite peace and bliss. The great goal of life is God-realisation. Live to attain this aim. This goal alone is worth attaining in this life. Pray to the Lord daily. Speak the truth. Do not hate anyone. Respect elders. Help others. Live a simple and pure life. This is Divine life. This leads you to attain perfection in life. This human birth is a rare chance, a splendid opportunity of transcending all limitations, bondage, sorrow, suffering and pain and attaining to a state of illimitable glory, of absolute freedom from sorrow, pain, suffering, grief and weaknesses of all sorts, going beyond even death and attaining that Supreme experience of illimitable joy, immeasurable peace, Divine splendour and Wisdom Consciousness in union with the Divine. This is the aim of our life. This life can be had only by right living—a life of contemplation and meditation. Live this life and attain God-realisation in this very life. Goodness is love in action. It is noble to be good. Goodness is the greatest virtue. Every good deed is a grain of seed for immortality or eternal life. Goodness makes life a blessing. Goodness will bring sure success and prosperity. To be good is human. To be good is divine. Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Set apart some fixed hours both morning and evening for your studies. Spend half an hour both morning and evening in prayer and Bhajan. Speak truth at any cost. Hate none. Help others. Be good. Do good. Ever feel the presence of God for God is everywhere. Sing His glories. There is nothing more elevating and sublime than to be a witness to the living Divine Presence in all beings and to strive to awaken that consciousness in others too. God resides in his heart, who has full faith in God. God loves him who keeps his image always before his mind. Keep close to God. Work will go on anyhow. But your concern should be even in work to keep close to God. The glorious Name of Sri Rama, the radiant awareness of His Presence, the sweet remembrance of Him always, these make life Divine. Herein is peace in the midst of turmoil. Herein is balance in the midst of distractions, joy in seeming sorrow, eternal life even in the midst of death, fullness in the midst of imperfection. This is a secret only His children know. No others can understand this, even if it is declared to them. Therefore, wisdom is in having it and being silent. If and when the time comes it will declare itself by itself to those who are to know it. Spirituality means growing into the form of your Divine Ideal. It is the transformation of your nature from human to Divine. This is brought about by Abhyasa, spiritual practice of Sadhana and Vairagya leading to renunciation. Blessed Atman, sincerely and diligently try to live the Divine Life according to the teachings of Holy Master. Be truthful and pure. Give up anger. See good in all. Do not have dislike for any creature. Develop equal vision and universal love. The entire world is an expression of God. God is the Inner Ruler. He goads the body, mind and senses to work. Become an instrument in the hands of the Lord. Do not expect thanks or appreciation of your work. Do actions as your duty and offer them and their fruits to the Lord. You will be freed from the bonds of Karma. Your heart will soon be purified. Kindly try and spend some time daily, even for a few minutes in silent communion with the Lord. Think of His Divine attributes such as boundless compassion, mercy and love. Pray to Him with deep devotion. Seek His guidance and protection in all your daily affairs. He will soon become your loving companion. Pray to God daily. Read spiritual books. Books are the source of great inspiration. Read only good books which convey only positive thoughts. Feel the presence of God wherever you go. You are in Him and He is in you. Remember this. Be still. Be in tune with the Divine Will. Let go all worries. Cast out all cares and anxieties. Get deep down into the innermost core of your heart and plunge into the ocean of peace. Do not bother how other people live. Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Reduce your wants. Curtail all unnecessary expenses. Though you may find difficulty in the beginning, but you will find all joy in the end. Follow truth, whatever may come. God will protect you. Ever feel the presence of God. Know that God is merciful and kind. There is no end to His mercy. He is Kama Dhenu. Whatever you ask, He will give you. Have intense faith in Him. Acquire this faith by regular prayer and worship. Have fixed hours for prayer and Japa. Even during office hours feel that you are doing His worship. Read the lives of Mahatma Gandhiji, Swami Sivanandaji, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda and other Saints. They will inspire you and guide you in the right path. You may give up all things which contradict truth. Each and every human being is a God in disguise. But saints are those who have removed the cloak which hides the Divinity within. The essence of all existence is evolution or constant realisation of the higher values of life. Prayer, service, devotion and meditation will lead you to a higher and nobler life. There is no pleasure in sense-objects. Eternal Bliss is in the Atman alone. Therefore embrace spirituality, practise purity, develop nobility, do charity and attain Divinity. Lead the Divine Life. The Divine Life is life in the awareness of your essential ever-pure, ever-perfect, Divine nature. It is the life where you know that you are not this perishable physical body—you are higher even than this life principle. Essentially you are Divine. Realise this by righteous living and a simple way of life. A virtuous man alone can use the instrument of conscience. He alone can clearly hear the inner voice of the soul. Therefore cultivate virtues and be ever virtuous. A good man is ever happy! He has divinity within him. Do all the good that you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, at all times, with all zeal, strength, love and heart. Love Divine is the Supreme gift, the greatest force in the world. The grace of God is obtained by true devotion. Devotion is the means to attain Bliss Infinite. The highest form of devotion is to offer everything as a sacrifice to God—your thoughts, actions, desires and everything. If you do this you will attain intuitive vision of identity with Him. Your life also can be most flavoursome and joy giving if you blend into it carefully the choicest good thoughts, pure feelings, noble motives, gracious speech and cleanest deeds. Add to it the fragrant flowers of devotional worship, God love and Divine Name even as the fragrant Jasmine blossoms have been added to your Jasmine tea. The fragrant flavour of joy, peace and contentment, Shanti, Santosh will then permeate your life. Virtue gives fragrance to your life. Devotion gives flavour to life. Worship and service constitute the essence of life. May God endow you with all of these. May your life be full of sweetness, beauty and bliss. There is no greater acquisition in this life than perfect faith in God that stands all tests and trials. To love your neighbour is to love your God. God dwells in all. Let the fountain of universal love spring up in our hearts. In it there is everlasting joy. The true vision is eternal and universal. It is beyond the limits of all creeds, sects, dogmas, customs and religions. The more you spend your energy in elevating and serving others, the more Divine energy will flow to you. Think positively. You grow into the likeness of the thought picture which you hold on to with sincerity and persistence. Contemplate upon your ideal into which you wish to grow. This forms part of daily Spiritual life. Seek the Immortal Self. Aspire for Bliss Eternal. Strive to find Reality. He who strives, finds. A life that is full of the spirit of service, full of the light of love for all, full of devotion to God, is the real Divine Life. This Divine Life is open to you always; you have to tread it by prayer, by love, by service, by sweetness in speech and sweetness in life, by acts of benevolence and kindness, by deeds of service and sacrifice. You are indeed blessed to have come to this Ashram twice. The blessing is lasting in its transforming effect upon your mind. Though the present way be spiritually dull, soon you will have to inspire yourself by an intensive study of Sri Gurudev’s literature and other inspiring religious works. I will always consider it a matter of great delight to be of service and of some help to you on your spiritual path. Kindly revitalise your spiritual life. Awaken in yourself a great intensity of aspiration for things Divine. Permit no indolence to invade you in this direction. You must experience God in this very life. It is not impossible if only you put in the needed effort. Therefore, please be up and doing. The blessings of Gurudev Sivananda are with you; the Grace of the Divine will favour you with every opportunity and circumstance for progress. Therefore, try, try right now. Pack your day with thoughts of God, with the memory of the Divine, with feelings that are in contact with His infinite living Presence. Yoga is eternal life in union with the Divine. Every step in Yoga will bring new joy, new life. The more you advance in Yoga, the more you will grow in purity, in peace, in light, in harmony, in power and joy. Open yourself to the Divine through purity, faith, devotion, aspiration and total ungrudging self-surrender. The Divine grace will descend upon you. Live divinely and radiate the Divine nature which is your true and essential being. Live closely in touch with God. This is the secret of inner spiritual life. It is the secret of blessedness. May the ideal of Divine living and God attainment ever be radiant before thee. Let life be lived for reaching perfection in God. The Grace of the Divine ever be upon you. Right intention and right aspiration form the sheet-anchor of higher life. Spiritual aspiration should ever be burning bright within the heart. It is the moving force that makes for progress in the life of the aspirant. Then comes the factor—the all important factor—of Bhava. Spiritual feeling should permeate the entire life and all activities of life. Bhava has the power to transform ordinary activity into spiritual movement and render your life work into Karma Yoga. The harmony between inner and outer life can only be achieved by such transmutation through Bhava. Helping souls to evolve is verily one of the noblest kind of services. Of course, it is God alone Who helps. We are not doers. But, to willingly allow God to utilise our Seva is a great good fortune. Progress is slow in the spiritual path. One cannot expect progress in a month or two. You will have to struggle for many years. Then only you can make some progress. Therefore, do all your duties with worshipfulness. Give your mind to God and hands to work. Feel the presence of the Lord wherever you go and whatever you do. This should form part of your daily spiritual life. Ever try to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. Be Nimitta-matra. Do your duty and leave the rest to God. This is the secret of self-surrender, Sharanagati and dedication unto the Lord. This leads to devotion or Bhakti. Have trust in God; you will ever enjoy the perennial bliss and eternal peace. The Divine Grace of Sadguru Bhagavan is ever with thee. The sincere aspirations of a true disciple will surely be fulfilled by the loving compassion of the Guru. Let me assure you of this. The key to success in Sadhana is regularity. The importance of regularity in Sadhana cannot be over emphasised. Regularity in Abhyasa is a secret of progress on the Yoga-path. Have intense faith in the Lord. Only then, the strong yearning for attaining the divinity will dawn in your heart. Understand clearly the nature and glory of the Lord, nature of the Divine Life and God-realisation. Only then you can make progress in the spiritual path. Shun all your fears. Fear is in the mind only. The best hours to study your lessons are the early hours of the morning. Get up early in the morning. Offer your worship to Sarasvathi and study your lessons. In the early hours, the mind is calm and steady. You can understand the subject without much effort. When you read your lessons, forget the world. Fix your mind on the lessons. This is the way to master your lessons. Do not join any bad company. Observe strict Brahmacharya. Do not go to pictures. Do not read novels. Do not read newspapers till you finish your studies. All these distract your mind. Take simple and pure food. Do not use excess coffee and tea. Take regular physical exercise both in the morning and evening. Take Lord’s Name. Do not forget God even a single moment of your life. Read religious books like the Gita, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana etc., besides your class lessons. Know that God is everywhere. He is nearer than your hands and feet. He is nearer than your breath. There is no place where He is not. Therefore, see Him in all places. He pervades everywhere. In all the problems of your life put this question to yourself, “Is this thing going to take me nearer to that ultimate attainment, or is it going to slow me down in my progress towards the fulfilment of my life?” If a thing binds you more to the sensual life, then reject it, but if it hastens you towards the ultimate attainment, then adopt it. Feel that the whole world is a manifestation of the Lord and you are serving the Lord in all names and forms. Whatever you do—your actions and the results thereof—consecrate them all to the Lord at the end of each day. Do not identify yourself with actions. Then your heart will be purified and you will be ready to receive the divine light and grace. Each Sadhaka should bear in mind that Divine life is to be lived in small details. If you are divine in small details you can be divine in big things. Unless you are careful in your day-to-day life and mould your life in accordance with your idealism, it cannot bear fruit. He who has tranquillity of mind, who has self-restraint, who always meditates on the Atman is indeed blessed. The great goal of life is the realisation of God. This human life is a rare chance given for attaining that destiny. We know also that we have within ourselves all the potencies of expressing that divinity. We are triune in nature. The real fact of our being is our essential Divinity. We have to raise this shining human being towards the Divine through constant contemplation of the Divine nature, always thinking about it and reflecting upon it, and expressing it through our thoughts, words and actions making the whole life as expression of that Divine Being, through deep meditation. The secret of happiness in life is to bring happiness to others. This is what our Gurudev used to say very often. He lived and laid his life for this one ideal. Hear the Divine whisper in silence. Realise the power of faith. Feel God’s sustaining grace. Build the shrine of love or the temple of devotion in your heart. Enter the glorious silence. Enjoy the life transcendent. Live within. Merge in the Soul. Know the Self. Become That. Be free and move about happily. It’s a privilege that belongs to the blessed ones like you, to be a source of inspiration and help to others, a centre for the radiation of spiritual vibrations, thoughts, feelings, power. The Grace of God will guide you in this matter. We grow by giving, by sacrificing, by hard work, by encountering stress and strain...... And, we have with us every resource; only, we should begin using our inner powers; the more we use them in our own way, the more they grow and also increase in number. May God guide your footsteps to infinite Perfection. Happiness results from good acts, pain from evil ones. Acts always bear fruit. Without action no fruit arises. Virtuousness is a means of attaining the vision of God. Everything can be attained by virtuousness. You are blessed. God has created this rare opportunity for you. The association with devotees of the Lord will take you to the Lord. All your lower nature will be transformed into Divine nature in the company of saints and devotees. Therefore, ever seek the company of saints and devotees. You are extremely blessed in your noble aspiration to tread the path of Divine Life. The Lord is all mercy and compassion and is sure to shower His Grace upon all who turn to Him for protection and care. Kindly trust in Him. Have no anxiety but surrender to the Lord under all circumstances and conditions. Feel His protecting care at every step. Our Divine Master always said that the teaching profession is the noblest and best, for it gives you a grand opportunity of moulding young lives and turning their minds towards noble spiritual ideals. Therefore take to the profession with faith and enthusiasm and serve the Lord in your students. Kindly make a more thorough study of our Master’s works and equip yourself fully to discharge your sacred duty efficiently. You will shine and enrich the lives of your pupils. Side by side with study of religious books and scriptures there should be daily Satsang at home. Set aside a part of the evening when all the family members can gather together, sing the Name of the Lord and commune with Him. Regular study of religious books, prayer, worship and meditation will help you to reach God. Lead a simple and pure life. See God in all. Give your mind to God and hands to work. This is the secret of success in life. Let us sing, remember and practise Sri Gurudev’s one song which runs as follows:— Start the day with God End the day with God Fill the day with God Live the day with God. Pray to God daily. Spend your day in Seva, worship, Japa, meditation and contemplation. Resort to some solitary place once in a week and make self-enquiry. You will quickly evolve in the Spiritual path. Divine grace is the fruit of self-surrender. A few drops of Divine Grace will bestow upon you an ocean of Bliss. To have knowledge of the Immortal Soul, to become identical with the Eternal, is the supreme aim of existence. The great goal of life is the realisation of God. This human life is a rare chance given for the attainment of that Divine destiny. It’s your birthright to attain Divine Consciousness, that blissful experience beyond all sorrow, pain, imperfection; and should be the central purpose of your life here on earth. Plunge yourself into selfless service. Selfless service purifies your nature; it develops devotion, and grants you a vision of the Divine. Pray for devotion, patience and understanding of His Divine will. Remember that the more you give happiness to others, the more you get happiness. This is the law. The refinement of one’s nature, the culture and purity of one’s personality, is indispensable for the dawn of happiness in your life. Thus, happiness is the product of selflessness. Kindly keep up your Seva and Sadhana. Have intense faith. Only then will the strong yearning for attaining the divinity dawn in your heart. Understand clearly the nature and glory of the Lord, nature of the Divine Life and God-realisation. Only then, will you be able to do self-surrender. God is the end of all your actions and movements. Seek Him. Realise Him. Only then can you be perfect and free. The personality of Sri Hanuman throws a flood of light upon the highest ideal in living life. He represents perfect conservation of life-energy, development of strength, offering up this strength to the Divine by dedicating it in service. He was a warrior and a hero but ever a servant of his Master. Human energy dedicated to Divine worship. Sublimation is the key-note here. It is transformed into the dynamism of service. This is Brahmacharya. This is Hanuman Mahavir. This is Bhakti, Dhyana and Jnana based upon spiritualised Yogic Karma. Such a life leads to Atma-Jnana even as Hanuman was ever united with Rama. Utter the Name of the Lord with devotion. Feel His presence. See Him in every face. There is no place where He is not. He is everywhere. Read spiritual literature. Seek the company of the wise. Be regular in your Prayers. The Divine Being indwells all Names and forms in this universe. He is the all-pervasive and the immanent being. To recognise and to feel this will immediately transform service into worship. For, in man you begin to perceive the Presence of God. A new Bhava or feeling springs up in your heart. You become awake to a new vision wherein all things that were secular a while before now verily become sacred. Service becomes sanctified with this spiritual orientation. And, thus your life verily becomes transformed into a Yoga process of ceaseless worship of the Cosmic Manifestation of the Divine Spirit. Sarvam Vishnumayam Jagat. The Holy Master taught us to remember this and to realise this. It is indeed befitting that vacation days are utilised for spending time in a spiritual way. The goal of life is to attain God. The wise man utilises all his time as a means to this attainment. Holidays are meant for worship, Bhajan and Satsanga. A rich harvest of peace and bliss is reaped by the Viveki Purusha who thus moves towards God. Bodies, names and forms are only instruments. The true Actor in this world is Divinity. Realise this in every inch of His creation. Wake up and shake off your ignorance. Feel, practise and become one with it. A true Spiritual Teacher alone can help a man spiritually. He can come down to the level of an ordinary man and lead him to the higher goal step by step. He can point out to him the snares and falls on the spiritual path and guide him to the supreme goal of God-realisation. If an aspirant is sincere and earnest in his higher pursuits, God will send him the right Teacher at the right time. God exists. Nothing can exist without God. The whole world is within God. God is the Creator, Director and the Ruler of this Universe. God exists as the life of your life. Soar high always in the realms of Divine pursuits, and higher spiritual knowledge and realise the Lord of life, love and joy. This indeed is the goal of life. As the rivers flow into the ocean, so may you flow on to the Absolute, the ocean of Bliss Immortal. Spiritual work is glorious. Spiritual life is glorious. Everything spiritual is glorious. Life should be guided by spirituality. In every situation, our action should be guided by the spiritual perspective, by Dharma, by Satyam, Ahimsa, Brahmacharya. The Lord came to this earth as Sri Rama with the sole purpose of guiding misguided humanity. He played a drama in which every twist and turn provides heart-warming, soul-inspiring guidance for humanity for all time. The Ramayana abounds in lessons which we can use in our daily life. There is no situation in life, no problem in life for which we cannot find a solution in the Itihasas. Puranas are not just interesting stories. They contain vital spiritual truths. The man who patterns his life after the noble souls in the Puranas will become a spiritual hero, indeed. Company of saints will take you to God quickly. The saints will make you like themselves. The company of Sadhus will remove all the impurities and make you pure. Their company will help you to remember God constantly. Be still. Be in tune with the Divine will. Let go all worries. There is in the heart of every man the supreme abode of eternal bliss, the perennial fountain of joy, the pool of nectar, the divine centre. Entertain sublime, divine thoughts. You will always have favourable circumstances and environments. Faith transcends reason. Faith alone opens the door of Eternal Bliss and the Immortal Abode. Have unswerving, unshakable faith and enter the illimitable domain of everlasting peace. Yoga is the science of life. It gives completeness to life. God is eternal and as such fills every moment of our lives. Yoga teaches us how to contact God and thus fill our being with His light, power, peace and bliss. Seek the Immortal Self. Aspire for Bliss Eternal. Strive to attain Reality. He who strives, finds. Real sympathy directly enters the heart. Love includes all. Love purifies and expands the heart. Purify your thoughts, through love and kindness. Real peace can come only out of love and understanding. Man should love man; nation should understand another nation. Everybody should be filled with the spirit of self-sacrifice and selfless service. These qualities will manifest themselves in man if he is made to feel he is a spiritual soldier and that he is perpetually engaged in an inner war with the senses, with the mind, with egoism, in order to regain the Paradise lost. Ignorance is the common enemy. Egoism is the universal enemy. Lust, anger and greed are the worst enemies of all mankind. Selfishness is a powerful foe. In order to root out these formidable enemies, man should cultivate purity, nobility, charity, love and a spirit of service in his heart. Remember; the Lord has created the world in order to provide a school in which man could learn these virtues and exercise them. Your neighbour has been created by the Lord in order that you might love him, serve him and thus grow in divinity. The Lord Himself walks in the garb of the poor and the sick in order to give you an opportunity to serve Him and thus evolve spiritually. Therefore, serve all. Love all. For thus would you secure a victory over your own lower animal nature. Purify your thoughts, through love, celibacy, kindness, non-injury, prayer and meditation. Eradicate evil qualities and cultivate virtuous qualities. Do not deviate from the path of Truth. You will attain eternal bliss and peace. May God bless you. God exists. Nothing exists without God. The whole world is within God. God is the Creator, Director and the Ruler of this Universe. God exists as the life of your life. The Higher Self is your friend, guide and philosopher. It guides you with its still small voice of conscience. The lower mind is your enemy. It keeps you bound to the wheel of Samsara. Love of God is liberating. It will lead you to perennial bliss and immortality. It is Bhakti which will bring about an Eternal Union between you and the Supreme Lord of the Universe. Pray to the Lord daily. He runs after those devotees who have a pure heart filled with devotion. God loves you even when you turn away from Him. How much more shall He love you, if you turn to Him again sincerely with faith and devotion. Very great is His love, greater than the greatest mountains, deeper than the deepest ocean. Pure and simple food will help you in observing Brahmacharya. Do not read novels. Be moderate in diet. Take cold water bath. Avoid pictures. Do not look at women. Whenever you chance to see them, think that they are the manifestation of the Universal Mother. A life of true and sincere Bhakti, love of fellow beings and selfless service, is really one of immense blessing and no success in life is more assured than in such a divine life. In all the problems of your life put this question to yourself, “Is this thing going to take me nearer to the ultimate spiritual attainment, to the achievement of Divine Perfection, or is it going to slow me down in my progress towards the fulfilment of my inner life?” This will be the criterion. If a thing takes you towards the worldly life and binds you to the heavy wheels of Samsaric existence, then reject it; but if it hastens your movement towards the obtainment of God-vision and God-experience, then adopt it. The true fulfilment of a man’s life is not in what he gets, but it is in what he becomes and does. In being and doing lies success. The highest success is in purest being and noblest doing. It is right action unto perfection. Such is divine life that grants God-vision and confers eternal bliss. The realisation of Oneness in all existence, manifested and unmanifested, is the goal of human life. This unity already exists. We have forgotten it through ignorance. This Oneness can be attained by prayer, Vichar, meditation and contemplation. Love God fully and intensely with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul. You will be wholly absorbed in Him. Spiritual practice is not comprised by an isolated set of activities distinct from life or plucked apart from its normal context. Yoga, Vedanta, Divine Life and Sadhana verily imply the direction of one’s life towards the Divine Ideal. Yoga is not a part of life but your life spiritualised. The essence of this spiritualisation consists in turning away inwardly from desire for passing names and forms and integrating and centralising all one’s desire-potential and love-potential upon the Eternal Reality which is the very life of our life, our true Source-Sustenance and Goal Ultimate. It is the Father-mother GOD of the dualist devotee and worshipper of God. To live for attaining the exalted Experience of your oneness with Him, to remember Him always by an unbroken current of loving recollection, to be aware of His abiding Presence at all times by knowing Him to be the spiritual Essence hidden behind all Names and Forms and to feel your self to be His child or His servant or an essential part of His very Being—this is Yoga—this is Vedanta. Live and act worshipfulness. Dedicate all the movements of life unto the Supreme. Fill life with selfless activity, bounded by the terminals of mystic contemplation and inner reflection in the morning and night. Even while you act thus stand inwardly as a silent witness of thine own actions. Dedicate all activity to the Supreme by offering them up mentally to the Divine frequently during the day. This is practical Vedanta. It is not action that binds but the association of our inner consciousness with the actions of our mind and body. Practice of Self-Awareness strikes at it and snaps this error of association. No more do actions bind. Activity continues yet you abide in the Self. Such abidance in the Self is the very secret essence of the Quest and the Path. All spiritual Sadhanas are directed towards gaining this Self-Abidance. What have you to do with this body and its movements? How can activities ever touch or affect thy inner Reality, the hidden Splendour? Neither body, senses or mind but Immortal Atman thou art. May the Divine Light guide thy hands and feet at each moment, at each step every day. May supreme Blessedness be thine. Lead an ideal life of peace. Peace is a divine attribute. It is a quality of the soul. It fills the pure heart. Peace comes from constant Prayer and Nama-smaran. Feel, I am nothing, I have nothing, I can do nothing, without the grace of God. Thou art everything. I am Thine, All is Thine. Trust in God. You shall be filled with the Divine. There is subtle spiritual mind existing in seed-form behind our gross mind. Through contemplation, prayer and Japa this mind develops and with its unfoldment a new vision opens. Life in Spirit is real living. You will lag behind if you depend upon bodily life. Thoughts of God cheer up the body, mind and spirit. Names of God soothe the nerves. Love of God bestows peace and joy. Knowledge of God breaks the fetters of Karma. If an aspirant is sincere and earnest, God will help him. A Sadhak or an aspirant should completely surrender himself to the Lord. He should feel that he is only an instrument in the hands of God. Such a one is bound to have success in the spiritual path. Have self-confidence. Be bold and cheerful. Keep a cool, balanced mind. Work for work’s sake. You are bound to succeed in every undertaking. God bless you. The greatest goal of man is the realisation of the Divinity indwelling his being. Life is for the unfoldment of the Divine Perfection within you. Such realisation is Bliss, Peace and Eternal Life. Attain this by renunciation, devotion and meditation. Decide. Make a study of yourself. Try to have a clear picture of your own nature. Draw a picture of yourself; weak points and strong points. Eliminate all the negative qualities. Pray to God constantly. Lead a simple life. Speak the truth at any cost. God will guide you. Human birth is very difficult to attain. Having come to this earth plane we should endeavour to lead an ideal life. The goal of life is God-realisation. Have this noble ideal before you. Strive to attain this ideal. Kindly practise a little Jape and meditation regularly. Beloved Ram! Do not be impatient. No effort is lost. What is required is deep faith and Bhava. Have perfect faith in the Lord. His Name is your sole refuge and support. Faith heals, faith creates, faith works wonders, faith moves mountains. Have faith. Purification, illumination, unification, perfection and liberation are the stages in the spiritual path. Love God fully and intensely with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul. You will be wholly absorbed in Him. Have holy aspiration. Grow in purity. Meditate seriously. Entertain lofty, divine thoughts. You will have Divine Life. Lead a life of purity and simplicity. Divine Life rests upon the purity of mind and simplicity in life. Take the Lord’s Name always. Feel His Divine Presence wherever you go. God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. The attainment of God-realisation is the grand goal of life. It’s your birthright to attain Divine Consciousness, this blissful experience beyond all sorrow, pain, imperfection. Plunge yourself into selfless service. Selfless service purifies your nature; it develops devotion; it grants you a vision of the Divine. Live free from like and dislikes, attractions and repulsions. This is life Divine. Love is the greatest healing power in this world. Love of God really means love of humanity. Dharma includes all external deeds as well as thoughts and other mental practices which tend to elevate the character of man. Dharma comes from the Divine and leads you to the Divine. Love is selfless service, mercy, compassion, fellowship, helpfulness, understanding, tolerance and goodwill. Therefore cultivate love. Love all. Befriend all. Be still. Be in tune with the Divine will. Let go all the worries. Ease out all cares and anxieties. Get deep down into the innermost corner of your heart and plunge into the ocean of peace. Remember God daily. Start your daily business after worship. Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Help the poor and needy. Seek the company of saints. This is Divine Life. Ever indwell in the presence of the Lord. Perform all your activities as a worship of God. Then only work does not bind you. Great are the blessings of earnest spiritual aspiration, a lofty spirit of service, daily prayers, and a study of inspiring philosophical and religious literature. Live in the world but be not of it, just as a lotus leaf lives in water. Though the leaf is in water but it is not tainted by it. So also you should live in the world and attain Divine perfection in this very life. Ever live in God. The only thing worth seeking in this world is God. God alone is to be sought in this world. All happiness and bliss are centered in Him alone. Therefore, attain God. Dedicate all work and actions to the Lord. Surrender unto Him. You will soon experience the Divine Joy and Bliss. Study the lives of saints. You are inspired at once. Remember their sayings. You are elevated immediately. Walk in their footsteps. You will attain peace and everlasting bliss. Purify your thoughts, through love, celibacy, kindness, non-injury, prayer and meditation. You will attain success in life. Be kind to all. Trust not the senses. These two practices are quite sufficient to make you a perfect man. Service of humanity is service of God. This is the new religion as preached by Sri Swami Vivekananda, Sri Gurudev and other modern saints. This is the religion as taught by Mahatma Gandhi. It is God and God alone that assumes all names and forms. He walks in the garb of a beggar. He assumes the form of the sick and suffering. Japa And Remembrance Of God Ever remember God. Feel His presence wherever you go for God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. He is nearer than your breath. See Him in all faces. Cling to His feet. He will protect you and guide you. Constant remembrance of the Lord will bring you everlasting happiness and Supreme Peace. Let thy every movement be a living prayer to the Lord. Think positively. You grow into a likeness of the thought picture which you hold on to with sincerity and persistence. Contemplate upon your ideal in which you wish to grow. This forms part of daily Spiritual Life. Have perfect faith in the Lord. His Name is your sole prop, refuge and support. His temple is your pure heart. Be pure in heart and noble in work. Japa of Lord’s Name is your real wealth. Everything else will pass away. The bungalows, the bank balance, the cars and gardens, do not constitute your real wealth. They will not give you peace of mind. You can have peace and bliss only in Him. Yo Vai Bhuma Tat Sukham. Remember this always. Do Japa, Kirtan, Prayer. Never hurt other’s feelings. Thought should be noble and divine. Start the day with God. End the day with God. Fill the day with God. Live the day with God. Japa of Lord’s Name is your real wealth. Japa, Kirtan, Prayer and meditation will surely help you in the purification of the mind and heart. Please take that Mantra which your heart likes best. That Mantra is the right Mantra which, when taken, brings joy and Peace. You should stick to one Mantra. You should not change from one Mantra to another. Ever repeat the Name of the Lord. The Lord is everywhere. He is in you and you are in Him. There is no place where He is not. He is closer than your hands and feet. Attain the Lord by regular Japa, Puja and meditation. Ever repeat the Divine Name of the Lord. The constant chanting of the Divine Name will bring you all joy and happiness. Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Have separate hours for prayer and meditation. Speak sweetly. Speak little, Help others. Speak the truth at any cost. Be regular in your duties. Remember God at all times. This is Divine Life in essence. Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Let the sacred Name of the Lord ever be upon thy lips. Feel the presence of God everywhere. God is in you and you are in Him. Do not forget this point. Therefore, hate not any one. Love all. Practise the presence of the Lord wherever you go. God is everywhere. You are in Him and He is in you. This you will feel as you make progress in prayer and Meditation. Before you start your Japa in the morning, wash your face and hands thoroughly or take bath if you are used to taking cold bath. Select a particular place to do Japa. Daily practise Japa in the same place where you do Japa regularly. Do not change the place. Lead a simple life. Take Mitahara. Talk little. Speak truth. Be good. Do good. Do not hate anyone. Help others. Pray to God daily. Live righteously. Act truthfully. Meditate regularly. Attain knowledge of the Imperishable. There is no other way to wisdom and peace. Ceaselessly think of God. Let the sacred Name of the Lord ever be upon thy lips. A regular study of scriptures, enquiry of “Who Am I”, and discrimination will undoubtedly lead your goodself to God. Kindly continue to do your Japa. Wherever your mind moves feel there also, that there is God. Make the mind understand that there is no place left where there is no God. There is God in every speech. Watch the mind steadily. Let it wander for some time. Then try to bring it back upon your chosen ideal. Loud recitation of God’s Name helps to develop concentration. If you are not able to read books then request someone in the house to read for you an hour every day some useful spiritual literature. Live in tune with the Infinite. Rejoice in the Self within. This is a great slogan of life. Ever remember the sacred Name of the Lord. You can daily sing Lord Siva’s Name both morning and evening. Siva is everywhere. He is in you and you are in Him. Feel His presence everywhere. Feed your mind with thought of God, your heart with purity and your hands with selfless service. Remain soaked in the remembrance of God with a one-pointed mind. Have some Ideal in your life and work for it. The highest ideal in man’s life is the attainment of Perfection. This Perfection is full of peace and happiness. Peace and happiness can be attained by regular prayer and contemplation. Therefore, set apart a few hours of the day for this purpose. Start the day of your activities with prayer and end the day with prayer. Practise the presence of God by remembering Him constantly. Let the sacred Name of the Lord ever be upon thy lips. See God in every face. Treat all with kindness and compassion. Live a life of simplicity and purity. This is Divine Life. May His presence ever be felt by you wherever you are, whatever task you are engaged in and at all times. Make His Name thy supreme support. Let remembrance of the Divine be unto you even as breath in the nostrils. Know Him to be the indweller of all things. He is the ever present reality in the midst of changing names and forms. A harmonious development of the body, mind and soul alone can enable you to fulfil the glorious role for which you have taken birth here. You can attain Self-realisation. Take the sacred Name of the Lord always. Nama Smaran or constant remembrance of the Lord is the only easy Sadhana for God-realisation. Set apart some fixed hours for Japa and prayer daily. Ever remember God. Let His sacred Name ever be upon thy lips. God is nearer than our hands and feet. He is nearer than your breath. He is everywhere. He is in you and you are in Him. See Him in all places. Love God fully and intensely with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul. You will be wholly absorbed in Him. Kindly do Ananya Chintana (constant remembrance) of the Lord. None can explain the immense benefits of Japa. Japa is the rod in the hand of the blind aspirant to plod on the road to realisation, Japa is the philosopher’s stone or divine elixir that makes him God-like. Through Japa alone one can realise God in this life. Pray to God daily. Let the sacred Name of the Lord ever be upon thy lips. Dedicate all your household duties to the Lord at the end of each day. Feel the presence of the Lord wherever you go. Life is precious. Therefore, spend your time in useful pursuits. Set apart sometime during the course of the day for prayer and worship. Feel the presence of the Lord wherever you go for He is everywhere. He is closer than our breath and nearer than our hands and feet. He is in you and you are in Him. Always abide in Him. Start the day with prayer and Japa of the Divine Name. Follow this by little exercises and deep breathing. Remember God at all times, everywhere. You need not be a Yogi but you must be an Aadarsha-Purusha. Your personality must shine with a radiant light of great qualities. Virtue must occupy your heart and mind. Be bold. Be courageous. Be cheerful always. Service, worship and meditation must constitute your inner life. Always do vichar. Feel the presence of God wherever you go for God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. He is in you and you are in Him. He is nearer than relatives and friends. Live in Him. Love for the Lord brings you all joy, bliss and blessedness in life. Real happiness lies in a simple and pure life. Love of the Lord will transform you into a Divine Being. Cultivate true love for the Lord by glorifying Him, by chanting His Name and by hearing His glories. Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Be regular in your prayers, Japa and Svadhyaya. Do not forget the Lord even a single moment of your life. Hold on to God as fast as you can. In Him alone you will find true happiness. Always remember God. Let His sacred Name ever be upon your lips. Be merged in the thought of God. Give your mind to God and hands to work. Be good. Do good. Hate none. Love all. This is Divine Life. Live in God. The love of God alone can bring you real happiness in life. God alone is real and all else is unreal. Therefore detach yourself from the worldly objects and attach yourself to God. Ever repeat His sacred Name. Do all your duties as worship of the Lord. Life is a holy and joyous movement towards God, who is the eternal Source of our being. Life is an expression of our continuous spiritual link with the Divine Essence that pervades and is present everywhere. The practice of the Divine Name and loving remembrance is the secret of regaining this Inner Connection. Offer up all that you do, dedicate your life unto the Divine. This is the golden key to blessedness, fearlessness, freedom and bliss. Do your duties with full attention. Every act is worship and Yoga if done with the correct spiritual Bhava. The tongue may always go on repeating the Divine OM silently when the body is engaged in work. Morning and evening offer your activities to God by doing Brahmarpan or Krishnarpan. In prayer, you draw near to the Divine. Devotion develops the spiritual consciousness in the devotees. The practice of the Divine Name grants the priceless treasure of Bhakti or devotion or Divine Love. Loving remembrance of God makes mature this Bhakti and brings you face to face with God. Live for attaining God-vision. Even though you do not find much time to spend in meditation you may repeat the Lord’s Name during the day, whatever the body may be engaged in. This is a very effective Sadhana to win the Lord’s Grace. The Divine Name is very potent. Together with the repetition of the Name there should be the attitude of surrender to the will of the Lord, knowing that everything happens by His Will and for our own good. With this inner feeling of absolute surrender to God there arises constant peace and bliss. Remember to do three things without fail: one: cultivate the virtues of truth, purity, selflessness, kindness, and simplicity in nature. Control anger, give up hatred or ill-feelings. Treat all as thine own. Two: remember God at all times and repeat His Name constantly. Three: dedicate all thy actions to God. Don’t think of any activity as worldly. Regard all that you do as sacred and make Arpan to God at every step. Let each day be a day of worshipfulness. Develop your pure emotions but keep them in wise check. Discriminate wisely. Constantly aspire to feel His presence by calling upon Him. Repeat the Holy Name of the Lord. Constant remembrance of the Lord by the repetition of His Name and thinking of His peace, bliss and light is the surest way to contact Him and live in His immediate and comforting presence. What is wanted is a sustained and constant aspiration with a heart full of love. The Lord is sure to respond to a heart that calls in love, for He is all mercy and all compassion. Be patient and calm and His response will always come. Side by side with daily and constant meditation you may also read inspiring books written by realised saints and sages. This will keep the aspiration intense and will inspire you. Kindly go through the books of our Divine Master. Every word of his is filled with power and the ability to transform us and lead us Godward. Introspect and remove all defects. At the same time fill the entire being with all Divine qualities. It is only through selfless service, prayer and worship that one can attain purity of mind. Constantly remember the Lord’s Name. Remain firm in thy adherence to the ideal of Divine Living. Never neglect the study of spiritual books daily even if it be for a short period. Spiritualise thy ordinary professional work by the Bhava of worshipfulness. Be ever cheerful. Practise kindness and charity towards souls that are less favoured by Providence. Let the Divine Name of God be ever upon thy lips. Be a fearless Messenger of Truth and a humble servant of God. Remembrance of God is Life. Forgetfulness of God is death. The most invaluable and supreme treasure in this world is faith in God and devotion to God. A life without devotion is a dreary waste. Such a life is essenceless and useless. There is no greater treasure than the Divine Name. There is no greater wealth than Dharma or character. Dharma leads to God and in God alone you will find true happiness, peace and bliss. If you want happiness, you must attain God. There is no other way. This is the only way. This is the truth. He who turns your mind towards God is your greatest well-wisher. He who creates in you devotion for Dharma is your true friend. Spiritual discourses and Satsangas inspire man and turn the mind towards God. A lofty service indeed to mankind. Set apart sometime both morning and evening for prayer and repetition of God’s Name. Start the day with the thought of God. Fill the entire day with the thought of God and retire to bed with the thought of God. Ever remain immersed in the thought of God for God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. He is in you and you are in Him. Feel this by regular worship and prayer to God. Your only sole purpose in life is to attain God. All else is useless and worthless. Therefore, strive to attain the Supreme by leading a noble life of simplicity and purity. Take the Name of the Lord always. Let His sacred Name ever be upon your lips. His Name when sincerely taken bestows upon you all joy and blessedness. Start this New Year feeling the Divine Presence everywhere. Constantly offer prayer to the Lord. Feel He is your very own. Turn your gaze within and enjoy the Eternal Bliss. Please be regular in your daily meditation. Morning and evening, you should spend at least half an hour in meditation. Constantly live in the remembrance of the Lord. Let His sacred Name ever be on thy lips. My advice to you is: Lead Divine Life. Practise Japa every day. Sing the Lord’s Name every morning and evening. Take regular morning exercises. Speak the truth. Serve the elders. Study Gita and Ramayana. Develop Bhakti. This is Divine Life. Live this noble life. You will attain God-realisation. Kirtan purifies the mind and heart. All worldly thoughts will disappear during Sankirtan. In this Kaliyuga, the Name of the Lord is the surest remedy for all worldly ills. Please carry on your Sadhana with redoubled vigour and zeal. You should continue to repeat the sacred Mantra, Om Namah Sivaya. This has my approval. Yes, you can combine Bhakti Yoga and Raja Yoga. Try to do Japa of the sacred Mantra. Also write the Mantra on a separate notebook. This is called Likhit Japa. Write for half an hour daily. Observe Mouna while writing Japa. Practise Asanas and easy Pranayama to start with. Spend two hours in the early morning in spiritual Sadhana. Chalk out a Sadhana programme for daily practice. There is infinite Shakti in the Lord’s Name. The Lord’s Name is the solution for all the troubles that have beset mankind in this modern age. You are simple and pure. You have to strive hard to cultivate virtues. Be noble. Be simple, and plain like a child. Be honest and truthful. Do not forget to offer daily prayers—morning and evening—unto the Lord. Do Japa and observe silence for half an hour daily. You will have Divine Life. Have reverence and faith for the Name. The glory of the Name of God cannot be established through reasoning. But it can certainly be experienced through faith, devotion and constant repetition. Ever repeat the Name of the Lord. Feel His presence wherever you go. He is in you and you are in Him. Let all the various duties that you discharge be as one continuous prayer to the Lord. Do all your work as a worship or as an offering unto the Lord. Repeat the Name of the Lord mentally all the time. Remembrance and worship are the potent means of drawing His grace. Whatever may be your occupation, wherever you may go or travel, constantly remember Him and offer all that you do as worship unto Him. You will soon attain Divine Grace. Live in the awareness of God. Seek the company of saints. The company of saints will inspire you and you will be filled with noble thoughts. They help you to contact God. God is the only thing that is worth seeking in this world. Therefore, cling to his Divine Name. Yes, You are perfectly correct in saying that the easiest way to attain Him is to remember Him always. In remembering Him you grow in love for Him. To think of the Lord is to draw His grace. In His grace there is fulfilment of the purpose of human birth. Ever repeat the sacred Name of the Lord. The Divine Name is a powerful spiritual force which can counter and ultimately destroy all obstacles, all forces that oppose the aspirant in his inward path of meditation and prayer. The power of the Name cannot be easily realised unless one keeps deep faith in the Name of God and goes on practising it, and the method of awakening the power of the Name is through proper Bhava. There is infinite Shakti in Ram Nam. Rama Nama is the remedy for all ills. Therefore, let the sacred Name of the Lord be ever upon your lips. The sacred and auspicious Name of Siva may be repeated all the times of the day. There is no such restrictions that you should recite only at particular times. For a Sadhaka every moment of his life is precious. Therefore, think of the Lord Siva always besides your morning and evening sittings for Japa. Even in the midst of your work, you can repeat His Name mentally. There is no fixed rule. The Name of the Lord is the surest remedy for all the ills of life. Not only it removes physical troubles, but also cures Bhava-Roga. Therefore, take the Name of the Lord with faith and devotion. Cling to the Divine Name. The Name of the Lord is great relief and consolation. Verily, life is temporary, body is perishable, and death is a certainty. But God is a great Reality and while man lives he must seek the Eternal. This is life and its central purpose. Even when the body is engaged in activities, even then your inner being must contemplate the permanent Reality. Let there be remembrance every moment. Let the Name ever be upon thy tongue. Even daily activity should be a dedication with devotion. The Divine Presence is here and now. Behold the light shining through all forms. Such a life will bring you blessedness, joy and peace. Let the holy and sacred Name of Rama ever be upon thy lips. Do not forget God even a single moment of your life. Give your mind to God and hands to work. Be rooted in firm faith. Make God the very centre of your life. Draw strength from prayer. His Divine Name is your support. Chant the Name of the Lord loudly in the morning and night. Let the Divine Name fill the home. May peace, prosperity and blessedness be yours. Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Pray to the Lord daily. There is no place where God is not. He is everywhere. He is all-pervading. See Him everywhere. Always feel that every movement of your entire being is a living prayer and adoration to the Divinity that resides within the innermost centre of your being. He is the Antaratman. He shines within us as a Divine Light. You are never away from Him even for a moment. He is ever with you. This is the truth. Japa is the method of keeping up this awareness. Ever feel the presence of God and ever remember Him and take His Name at all times. Serve man and worship God. Fill thy home with the chant of His Divine Name. When you do Japa concentrate upon the Mantra. Recite every Mantra clearly. When your mind is restless, you can chant the Mantra a bit loudly so that you alone could hear. When your mind is calm, then you can do Japa of this Mantra mentally. Have a fixed place and Asana. Do not change the place. Keep the place neat and clean. Constant remembrance of the Lord comes through regular habit. Feel the presence of the Lord wherever you go. Feel His presence in every action you do during the course of the day. Make a conscious effort to remember God at all times. Associate God’s Name with the work you do daily mentally. Take God’s Name while you walk, while you sit and while you eat. Feel that God is the inner ruler who manipulates your mind, body and sense-organs. Feel that I am only an instrument in the hands of God. Feel that God is the doer. Ever remain immersed in the thought of God. Constantly take the sacred Name of the Lord. Have a stiff bound notebook to write Mantras. Keep the notebook where you do prayers and worship. Observe silence when you write Mantras. Do not entertain any worldly thoughts during Mantra writing. Write the sacred Mantras with Bhava. Feel the Presence of the Lord wherever you go for God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. He is in you and you are in Him. Feel this by regular Japa and meditation. Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Remember the Lord always. Have a fixed period for prayers and Japa. Respect elders. Entertain guests. Serve thy neighbour. Lead an ideal life. Be an example to others. Your goodself will find eternal happiness only in God. Trust in Him. Have faith in Him. He will give you all joy and happiness. Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Have fixed hours to practise prayer and Japa. Take His sacred Name constantly. Feel His all-pervading presence wherever you go. God is nearer than your hands and feet. He is nearer than your breath. Take God’s Name always. Rama Nama will cure all the ills of life. Have intense faith in His Name. He and His Name are one and the same. There is no difference. Feel His presence everywhere. Do your work as the worship of God. Feel the presence of God in your office. Have confidence in yourself. Be kind to one and all. Do not use harsh words. Respect your superior officers. Do not doubt your subordinates. God bless you. Set apart some fixed period for Japa and meditation. Do Kirtan. Do worship of God. Give your mind to God and hands to work. See God in every living creature and within you. Feel His presence everywhere. You will experience immense bliss, strength and indescribable joy. Do not forget God even a single moment of your life. God is the source of strength. Remembrance of God is strength and life. Be ever repeating the holy Name of the Lord which you like most. Start it now itself. Cultivate intense faith and love for God. Ever long for His Grace. Through regular Japa and meditation the Divine flame grows brighter and brighter. The Lord is within you. He is seated in the heart of all beings. Whatever you see, hear, touch or feel is God. Happiness comes to him who seeks the happiness of others. Relieve the sufferings of those who are distressed as per your ability. Always repeat the Name of the Lord. Let His sacred and holy Name ever be upon the lips of all devotees and members of your Branch. God alone is real. This life is meant to attain Him. Therefore, lead a life of simplicity and purity and attain this life’s end. Aspire for Bliss Eternal. Strive to attain Reality. Find God everywhere. Ever practise the presence of God. Rise up from bed with his sacred Name upon thy lips. Remember Him throughout the day during your activity. Retire to bed with His holy Name on your lips. Such a constant Smaran of the Lord will bring you all peace and happiness. Start your Japa with right earnest and become a great Japa Yogi. Cling to the Lord’s Name. The practice of the constant repetition of the Lord’s Name is the greatest of all Yogas in this Kali Yuga. Therefore, acquire the habit of “Ananya Chintan” of the Lord. This will take you to the Lord safely. Devotion to the Lord is regarded as a very efficacious method of attaining self-realisation. Therefore, cultivate devotion through Japa, prayer, Kirtan, study of Ramayana, Bhagavata and through service of Sadhus and His devotees. Kindly do not worry that you are not able to visualise the form of your Ishta Devata when you do Japa. When you advance in the path you will achieve this. Sit in front of the picture of your Ishta Devata. Look at it with a steady gaze for some time. Then close your eyes and bring the form to the mind. Repeated efforts will give you success. Withdraw the mind from worldly thoughts. Develop concentration and attention. Be patient. Take Sattvic diet. Pray. Be regular in Japa. All these will aid you to advance in the spiritual path. Obstacles On The Spiritual Path With every problem is born its solution. Therefore, be not afraid when problems arise. Make God the Pole-star of your life. Overcome personal desire and aspire for Him alone. What is pleasant does not necessarily lead to supreme happiness. Live for Him, Who has brought you into this world. To know Him utilise every moment of your life well. You become what you think. God is the greatest wealth. Bliss is within. The path of Yoga is no doubt difficult. One has to come across various temperaments. It is not unoften that the student of Yoga is confronted with disappointments, failures and set-backs. The earnest aspirant sees in all these the hidden hand of the Lord, an opportunity to perfect the imperfect nature. Hence all such so-called obstacles are converted into opportunities to triumph over our nature. Patience is necessary. It is our duty to give love to all, even to those who tend to disappoint us. Love that is not given freely is not true, Divine love. Through such perfect Divine love you will be able to change the heart of your friend. Pure love always conquers in the end. It transforms the hearts of others as well as the heart of the giver. Never fear about your spiritual progress. Your faith and devotion will help you at every step. Guru-kripa ever guides the faithful disciple. Live in the awareness of the Divine presence. Let your daily life be an unbroken stream of God-remembrance. See Him in and through all faces. Be worshipful at heart. His Name is thy strength and support, unfailing. This mundane life is full of miseries. Pain is a blessing in disguise. Pain turns your mind towards God, in Whom alone there is lasting happiness and peace. Incessant remembrance of God destroys the misery of the whole world and fills a person with the Highest Bliss. The seeker, during spiritual practices will have to undergo different kinds of experiences. These experiences are part and parcel of Spiritual life. Sometimes the seeker feels joy and sometimes feels no taste for the spiritual life. You will have to rise above happiness and unhappiness. Let not these trouble your mind. They come and go. Essentially you are Divine. Your real nature is Peace. Nobody can disturb you. Nothing will disturb you. You are not affected by the external environments. Pray to God silently. Seek solitude and do enquiry of “WHO AM I” in right earnest. Tell your mind to constantly plunge into the thought of God. Regular practice of contemplation and meditation will bestow upon you peace and happiness. Think positively always. You grow into the likeness of the thought picture which you hold on to with sincerity and persistence. Contemplate upon the ideals into which you wish to grow. This body is the product of Prarabdha. It is an ever changing, unreliable vehicle which we have assumed to enter into this earth life. You are the glorious Self or the Atman that shines radiant and ever abides in its changeless shape of peace, bliss and fullness. For, it is the Divine Spark, a ray of radiance emanating from the Supreme Lord SHRI HARI Who is its Source, Support and Ultimate Destination. Body is not your true Self. It is both the vehicle and a vexing bondage too, but it is a blessing in as much as we are enabled to worship the Lord, take His Name and meditate upon His wondrous Divine Being with the help of this body. But, even independent of it you ever abide in your primal, shining state of pure Atmic being. You are Nitya, Nirmala, Sasvata, Amara Satchidananda Svarupa. To be rooted in this Truth-Consciousness is the most pleasing worship of the Lord Narayana. Be perfectly confident. Banish all fear from the mind. Mind is a great deceiver. It is the root of all sorrows. Fear is itself the main disease. Throw it out of the mind. Be always smiling. Your real nature is Joy, is Bliss. Know yourself to be different from the mind. Rise above it. Discard its dominance by asserting your real spiritual nature. You are Soul Immortal. Calmly if you reflect over your life and its circumstances, you would find that you enjoy better ease and a better situation than those that are meted out by the Hand of Providence to thousands around us. The best way out of the present difficulties is more faith in the Divine, greater industry, more hard work, and a continued appeal to the Divine to use your energies more and more, and afford you unasked the necessaries of life in greater measure. I am conducting special prayers for you and I am sure the Divine Lord will not only enable you to bear your difficulties with a cheerfulness and a calmness and a peace that belong to spiritual aspirants like you, but also to give you opportunities for increasing your income, for overcoming your financial odds. Be of good cheer! Destiny by which the Merciful Providence is familiar to people, will help your industry, your hard work, your prayers, your brave will and will soon show you a way out of your predicament. Kindly conduct Satsangs at home. Kirtans, Bhajans, prayers—these are the great spiritual treasures which will bring you material wealth too. Never be afraid of Samsara. When you have the Name of God upon your tongue and the Smaran of Sri Gurudev in your heart, what can Samsara do? If you are careful about your diet, your health will improve. Do not take hot drinks; avoid strong tea etc. Avoid fried articles, chilly and pepper. Take little quantities of milk frequently. Never worry. Never hurry. Keep your mind free from anxieties. Be happy and in a cheerful mood always. Smile at everyone. Laugh a number of times during the day. Atman is Ananda. You are Paramananda. Feel and express this. There may be ups and downs, storms and stresses, smiles and tears, as you go on living your life amidst its many vicissitudes, trials and tribulations. Do not lose faith but press on with a firm conviction that God wants to mould you in His own image through sufferings and tribulations. Pray fervently and wholeheartedly. Leave everything to God. He will do what is good for you. Spiritual life is life in the Divine through control of mind. The spiritual path demands long perseverance and great patience. The thought you create in your mind and the images you form in your daily life help you in making you what you are or what you would become. Therefore do not be brooding over failures in controlling anger etc. “Let the dead past bury its dead; act, act in the living present” is a golden precept. Therefore substitute Divine thoughts. The very thought that you will be successful in Brahmacharya in the next month will make you successful in the ensuing month. The Lord is everywhere. Feel His presence everywhere. His eyes behold everything. His hands protect all. Trust in Him. Take refuge in His sweet Name. You need not despair. You need not be afraid of anything. The Supreme Lord is all mercy and love. He is ever waiting to take charge of us and remove all our difficulties and obstacles. We should unhesitatingly seek His grace and make Him our loving companion. The only way to get rid of your present difficulty is through self-control. There is no other way and no remedy for this. The first thing you will have to do is that you should change your attitudes towards women. Except your legally married wife, you should consider all other women as the very embodiment of Divine Mother. Do not see the world as it appears to you but see it as it is. What is there in the woman? What charm is there? It is only a cage of flesh and blood. There is no beauty in reality. You think she is beautiful due to your own imagination. Maya is so powerful that it covers the reality. Study the works of Mahatma Gandhi. Study our Gurudev’s book, “Practice of Brahmacharya”. The attainment of purity helps you to control negative thoughts. Regular prayer to God, reading of religious books like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and the company of saints will immensely help you to attain purity of mind. Ups and downs, troubles and tribulations are common in the world. They are common to one and all. Each individual in one stage or other has to face these circumstances. There is no way to escape from them. There are many instances in our Puranas of those who had to undergo a lot of sufferings. What about Harischandra? What about Nala? What about Dharmaraja? Face them bravely. Each obstacle will strengthen you. Each failure is a stepping-stone to success. Please be happy wherever God has placed you. Rely upon Him. Pray to God to give you strength to face them calmly. Total surrender to the Lord will bring you highest happiness. He knows what is best for you. Have intense faith in Him. He will protect you and guide you. He is the supporter of the entire Cosmos. Kirtan also is equally important. God is not keen on your voice and music; but your heart, regularity and surrender. Cultivate the habit of singing the Lord’s Names and His glories. This will make you blissful in a short time and will remove all your tiresomeness and worries. Beloved Self, kindly do not give way to anxiety and fear. Be cheerful and trust in the Lord. He will guide you in everything you do. Surrender unto Him, knowing that it is His will that does everything. Daily make it a point to study some religious books and reflect upon the truths contained therein. Spend some time in silent communion with the Lord. Think of Him during the day also, when you have some leisure. Seek His guidance like a little child. The more you trust in the Lord, the more will you feel His Divine hand leading you. You will enjoy immense peace of mind and joy. Sickness is only in this perishable physical body. The real “You” is beyond all sickness. This real “You” is beyond all these mundane afflictions. Your real nature is Divine. Know this through regular meditation, contemplation and by right Vichar. The spiritual path is a question of supply and demand. If the demand is there in the form of constant aspiration and remembrance of God, the supply in the form of guidance, protection and peace is bound to manifest itself. God, who is an ocean of mercy and love is waiting with outstretched arms to receive His children. So let us turn to Him now. Through the healing you have mentioned in your letter you clearly notice a manifestation of the Divine power of God. It is God alone who is the Great Healer, not only of all physical ills, but the more serious ills of the mind and soul. Aspire for purity, perfect love and compassion. Then the Divine Power will flow through you automatically and bring solace and comfort to all. Unceasingly pray to God. Surrender to Him whole-heartedly. God runs to him who prays with a sincere heart. You may be certain of that. Be pure in heart. Let your mind and your lips be as one. Surrender yourself to His care. The Lord will hear your prayers. If your prayers are not heard, wait for sometime. God is all-merciful. He will certainly listen to you. Your prayer must come from your heart. Then only, He will take care of you. Always take God’s Name. His Divine Name is your strength. He is your Father and Mother. Take shelter in Him. Difficulties come in our path to test our strength. As such, we should welcome them, and with faith and trust in the Lord and His Holy Name, we should tide over them. Therefore, take refuge in the Lord’s Name and surrender unto Him happily, and without question. Kindly conduct regular Satsang at home daily in the evening and sing the Name of the Lord. Surrender to Him and pray for His help. He will solve all your difficulties and fill your life with joy, peace and prosperity. Always remember Him during the day by repeating His Holy Name. Nama-Smaran will call forth His Grace and protection upon you. The Lord knows what is best for us. So trust in Him and rest in peace. Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Be regular in your daily prayer. Take daily some physical exercise. Do not mix with bad or evil company. Do not entertain negative thought. Let not undesirable thoughts cross your mind. Develop healthy habits. Take simple and wholesome food. Pray to the Lord to give you strength to lead a spiritual life. Be a Dhira. Take courage. Do not despair. Develop a strong and iron will. Read Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji’s books, viz., “Thought Power,” “Sure Ways to Success in Life and God-Realisation”. You shall be immensely benefited. Get up in Brahma-muhurta at 4 a.m. Take bath or wash your hands, feet and face. Dash cold water on your face. Take the name of the Lord. Chant a few hymns in His praise. Offer prayers to the Lord. Then remember the Divine Attributes of the Lord. Meditate on them. Forget the past. Forget your weaknesses. You are now a spiritual personality. Ever engage in reading spiritual literature, remembering the Lord’s Divine Name and doing something good and useful. Never be idle. Do not waste life in sensual pleasures. Avoid company of friends. Look upon women as Divine Mother—Para Sakti. Beloved Self, doubt not the mercy of God. God is merciful and kind. Take shelter in Him. Pray to Him. Sing the Name of the Lord. This will bring you peace. “Om Shri Hanumate Namah” is the correct wording of the Mantra. You may kindly do 108 Malas of this sacred Mantra daily. It will bring you peace of mind. Even when you are on duty, think of God for a while. Do your duty as worship of the Lord. Dedicate all your actions unto Him. Have trust in Him. Remember, even this will pass away. You are a man; a young energetic youth. It is expected of you to be manly; to be bold; to be courageous. Take up courage. Try to understand life. Read Gurudev’s books. Do not depend on others for your own happiness. Happiness lies in self-control, self-reliance, in selfless service and in leading an ideal life. Forget the past. Mould your life with new ideals, new thoughts. Be a hero. Thus you will be happy. Thy kind letter has brought me a great deal of delight. The four difficulties you have listed therein, concerning your Sadhana are very common, and the way out lies in your palms. It’s easy. Despair or impatience can itself act as a great obstacle; therefore, preserve patience, and explore new ways and fresh paths for progress. Like the mind itself, faith does indeed flicker and waver. Faith is tried and tested even in those who have already made remarkable progress on the path. One grand way of sustaining and also helping the growth of faith is the study of inspiring literature of saints and sages, and other religious and philosophical literature. Japa will cease to be tiresome and mechanical only after a good deal of practice; only when the mind is adequately purified by Japa. BHAVANA should be developed. The Deity of the Mantra should be approached in various ways....perhaps when tiresome, the mind will take in with enthusiasm loud chanting or Kirtans. With fervour and zest and enthusiasm Japa should be taken to. Remember the essencelessness of Samsara, of worldly pleasures; and constantly bring before the mind the picture of the endless blessings that are yours for a contact with, and realisation of, God. The third and fourth of your difficulties are identical. This difficulty disappears by gradual and persistent practice. You must have before your eyes the very best and the most pleasing image or picture of your Istha-Devata. It must absorb your interest, engage your attention, and quicken the highest sentiments in your heart. It must be very fascinating, and you must be in a position to see it when you close your eyes. You must know that it is everywhere; it is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient; that it will talk to you, smile at you. Auspiciousness, peacefulness, blissfulness, immortality or triumph over death and ignorance, are some of the Kalyana-gunas of Lord Siva. KINDLY MARCH FORWARD with a SWIFTER PACE. But one thing you must always remember, that you are never alone. God is always with you. He is your Antaryamin. Therefore feel His presence within and do all your work with Atma-samarpana Bhava. This is divine life. Your soul is pure. Take courage. Do not lose heart. God will protect you. Forget what is past. Pray to God. He will give you strength. If God wants to protect you nobody will do you any harm. God protects His devotees. Therefore, surrender to God. Pray to Him for His mercy. You are very dear to the Lord. Those who are dear to the Lord sometimes have to suffer for God’s sake. God puts them in difficult circumstances in order to strengthen them, in order to make them perfect. Do not hate anyone. Pray to those who harm you. Pray to the Lord to give them better understanding. This is the way of any aspirant who devotes his life to attain Him. Blessed self, suffering is part and parcel of our life. Every one of us, at some stage or other has to encounter it. It comes to strengthen us. It paves the way for the onward march in the spiritual path. Therefore, face it bravely. It is a blessing in disguise. Not only in times of stress, but at all times an aspirant should remember God. He or she should always practise the presence of God. One should feel His presence everywhere. Do all your duties as the worship of God and offer them to the Lord at the close of the day. Prayer is an unfailing remedy for all situations. Prayer is the trusty companion along the weary path to Moksha. Prayers bring you near to God and make you feel the Divine consciousness and your essential immortal, blissful nature. Your attitude towards suffering is quite right. It is the attitude of a sincere seeker after Truth. Even the very Lord Christ had to undergo a lot of suffering. God sometimes puts His devotees in difficult situations in order to strengthen them spiritually. We cannot understand His ways unless we move towards Him. Kindly take heart. Face every situation in life calmly. Troubles and tribulations are common in everyone’s life. Life is not a bed of roses. Such trying situations will strengthen you. Smile at such situations. Be witness of all these circumstances. The Lord is everywhere. Feel His presence everywhere. His eyes behold everything. His hands protect all. Trust in Him. Take refuge in his sweet name. You need not despair. You need not be afraid of anything. Ever live in the awareness of God. Feel His presence wherever you go. God is merciful and kind. See His mercy. He means always well. Let His Divine Name ever be upon thy lips. Regret to learn that once again the peaceful atmosphere in your factory was disturbed. This is the nature of the world. Be a mere witness of all that happens in this passing world. Grow inward. You are undisturbed Peace within. Our essential nature is Sat-Chit-Ananda. Do not forget this. Gurudev again and again reminded us of this by his songs and writings. Dwell within. Everything will pass away. Peace will prevail again. God’s ways are mysterious. He gives and takes. The world is the play of God. Be a witness in the world’s play. There is nothing permanent in this world. God alone is real. Therefore, cling to Him with all your might and strength. Refuge in God promotes all happiness and peace. Always remember God. Feel His presence wherever you go. For God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. It is very difficult to understand the ways of God. He knows what is best. We have to only witness His play. Take shelter in God and Gurudev. No harm comes to him who obtains God’s grace by constant praying. Therefore, pray to God and Gurudev ceaselessly. Let the sacred name of the Lord ever be upon your lips. Do not forget Him even a single second of the day. God is just. The Divine law is just. He who believes in this, remains unperturbed in all trials and adversities. The Name of the Lord alone is the sure remedy for all ills of life. Therefore, take the holy name of the Lord always. Feel His presence wherever you go for God is everywhere. Take shelter in Him. He means always well. Rise above the body idea. Feel and realise that you are the infinite, the supreme Self, and how can you be affected by passion or greed? Ram Nam is the great strength of the seeker. It is full of Divine Power. Repeat Ram Nam and obtain the Grace of God. The Divine Name will give you immense inner strength to overcome all obstacles. Turn away now resolutely from all sense-experience. You are your own master. There is nothing that you cannot do. Make up your mind this minute and you will be a new man. There is no satan. Discard such thoughts. Imagination of the mind has to be given up. Occupy yourself with active interesting work. Keep the mind engaged. I send you my spiritual good thoughts. Stand up and march towards God. Never give up right principles. God bless you! Despair not. Be courageous. Be brave. Be bold. All this will pass away. Such sufferings and trials are part of our life. They will make you perfect. Do not worry. It is worry that weakens the mind and body. You cannot remove worries by worrying. Seek some remedy. Observe the principles of nature. Do not violate the principles of nature. Beloved Self, know that God is kind and merciful. At times, He puts His devotees in difficult situations, in order to strengthen them. Therefore, despair not. Be calm and serene. Know thy essential nature. Your essential nature is Shanti Maya and Sat-Chit-Ananda-Maya. Understand this and immerse in this thought. Blessed self, have no worry of any kind. What makes you unhappy? All this unhappiness, depression and dejection will only touch your body and senses and not your spirit. Nothing can touch you. Nothing can disturb you. Your essential nature is Divine. Your true nature is full of bliss. You are Sat-Chit-Ananda. Understand this essential nature. Face life. Be courageous and brave. Be ever cheerful and happy. Away with depression and gloom. Pray and worship the Lord with faith and devotion. Keep yourself in a positive state. Overcome negative thoughts by entertaining positive divine thoughts. Do not be dejected. You have got immeasurable strength and power within. Face all difficulties with a smile on your face. Never be despondent. Ever laugh, jump and smile. Always remember God. Let the sacred Name of the Lord ever be upon thy lips. Take shelter in Him. He means always well. Kindly ascertain your inner nature. You are the undisturbed peace within. This is your real nature. Go deep in this realm. Be a mere witness to the play of the outer world. Stand aside and see the Lord’s play. Do not be perturbed. It will vanish as it came, leaving no trace of it. God is merciful. Whatever happens in one’s life is for the good of that individual. God’s grace does come but one has to wait and watch. We cannot understand Him. It is beyond our comprehension. Regular study of holy scriptures, the right enquiry of “Who Am I” and constant prayer and meditation will undoubtedly lead you to God. May you always abide in the Lord. Be brave. Be courageous. Do not lose heart. God will protect you. Such trying circumstances do come to everyone of us in some stage or other. This is life. Life in this world is full of unhappiness. It is the nature of the world. Life is full of ups and downs. This will pass away soon. Take shelter in God. He knows what is best. Throw your burden upon Him. He will remove all your difficulties and bring you peace and happiness. Kindly read Mahabharata and stories of Savitri, Damayanti and Draupadi. Even they had to face troubles and trying circumstances in life. Resort to the repetition of the Lord’s Name. Feel His presence wherever you go. Do not forget Him even for a single moment of your life. But ever remember that your essential nature is Satchidananda Svarupa. You are not this body, not this ever-changing mind but that ever-blissful Satchidananda Atman. May you ever be deeply immersed in your own Svarupa. You are verily THAT. May God bless you. Try to adapt, adjust and accommodate. Look upon everything as the Lord’s Will. Study the life of Rubia a Sufi saint, who was a maid servant sold to a Jamindar. Draw inspiration from the lives of saints. The inner life and the outer life should meet in one Divine Life. Know that God alone is real. The world is unreal. All the things of this earth will perish. God is the only Reality. Therefore, seek God alone. Pray daily. Worship Him. Always take the Name of the Lord. Please despair not. Take courage. It is life. No man is free in this world. Everyone of us at some stage or other has to suffer. Suffering is part and parcel of our life. No man can escape. Specially devotees of God suffer much. Our suffering is nothing when compared to the suffering of great saints. Face them boldly. Rise above them. Sufferings will strengthen you. They are blessings in disguise. Your essential nature is Ananda Maya. Dwell in this Svarupa. Nothing can touch you. All births, deaths and diseases are only for the body and not to the Spirit. This body comes and goes. Rise above the body-idea through right discrimination. This body is Anitya. One day you will have to cast it aside. Then, why worry for this? If we feel the power of the deathless and imperishable nature of the Self, we are sure to forget the body and its limitations. As we establish ourselves more and more within, we will enjoy more and more peace and bliss. Suffering purifies and turns the mind towards God. Suffering strengthens the will, softens the heart and generates the power of endurance. Ever be rooted in the thought of God. Let the constant Smaran of the Lord ever be upon thy lips. Cling to Him fast. Think of His mercy. He is kind and all love. He is Karuna Sindhu. There is no end to His mercy. He means always well with you. Those who surrender to Him will have no fear. Only happiness and joy await the spiritual aspirants in the end. Know that God alone is real. The world is unreal. All the things of this earth will perish. God is the only Reality. Therefore, seek God alone. Pray daily. Worship Him. Always take the name of the Lord. The aim of life is to avoid misery and attain Eternal Bliss. Birth in this world is inseparably connected with misery. If you wish to avoid misery, pain and sorrow, you must avoid rebirth. Knowledge of Brahman is the only means of avoiding rebirth. God is beyond the reach of the senses, but you can realise Him, know and feel Him, if you withdraw yourself from the senses and their objects. You are in the Light of the Holy Master’s spiritual blessings and benedictions. The Divine indwelling in thy heart ever takes care of your spiritual welfare. Please be not troubled. Act in prayerfulness. Let the presence of God enfold you in His joyous embrace. You are Peace. Your inner nature, is Peace. Be still. You shall taste that perennial Peace. All things change. You are changeless Peace. PEACE is your name. It is abiding. May that Peace which you are in-fill every thought of yours and permeate your entire body and fill each pore in it. Unnecessary worry and annoyance do not reduce the intensity of what one is passing through. The reactions of one’s past actions have to be gone through. A certain amount of cheerfulness regarding all unpleasant happenings as so much ‘account settled’ makes the burden of life lighter. See God’s Purpose in things as they occur. May you surmount all the sorrows of worldly existence. Plod on. There must be unshaken faith in God during trials, disappointments and difficulties. Hope and help come from within when one feels utterly helpless. Guru and Ishta are not two but one. Guru points out the Ishta and merges himself into the Ishta. So there is nothing to worry about. There must be unshaken faith in God during trials, disappointments and difficulties. Hope and help come from within when one feels utterly helpless. Life on this earth is always a mixture of pain and pleasure. Great trials and adversities will make you stronger and stronger. Stand adamant. Be resolute. Have a fiery determination and an iron will. Such is indeed the law of life. A coming into being and a going out of being; these two together constitute the thing called life upon this earth plane. Death is not the contradiction of life but it is, the conclusion or the completion of the life. The Jiva has to move on. The fate of all created bodies is eventual dissolution. That is why all created things are declared to be “unreal” and the “Eternal” alone is the REAL. It does not mean that they do not exist, it means that they do not endure. Being transitory they soon pass. To seek the Eternal is wisdom. This life is given for this quest of the Immortal Being we call variously as God, Paramatman, Para-Brahman, ATMAN, Purusha, Satchidananda, etc. Your life attains fulfilment when this Nitya Tattva is experienced or realised in this life. Peace, Bliss and Immortality arise out of this Supreme Experience. Faith develops gradually. Full faith can be possessed only after realisation of God. Please do not worry on this point. With what faith you have, proceed onwards. Practice of spiritual life makes faith to grow. Doubts and questions will be there occasionally. None is free from these. Know this much, that God exists. The Divine is the only unchanging Reality. All things change and pass including our own present personality, which questions and seeks. In essence, thy true nature is Unchanging, Eternal Being. Submit yourself to the Will of God. It is the Lord who is running all the show in this vast Universe. We are only His instruments. Nothing lies in our hand. The only thing that we can do is to pray to Him. He will hear the prayer that comes from the earnest and sincere heart. Therefore, pray to the Lord and seek His mercy. God is an ocean of mercy. He will always take care of His Bhaktas. Have full trust in Him. Whatever He does, it is for the good of a Bhakta. In His hands we are all safe. Never worry about your future. Dedicate your actions to God unconditionally. Then alone misery is left behind FOREVER. This is the simplest method of Yoga. May you attain the Joy of SELF through prayer! Beloved Self, do not feel despondent. The little physical difficulty will soon pass away. It is only a little Karmic purgation. Feel that you are getting cured. Be positive in your thoughts and you will soon be well. Surrender to the will of the Lord, under all circumstances and conditions, brings immediate peace of mind. Therefore, remember Him constantly and feel that everything happens through His will only. He, who is an ocean of mercy and compassion always looks to the welfare of His Bhaktas, even though the Bhakta does not see His hidden hand. Read spiritual literature regularly. Books written by Gurudev are the source of inspiration. They will guide you in the spiritual path. They will remove most of your doubts. Feel the presence of the Divine Being within you and ever draw light, joy and strength from Him. He is ever with you. He is your indwelling Father, Guide and Friend. When you have Him you lack nothing. Drop all anxieties and carry on with your work with calmness and cheerfulness. Trust Him and rest in Him. We can but witness the movements of God’s will upon His earth. And at the same time pray and seek to know His Will for us under these circumstances. Ultimately we find that His will prevails anyhow. This human body is constituted of past Karma. Its various changing conditions constitute inevitable processes in the course of working out this Karma. The indwelling Atman is ever unaffected by these changing processes. You ever remain the unchanging Witness or Sakshi to the changing conditions of body and mind. Know this Truth. Base thyself upon thy real Svarupa. Thou art the glorious inner Self ever before, now and hereafter. Boldly and bravely stand by the Reality. Smile. Smile under all circumstances. Practise this Vedanta in daily life. It is the body that undergoes the changes of age, and conditions of health and ill-health. You ever remain the unchanging Kutastha Atman; and Peace and Ananda is your Svarupa. Ever rest in this inner awareness. Passing experience will not touch the unbroken inner Atmic Experience. Live in the presence of the Divine. Beloved Atman! The dual throng of experiences makes up this earthly life. Having come into embodiment, they are to be gone through with fortitude. From such experiences, one matures in wisdom. Also, they are inevitable. Please, carefully make a study of the IInd. chapter of the great and holy work “THE SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA”. The truth about things will be known therein. This earth Plane is Karma Bhoomika, meaning, the plane of working out one’s previous actions. The individual souls come into embodiment to undergo experiences and further their evolution towards their ultimate release. Until this process is completed, they have to come again and again into various bodies. No one has any ultimate connection with anyone else. Just as logs of wood floating down a fiver at times come close to one another in mid-stream, even so do beings related through connection of physical body. When the time comes, even as the logs separate and float away in different directions even so, souls journey apart. This is the truth. This is inevitable. We have to accept the inevitable with fortitude. But, there is not extinction of life. There is separation, no destruction. He who thus knows, abides in peace. The heart is not troubled, recognising that all these different processes constitute LIFE. That, which the human world calls death is as much a part of the great plan of life as any other process accepted as such. There is a deep reason, a hidden necessity behind all things that take place upon this Cosmic stage we call the world, in this unfolding of Universal life plane of which every individual is a part. Make the Divine Name of God your all-in-all. Let it never be absent from your tongue. This is the greatest strength and solace in this age. The Divine Name will help to bring you unscathed through all problems and difficulties. To be absorbed in Divine Name is to experience true peace. Have perfect trust in God. What He does for you is the best for you. He will do to you what He knows is the best for you. Revered self, despair not. Have faith in the Lord. All troubles and tribulations will pass away. All such trials and difficulties are part of life. They come to strengthen you. Face them bravely. Though Sri Krishna, the Lord of the Universe was very dear to the Pandavas and He closely moved with them but there was no end to the sufferings of the Pandavas. Only, devotees’ faith and sincerity will be tested. Take shelter in God. He will take care of you. Love all those who harm you. Never think ill of them. They do not know what they do. They are ignorant. Pray to the Lord to enlighten their minds. Give only love to those who hate you. Always talk to them, whenever you meet them during the course of your work with them, with a smiling face. Let them know that you have nothing against them. Everything will change. Ever repeat God’s Name, for God’s Name is the sovereign remedy for all ills of life. There is nothing which cannot be cured by the recitation of the Lord’s Name. God is merciful and kind. There is no end to His mercy. Try to get up early in the morning and take a brisk walk. You must go for a walk in the very early hours of the morning and return home before the sunrise. After a while take a cold water bath. Then do some Asanas, like Halasan, Sarvangasan, Paschimottanasan and Matsyasan. Do Asanas for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat each Asana 4-5 times. Then do Pranayama for 5 minutes. Pray to God for strength; repeat the name of the Lord constantly. You will gain strength. Also repeat the Asanas and Pranayama in the evening and do not fail to take an evening walk, in the fresh open air. Sickness is only in this perishable physical body. The real ‘You’ is beyond all sickness. This real ‘You’ is beyond all these mundane afflictions. Your real nature is Divine. Know this through regular meditation, contemplation and by right Vichar. Be in prayerfulness. Seek and find guidance from HIM Who is enshrined in the altar of your heart. Have faith and trust in the Lord and always feel that He is working and talking through you. Then there will be no cause for anxiety and fear. Gradually you will be able to talk boldly and freely. Feel that you are serving the Lord in all. Think of the Lord just before you begin your talk and feel confident that He will guide you. God is everywhere. Feel His presence everywhere. His eyes behold everything. His hands protect all. Trust in Him. Take refuge in His sweet Name. You need not despair. May goodness be your ideal and goal. May you all be good and attain Godhead. Have full trust in God. Pray to the Lord. He is an ocean of mercy. Everything happens by His will. He is the only real protector and saviour. He ever takes care of His devotee. Keep your mind always in communion with God, then all depravity of mind will vanish. Please practise Japa and meditation daily. The more you can devote yourself to the contemplation of God, the more fruitful your life will become. Do all your Sadhana in a spirit of dedication. Struggle is a sure condition of progress. Shrink not, faint not. The Lord is your real Helper. Go forward with full steam. Don’t feel disturbed. Advice To Householders Your house is a Divine abode. Blessed are you all who live in the remembrance of the Lord. That house which is a centre of worship and devotion, that house in which the Lord is enshrined and adored, is verily a most blessed place. May they make God the very centre of their homes and their companion in their shops. Time flies; names and forms vanish. One who is careless, loses one’s precious life without attaining anything. It is necessary to be awake and earnest, each day and every day. We should meet the last day with a smile upon our lips and a heart singing with joy. Peace must fill our entire being. God should never be forgotten. His Divine Name should never be absent from our lips. To follow the teachings of saints is the way to peace and true inner happiness. They teach a life of simplicity, of kindness and compassion, of contentment and lessening of desires. Noble feelings and thinking and simple habits in living provide the secret of happiness, and blessedness hereafter. Control anger, greed and sensual inclination; develop purity and generosity. Remember God at all times. Regard your home as a sacred abode of God. Never waste any time in worldly talks. Always be cheerful. You must both train your children in the above way of living. This training is the greatest gift you can give to your children. Make yourselves an example for them to follow. Home will become heaven. May they live an ideal life of Dharma and virtue. The service of poor and sick, respect of elders and guests, love of a neighbour and charity comprise the life of a householder. Let them worship the Lord daily. May they contribute joy and happiness to society. Let them lead a life of purity and simplicity. Such a life will bring them joy and happiness. Let them understand that family life is not merely a Samsaric worldly partnership, but it is to be made into a spiritual partnership, where both seek God together. The home is the Sadhana Mandiram. By daily prayer, worship, Bhajana and Hari Nama Sankirtanam the home should be converted into an abode of God. Such a home is verily Vaikuntha. May they live a life of purity and truth to uphold Dharma by their conduct and to glorify God through their daily life. Om Sri Ramaya Namah. Let them both lead a simple life. Fashion and extravagance must be avoided. Fashion is an enemy of peace and happiness. The husband and wife must manifest the true spirit of Indian culture. Let her grow into a great Pativratanari like Savitri and Sita. Let him adopt the great vow of Ekapatnivrata shown by Bhagavan Sri Rama, our Marayada Purushottama. Let them shine with purity and virtue. Let them both love each other with devotion and deep faithfulness. Sacred is marriage. Sacred is the home. Let the wife serve their elders, guests, learned people, holy men and saints. Let them help the poor and the needy according to Dharma. Their home must be like a sanctified temple of God. It must ring with the joyful chant of God’s Divine Name. Sacred scriptures must be heard in their home. God should be daily worshipped without fail. The purifying fragrance of incense and Arathi shall make the home a sacred abode verily. Such a life and such a home will bring prosperity, progress, success and happiness to the married couple. Have faith in God. Do your duty correctly. Remember God always. Walk the way of truth and goodness. Know that both of you are always in the presence of God. God dwells within you. To live is to move towards God daily. May God bless you. May the Grace of Sadgurudev Sivanandaji be upon you both as also upon your parents and all the relatives too. May God shower Divine benedictions upon this auspicious marriage occasion. Live for God. Live in God. Let all thy activities be done in the spirit of worshipfulness. Do that action alone which is based on righteousness or Dharma. Every duty is sacred. Devotion to duty is the highest form of worship of the Lord. May the new couple enjoy the Divine Life by leading a life of Dharma and righteousness, service and charity to the poor and a well-regulated life of prayer, worship of the Lord, Japa, reading of holy scriptures and constant remembrance of the Lord’s Divine Name. Life without God is real death. Even if one has the wealth of the whole world, if God is absent from one’s life, there can be no real happiness. That home where there is peace, where the holy scriptures are recited, where the Lord’s Divine Names are sung, where there is harmony, is the real Vaikuntha. May you convert your home into a Vaikuntha by the daily recitation of His Holy Name. Surrender to the Lord will bring real peace and solace to the heart. Contentment is the real wealth. Let us all try to possess this Divine wealth of the Lord. May they live a noble life of virtue, devotion, selfless Paropakara, dutifulness and Dharma. Let their home be to them the abode of God and a place for spiritual evolution. Let them know that theirs is a spiritual alliance and a partnership in moving towards perfection in virtue and realisation of God. May the ideals of Ekapatnivrata and Pativratya govern their mutual relationship and Grahasthi life. Let both of them live a life of Dharma and virtue. True happiness lies in bringing happiness to others. Let them set an example to society by leading an ideal life of service, prayer and worship. Let them serve the poor and sick. This is an ideal life of a householder. Marriage has an all-embracing significance. It restrains and spiritualises the basic instincts in men. It is in this Ashram that man and woman learn to train their inner self and mould their character. It is on this perfect moral and spiritual union between man and woman that the entire society is built. Marriage is only a preparation for a higher life. This, one should never forget. The couple should regard themselves as children of the One Divine, brought together by the Divine will to achieve Its mission. That should be their right ideal to attune oneself to that Divine and to let that Divine will flow through the individual will. The secret of happiness in life is the constant Smaran of the Lord and doing good to others. Feel joy by bringing joy to others. Respect of elders, service to guests, practice of Dharma, love of neighbours and doing good to others constitute the very essence of Grihasthashrama Dharma. Service of elders, love for neighbours, charity, leading a simple life, speaking the truth and purity in thought and mind constitute the very ethics of a house-holder’s life. Let the couple follow these principles in their life. When they are earnestly followed, they will bring them blessedness and eternal happiness. The life of the householder is a most noble one, for it is in this Ashram that one can practise the great ideals of service, tolerance, understanding, charity and love. Both the partners should help each other to march forward in the path to God, assisting each other in their daily Sadhana, such as worship, prayer and study of sacred books. When both souls turn their hearts to the Lord with faith, devotion and love, there is no end to the peace and happiness that they enjoy. Such a house certainly becomes Vaikuntha on earth and is a glorious example to humanity at large. The children too, should be well trained to walk the path of truth, obedience, study and daily prayer. Kirtan and Bhajan for some time every evening will fill the home with Divine spiritual vibrations. May the young couple ever remember the spiritual basis of marriage. More than a social partnership, it is a sacred alliance unto noble living and God-attainment. The householder’s home is to be as holy as a Gurudwara. Let them enshrine the sacred GRANTSAHIB in a pure place in their home. Let a brief worship be an indispensable and unfailing item in their everyday life. Let this home be pervaded and purified by NAM and SUMIRAN. May they live like Rama and Sita. Let them set an example to other householders by leading a life of virtue and Sanatana Dharma. Let them lead a life of simplicity and purity. Service to parents and guests, speaking the truth, giving Bhiksha to saints and monks, bringing up the children in an ideal manner, rushing to help others, charity and devotion to God—are the very foundation of householder’s life. May they consider their home a temple of worship. May they consider their lives a partnership in fulfilling Dharma, doing good and moving towards the sublime goal of God-attainment. On Sadhana Please continue your earnest efforts in the spiritual path till you obtain the vision of God. Make intense inner Sadhana the key-note of your life. Base your life upon the ceaseless remembrance of the Divine consciousness and the constant feeling of His presence. Sadhana done regularly and systematically will bestow upon you inner peace and happiness. Know that God alone is real. This world will pass away. The supreme purpose of life is the attainment of perfection or God-realisation. Work for this high aim when you are here upon this earth plane as a temporary pilgrim. A life of prayer, worship and meditation will take you to this goal. God’s Grace is always upon you. Without His Grace you cannot make even an inch of progress in Sadhana. The mere struggle to practise Sadhana is itself His Grace. The mere knowledge that you are not practising regular Sadhana revealed to you from within is due to God’s Grace. Ever feel the presence of God and Gurudev. Do not leave Sadhana even for a single day. Whatever action you perform dedicate it to the Lord during the close of the day. Have fixed hours for prayer, worship and meditation. Sadhana or spiritual practice should make you ever cheerful, more concentrated, joyful, balanced, peaceful, contented, dispassionate, fearless, courageous, compassionate, angerless, desireless and mine-less. Sadhana, when regularly practised with earnestness and Bhava shall give you rich inner life, introspective inner vision and unruffled state of mind under all conditions of life. Sadhana is the only asset in this life. Make intense inner Sadhana the key-note of your life. Base your life upon the ceaseless remembrance of the Divine consciousness and constant feeling of His presence. We have come to this earth plane to attain God. Therefore make every effort to attain Him. Have fixed periods of prayer, Japa and meditation. God is light. God is eternal life. God is love. God is the only truth. He alone is. All else is false. This world is a false, empty show. Love Him with heart and soul. He is your best friend. Sadhana is a gradual process. Religion consists in doing good to others and in the practice of love, mercy, truthfulness, non-violence and purity in all walks of life. To pervade the world with friendliness, kindness, love, sympathy, compassion—this is the way to union with God. Live in tune with the Infinite. Sadhana is meant to train the mind. It is the very nature of the mind to flicker, toss here and there. Sadhana is a gradual process. Before sitting for meditation chant some Stotras, Prayers and Mantra and then start Japa and meditation. Somedays if you find difficulty in rising early, let it not worry you. Somedays you feel meditation is easy and sometimes you feel that you have to make effort. All such conditions will pass away. Please carry on your meditation. Persistent practice of meditation for at least two to three years will make the meditation easy and steady. You have obtained the grace of God and Gurudev. This enabled your goodself to make steady progress in Sadhana. Your clockwise regularity in rising early, performance of Asanas and physical exercise, Kirtan, Japa, Pranayama and reading of the Gita and other scriptures is most appreciable. Please be regular and systematic in meditation. Meditation is one of the important items of the Spiritual Diary. Meditation is the Master-key to open the realms of the Kingdom of Heaven. Please plod on to the goal steadily. The control of the mind in the shape of desirelessness for objects is the most effective way to the attainment of liberation and the realisation of the Supreme Being. Pray to Him constantly. Surrender yourself wholeheartedly to Him. God runs to him who prays with a sincere heart. You may be certain of that. Be pure in heart. Let your mind and your lips be as one. Surrender yourself to His care. Meditation should not be stopped even for a day. Regular meditation done at particular hours will bring you wonderful results. During meditation, all worldly thoughts are shut out from the mind. The mind is filled with Divine thoughts. Therefore, kindly practise meditation without any break even for a day. Sadhana done regularly and systematically will bring you sure success. Therefore, never miss meditation and Japa even for a day. Speak the Truth at all costs. Do righteousness or right actions. Do not mix with undesirable persons. Forget quickly the wrongs done to you by others. All things of this world pass but God is the changeless, abiding Reality that passes not, for it is without beginning and end. Amongst uncertainties of this earth existence, one thing is certain, that we have to pass. We are not permanent dwellers upon this planet. This earth life is but a fleeting episode in the great thing called “Life” which persists before birth and beyond the grave. This earth life is a glorious opportunity granted to the individual soul to attain the conscious knowledge of its eternal oneness with the Cosmic Consciousness or oneness with God. This oneness can be attained by systematic Sadhana. May you practise regular meditation and contemplation and attain oneness with the Divine. Sadhana done in right earnest will bring quick results. Hold fast to the lotus feet of the Lord. Remember Him constantly. Don’t waste your time with worldly thoughts. Struggle to control the outgoing mind and fix it on God. Man cannot achieve anything by himself. There is only one thing to be done—pray to God and pray unceasingly. Thus we may get rid of the ego altogether and remember that God alone is true, that He alone is the real. Then only we can be freed from the clutches of ego and ignorance. Spirituality means growing into the form of your Divine Ideal. It is the transformation of your nature from human to Divine. This is brought about by Abhyasa, spiritual practice or Sadhana and Vairagya leading to inner renunciation. Make intense inner Sadhana the key-note of your life. Base your life upon the ceaseless remembrance of the Divine consciousness and constant feeling of His presence. Beloved selves, know that this life is very precious. It is very difficult to get this human birth. We have come to this earth plane to attain perfection. The attainment of perfection is the purpose or the goal of life. This can be attained by right living or Divine living. Therefore, lead a life of simplicity and purity. Have a regular routine. Set apart some hours for the practice of meditation and contemplation. Start the day with a prayer to the Lord. Whatever activity you start, think of the Lord and then do. Do all your actions as the worship of God. This will not bind you to the world. Feel the Presence of the Lord wherever you go for, God is everywhere. He is in you and you are in Him. Please make fresh resolves for this New Year. Practise Sadhana with redoubled vigour and enthusiasm. Make self-enquiry and find out how far you have made progress in the spiritual path. A right enquiry into the nature of the self, prayer and contemplation will bring you quick and sure progress on the spiritual path. Human birth is very difficult to attain. Human birth is very precious. Therefore, make the best use of your time. Plan your life. Have fixed hours to practise contemplation and meditation. He is blessed who spends his time in prayer and meditation. Feel the presence of the Lord wherever you go. God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. Prayer is strength. Prayer is life. One can live without food but one cannot live without prayer. Have fixed periods for prayer and worship. Read Gurudev’s books. They will remove your doubts and guide you. They are the source of inspiration. They will elevate your mind. They will fill your mind with noble thoughts and put you on to the right road. Swim in the ocean of spiritual awareness. Enjoy the stupendous stillness of God-consciousness. Plunge into the river of eternal life. Behold the eternal light of Divine Beauty. Ever remember the Lord. Have fixed periods for prayers and meditation. God can be served in every way. Yes, you can serve the Lord through your paintings. Have this right attitude always. When you do family duties, think that the members of the family are the manifestation of the Lord and whatever you do for them, is worship done unto Him. Progress in the spiritual path is very slow but steady. So also with meditation. Meditation cannot come in a day or two. You will have to make repeated efforts, then only you can have success in meditation. If you do not find time to practise meditation in the evening then you may please continue to do it in the morning, that is before you start any activities. Think positively. You grow into the likeness of the thought picture you hold on to with sincerity and persistence. Contemplate upon your ideals in which you wish to grow. This forms part of the daily spiritual life. Commune with the indweller (God) through meditation and heart-felt prayer. Lay bare the troubles of your heart to Him. He will instil in you spiritual strength and wisdom. Pray to the Lord daily before you start your activities and before you retire to bed. Set apart some time from your busy activities for prayer and meditation. Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Please keep away from the places of temptation. Read spiritual books, lives of saints and nuns. Read the Bible and the Imitation of Christ etc. Such readings will fill your mind with pure and noble thoughts, remove your doubts and guide you. Mind is to be purified by rigorous meditation and Supreme Tattva. Observe silence. Remove hatred, jealousy and other negative qualities by right Vichar and acquire Divine positive qualities. You will enjoy immense peace and joy. Rely upon the Lord. Dependence upon the Lord brings you joy and happiness. He will never let you down. Have intense faith in Him. He always means well with you. He is kind and merciful. Whatever happens in thy life, it is all for the best. Sometimes we are too quick to judge the Lord. Pray to the Lord daily. Set apart some time during the early hours of the day for prayer and contemplation. Feel His presence wherever you go, for He is everywhere. Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Set apart some fixed hours for prayer and worship of the Lord both morning and evening. Prayer transforms animal man into Divine Being. All problems of your life will be answered by sincere prayers. Regular prayer and worship, the study of holy scriptures and the enquiry of “Who Am I” will undoubtedly take you to God. Whatever activity you do, do it as the worship of God. God’s will alone prevails ultimately. Your future has already been well planned and settled. Whatever life you adopt, please never forget the Lord. Take things as they come. Even in the middle of the world you can practise Sadhana. See God in all. God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. Concentration and meditation cannot be attained in a day or two. You will practise it at least for three years without any break. Then only you will achieve something. Try again and again. You will succeed. Know that God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. Force this thought upon the mind that God is everywhere and in every object. Just before you sit for meditation, kindly repeat some Stotras. This will tune your mind and help in your meditation. Purify your heart and meditate. Dive deep into the innermost recess of the heart. You will find the Atmic pearl. Regular Sadhana, prayer and contemplation will take you to the Lord. Feel His presence wherever you go. All is He and all is in Him. Therefore salute everyone mentally. Pray to God daily. Keep before your mind’s eye the ideal of what you wish to become, a Divine Being, a person of boundless peace, patience, forgiveness, goodness, with universal love and compassion. Contemplate upon the ideal form. This is part of spiritual Sadhana. Your regularity in doing Asans, Pranayam, in Mantra writing and Japa is laudable. Plod on. Be clean-hearted, sweet-tongued, true-tongued. Do not destroy your soul by hatred and greed. Live amicably with others. Cultivate virtues. Be virtuous. Adapt, adjust, accommodate. Time is most precious. Make the best use of it. Be regular in your daily prayers. Do not fail even a single day in Sadhana. Sadhana is of great importance to attain peace of mind. Without Sadhana nothing can be achieved. Be regular in your daily duties. Do all your duties with the spirit of prayerfulness. Be merged in the thought of God. Prayer, worship of the Lord and meditation done with sincerity of heart will undoubtedly take you towards the Divine. Each moment shortens the duration of wonderful opportunity given for the supreme attainment, by the Divine, to the Jiva. They are as precious flowers flowing past on the stream of life. May each such flower-moment of precious time be then offered unto the Divine in sublime worshipfulness. Now is the life gloriously lived. Sadhana is utilisation of time for God. May life be thus lived. Pray to God in the early hours of the day. Early hours are highly favourable for deep meditation and contemplation. Are you getting up regularly? One should never waste the precious early hours. Sadhana done at this hour will take you to the Lord quickly. Feel the presence of God wherever you go. God is in you and you are in Him. Know this by regular prayer and worship. May God grant you all health, long life, prosperity, peace and happiness. This life is a precious gift from God. Its purpose is to fulfil Dharma, and attain God. It is meant for doing spiritual Sadhana, worship of God, and Paropakara. Wherever you are, you must live for God. God is the only wealth of wealths. All things are worthless. You come alone and no one comes with you when you go. Life is short. Death ever draws near. Convert your home into a Temple of Divine Living. Let your house be like a forest or a mountain cave. Do Japa and worship God. Be rooted in Truth. Remember God always. Make thy entire life holy and pure and attain supreme peace here and now. Practise Sadhana with right earnestness. You must be very serious about your Sadhana. Make right efforts to practise Sadhana. Without love for the spiritual path, you cannot make any progress in Sadhana. Sadhana should be spontaneous. Put your heart and soul into practising Sadhana. Lead a life of divinity and purity. Be regular in your prayers. Lead a spiritual life. Spirituality means growing into the form of the Divine Ideal. It is the transformation of your nature from human to Divine. This is brought about by Abhyasa, spiritual practice or Sadhana and Vairagya leading to renunciation. Spiritualise all your activities. Feel you are an instrument in the Lord’s hands and that all the Indriyas (senses) belong to Him. Repeat the formula “I am Thine; all is Thine; Thy Will be done.” Sleep less. Time is most precious. One should not waste his time in sleeping. Overcome sleep by active service. Read religious books. Associate with Sattvic people. Serve elders. All these will help you in Sadhana. Please continue your earnest spiritual endeavours. God will give you strength. He means always well with you. God is merciful. He is kind. He knows the innermost heart of all beings. Please plod on to the goal steadily. Sadhana or spiritual practice should make you ever cheerful, more concentrated, joyful, balanced, peaceful, contented, blissful, desireless, and mine-less. Feel that the whole world is a manifestation of the Lord and you are serving the Lord in all names and forms. Whatever you do—your actions and the results thereof—consecrate them all to the Lord at the end of each day. Do not identify yourself with actions. Then your heart will be purified and you will be ready to receive the divine light and grace.   A DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY PUBLICATION First Edition: 1976 Second Edition: 1991 (3,000 copies) World Wide Web (WWW) Edition : 1999 WWW site: http://www.SivanandaDlshq.org/  This WWW reprint is for free distribution © The Divine Life Trust Society   ISBN 81-7052-084-5   Published By THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY P.O. Shivanandanagar—249 192 Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh, Himalayas, India. Top of This Page. Divine Life Books Directory Om Aham Mani Contents

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