MAN OF SELF - CONTROL

                       Man of Self-Control 

Men of self-control become sinless and fearless. They acquire great results. Every sort of excitement is effortlessly controlled by self-control. The enemies of the self-controlled man are seen by him - they are lust, anger, desire - as if they dwell in a separate body.

The self-controlled man becomes desirous of liberation. He quietly bears present joys and sorrows and griefs; he is never overjoyed or depressed by prospective ones. He is devoid of all vindictiveness and guile. He is unaffected by praise or censure.

A self-controlled man is well-balanced. He has good manners, purity and fortitude. He is a perfect master of his passions. He is devoted to universal benevolence. He never feels animosity for anyone. He is tranquil, wise and cheerful.

A self-controlled man is endowed with intelligence. He gains universal reverence. He fears no creature and in return he is feared by no creature.

Overcoming lust and anger, practising the vow of brahmacharya (celibacy) and becoming a complete master of the senses, the holy one patiently waits. Practising the austerest of penances and observing the most rigid of restraints, he lives in the world and calmly waits the time. He is like somebody who has a body and yet seems to know that he is not subject to destruction.

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Meditation is freeing the mind from all objects and thoughts of sensual enjoyment. If this is done then God-realisation comes of itself. God will enthrone himself in your heart and meditation will come of itself. If you bring a light into a cave which has been dark for thousands of years, the darkness will vanish at once, by itself. You do not have to strive to drive the darkness away. If you attempt to put your hand into a pot which is filled with dust and dirt, you cannot. But if you empty it, then you can easily put your hand into the pot. Even so, if you empty the mind of all its dust and dirt, God will enter into it in the twinkling of an eye.

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SELF - RELIANCE

                             Self-Reliance 

Pure reason urges a man to do what is the best. The asuric (lower) nature of man fights and struggles against the higher nature of the man. The impulses of a man who has not undergone the ethical disciplines run counter to his reason. All advice, all rebuke and exhortation, all admonition found in the scriptures of the world testify that the irrational part is not amenable to reason.

The basis of good manners is self-reliance. For this reason, the great founders and eminent teachers of all religions have repeatedly proclaimed the need for recognising the Godhead within and for self-reliance in the last resort, rather than texts, persons or customs.

Self-control is greatest in the man whose life is dominated by ideals and general principles of conduct. The final end of moral discipline is self-control. The whole nature of man must be disciplined. Each element requires its specific training. Discipline harmonises the opposing elements in him. Self-control will enable the aspirant to know the truth, to desire the good, and to win the right - and thus to realise the reality.

Discipline is the training of our faculties, through instructions and through exercise, in accordance with some settled principle of authority. You must discipline not only the intellect but also the will and the emotions.

A disciplined man controls his actions. He is no longer at the mercy of the moment. He ceases to be a slave of his impulses and senses (indriyas). Such mastery is not the result of one day's effort. It is acquired only by protracted practice and daily self-discipline. You must learn to refuse the demands and impulses of your lower nature. A self-controlled man is able to resist wrong actions, towards which a worldly man is most strongly impelled.
                                                             
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Discipline yourself and grow strong. Stand unshaken. Rest in the Atman (the immortal blissful soul). Perfection is not impossible of achievement. It is within the easy reach of human endeavour. All desires are fulfilled after Self-realisation.
If you lack wisdom, ask God sincerely and he will give you wisdom. Physical health, intellectual understanding, moral integrity and spiritual wisdom lead to ultimate perfection.

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CONTROL YOUR DESIRES

Control Your Desires 

In this ocean of samsara (worldly existence) desires are like crocodiles. Kill them as soon as they arise on the surface of the mind. Do not yield to them, do not become despondent about all the trials that beset you. Make friends with the pure (satvic) mind and destroy the impure mind with the help of the pure mind. Make the mind rest in the ever-blissful Atman.

When a desire arises in your mind, consult your discrimination. That will tell you, at once, that desire is attended with pain, that only vairagya (dispassion) and tyaga (renunciation) will bring you satisfaction and peace of mind. It will advise you to renounce desire immediately. It will advise you to take up the study of the Upanishads, to repeat OM and to meditate in a solitary place. Think deeply whether this new desire will give you happiness or spiritual gain. You must starve out the obnoxious desires by not allowing the mind to dwell on such desires.

You have no desire for a thing until you know what it is like. Only after you have seen it, tasted it, or touched it, will you know what it is like, will you have a longing for it. Therefore do not touch, taste or see anything that is likely to taint the imagination. Put down vicious desires through virtuous desires. Then give up virtuous desires, through one strong desire. And that is the desire for God. In the long run you will even have to abandon this desire for God. Kill the thoughts, practise thoughtlessness. In this way you destroy desire.

Free yourself from the crocodile of desires. Do not be disheartened. Cheer yourself up. Stand like a lion. Destroy the impure mind with the pure mind. Make friends with the satvic (pure) mind and rest peacefully in the Atman.

 

THE INNER BATTLE

The soldier fights for a few hours only, 

But the aspirant's battle goes on day and night. 

It is verily a hard battle, a fierce battle 

And it lasts till the end of his life. 

This battle is raging in the field of the mind. 

Satva (purity) fights with rajas (impurity) and tamas (inertia), 

Higher mind wages war with the lower mind. 

Contentment fights with greed, 

Patience fights with anger. 

Brahmacharya (celibacy) fights with lust, 

Humility fights with pride. 

Fight, my brother, valiantly. 

Raise the sword of Ram Nam (the divine name).

—So says Sivananda.

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AVOID EXTREMES

Avoid Extremes 

The mind always wants to be doing something. When it attaches itself to the objects it cherishes, the mind feels amused and happy. There can be attraction without attachment. You can be attracted to a beautiful rose, but you are not attached to it. Attachment comes after possession and enjoyment.

Attachment, love, ananda (bliss), all go together. You are attached to your wife and children and so on. You love them because they give you ananda. As this world is illusory and as, through this illusion, pain appears as pleasure, you must cut asunder all worldly attachments ruthlessly. Direct your love and attachment towards the reality, towards Brahman, towards the substratum which lies at the back of all objects, which is the witness of all activities taking place in the buddhi (intellect).

It is difficult to divert the mind which from early childhood has fallen into the pernicious habit of seeking external pleasures and which continues to do so unless you give it something superior to be amused with. Intellectual pleasure is far superior to sensual pleasure. So too, ananda (joy from meditation) is far superior to intellectual pleasure. Spiritual bliss gained from Self-realisation, is infinite, immeasurable, unbounded. It is anandaghana (a solid mass of bliss).

Keep the mind in a state of moderation. The mind likes always to run to extremes. It runs either to extreme joy or extreme depression. Extremes meet and bring about a reaction. In excessive joy the mind cannot be calmed. Hence let the mind always be calm and cheerful.

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Ghee (clarified butter) has two states - solid and liquid. So it is with the mind. In the waking state it is solid and in the deep sleep state it is liquid. In the solid state it is limited and gross. This is why it has finite experiences. In the liquid state it is limitless and so the jiva (soul) experiences the homogeneous and limitless bliss. In the deep sleep state there is no ego, no desire, hence it experiences the limitless bliss of the Atman.

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ELUSIVE HAPPINESS

                     Elusive Happiness

 Man wants happiness. He tries to get it from money, from power, from woman, from son, from position and so on. He rushes from one thing to another trying to find happiness. He gets knocks, blows, failure and disappointment. He laughs, dances, weeps and mourns. His senses get exhausted. He gets disgust for objects. Eventually he experiences that sense objects are illusory and that real lasting happiness cannot be found in them.

Man feels the need for a particular object. He tries to get it. If he succeeds he is delighted for a moment. If he fails he is sunk in despair and sorrow; he is gloomy and depressed. If he loses an object he becomes very miserable.

As soon as one want is gratified, another new want crops up. There is no end to his wants. Cares, worries, anxieties and fear co-exist with wants and desires. Want is the product or offspring of ignorance. Brahman is all-full. All wants are satisfied in Brahman.

The restlessness of the mind is kept up by all these wants. He who wants nothing is a mighty emperor of the world. Sri Shankara says: "That carefree saint who moves about with a kowpeen or loincloth only, without possessions, without the idea of ownership, without any wants, is the most happy person in the world." Wants and desires can be eradicated by Self-realisation only.

Any number of zeros have no value unless you add a '1' before them. Similarly, even if you possess the wealth of the whole world, it is nothing if you do not lead a spiritual life, if you have no spiritual wealth, if you have no Self-realisation. 

You will have to add the Atman to the life here. That is why the Lord Jesus says: "Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

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Mind is greater than the senses. Pure intellect is greater than the mind. Atman is greater than the intellect. There is nothing greater than Atman.

Brahman is without senses, mind, prana. He is within and without all beings. He is immovable; he is extremely subtle. He is the light of all lights.

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ANALECTS OF SIVANANDA

Analects of Sivananda 

Solitude is the soul's best friend. Silence is better than argument. He is really blessed who can suit his temper to any circumstances. Grief destroys strength, health, intellect and wisdom. Conquer grief through discrimination, enquiry, and the meditation on the Atman (Self). 

Worry is a waste. Avoid it. Rather sing, pray, meditate, enquire, cogitate and discriminate. Dive into the Bhagavad Gita. You will become fearless. You will rise above all worries.

Idleness is the enemy of peace of the soul. Stop complaining. Be thankful that there is a perfect law of health to which everyone has access. Obey that law and be happy. Practise asanas - especially siddhasana, sarvangasana and sirshasana this will enable you to get control over the vital energy. If your mind is cool and your heart is full, then the entire world will be cool too.

Replace doubt, despair and hate, with faith, hope and love. Have plenty of common-sense. Think quickly and carry out your decisions resolutely in times of emergency. Change is painful but ever needful. God chooses the meek and the innocent to achieve his will.

Many talk like philosophers and sages - but they live like fools. Veil after veil has to be lifted. The illusions of life are to be torn away before life divine can be attained.

Life is a perpetual struggle. It is a perpetual dying until you are face to face with God. Man is verily the sacrifice. Nature is the ladder on which we climb up to the Lord. Do not have a sad face - you will affect others.

Be cheerful always. Rejoice. Radiate joy and cheer. Radiate health and light. Let your eyes ever shine with the light of supreme love. The reality of love-tears is not in the eyes but in the heart of love.

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"God is Truth. God is Love. God is Peace. God is Bliss.

God and God's law are one. 

The Law and the Law-giver are one. 

God is the law himself, he never breaks his laws. 

God and his law abide everywhere and govern everything. 

Glory to God. Glory to God."

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THE FOUNDATION OF ETHICS

The Foundation of Ethics 

Put yourself in the place of others. Learn this great secret. What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others. The doctrine of unity of the Atman (the Self), is the foundation of morality.

No one tries to harm himself. How can one, who knows that each and every being is his own Self, harm anyone?

Share what you have with others. This is vedanta. Aparigraha (non-covetousness) is a very important item in the practice of yama or self-restraint, in Raja Yoga of Patanjali. Aparigraha is non-receiving of gifts, it is freedom from covetousness. This leads to purity of thought and independence.

The purer you are, the nearer to God you will be. A pure heart is the most essential thing required for good health of body and mind, and for attaining God-realisation. Religion resides only in the pure heart. Only the simple can be pure. He who is pure in heart attains God-realisation.

Humility is a fundamental virtue. It is the secret of the saints. He who lives the life of humility and simplicity earns the supreme bliss of eternity. Humility is freedom from self-conceit.

Obliterate the sense of 'I-ness'. Obliterate the idea of, "I am doing" or, "I will do". You are on the way to infinity. You will take the plunge into the ocean of divine wisdom and love.

You are not the doer. Do not think of the good deeds you have done and do not even expect any thanks for what you do. If you help a man, never remember it and if a man helps you, never forget it.

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Spiritual life and devotion to God are essential for preventing a feeling of frustration in life. In the realm of perfection, harmony, peace and freedom, is the abode of Brahman. Reach this abode through purity, love, and meditation. Go to the source of life itself. You will know everything.

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