SHOWER THY GRACE --- THOU ART MY SUPPORT

 SHOWER THY GRACE 

O Lord, if thou art the sun,

I am thy ray.

If thou art the ocean,

I am the drop.

If thou art the lotus,

I am the petal.

If thou art the tree,

I am the leaf.

There is no other Lord like thee.

Thou art the ocean of compassion.

I have no qualification

And yet Thou hast blessed me.

By singing Thy name I have broken all fetters,

I have cut Yama's noose.

Sivananda sings to obtain Thy grace.

THOU ART MY SUPPORT

O Lord, Thou alone art my mind and senses.

Thou art my tongue, ears and eyes.

Thou art my prana, (the vital breath).

Thou alone dwellest in my heart.

Thou alone abideth in my breath.

Thou fillest my whole body.

Thou art the life within me.

Thou art the prompter of my thoughts.

Thou art the inner ruler.

Thou movest all the internal organs.

Thou illumineth my intellect.

Thou art my all in all.

Thou art my very soul.

Thou art the soul of my soul.

I have none but Thee.

Thou alone art my real friend.

Thou art my guru, my father and my mother.

—So says Sivananda.

- - -

Thou art my sole refuge,

I long for Thy grace alone.

Thou art the knower and the teacher,

Thou art the knowledge that knows,

Thou art the ultimate truth

That is known or realised.

—So says Sivananda.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

HERE RAINS NECTAR --- HERE RAINS NECTAR

HERE RAINS NECTAR 

My heart drinks the nectar now,

I have plunged myself in that ocean of joy,

I have drunk the cup of immortal bliss.

There is neither doubt nor sorrow here.

The terror of death is no more.

There is the sweet fragrance of the soul.

The music of the soul sounds itself.

Supreme freedom reigns here,

Brilliant effulgence streams forth,

There is the unstruck, sweet melody of harmony.

This is the sorrowless land of an old man.

The thirst of the five senses is quenched here.

Here the rain of nectar pours and pours,

The sacred stream of the Jamna­ganga

Flows here perennially.

The round of births and deaths ceases here.

Come, come my sweet companions,

Visit this limitless domain but once

And see my supreme Lord's Durbar (court).

—So says Sivananda.

OCEAN OF SWEETNESS

I have found the key of the mystery.

There is wonderful rest in the land of bliss.

Wonderful is the sorrowless land.

It is an infinite ocean of sweetness.

Look within and rest peacefully.

The three forms of misery are no more,

The five kinds of afflictions are not here.

One becomes speechless and silent ­

There is stupendous silence.

The seer, seen and sight have become one.

The knower, known and knowable are one.

There is the divine music of the supreme harmony

Without the play of fingers and strings.

One enjoys freedom and perfection.
Bliss is filled to the very brim.

I have realised oneness.

—So says Sivananda.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

SIT IN SILENCE --- COME OUT OF YOUR MEDITATION

SIT IN SILENCE 

I am neither male nor female;

I am neither dvaita (dualism) nor advaita (non-­dualism);

I am neither saguna (with qualities) nor nirguna (without qualities);

I am neither seer nor hearer;

I am neither body nor mind;

I am neither far nor near;

I am neither black nor red;

I am neither thin nor stout;

I live neither by food nor by air;

I neither move nor stop;

I shall neither go to hell nor to heaven;

I neither laugh nor weep;

I work and yet I do not work;

I hear without ears and see without eyes;

I smell without nose and taste without tongue;

Few understand Me.

He who understands Me, sits in silence.

Sivananda says: "Mysterious is that silence.
Drown yourself in that silence
And be happy."

COME OUT OF YOUR MEDITATION

O Fool! What are you doing in the room?

Why have you shut the doors?

Are you meditating or building sand castles?

Are you planning or sleeping?

What do you see with closed eyes?

Darkness? Or some white spots?

Is this your vision of God?

Do not waste this precious human life.

See God everywhere ­ in the sun

In the trees, the child, the cow,

In the breeze, in the old man,

In the running brooks, in the landscapes.

He is not within your trikuti (eyebrow centre) alone.

Can you meditate for twenty-four hours?

Do not become tamasic or lazy.

Do not mistake tamas (inertia) for satva (divinity).

Enough, enough of your meditation.

Thy cells are charged with heavy tamas.

Come out and serve God in all forms.

Here is a dynamic path of cosmic vision.

—So says Sivananda.

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

IMMORTAL ABODE --- HAPPINESS IS WITHIN

IMMORTAL ABODE 

There, the Brahman dwells by Himself;

There, He sits without support;

There, there is neither day nor night;

There, there is neither virtue nor vice;

There, there is neither light nor dark;

There, the sun and moon do not rise;

There, pain and suffering do not enter;

There, death cannot blow his trumpet;

There, hunger and disease cannot torment;

There, nobody sleeps or wakes.

It is a city of deathlessness.

It is the abode of fearlessness.

It is the seat of eternal bliss.

It is Brahma Nirvana or Paramamgati.

Sivananda says: "Meditate on Brahman, on the spot
Where the Ganges and the Jumna meet;
And rest peacefully, for ever".

HAPPINESS IS WITHIN

The musk is in the navel of the deer;

But it runs here and there to smell it.

The chain is on the neck of the damsel;

But she runs hither and thither to search for it.

The tenth man is there in reality;

But he forgets to count himself and cries.

Fresh butter is with you in abundance;

And yet you go here and there in search of ghee.

The precious diamond is within you;

But you run after the broken glass­-pieces in vain.

The key is in your pocket;

But you are searching for it in vain, here and there.

Even so the ocean of bliss is within you,

And yet you run here and there in search for it.

The Sun of suns is ever­-shining in you;

But your blind eyes cannot behold it.

The eternal sound is ringing within you;

But your deaf ears cannot hear it.

Sivananda says: "Look within and meditate,
And enjoy the eternal bliss of Atman."

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

WORK WORK WORK --- TAKE A DOSE OF DIVINE DRUG

WORK  WORK  WORK 

Do not talk of vedanta and Brahman,

Work, work, work.

There is too much talk and vedantic gossiping,

Enough of tall talk and gossiping.

Give up lecturing and pedantry,

Become a practical vedantin.

Be good to others, even at the point of a bayonet.

Show your strength and courage now.

Develop a soft heart,

That can melt at the sufferings of others,

This will lead you to the realisation of unity.

I want fiery young men ­

Brave, dispassionate and wise,

With iron will and ferro­-concrete body and nerves,

Who can pulverise the Himalayas,

Who can sip the waters of the ocean,

Who can devour death like a pickle,

Who can swim across the Pacific,

Who can uproot Mount Everest,

Who can swallow the ball of fire.

—Thus sayeth Sivananda.


TAKE A DOSE OF DIVINE DRUG

O Man! Take a dose of this mysterious drug.

The wonderful drug that grows within,

The drug that cures the disease of death ­

The drug of life, light and bliss,

The drug that bestows immortality.

The divine drug, the drug of grace,

The drug that makes you dance in joy,

The rarest drug that dispels the darkness,

The loveliest drug that is precious,

The only drug that removes grief,

The drug that kills the six passions,

The drug that makes you fearless,

The drug that puts you into samadhi.

It is the silent drug Bhumi, thy innermost Atman.

That is my strength, joy and cure­-all,

That is the potential immortal elixir.

—Thus sayeth Sivananda.

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

A TREE WITHOUT ROOTS --- MY AUSPICIOUS DAY

A TREE WITHOUT ROOTS 

There is a mysterious tree,

It has no roots.

It has grown without a seed,

It bears fruits without flowers,

It has no branches, no leaves,

It has no pith, no stem.

Many birds are sitting on this tree.

It is a very ancient tree,

It is beginningless and endless;

It is causeless,

It never dries up,

It cannot be cut by axe.

It gives shelter to millions;

It is vijnana­ vrksa (tree of pure knowledge).

It gives immortality,

It is superior to kalpaka vriksha (wish-­fulfilling tree):

—Thus sayeth Sivananda.


MY AUSPICIOUS DAY

I celebrated this auspicious day with great éclat and pomp,
With illumination and joyful songs.

My wish has been fulfilled.

I have met my Beloved.

How shall I find words

For the beauty of my Beloved?

He is brilliant like millions of suns,

He has enthroned himself in my heart.

The lamp of love burns lustrously.

I bathed Him with the water of love,

I adorned Him with the flowers of prem (love),

I gave him butter and sugar­-candy.

I have drunk the cup of love,

Which is filled to the brim;

It is the cup of perfect joy,

My rapture wells forth.

The mercy of my Lord has come upon me.

How blessed am I

Who have seen my Beloved:

—So says Sivananda.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Satsang Bhavan Lectures, Message 8

                       Satsang Bhavan Lectures, Message 8

15. Integral Sadhana / 16. Three Essentials of Sadhana / 17. Guru is Indispensible

15. INTEGRAL SADHANA 

Both yoga and jnana are necessary for annihilating the mind perfectly. Yoga without jnana cannot give you release or final emancipation. Jnana without yoga also cannot liberate you. Just as a bird flies with the help of two wings, you should soar high and reach the paramdhama, the vast illimitable domain of immortal bliss, with the help of yoga and jnana. We find the mention of sama and dama in Shad Sampat, which is one of the items in Sadhana Chatushtaya in vedanta. Sama is serenity of mind which is achieved through the eradication of all vrittis (thought waves) and dama is control of the senses. Sama and dama really pertain to yoga. So, yoga-cum-jnana is necessary for the attainment of freedom, perfection, independence or kaivalya moksha.
Simplicity, humility, adaptability, tolerance, generosity, veracity, equanimity, steadiness, stairyam, tenacity of purpose, spirit of service and cosmic love constitute divinity. If you develop all virtues, you become God.

This is the secret of yoga; this is the secret of renunciation; this is the secret of wisdom.

You should have a thirst for knowledge-mumukshatwa. Give up all worldly desires. Develop vairagya. Then you become Emperor of emperors. Vairagya does not mean that you should move about in a nude state.

Mental non-attachment to the things of the world is vairagya or renunciation. Do not think that the objects of the world will give you happiness. Deeply ignorant is the man who thinks that he can get happiness in the world. Develop discrimination. Discrimination is your highest bank balance and opulence. No object in the world will attract you if you have got vairagya. Nothing can upset you. Even in adverse conditions you will be happy. That wealth you must have. Try to attain it.

Do Japa. Do kirtan. Do pranayama. Close your eyes, and look within. Introspect regularly. Aspire fervently. Pray whole-heartedly. Meditate seriously.

Have a program of lie. Maintain the spiritual diary. Strive hard to attain the ideal. Even if you fall five hundred times in the spiritual path, again stand up and walk, just as a child does when it learns how to walk. If you are sincere, you will get help from the indweller.

So march on, O adhyatmic hero. Plod on. Look not back. March forward and attain the inexhaustible spiritual wealth and enjoy infinite peace and eternal bliss.

16. THE THREE ESSENTIALS OF SADHANA

Many people even after studying classic works on religion and philosophy, do not know what they should do in practice in order to attain the goal of life, viz: God-realisation, and they seek enlightenment on the matter.

The three things essential for God-realisation are (1) constant remembrance of God, (2) cultivation of virtues and (3) spiritualisation of all activities.

(1) Constant remembrance of God. There may be breaks in the beginning, but by repeated practice, gradually you will have constant remembrance. Constant nama smaran—Sri Ram, Sri Ram—alone is possible for the vast majority of people. Awakening of kundalini and raising of brahmakara vritti are very far from them.

(2) Cultivation of virtues. Of all virtues, ahimsa (non-injury), satyam (truthfulness) and brahmacharya (celibacy) are the most important. If one is established in one virtue, all other virtues will cling to him. Watch the vrittis. Introspect. Develop purity in thought, word and deed. In the beginning practise at least physical purity. Then mental purity will come by itself.

(3) Spiritualisation of all activities. Feel you are instrument in the Lord's hands, and all the indriyas (senses) belong to him. Repeat the formula, 'I am Thine. All is Thine. Thy will be done'. It is a beautiful formula for self-surrender. You may forget this formula and egoism may assert itself. But introspect again and again and find out your weakness. Try to be established in the feeling, 'I am an instrument in the hands of Lord'.

Remember the Gita sloka:

yat karodhi yadasnasi yajjuhoshi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurushwa madarpanam.    (IX.27) 

Whatever you do, eat, offer in sacrifice, give, or practise as austerity, do it as an offering unto the Lord.
Praseeda devesa jagannivasa—'O Lord of gods, resort for the world, have mercy'. It is a formula more potent than or as potent as prachodayat. Pahi mam, palaya mam, prachodayat—these are all tremendous formulae. They are very powerful. So again and again remember them and their significance.

Sri Rama saranam mama; Sri Krishna saranam mama; Hari saranam—these are potent Saranagati mantras.

karpanyadoshopahataswobhavah, 
prichchami twam dharmasammooddachetah, 
yah sreyah syat nischitam broohi tanme, 
sishyastheham sadhi mam twam prapannam.  (Bhagavad Gita, II.7)  

'My heart is overpowered by the taint of pity; my mind is confused as to duty. I ask thee. Tell me decisively what is good for me. I am thy disciple. Instruct me who has taken refuge in thee'.

This is a Satguru-Saranagati mantra.

sarvadharman parityajya mamekam saranam vraja, 
aham twa sarvapapebhyo mokshayishyami ma suchah (Bhagavad Gita, XVIII.66) 

'Abandoning all duties, take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate thee from all sins, grieve not'.
These are all Saranagati formulae. In the Eighteenth Chapter there is the sloka:

yasya nahamkrito bhavo buddhiryasya na lipyate, 
hatwapi sa iman lokan na hanti na nibadhyate. (Bhagavad Gita, XVIII.17) 

'He who has no egoism, whose intelligence is not tainted by good or evil, even if he kills the whole world, he neither kills nor is bound by the action'.

Therefore, remember these slokas. You will have saranagati. You will feel that the Lord is in you, and you are in the Lord.

At the time of going to bed offer whatever you do to God.

kayena vacha manasa indriyairva 
buddhyatmana va prakriteswabhava 
karomi yatyat sakalam parasmai 
narayanayeti samarpayami. 

Offer all the actions and their fruits also to God. Then you will not be bound. In this way you should spiritualise all your activities. Feel that the whole world is a manifestation of the Lord and you are serving the Lord in all names and forms, and whatever you do—your actions and the fruits—consecrate to the Lord. Then your heart will be purified and will be ready to receive the divine light and grace.

Therefore, practise the three things—constant remembrance of God, spiritualising your activities and cultivating virtues. Repeat 'Krishna, Krishna' or 'Ram, Ram' or 'Jesus', 'Vasudeva'. 'Vasudeva' means all pervading Lord, sarvavyapak, sarva-saktiman, existence, knowledge, bliss, truth, love, beauty—satyam, sivam, sundaram. Cultivate virtues. Try to love everybody. Remove ghrina (hatred).

These three things are very important. Practise them. This is the easiest method, the quickest and surest method, for attaining God-realisation. Brahma Sutras are meant only for a very few minority of people who possess subtle, sharp intellect.

esha sarveshu bhuteshu gooddatma na prakasate
drisyate twagraya buddhya suksmya suksmadarsibhih. (Katha Upanishad, I.3.12)

This Atman is hidden in all beings, but it is seen only by subtle seers through their sharp and subtle intellect. The intellect should be sharp like a blade. A very sharp, pure, subtle intellect is necessary to understand the Brahma Sutras properly. Therefore, to the vast majority, constant remembrance of the Lord, spiritualisation of all activities and cultivation of virtues—ahimsa, satyam, brahmacharya, ­these form the easiest sadhana. These also constitute the noble eightfold path of Lord Buddha. They also corres­pond to the 'Sermon on the Mount' of Lord Jesus. These are the essentials of all religions. So kindly practise these and attain God-realisation. Love all. Be good and do good. May Lord bless you all.

17. GURU IS INDISPENSABLE 

Today is an auspicious, wonderful, marvellous, glorious day. We have in our midst param pujya Sri Sankaracharya and our pujya bhagwan, Swami Akhandananda. The swaroop of Bhagawan you will hear now. These suns are shining for dispelling darkness.

A guru is necessary for attaining knowledge of atma. You will find in Gita,

tatviddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya, 
upadisyanti te jnanam jnaninah tatwadarsinah. (IV.34) 

Serve your guru. Service of the guru quickly purifies your mind. In Svetaswatara Upanishad it is mentioned:

yasya deve paradhaktih, yatha deve tatha gurau, 
tasyethe kathithahhyarthah prakasante mahatmanah.  (VI.23) 

He who has devotion to the Lord, and has as much devotion to the guru as he has to the Lord, to him alone the truths of vedanta are revealed. Acharyavan purusho veda. He who has got guru, to him is revealed the truth of vedanta. Guru dispels darkness, shows the way, removes pitfalls and snares, but you will have to place your feet yourself. Guru cannot meditate for you. He who is hungry has to take food himself. He who is thirsty has to drink water himself. The guru will enlighten you, inspire you. Do not expect a magic pill from him. Do not expect that the guru will sprinkle a drop of water from his kaman­dalu over you and you will attain nirvikalpa samadhi at once. You should do sadhana, cultivate divine virtues like Amanitwam, adambitwam, ahimsa kshanti, arjavam. All these virtues you will have to develop. Serve the guru. You will attain the goal of life. What is the goal of life? The goal of life is self-realisation. It is guru that will show you the path, remove the pitfalls. Serve him well with bhakti.  

Swami Akhandanandaji is a world-famous exponent of Bhagavata. Bhagavata contains the essence of vedanta, yoga marga and bhakti narga. The essence of all these is there. The eleventh skanda will help you to attain God-­realisation. Serve the guru. Purify yourself. Remove your arrogance. Remove your impudence. Be humble. Cultivate virtues. Drink the nectar of immortality from the feet of satguru. You are eager to hear the nectarine words from these great souls. They will give you whatever­ you want. They will give you supreme peace. Hear with rapt attention.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888