SIVANANDA GITA - 2 ( CONTINUED )

Sivananda Gita - 2 (Continued) 

I am 59 (1946) now. I ever feel I am quite young. I am full of vigour, vim and vitality. I am ever cheerful. I sing, dance, run, and jump in joy. I am robust and strong. I can digest any kind of food.

I continuously work, read and write. I never go to hill stations or seaside for a holiday. Change of work gives rest. Meditation gives abundant rest.

Work gives me delight. Service gives me happiness. Writing bestows joy. Meditation energises and invigorates me. Kirtan vivifies me.

"Aham Brahmasmi, Sivoham, Soham, Satchidananda Swaroopoham" This is my favourite formula for vedantic meditation.

Hare Rama hare Rama Rama Rama hare hare

Hare Krishna hare Krishna Krishna Krishna hare hare. - This mahamantra kirtan is my favourite kirtan.

At the present moment I am the richest man in the whole world. My heart is full. Further, all the wealth of the Lord belongs to me now. Hence I am King of kings, Emperor of emperors, Shah of shahs, Maharaja of maharajas. I take pity on the mundane kings. My dominion is limitless. 

My wealth is inexhaustible.

My joy is inexpressible. My treasure is immeasurable. I attained this through sanyasa, renunciation, untiring selfless service, japa, kirtan and meditation.

I am tall. My height is 6 feet. I have a sinewy frame. I have symmetrical limbs. I was a first class gymnast.

I fast on Ekadasi. I do not take even a drop of water. I take milk and fruits on Sundays. I do not take salt on Sundays.

I lead a simple, natural life. There is a fountain of youth in me. I beam with joy. I observe fasting, resting, airing, bathing, breathing, exercising, sun­bathing and enjoy freedom, power, beauty, courage, poise and health. 

Om. Om. Om.

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Outstanding Features of Siva’s Personality

By

Sri C. H. Divanji, Bombay

I happened to meet an old Sannyasi who has a profound love and respect for Swami Sivanandaji. I asked him, being older than Swamiji and having himself embraced Sannyas even before Swamiji, why he had so much love and respect for him. The old Sannyasi told me that he took Sannyas because forty-nine years ago he had lost his wife and three children in a fortnight’s time. So, he said, his Sannyas was a Karana Sannyas. While Swami Sivanandaji, as Dr. Kuppuswami, could have led a most comfortable worldly life having had a lucrative practice with popularity which few could command. Renouncing all these worldly comforts and fame, he embraced Sannyas through real Vairagya. That, from the old Sannyasi’s point of view, was one of the outstanding features of Swamiji’s life which earned for him the love and respect of Sannyasins in general.

My own experience about Swamiji has only been through his books and twenty minutes’ personal contact during his four-day stay in Bombay in October 1950. It is no exaggeration to mention that this short period was one of the happiest in my life. On all the four days I was in constant attendance at Swamiji’s camp.

The most remarkable feature that I observed then was that whatever Swamiji received through one hand, he distributed through the other. Over and above that he gave away several books as gifts to the visitors. I then felt that our Hindu religious leaders should be brought before Swamiji and made to understand that, instead of the "one-way traffic" of receiving only, they should also learn "the other way traffic" of giving, too!

I have read commentaries on Gita by different writers, but somehow or other Swamiji’s commentary appealed to me most. I, therefore, asked a Sanskrit scholar and a profound student of Gita the reason why Swamiji’s Gita appealed to me more than that of other writers. After perusing the book, he remarked that Swamiji’s Gita would naturally appeal to anybody as it has not been written with a view to showing his knowledge, but with a view to making a student understand it. This can be said about all the books that Swamiji has written. His, Mind, Its Mysteries and Control has been written in a simple language, easily understandable, though it is a difficult subject.

One of the great characteristics of Swamiji’s teachings has been that he himself comes down to the level of the Sadhaka and then gradually takes him up to the higher level. The other Masters insist that the Sadhaka should himself come up to a certain level before they would direct him further. Thus we find among Swamiji’s followers people of all castes, creeds, religions, and of different stages of evolution.

Swamiji is training a number of Sadhakas who will be able to spread the teachings of the wise throughout the country in course of time. A prominent Indian leader rightly said that, after Swami Vivekananda, Swami Sivanandaji is the fittest person to tour the world for shedding the light of the Hindu Philosophy all over the world. Swamiji’s hurricane All-India Tour (1950) has made him known throughout the country and his contemplated Continental Tour will not only make him known throughout the world but will be of immense value for the forthcoming Parliament of Religions.

In spite of his being engaged in all the activities of the Ashram and being in touch with the minutest details thereof, Swamiji is very easily approachable and gives prompt replies to all the letters addressed to him. There is a magnetic attraction in Swamiji which draws to him the millions. Whoever meets him, is convinced that he is real Satchidananda Swarupa.

This article is from the book Sivananda: His Mission and Message.

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SIVANANDA GITA -1

Sivananda Gita - 1 

I was born of P.S. Vengu Aiyar and Parvathiammal on 8th September 1887 at Pattamadai, Tirunelvely District, S. India, in the line of Appayya Dixit. My star is Bharani.

I was extremely mischievous in my boyhood. I studied in the S.P.G. College, Trichy. I was a Doctor in Malaya States for 10 years. I took sanyasa in 1924 in Rishikesh.

I did tapas and meditation for 15 years. I went on lecturing tours for 10 years. I founded the Divine Life Society in 1936 and the All­-World Religions Federation in 1945.

I am child­like in my svabhava. So I mix with all. I become one with all. 

I am ever happy and joyful and make others also happy and joyful.

I am full of educative humour. I radiate joy through humour.

I respect all. I do salutations to all first.

I always speak sweetly. I walk quickly.

I do japa and meditation while walking and while at work also. I am ever hard­working. I have intense application to work. I never leave a work till it is finished. I never procrastinate any work. I finish it then and there. I am very quick in doing things.

I cannot suppress the spirit of service in me. I cannot live without service. I take immense delight in service. Service has elevated me. Service has purified me.

I know well how to extract work from others. I extract work through kindness, service, respect and love.

I am very regular in doing asanas and exercises. I even now do sirshasan, sarvangasan and other asanas. I do pranayama also regularly. These give me wonderful health and energy. I run round the bhajan hall daily.

I cannot deliver fiery lectures sitting on a special seat. Special seat pricks me. I stand up or throw the seat away and then begin to speak. I never sat on a special seat when I presided over spiritual conferences.

I rejoice in giving. I always give.

IMPORTANCE OF OM

Importance of Om


Brahman is the highest of all. Om is his name. Om is also your real name. It covers the threefold experiences of man. From Om this sense world has been projected. The world exists in Om and dissolves in Om.
Om is the greatest of all mantras (mystic formula). Om bestows direct liberation. All mantras begin with Om. Om is the life, the soul, of all mantras. Every Upanishad begins with Om. Oblations that are offered to the various gods are all preceded by Om.

All languages, all sounds, come out of Om. The essence of the four vedas is Om. A-U-M covers the whole range of sound vibrations. 'A' starts from the root of the tongue, 'U' proceeds from the middle and 'M' comes from the end, by closing the lips.

Om is the source of all religions and scriptures. This sacred monosyllable is the means of liberation from the bonds of matter. It leads one, stage by stage, to the highest bliss. It is fit for the lowest as well as for the highest and most advanced intellect. It is fit for the brahmachari (celibate­-student) as well as the sanyasin (monk). It is fit for any condition.

Om is your birthright. It is the common heritage of all. It is the word of power. It fills the devotee with spiritual strength, vigour and energy when chanted with harmony and rhythm. It brings inspiration and intuition.

It elevates the mind. It is a spiritual food and tonic. It is full of divine potency. Live in Om. Meditate on Om. Inhale Om. Exhale Om. Rest peacefully in Om. Take shelter in Om. May that Om guide you.

Om stands for all phenomenal worlds. From Om this sense universe has been projected. Om has been formed by adding the letters A­U­M; 'A' represents the physical world; 'U' represents the mental and the astral planes, the world of spirits, all heavens; and 'M' represents the deep sleep state and, even in the waking state, all that is unknown, beyond reach of the intellect. Om therefore represents all. It is the basis of your life, thought and intelligence. All words that denote objects are centred in Om ­ hence the whole world has come from Om, rests in Om and dissolves in Om.

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EXERCISES IN MEDITATION

Exercises in Meditation 

Keep a picture of Lord Krishna with a flute in his hands. Sit in your meditative pose and gently concentrate on this picture until you shed tears. Think of his feet, adorned with anklets. Think of his yellow silken garment. Think of the ornaments around his neck. Think of the long garland of beautiful flowers of various colours. Think of his ear­rings and the crown set with precious jewels he wears on his head. Think of the long dark hair, the sparkling eyes and the tilaka (mark) on the forehead. Think of the magnetic aura around his head. Think of his arms and hands, adorned with armlets and bracelets. Think of the flute, ready in his hands, waiting for him to play it. Then close your eyes and visualise this picture mentally. Repeat this process again and again.

This is one kind of meditation and is suitable for beginners. Sit in padmasana in your meditation room. Close the eyes. Meditate on the effulgence in the sun, or the splendour in the moon, or the glory of the stars.

- - -

There is a living universal power that underlies all these names and forms. Meditate on this power, which is formless. This will terminate in the realisation of the Absolute, nirguna (attributeless), nirakara (formless) consciousness eventually.

Sit in your meditative pose. Close your eyes. Imagine that there is a supreme, infinite effulgence hidden behind all these names and forms, tantamount to the effulgence of millions of suns put together. This is also a form of nirguna meditation.

Concentrate and meditate on the expansive blue sky. By the previous methods of concentration the mind will cease thinking of finite forms. It will slowly begin to melt in the ocean of peace as it is deprived of its contents. Thus the mind will become subtler and subtler.

Concentrate on the picture of Om in front of you. Do this with open eyes until the tears flow profusely. Associate the ideas of eternity, infinity, immortality, etc., with Om.

The humming of bees, the sweet notes of the nightingale and all other sounds emanate from Om only. Om is the essence of all the vedas (scriptures).

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LISTEN TO THE MYSTIC SOUND

Listen to the Mystic Sound 


Sit in padma asana or siddha asana. Practise yoni mudra by closing the ears with the thumbs. Hear the internal sound through the right ear. The sound which you will hear will make you deaf to all external sounds. Having overcome all obstacles you will enter the turiya state within fifteen days. In the beginning you may hear many loud sounds. Then try to hear more and more subtle sounds.

The mind having first concentrated itself on any one sound, fixes firmly to that and is absorbed in it. The mind becomes insensible to external impressions and becomes one with the sound. Being indifferent to all objects and having controlled the passions, you should, by continual practice, concentrate your mind upon the sound which destroys the mind.

Having abandoned all thoughts and being freed from all actions, you should always concentrate your whole attention on the sound and then the chitta (mind) becomes absorbed in it. Just as the bee, drinking the honey alone, does not care for the odour, so the chitta, which is always absorbed in sound does not long for sensual objects - it is bound by the sweet nada (sound) and has abandoned its flitting nature.

The serpent chitta, through listening to the nada, is entirely absorbed in it and, becoming unconscious of everything, concentrates itself on the sound. The sound serves the purpose of a sharp goad to control the maddened elephant chitta, which roves in the pleasure garden of the sensual objects.

The sound proceeding from the pranava (Om) is Brahman. It is of the nature of effulgence. It is the seat of Vishnu. The mind exists so long as there is sound but, with its cessation, there is that state termed turiya. Being freed from all states and all thoughts, you will remain like one dead. The body is like a log. It does not feel heat or cold, joy or sorrow.

When spiritual sight is fixed - without any object to be seen, when prana (life-force) becomes still - without any effort, when the chitta becomes firm - without any support, you become Brahman. When manas (mind) is destroyed, when virtues and sins are burned away, you shine as the effulgent, immaculate, eternal, stainless Brahman.

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STAGES IN THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION

Stages in the Practice of Meditation


In the beginning you can meditate twice daily, from 4 to 6 in the morning and 7 to 8 at night. As you advance in your practices, you can increase the duration of each sitting, little by little, using your common sense and discretion, and also have a third sitting either in the morning between 10 and 11 or in the evening between 4 and 5.

In the Yoga Vasishta you will find: "The right course to be adopted by one who is in his novitiate is this: Two parts of the mind must be filled with the objects of enjoyment, one part with philosophy and the remaining part with devotion to the teacher. Having advanced a little, he should fill one part of the mind with the objects of enjoyment, two parts with devotion to the teacher and the remaining one part with getting an insight into the meaning of philosophy. When one has attained proficiency, he should every day fill two parts with meditation and the other two with devoted service to the guru. This will eventually lead you on to meditation for twenty-four hours."

Sitting in your favourite meditative pose and keeping the head and trunk erect, close your eyes and gently concentrate on either the tip of the nose, space between the two eyebrows, the heart lotus or the crown of the head. When once you have selected one centre of concentration, stick to it till the last with leech-like tenacity.

Meditation is of two kinds, namely, saguna (with gunas or qualities) and nirguna (without gunas or qualities). Meditation on Lord Krishna, Lord Siva, Lord Rama or Lord Jesus is saguna meditation. It is meditation with form and attributes. The name of the Lord is also simultaneously repeated. This is the method of the devotees. Meditation on the reality of the Self is nirguna meditation. This is the method of the vedantins. Meditation on Om, Soham, Sivoham, Aham Brahma Asmi and Tat Twam Asi is nirguna meditation.

If you want to keep the mind charged with the fire of Brahmic wisdom, you must always keep it in contact with the Brahmic fire of knowledge, through constant and intense meditation.

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