Yoga for Health, Happiness and World Peace-18- Swami Chidananda


09/11/2018
18.

So, morning and evening, counter this constant entry of outer impressions, gross earthly impressions, by elevating, inspiring, uplifting, spiritual study, wherein you take into your mind inspiring ideas, elevating ideas, uplifting spiritual ideas, through study of the scriptures, UPANISHADS or whatever scriptures of the religion that you belong to or the works of great saints, supreme realised souls, perfected masters—they are vibrant with the spiritual force and power.

Therefore it is a daily renewal of the mind. Going deep within you and cleansing the mind. Throwing out all that is gross and earthly, and creating day by day a wealth of inspiring, uplifting spiritual ideas that is called the Sadhana Swadhyaya. Great emphasis has been laid upon it by all the great sages, all the Upanishads and all the scriptures. NEVER NEGLECT YOUR DAILY SPIRITUAL STUDY. It is not mere routine Paarayanam (reading), but study.

Last but not least, the fifth process that gives an upward Godward spiritual direction an uplifting vertical movement to your day-to-day living, is to know and to recognise that even though in the physical body, I may be part of this earth environment, I may be a creature of this gross world, yet in my inner reality, inner spirit, I live, move and have my being in the Supreme Spirit; in that great Reality. That is my native condition. That is my normal habitat. That is the element in which I thrive because I belong to it, I am a part of it.

This is called placing ourselves in the spirit, abiding in God. It is called Ishwarapranidhana, and that brings about a total reorientation of our entire consciousness. We begin to feel "though my body is in this world, the gross world, to my mind my function is phenomenon. I eternally abide in the all-perfect Divine Reality, in the Supreme Spirit". Thus being here, yet you are not here.

This is the simple truth brought about by the transcendental experience of the Vedic seers who discovered that God is not only an absolute transcendental reality but he is very much an ever-present immanent, divine presence here and now. And this is declared in that most beautiful opening sentence, the opening line of the very first verse of the very first Upanishaad, "Isavasyam idam sarvam yatkinca jagatyam jagat’—This entire universe is pervaded by the Divine Presence. There is nowhere where it is not. It is present.

We live therefore in that Divine Presence. Yoga wants you to live in this awareness, in this state of spiritual consciousness by Ishwarapranidhana. These two entry points of Yoga bring about an orientation, upper vertical movement, ascent of your entire consciousness towards the Supreme Reality, thus bringing about a transformation in your inner awareness. Once you know that you are spiritual; this principle called Atman, the imperishable, the divine, naturally your relationship with the entire world changes.

To be continued ..


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