Pearls of Wise

1. Bondage is of the mind, and freedom is also of the mind. A man is free if he constantly thinks: 'I am a free soul. How can I be bound, whether I live in the world or in the forest? I am a child of God, the King of Kings. Who can bind me?' If bitten by a snake, a man may get rid of its venom by saying emphatically, 'There is no poison in me.' In the same way, by repeating with grit and determination, 'I am not bound, I am free', one really becomes so-one really becomes free. 2. Till one becomes simple like a child, one cannot get divine illumination. Forget all the worldly knowledge that you have acquired and become as ignorent of it as a child; then you will get the knowledge of the truth. 3. It is not easy to get rid of illusion. It lingers even after the attainment of knowledge. A man dreamt of a tiger. Then he woke up and his dream vanished. But his heart began to palpitate. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa To be continued  .....

(Speech delivered by Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj on the 26th December 1954, at Sivanandashram, Rishikesh, for the celebration of the 34th birthday of Sri Swami Venkatesanandaji.) Aspiration. Renunciation. Meditation. These will make you a king of kings, emperor of emperors kaupeenavantah khalu Bhagyovantah. Very few have realised this, and very few are attempting to realise this. Because, they are satisfied with the little toys of this world. They have not got the supreme subtle Vichara-Buddhi which is the greatest wealth of man. That comes through selfless service, study, meditation, enquiry, Satsanga. Nobody wants this! How many people want the wealth of the Atma? How many are attempting to possess these qualifications which are necessary? Swami Sivananda To be continued  ...

My eye flits from form to form without respite  but nowhere does it find true interest or satisfaction,  but when it lights on You,  it adheres and rests there, still forever. My mind is distracted by a thousand thoughts.  It suffers unceasing torment,  but when it thinks of You,  it is irresistibly drawn, like a magnet,  to a vision of You,  and rests on You in never-ending peace. My heart is perpetually agitated with stormy passions.  It is often torn with terrific conflicts of contrary emotions.  But when it feels its way to You,  its storm yields place to calm,  it recovers its equilibrium and it floats on the ocean of eternal bliss. My life has been like a troubled torrent,  running zigzag on uneven ground,  sometimes overflowing its banks and inundating all around, and sometimes drying up and sinking into the sands.  It seemed to have no set direction or aim.  Only when at la...

(Delivered at Los Angeles, California, January 8, 1900) 13. That is why purity and morality have been always the object of religion; a pure, moral man has control of himself. And all minds are the same, different parts of one Mind. He who knows one lump of clay has known all the clay in the universe. He who knows and controls his own mind knows the secret of every mind and has power over every mind. Now, a good deal of our physical evil we can get rid of, if we have control over the fine parts; a good many worries we can throw off, if we have control over the fine movements; a good many failures can be averted, if we have control over these fine powers. So far, is utility. Yet beyond, there is something higher. Swami Vivekananda   To be continued  ....

First of all, do you know what stress is? Stress is too much to do and too little time or energy. When we have too much to do with not enough time and energy, the we get stressed. So either you reduce your workload, which doesn’t seem to be a possibility these days, or you increase your time – this is not possible either. So what we are left with is to increase your energy levels. Now how do we increase our energy levels? 1. The right amount of food – not too much and not too little. A balanced diet with enough carbohydrates and proteins. 2. The right amount of sleep. 6 – 8 hours of sleep, not more not less. 3. Learning some deep breathing exercises – this increases your energy. 4. Few moments of a meditative mind. Few minutes of deep relaxation – conscious deep relaxation is what I would call meditation. A few minutes of meditation can relieve all types of stress. If you meditate in the morning and evening for 15 – 20 minutes, it is good enough. It will keep you going....

3. TWELVE KEYS TO HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS -8. 8. Reflect on Ideal Personalities :  Reflect on Ideal Personalities Reflect upon the lives of ideal personalities. Draw strength and inspiration from their lives and teachings. Try to mould your life upon their pattern. Always have a great ideal before your mind. Think of it at all times—morning, noon, evening and night. Develop it into the constant background of your thought. Then your mind will never be idle or vacant. This is important because right thinking is the key to noble living. Next : 9. Be Kind Swami Chidananda  To be continued  ..

NOTE- "BLIND FOLLOWERS OF CHRISTIANTY AND ESPECIALLY ISLAM - MUST READ THIS AND KNOW THE STATUS OF GITA OVER AND ABOVE ANY OTHER WORLD RELIGIOUS BOOKS. READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY AND KNOW THE TRUTH, THEREAFTER MEDITATE UPON GITA, THUS SILENCE YOUR MIND, YOU ARE VERY VERY NEAR TO PARAMATMA." 3. Geeta is a real mother who helps us to show our real path of life. Geeta, with her infinite wisdom and compassion, helped many ordinary people to become really great, adorable souls. Among them are, Mahathma Gandhiji, Sri Arabindo, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Swami Chinmayanandaji and so on; there is no end to this list. Even today, her compassion flows like Holy Ganges. We are blessed to study, understand and transform our confused mind into a real powerful, joyful mind. We request you to read Bhagavad Geeta and study it with commitment. Share this knowledge with your friends and relatives. Geeta is a ‘life management’ manual which must be referred to regularly, r...

Dedicated TO MY HOLY MASTER SATGURU SRI SWAMI SIVANANDAJI MAHARAJ Sri Swami Premananda 9. Difference Due To Ages : It is not just a facetious novel but contains within itself the novelty of human life, lofty ideals and a record of the meritorious deeds of Raghuvansmani Rama, based on facts—as the popular saying goes, “there is no smoke without fire.” The variance in the different Ramayanas seems due to Kalpa-bheda (difference of age-cycles) according to mystagogues and mythologists and religious pandits, and the varied approach by various authors at different times. While concluding Sri Ramcharitmanas, Sant Tulsidas has warned; : This story however should not be repeated to a perverse knave, who does not listen attentively to the story of Hari, nor should it be recited to a greedy, or lustful man who worships not the Lord of all animals and inanimate creation.... They alone are qualified to hear Sri Rama’s narrative, who are extremely fond of communion with holy ...

(Spoken on October 19, 1972)  24 The art of seeking Truth, finding happiness in Truth, being contented with Truth, and daily meditation on Truth is the art of yoga. Yoga is union with Truth or Reality. It is said that yoga is union, but union of what? Yoga is union of the Truth within you with the Truth of that which is. The ‘Truth that always is’ is the object of the union of that which is within you as the Truth. The Truth within seeks the Truth without when the Truth communes with Universal Truth. This is called God, the Absolute, the Atman or Brahman, and various terms in different languages. This is what you are seeking. All your toil and fatigue is for this purpose. You travel from country to country and see many people and do many things for this single purpose of seeing what the Truth is behind the forms of things. Swami Krishnananda To be continued  ...

Swami Chinmayanada said, 8. NOTE :- READ THIS : CAREFULLY, THEN YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE PRACTICE IN BHARATHAM SINCE ANCIENT TIMES BEFORE THE BIRTH OF CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM CUM OTHER WORLD RELIGIONS IS "SANATANA DHARMAM" WORLD  RELIGIONS BEGAN WITH A PROPHET IS NEVER EQUAL OR ABOVE "SANATANANA DHARMAM" ALL OF THEM MERELY "SAMPRADAAYAS" When we call a sampradaaya Dharma a lot of misunderstandings and conflicts arise. We call Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, Swaminarayan etc. Dharmas when they are in fact sampradaayas. Moreover when we call dharma as a sampradaaya we do great injustice to it. Sampradaayas arise from Dharma, exist in it and will get dissolved in it. So to say that the majority in India are Hindus is a wrong statement. All humanity shares this Dharma. To club various sampradaayas together and call them a majority is also unfair since the various followers maintain their separate identity eg, staunch Shaivites would no...

The human mind naturally moves towards an “either/or” paradigm. This means essentially that if one particular thing is considered true, the opposite must be considered false. While this works for the logical intellect within certain fixed limits within the world of forms and forces, it clearly is unable to encompass the diversity, complexity and immensity of the universal creation or the process or origin of its creation. It is also possible to take one side of the argument while someone else equally supports the other side, and each of them relies on certain aspects of the truth of things to support their opposing positions. In The Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo explores the dichotomy between the view of the “materialist” and that of the “ascetic”. Each one relies on certain facts to bolster their individual viewpoints; yet there is a larger synthesis or harmony possible that recognises the truth that supports both of these apparently contradictory, but in reality complement...

NOTE- "BLIND FOLLOWERS OF CHRISTIANTY AND ESPECIALLY ISLAM - MUST READ THIS AND KNOW THE STATUS OF GITA OVER AND ABOVE ANY OTHER WORLD RELIGIOUS BOOKS. READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY AND KNOW THE TRUTH, THEREAFTER MEDITATE UPON GITA, THUS SILENCE YOUR MIND, YOU ARE VERY VERY NEAR TO PARAMATMA." 2. Unless we understand our own mind scientifically, we can’t understand God too. Every mind is a temple of divinity and can become a house of evil too. A mind that discovers the deep inner silence alone can meet and experience God in this life. Such a mind never turns towards violence. Geeta never propagates violence. The word ‘Yudha’ or war is totally misinterpreted by many, who never discover Geeta in themselves. ‘Yudha’ means transformation of evilness to divinity. There, one has to uncompromisingly fight with his own weaknesses in the mind. If anyone propagates violence, he is blindly following religion (only) ritualistically. A silent mind never create...

The act which is only destructive and inflicts suffering both on oneself and others is terrorism. In such an act, human values are lost in the process of achieving a goal. *Some of the factors that lead to terrorism are:     Frustration and desperation to achieve a goal     Confused emotion     Shortsightedness and Impulsive action     Belief in a non-verifiable concept of heaven and merit; a childish concept of God favoring some and angry at others, thereby undermining the omniscience and omnipotence of the Divine. *Terrorism induces fear psychosis in all, increases poverty, suffering and loss of life with no apparent gains. Instead of solutions the terrorist looks for destruction as an answer. If you simply criticize without giving a solution, know that this criticism comes from the same seed as terrorism! *You will have to learn from them things that you should never do:     Valuing some ideas and concepts ...

  Dedicated TO MY HOLY MASTER SATGURU SRI SWAMI SIVANANDAJI MAHARAJ Sri Swami Premananda 8. It is the truthfulness, power of endurance and sincerity of Rama under suffering and privations which impart the deepest lessons to man’s character. This holy book is also a treasure of higher philosophy of wisdom, devotion and Karma-yoga. The ancient ideal may seem to modern man far-fetched in these days, but one can never fully comprehend this great moral epic of the ancient Hindus unless one develops the requisite sincerity to know the Reality behind things. According to an old and respected of ancient Bharatham  “no one could hope to understand the people of  BHARATHAM  till he had mastered every line OF RAMAYANAM  WRITTEN BY MANY SAGES AFTER THE ORIGINAL BY VALMIKI MAHARISHI.” This Ramayana is deep like an ocean, vast like the infinite space, full of moral and ethical teachings and soul-illuminating treasures. In order to reap the benefit, one has to dive...

Swami Chinmayanada 7. NOTE :- READ THIS : CAREFULLY, THEN YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE PRACTICE IN BHARATHAM SINCE ANCIENT TIMES BEFORE THE BIRTH OF CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM CUM OTHER WORLD RELIGIONS IS "SANATANA DHARMAM" WORLD  RELIGIONS BEGAN WITH A PROPHET IS NEVER EQUAL OR ABOVE "SANATANANA DHARMAM" ALL OF THEM MERELY "SAMPRADAAYAS" Now we shall try to think about the two words – Dharma and Sampradaaya together. Dharma is one, Sampradaayas can be and are many. Dharma is not founded by an individual – it is beginningless. A sampradaaya is founded by an individual. It is born and therefore shall perish. (“jaatasya hi dhruvo mrtyuh”). That which is born shall perish- Geeta. Dharma is eternal – Sanatana . From the above discussions it can be clearly realised that all of us have one common Eternal Dharma. Muslim, Sikh, Parsi, Christianity, Swaminarayana, Pushti Marg etc, are all sampradaayas and not dharma. They have one inspirer or...

3. TWELVE KEYS TO HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS -7.  7. Pray to God : Pray to God and ask Him for inner strength and guidance. God’s Divine Name has immense power. Repeat His Name always and remember Him in all situations. Remember God with love in your heart. Have absolute faith in your inseparable relationship with Him. Cultivate constant remembrance of God by seeing His invisible presence in and through all things in this universe. God is not far away from you. God is here and now. He is the all-pervading Reality, the ever-present Divine Spirit pervading this entire universe. And also He is your innermost Self. He is closer to you than your very breath. Never forget this. Even when you are engaged in your daily activity, begin to feel the presence of God. Next : 8. Reflect on Ideal Personalities Swami Chidananda  To be continued  ..

(Spoken on October 19, 1972)  23. Truth makes you silent. You close your mouth when you know Truth. Your mouth is shut forever when you have plumbed the depths of Truth because Truth will fill you to the brim and become overflowing. Truth alone will not leave you or desert you, while everything else will leave you. So a happy person is a Truth seeker, a spiritual aspirant, a lover of God, a yogi, which means to say, a person who is contented with the universal value in things and not the objects of the world. You can be happy merely by existing, without possessing anything. Let us remember that we become happy not because we possess anything but because we are something. What you are shall make you happy, and not what you have. So let us not put the cart before the horse and go for things to possess. There are many people who possess things, and they are worse than even children in their ignorance and their sorrow. Swami Krishnananda To be continued  ...  

                                                        Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj (Speech delivered by Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj on the 26th December 1954, at Sivanandashram, Rishikesh, for the celebration of the 34th birthday of Sri Swami Venkatesanandaji.)                                                            Sri Swami Venkatesanandaji Jyotishaamapi tat jyotih tamasah paramuchyate     Jnaanan Jneyam Jnaanagamyam hridi sarvasya vishthitam     (That, the Light of all lights, is said to be beyond darkness; knowledge, t...

(Delivered at Los Angeles, California, January 8, 1900) 12. But if by any science, any investigation, we are helped to get hold of these finer forces which are the cause of the expression, the expression itself will be under control. There is a little bubble coming from the bottom of a lake; we do not see it coming all the time, we see it only when it bursts on the surface; so, we can perceive thoughts only after they develop a great deal, or after they become. We constantly complain that we have no control over our actions, over our thoughts. But how can we have it? If we can get control over the fine movements, if we can get hold of thought at the root, before it has become thought, before it has become action, then it would be possible for us to control the whole. Now, if there is a method by which we can analyse, investigate, understand, and finally grapple with those finer powers, the finer causes, then alone is it possible to have control over ourselves, and the man who has co...

Devotee : Not having realised the truth that the Self alone exists, should I not adopt bhakti and yoga margas as being more suitable for purposes of sadhana than vichara marga? Is not the realization of one’s Absolute Being that is, Brahma jnana, something quite unattainable to a layman like me? Maharishi : Brahma jnana is not a knowledge to be acquired, so that acquiring it one may obtain happiness. It is one’s ignorant outlook that one should give up. The Self you seek to know is verily yourself. Your supposed ignorance causes you needless grief like that of the ten foolish men who grieved the ‘loss’ of the tenth man who was never lost. The ten foolish men in the parable forded a stream and on reaching the other shore wanted to make sure that all of them had in fact safely crossed the stream. One of the ten began to count, but while counting others, left himself out. “I see only nine; sure enough, we have lost one. Who can it be?” he said. “Did you count correctly?” asked another,...

  During meditation you should imagine that you are tying your mind to the lotus feet of the Deity with a silk thread, so that it may not wander away from there. But must the thread be silken ? Since His lotus feet are too delicate, any other band will give Him pain. One attains God through japa. By repeating the name of God secretly and in solitude one receives divine grace. Then comes His vision. Suppose there is a big piece of timber lying under water and fastened to the land with a chain; by proceeding along the chain, link by link, you will at last touch the timber. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa To be continued  ..

The intellect struggles to understand existence. Due to the structure of the mind, it tends to adopt an exclusive position and deny the validity or truth of an opposing view. Thus, we see that different aspects of the integral Reality appeal to the intellect in different ways. For those who fix themselves on the Impersonal, they treat the Unmanifest, the Infinite, the Absolute, the Eternal as unmoving and without qualities, Nirguna. Sri Aurobindo declares: “Therefore the severest intellectual philosophy admits the Saguna, the divine Person, only as the supreme cosmic symbol; go beyond it to reality and you will arrive, it says, at last to the Nirguna, the pure Impersonal.” There is however, another view that comes to the questions of existence from the other end, so to speak. In this view, it is the Saguna, the Divine Personality, the manifested universal creation, that is ultimately the “real” and the Nirguna is the substrate that is void of all qualities out of which the manifesta...

In this world there is always a play of positive and negative. Some problems come, some challenges come, and solutions also follow them. The ancient people would simply focus on keeping their energy high. If your energy is high and people come to you, their problems will get solved. What happens when people talk to you about their problems? You get steeped in their problems. You get carried away with the problems. So just try this. Let everybody come and complain 100 things to you, you simply keep your energy high, your sight inwards, your mind inwards as though nothing has happened. You will realize that there is freedom within you. Try this –  anybody can complain about anything, let the world go topsy-turvy, but hold onto the idea – I am going to keep my energy high. You just take one such step and then see. Instead of turning the mind inwards when problems come, what do we do? We chase the problem and get completely drawn in that direction, and then our energy goes down an...

1. Introduction : Swamiji's message Bhagavad Geeta is considered to be a Hindu religious text, given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna, in the battle field of Kurukshetra. But this has been totally misunderstood because Geeta never talks about any religion or any God, or any kind of rituals and customs, which one should follow strictly. Geeta is one of the best texts of human psychology where Krishna, the world spiritual Master (JagadGuru) teaches the real purpose of human mind. Today, we have many religions, but unfortunately no one ever talks about the human mind, from where it came, how it came and where it will go, how you should get away from your worries, tensions, fear, and sorrows which you always encounter in life. Geeta gives a clear picture about human mind and its source. When all the religious texts talk about God, Geeta proves that God is not something to be believed, rather, God is the root or source from where the mind appears and disappears. Swami Udit Chaithanya To ...