Pearls of Wise

22/11/2017. Chapter-4. ADVICE TO HOUSEHOLDERS-27-16.  Master's outspokenness - Continued .. 16. His ecstasy in Kirtan Late in the afternoon Narendra sang.  Rakhal, Latu, M., Hazra, and Priya, Narendra's Brahmo friend, were present.  The singing was accompanied by the drum: - Meditate, O my mind, on the Lord Hari, The Stainless One, Pure Spirit through and through.  How peerless is the light that in Him shines! How soul-bewitching is His wondrous form! How dear is He to all His devotees! After this song Narendra sang: Oh, when will dawn for me that day of blessedness When He who is all Good, all Beauty, and all Truth, Will light the inmost shrine of my heart? When shall I sink at last, ever beholding Him, Into that Ocean of Delight? Lord, as Infinite Wisdom Thou shalt enter my soul, And my unquiet mind, made speechless by Thy sight, Will find a haven at Thy feet.  In my heart's firmament, O Lord, Thou wilt arise As Blissful Immortal...

22/11/2017 The task before us is vast; and first and foremost, we must seek to control the vast mass of sunken thoughts which have become automatic with us. The evil deed is, no doubt, on the conscious plane; but the cause which produced the evil deed was far beyond in the realms of the unconscious, unseen, and therefore more potent. Practical psychology directs first of all its energies in controlling the unconscious, and we know that we can do it. Why? Because we know the cause of the unconscious is the conscious; the unconscious thoughts are the submerged millions of our old conscious thoughts, old conscious actions become petrified — we do not look at them, do not know them, have forgotten them. But mind you, if the power of evil is in the unconscious, so also is the power of good. We have many things stored in us as in a pocket. We have forgotten them, do not even think of them, and there are many of them, rotting, becoming positively dangerous; they come forth, t...

22/11/2017 Action in the material world starts upon a basis of the physical body. The life energies and the mental vibrations express themselves first and foremost through physical reactions in the body. The nervous impulses travel along nerve channels and through chemical action in the form of neuro-transmitters, these impulses become sensible to the mind. Similarly when the mind wants to accomplish any action in the world, it too uses these nervous channels and chemical reactions to transmit the requisite information to the physical body to carry out that action. The body is the foundation and its limitations and weaknesses create serious obstacles for what the life-energy and the mental force can and do actually accomplish in life. Sri Aurobindo observes: “All working of mind or spirit has its vibration in the physical consciousness, records itself there in a kind of subordinate corporeal notation and communicates itself to the material world partly at least through the phys...

22/11.2017 Women :- Modesty is the ornament of women. To go beyond the boundary of modesty, to behave like a man, destroys the elegance, grandeur, grace and beauty of the fair sex. Nothing can atone for the want of modesty in a woman, without which beauty is ungraceful. Modesty is a fundamental virtue which a woman ought to possess. Modesty is a wonderful mixture of humility, politeness, decency, elegance, gentleness and sweetness. Modesty is the most precious ornament of a woman. A modest woman is restrained by a sense of propriety. She has good behaviour and manners. Modesty is the mark of true nobility.  A woman without modesty is a flower without fragrance. A woman without modesty is a mere void although she possesses many other virtues. Modesty raises a woman to the status of divinity. A modest woman commands respect. O Devis! do not waste your lives in fashion and passion. Open your eyes. Walk in the path of righteousness. Preserve your Pativrata Dharma. See d...

22/11/2017 Diwali is a contraction of the word Deepavali which means 'a row of lights' or 'billion lights'. All festivals in India have a special social, cultural and religious significance. Most of our festivals in the Hindu Culture are to celebrate the victory of good over evil. In this sense, Diwali is a day of many blessings: It is the day when Kaikai’s wickedness, jealousy and greed accepted defeat and when Bharat’s love, dedication and service won. It is the day when Shri Ram, Sita and Lakshmana returned to Ayodhya. Happiness, peace and harmony came back to Ayodhya – “The Land of No Conflict”. Shri Ram represents honesty and firm adherence to duty; Sita embodies faith and devotion; Lakshmana personifies detachment and service.For this home-coming, Lamps of Peace are lit… · It is the day Shri Krishna killed Naraka-asura – the demon of sorrow and hell, who had kidnapped and imprisoned 16,000 princesses for his harem. It is the day when the selfish ego ...

 22/11/2017 The powers of nature are too incomprehensible and too incredibly large for the little individual to encounter them, to face them. To succeed in such an encounter with Nature, one has to develop a strength equal to the powers of Nature, which is not an ordinary job. So, we may have to apply various methods in trying to restrain the mind and should not rest content with applying only one method; just as in military maneuvers, they apply many techniques and not only one technique. If they did not do so, there might be a retrograde movement and perhaps a defeat. Just as nature works in many ways, just as we take different types of diet on different days, it is necessary that the student of Yoga should also apply the techniques of restraint of the mind in as many ways as possible. We do not eat the same food everyday, though we eat everyday. We change the type of diet daily, because the body and the mind have their own idiosyncrasies. Somehow we have to transform th...

22/11/2017 One of the favourite sayings of Gurudev, which he both wrote in his writings as well as quoted in his divine talks was, "Never despair. Never despair. Nil desperandum." And a poet once said, "Hope springs eternal in the human breast." Another poet said, "Tell me not in mournful numbers life is but an empty dream." You have come here to strive and attain. Strive on. Do purushartha. "Heart within, God overhead." Be strong. Be determined and plod on. If thus you do, you will get help from God. That is the meaning of "Heart within and God overhead." In your heart have the right attitude and plod on. Do exertion and then from God help will come. There are two ways of approaching life. One is diffidence, lack of confidence, negativity: "I don’t think I can. It’s too difficult. I can’t." Another way is: "I can. Whether I can or can’t, how can I say unless I first of all try? Then only I can know whether I can o...

22/11/2017 CH-1.10. 5. Bhakti told her story to Narada :- She was born in the most holy and divine land in this whole universe, this land named “ Bharath ”. ‘BH’ means “light of knowledge ” and RATHA means “ one who lives in the light of spiritual wisdom”. This was such an honourable land, because this country had given birth to many great personalities who alone could unite the minds of everyone with real wisdom and truth. But other faiths that invaded this country influenced the minds of the people here. Instead of uniting the people, those invaders started collecting others into their illogical faith where there was no wisdom and scientific truth. Because of them people lost the real understanding of spiritual truth, hence Bhakti Devi was exploited. But fortunately because of some good people, she and her children never lost their lives completely, but lost their real youthfulness and beauty. Note – In the company of good people our energy levels are high. Every one ...

12/11/2017 1.10. Narada Tells about the Dark Nature of Kali Yuga -4. She was trying to bring them back to consciousness, but all in vain. She kept crying as they were not recovering. Not seeing anyone around who could help, she herself fell unconscious due to deep sorrow. Many women were fanning her and trying to revive her. Seeing all this, Narada went there to find out what was happening. On seeing Narada, the young woman got up and addressed him in a very sad voice. She requested him to kindly stay with her and wipe out her sorrow. The presence of holy people itself can help the weak to gather strength. Narada’s vision itself was so holy that it would destroy all the sins of worldly people. One had to be immensely fortunate to get Darsana of such a great sage as Narada. Note – Our mythology is a treasure house of case studies, where enlightened masters come to the rescue of sufferers or ignorant laymen. This satsang of great Masters guided many people to reach greater ...

12/11/2017 Worshipful homage to that great Reality, the eternal and the infinite, the timeless and the boundless—beyond human understanding, baffling human language to adequately describe Its imponderable, indescribable, transcendental glory. May Its divine grace ever be upon all of us! Loving adorations to revered Holy Master Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj who through his radiant personality, his effulgent countenance and his sparkling eyes gave us some little faint glimpse of that great glory in whose experience he was firmly established. He shone with a light that is Divinity. May his benedictions always be upon us all in this great journey beyond the beyond. We have mentioned the thrill, the joy of the spiritual adventure, this journey to reach the great destination. We have mentioned that the joy, the thrill is not so much in reaching the destination but in the effort itself, in the onward and upward progress towards the goal. It is in the journey itself that the j...

12/11/2017 (Spoken on October 19, 1972) 1. The nature of the Absolute is incomprehensible to the mind, which is another way of saying that Truth is incomprehensible and impossible to contain in the mind of a human being. Why we fail in our lives, whatever be our walk of life, is that we cannot conceive the essence of the matter in the form which it takes. Our minds are so constituted that they can visualise and conceive only form, but not the substance of the form or the essence behind the form. When we look at a person we behold only their body, their external behaviour and conduct, and cannot see their soul or intelligence because the Absolute principle hidden behind the things of the world cannot be cognised and appreciated by the mind. Due to this difficulty we mistake the form for the content, and exhaust reality in our frail attempt when we mistake the particular, the discreet, the separated and the objective for the unlimited or the infinite. 2. All wonderful ...

12/11/2017 The term “Avatar” in Sanskrit means “fallen”. The Infinite fallen from its supreme state into an apparent state of finitude is ”avatar”. In fact, as the entire universe is but an expression of the Infinite Reality, everyone of us — every inert thing and every sentient being is an avatar just as every link in a chain of gold is also nothing but gold. Even though we are thus the Supreme, ex¬pressing through matter in the world of names and forms, we do recognize the avatars as direct divine manifestations. This is because an avatar is ever conscious of its own Infinite Nature. Its mind is always pure and as such there is greater resplen¬dency of divinity beaming out from such a mighty incarnation. The sages, saints, prophets are all examples wherein we find a greater Divine Presence. Yet they are not considered as avatars—an avatar is the Infinite directly appearing in our midst. From the womb onwards, the avatar is ever conscious of its divine nature. The Infinite Lor...

12/11/2017 Ideal of Married Life Sthree Dharma Duties of a Woman - continued ... She should respect all her husband’s relatives. She must serve her old mother-in-law and father-in-law. She must do prostration to old ladies in the house, father-in-law, mother-in-law, Sadhus, Sannyasins and Bhaktas. She must give alms to poor people, Sannyasins and Brahmacharins when they come to her house. She should give blankets and clothes to Sannyasins. She should treat the guests and friends of her husband with respect. She should invite them for dinner on auspicious days. She should serve poor and sick people, Sadhus and Sannyasins. She should be charitable and spend one-tenth of her husband’s income in charity. She should cut the coat according to the cloth. She should never live beyond the income of her husband. She should never borrow. She should make both ends meet. She should never allow the expenditure exceed the income of her husband. She should have a very large heart, she s...

12/11/2017 Sampurnamma served as a cook at the Ashram for decades: On my way from the town to the Ashram and back, I had to walk in the dark along a jungle path skirting the hill and I would feel afraid. Bhagavan knew this and once said to me, “Why are you afraid, am I not with you”? Chinnaswami, Bhagavan’s brother and the manager of the Ashram once asked me whether I was not afraid to travel alone in the dark. Bhagavan rebuked him saying, “Why are you surprised? Was she alone? Was I not with her all the time”? Once Subbalakshmiamma and myself were going round the hill early in the morning chatting about our homes and relatives. We noticed a man following us at a distance. We had to pass through a stretch of forest, so we stopped to let him pass and go ahead. He too stopped. When we walked he also walked. We were quite alarmed and started praying, “Oh Lord! Oh Arunachala! Only you can save us”! The man said suddenly, “Yes, Arunachala is our only r...

12/11/2017 Particularly in the traditional Yoga of knowledge, but certainly not limited to that path, there is a prominent methodology of bringing calm, peace and focus to the being, applying the understanding that the outer world is illusory in its objects of desire and the play of the dualities. The seeker who follows this method focuses his attention on the wide, immobile, peace-filled Brahman, the Absolute, and treats the world as a matter of indifference, something to be disregarded and abandoned in the higher quest. While the seeker still resides in the world, all events and stimuli are treated as unimportant and are either wholly disregarded, or relegated to a matter of indifference as to what they do and how they turn out. The great Yogi of the Tibetan Mahayana tradition, Milarepa, was known to be so focused on his meditation that he cared not for specific food, nor clothing as he practiced his meditation. Naga sadhus also pay no attention to where they sleep, how th...

12/11/2017. (Delivered at the Home of Truth, Los Angeles, California ) The great error in all ethical systems, without exception, has been the failure of teaching the means by which man could refrain from doing evil. All the systems of ethics teach, "Do not steal!" Very good; but why does a man steal? Because all stealing, robbing, and other evil actions, as a rule, have become automatic. The systematic robber, thief, liar, unjust man and woman, are all these in spite of themselves! It is really a tremendous psychological problem. We should look upon man in the most charitable light. It is not so easy to be good. What are you but mere machines until you are free? Should you be proud because you are good? Certainly not. You are good because you cannot help it. Another is bad because he cannot help it. If you were in his position, who knows what you would have been? The woman in the street, or the thief in the jail, is the Christ that is being sacrificed that you ...

12/11/2017. Chapter-4. ADVICE TO HOUSEHOLDERS-27-15.  Master's outspokenness - Continued .. 15. His anguish at worldly talk :- "When one gets into such a state of mind, one doesn't enjoy any conversation but that about God.  I used to weep when I heard people talk about worldly matters.  When I accompanied Mathur Babu on a pilgrimage, we spent a few days in Benares at Raja Babu's house.  One day I was seated in the drawing-room with Mathur Babu, Raja Babu, and others.  Hearing them talk about various worldly things, such as their business losses and so forth, I wept bitterly and said to the Divine Mother: 'Mother, where have You brought me? I was much better off in the temple garden at Dakshineswar.  Here I am in a place where I must bear about "woman and gold".  But at Dakshineswar I could avoid it.' " The Master asked the devotees, especially Narendra, to rest awhile, and he himself lay down on the smaller couch. Next  : 16....

02/11/2017. Chapter-4. ADVICE TO HOUSEHOLDERS-27-14. 14. Master's outspokenness - Continued .. "One day, in that state of divine intoxication, I went to the bathing-ghat on the Ganges at Baranagore.  There I saw Jaya Mukherji repeating the name of God; but his mind was on something else.  I went up and slapped him twice on the cheeks. "At one time Rani Rasmani was staying in the temple garden.  She came to the shrine of the Divine Mother, as she frequently did when I worshipped Kali, and asked me to sing a song or two.  On this occasion, while I was singing, I noticed she was sorting the flowers for worship absent-mindedly.  At once I slapped her on the cheeks.  She became quite embarrassed and sat there with folded hands. "Alarmed at this state of mind myself, I said to my cousin Haladhari: 'Just see my nature! How can I get rid of it?' After praying to the Divine Mother for some time with great yearning, I was able to shake off this habit....

02/11/2017. (Delivered at the Home of Truth, Los Angeles, California ) On some other occasions, I told you the definition of God and man. Man is an infinite circle whose circumference is nowhere, but the centre is located in one spot; and God is an infinite circle whose circumference is nowhere, but whose centre is everywhere.  He works through all hands, sees through all eyes, walks on all feet, breathes through all bodies, lives in all life, speaks through every mouth, and thinks through every brain. Man can become like God and acquire control over the whole universe if he multiplies infinitely his centre of self-consciousness.  Consciousness, therefore, is the chief thing to understand. Let us say that here is an infinite line amid darkness. We do not see the line, but on it there is one luminous point which moves on. As it moves along the line, it lights up its different parts in succession, and all that is left behind becomes dark again.  Our c...

02/11/2017 Sri Aurobindo identifies three primary methods that are used to try to overcome the inequality caused by the dualities, the play of the Gunas and the limitations of the lower Nature as the seeker attempts to transition to the divine standpoint. These involve endurance, indifference and submission. The power of endurance has been identified most closely with the stoic philosophical tradition, although it has been used universally within the framework of many spiritual, religious or philosophical traditions. This can be a very useful methodology for the evolving soul and, as Sri Aurobindo describes, it can have meritable results: “Instead of seeking to protect itself from or to shun and escape the unpleasant impacts it may confront them and teach itself to suffer and to bear them with perseverance, with fortitude, an increasing equanimity or an austere or calm acceptance. This attitude, this discipline brings out three results, three powers of the soul in relation to...

02/11/2017 Ideal of Married Life Sthree Dharma Duties of a Woman Manu says “Let a woman attend to her household duties most cheerfully and with great dexterity, keep her utensils and apparel clean, her home tidy, her furniture free from dust, all eatables pure, clean and free from dirt. Let her never be lavish in expenditure. Let her cooking be done so nicely that the food may act on the system like a good medicine and keep away disease. Let her keep a proper account of income and expenditure and show it to her husband, use her servants properly and see that nothing goes wrong in the house.” (Chapter V-50). “Let the husband and the wife read and recite the Vedas and other Shastras that soon give increase of wisdom, teach the means of acquiring wealth and promote their welfare. Let them also carefully revise what they have studied during their student life and teach the same. As far as a man thoroughly understands the Shastras, so far as can his knowledge advance and so...

02/11/2017 23. Here is a great question mark which every one of you may try to scrutinise by oneself, and while I have not tried to give you an answer to these questions, I perhaps have given a hint as to the way by which you can tread for receiving a satisfactory answer. This is a little stimulating pep talk which may make you think deeper and deeper in a more serious way, and not idle your life in vainglorious activities which are not pertinent to the basic values of your existence. Be honest to your deepest core so that you may be honest to the deepest core of everybody else also, which should be your honesty to God. That would certainly promise you whatever you seek in this world. End.

02/11/2017 11. Slight Not the Mother-3. One more important manifestation of Lakshmi in the Sadhaka is memory. Yaa devi sarva bhuteshu smriti rupena samsthita (O Devi, who abides in all beings in the form of memory). Mother is Smriti (memory) in all beings, says the Devi Sukta. That is Smriti of the precious and sublime words of Upadesha (spiritual instruction), the words of wisdom from the lips of the Guru and all great saints, the men of God in this world, from whom we obtain this knowledge. It is through Smriti that these gems of spiritual instructions are preserved. If we do not bear them in mind, do Manana (reflection) and Nididhyasana To be continued ...

02/11/2017 2. A leader who holds an opinion without listening to others will be restricted by his own thinking and limited knowledge. Such restricted thinking may benefit him for a short period of time, but he will likely exhaust his ideas very quickly and lose the respect of the people around him. The best leader is one who listens to others. Listening is an art. It is not merely hearing. Very often we hear others, but the ideas they are trying to convey don’t register in us. Sometimes the best ideas come from simple listening. Leaders can get ideas from listening to staff members, children, even taxi drivers. A good listener will always progress in the world, and will be appreciated by others. When you are talking, you want to be heard, and if nobody listens to you, no matter how brilliant your idea, you will not be able to share it. Humility is reflected in listening, but it is also very important to know how to listen. A good listener immediately processes informatio...

02/11/2017 1.10. Narada Tells about the Dark Nature of Kali Yuga -3. 1.9. How Narada Met the Four Kumaras : last paras - Continued Women were forced to undergo more suffering. Hence the children were spoiled with all bad characters. It is evident that children brought up by evil women will be a curse to the society. Goodness had been burnt to ashes in the fire of Kali Yuga. Note – When the night is the darkest, it is so scary and it will seem that the dawn will never come. But remember, Lord Krishna was born in the darkness of mid night. So, when every thing seems to be upside down, it can turn out to be the best moment too. Wise people always advise carrying mothers to participate in Satsangs and listen to discourses so that the new born child will come to this world with that culture. Narada’s Meeting with Bhakti and Her Sons Wandering all over the earth, dismayed by the state of affairs during Kali Yuga, Narada reached the banks of the River Yamuna. This had been...