Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda
by Swami Sivananda
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Book Code: ES153
Paperback: 176 pages
ISBN: 81-7052-038-X
Book Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.40 inches
Shipping Weight: 250 grams
Table of Contents
| Publishers’ Note | (3) |
| Chapter I: Sermonettes on the Soul | 7 |
| Chapter II: Sermonettes on Service | 22 |
| Chapter III: Sermonettes on Saintliness | 28 |
| Chapter IV: Sermonettes on Goal of Life | 33 |
| Chapter V: Sermonettes on Guru Bhakti | 37 |
| Chapter VI: Sermonettes on Earthly Life | 39 |
| Chapter VII: Sermonettes on Ethics | 45 |
| Chapter VIII: Sermonettes on Sadhana | 57 |
| Chapter IX: Sermonettes on Culture | 81 |
| Chapter X: Sermonettes on Health | 87 |
| Chapter XI: Notes for Sermonettes | 89 |
| Chapter XII: Sermonettes for Success in Life Divine | 98 |
| Chapter XIII: Sermonettes on Immortality | 116 |
| Chapter XIV: Sermonettes on Meditation | 157 |
| Appendix | 169 |
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
This volume which contains short, inspiring sermonettes of Sri Swami Sivananda is a boon to the busy man in the work-a-day world too busy to find time for more serious study, who yet wants a ‘sweet pill’ which will at once give him spiritual strength and vigour, to make him grow spiritually into a divine being, without succumbing to the temptations of Maya in the present-day materialistic atmosphere. Keep this in your pocket and study a sermonette, any sermonette, whenever you are assailed by temptations. You will be saved. May God bless you.
12th May, 1995
THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
SERMONETTES ON THE SOUL
1. FOOD
Purity of food brings purity of mind. Mind is the subtlest essence of food. Food has very close connection with the practice of Brahmacharya (celibacy). If proper attention is given to the purity of food we take, Brahmacharya becomes easy.
An aspirant should be careful in the selection of articles of diet in the beginning of his spiritual life. Later on drastic restrictions can be removed. Take wholesome, pure food, half-stomachful with pure water. This is quite hygienic and is in harmony with the dietetic principles of modern medical science.
The food must be simple, bland, spiceless, non-irritating and non-stimulating. Stuffing the stomach is highly deleterious. You should take food only when you are really hungry. Fresh fruits, sugarcandy, honey, milk, butter, coconut, almonds, cheese, barley, maize, wheat, tomatoes, green gram, cabbages and potatoes are pure articles of diet. Hot curries, highly seasoned dishes, spices, chutneys, fish, meat, eggs, tamarind, mustard, onions, garlic, asafoetida, salt, brinjals, pickles, things fried in oil, pastry preparations, tobacco, alcohol and narcotic drugs render the mind impure and restless and should be avoided.
2. TASTE THE ETERNAL BLISS
Allow the waves of love to arise constantly in your heart. Feel the warmth of Divine Love. Bask in the sunshine of Divine Love. Taste the bliss of eternal life. Do not murmur when you encounter difficulties, troubles, diseases and sorrows. Be courageous. Endure them with patience. Turn your mind towards God. Cultivate serenity of mind. Educate your will. You will possess tremendous inner spiritual strength. You will have rapid spiritual progress. Conquer your difficulties one by one. Do meditation daily. Realise the ideal of life. Become a magnanimous soul. You will enjoy the Supreme bliss.
3. REJOICE IN THE ATMAN
Lead a life of intense activity. Keep always a calm mind. Mentally repeat your Mantra. Mix with all. Serve all with the feeling that all are forms of God. See God in them. Do not be afraid of difficulties and failures in the spiritual path. Difficulties will develop your will-power. Failures are the stepping stones to success. Use your intelligence, sagacity, determination and commonsense. You will overcome the difficulties one by one. Stand adamant. Be cheerful. Dismiss fear and anxiety. March boldly in the spiritual path. Do not be discouraged. Draw courage, strength and power from within. Be cautious. Thou art invincible. Nothing can harm you. Remain serene always. Smile and rejoice in the Atman.
4. LIVE IN GOD
Approach the sages, the doctors of divinity with faith, devotion and humility. Take a dose of medicine called Jnana (Knowledge). Then the disease of ignorance will be eradicated completely. You will attain everlasting peace. Do not be deluded by the illusion of Maya (the unreal power of God). Be as calm as the waveless ocean. Be as broad-minded as the sky. Be as pure as the crystal. Strive ceaselessly for the realisation of God. Be as patient as the earth. You are bound to succeed. Rest assured.
5. POWER OF THE MIND
Mind is the greatest force on this earth. He who has controlled his mind is full of powers. He can bring all minds under his influence. All diseases can be cured by psychic healing. One is struck with awe and wonder at the marvels and mysterious powers of the mind of man. The source or home or support for this mysterious mind is God. Every human being has, within himself, various potential capacities. He is a magazine of power and knowledge. As he evolves, he unfolds new powers, new faculties and new qualities. Now he can change his environments. He can influence others. He can subdue other minds. He can heal others. He can get plenty of material things. He can conquer internal and external nature. He can enter into the superconscious state.
6. FEEL THAT YOU ARE THE SELF
Do not act under the influence of sudden impulses. Do not be carried away by the force of emotions, however noble they may be. Be ever vigilant and diligent. Avoid unnecessary worry. Be not troubled. Be not anxious. Do not be idle. Do not waste time. Do not worry yourself if there is delay in further progress. Wait coolly. You are bound to succeed. Develop courage by constantly feeling that you are the Self. Then all difficulties, tribulations will come to an end. You will enjoy unalloyed bliss.
7. CONQUER OTHERS
Evil should not have time to dwell in your mind. What if someone refuses to give you milk, to give you food? What if someone scolds you? Always repeat: “I am not this body. I am not this mind. I am the Eternal Immortal Brahman.” Bear insult and injury. If someone slaps you on your cheeks, you should not even mind it. You should not even be aware of it, so to say. This is very difficult. But, this is most important. When the other man is scolding you, your mind should be engaged in Vichara. After a while this man will realise: “What is this? I have been scolding him several times. He does not get irritated. He does not retort. There must be something in him which I should learn.” Then he will fall at your feet and apologise. You have conquered.
8. HEAR THE INNER VOICE
Do not be guided and influenced by public opinion. March boldly and cheerfully in the path of Truth consulting your conscience and hearing the inner, small, sweet voice of the soul. Keep company with only Sattvic (pure) persons. Spend every second profitably. Serve sick people. Share what you have with the poor people. Unfold the Divinity hidden in the chambers of your heart. Repeat your Guru Mantra. Associate the idea of purity, infinity, eternity, immortality when you think of God. Do mental Puja also.
9. GREAT ACHIEVEMENT
Meditation is only the seventh step of Yoga. Without first attending to the preliminaries you want to get established in the seventh limb. Is this possible? First get ethical perfection. This alone is sufficient for several lives. Study the Gita. Find out if you have developed one hundredth part of one virtue which the Lord has prescribed for all aspirants. If you have done even this, you have deserved this human birth. This eradication of evil qualities and cultivation of good ones is such a difficult task that there is no use treating it lightly. If an aspirant gets real Samadhi in a hundred births, that is very great achievement. God is perfect and unless and until all the evil qualities are eradicated and the divine qualities acquired to the degree of perfection, there will be no Samadhi.
10. CONCENTRATION LEADS TO BLISS
Concentration is the only way to get rid of the worldly miseries and tribulations. Your only duty is to practise concentration. You have taken this body to practise concentration and through concentration to realise God. When you read a book you must read it with concentration. There is no use in skipping over the pages in a hurried manner. Read one page in the Gita. Close the book. Concentrate on what you have read. Find out the parallel lines in the Upanishads and the Bhagavata. Compare and contrast.
11. A WORD TO THE YOUTH
In youth itself man should try to lead a simple life, to repeat God’s Name, to practise Yoga, to study the Gita and other scriptures, to control the senses. Singing Kirtan and Japa of the Lord’s Name will bestow joy and Supreme inner peace on you; but you can realise this only if you practise. Youth is the best period for spiritual practice. What will you do in old age? You will be deaf. How can the sound of the Lord’s Name enter your ears? How can you enjoy Kirtans or Kathas? You will not be able to see; how can you read holy books like the Gita and other scriptures? You will not be able to sit at a place and do Japa. Spiritual practices will be impossible. You will waste all your life in useless pursuits and turn, when it is too late, to the proper path.
12. KNOWLEDGE GIVES FREEDOM
The practice of selfless service destroys sins and impurities and brings about the purity of the mind. The knowledge of God dawns in a pure mind. Knowledge of God is the only direct means to attain freedom. Cooking is not possible without fire, so is emancipation without knowledge of God. Knowledge certainly destroys ignorance as light destroys thickest darkness. Be absorbed in your work. Give your full heart, mind and soul. Do not care for the results. Do not think of success or failure. Do not think of the past. Have complete confidence. Be always cheerful. Keep a cool and balanced mind. Work for work’s sake. Be bold and courageous. You are bound to succeed in any undertaking. This is the secret of success.
13. YOU ARE THE MASTER OF YOURSELF
You are the architect of your own fate and fortune. You are the master of your own destiny. You can do and undo things. You can attain God by right thinking, right feeling and right acting. You can break old habits by the power of your will. You can destroy all unholy desires and incorrect imagination. You can cultivate new habits. You can change your nature. You can move the whole world by your spiritual force. You can elevate others also to the status of divinity. You can control the forces of nature. You can command the elements. You will achieve sanguine success in all your attempts. Failure will be unknown to you.
14. GOD IS THE INNER RULER
God is the inner Ruler. He goads the body, mind and senses to work. Become an instrument in the hands of the Lord. Do not expect thanks or appreciation for your work. Do actions as your duty and offer them and their fruits to the Lord. You will be freed from the bonds of Karma. Your heart will be purified. Repeat the Mantra: “I am Thine. All is Thine, my Lord; Thy Will be done.” Throw all burden on Him and be at ease. Do not keep any desire for your secret gratification. Destroy egoism completely by unconditional, unreserved and ungrudging self-surrender to the Lord. If your surrender is total and sincere, there is free flow of Divine Grace.
15. PRAY DURING BRAHMAMUHURTA
Purify your heart and pray. Dive deep into the innermost recesses of the heart. You will find the Atmic pearl. If you search in deep waters only you will find the pearl. If you keep to the shore, you will find broken shells only. O friend! Wake up. Sleep no more. Meditate and pray. It is Brahmamuhurta (early morning from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m.) now. Open the gate of the temple of the Lord in your heart with the key of love. Hear the music of the soul. Sing the song of Prem to your Beloved. Play the melody of the Infinite. Melt the mind in your prayer. Unite with Him. Immerse yourself in the ocean of love and bliss.
16. MASTER THE THOUGHTS
Stick to any rule that appeals to your reason. Follow it with faith and attention. You will evolve and reach the abode of eternal happiness. Performance of one’s own duties brings happiness, quick evolution and freedom. Events occur in succession or order. There is perfect harmony. The three things, namely, desire, thought and action always go together. It is thought that moves the body to action. There is thought behind every action. If you entertain bad thoughts you will do bad actions. Learn to become wise. Control the thoughts and desires. Watch your thoughts carefully. Do not allow any evil thought to enter the gates of the mental factory. Develop passion for Self-realisation or God-realisation. You will attain the goal of life.
17. HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF
Understand clearly the aim of your life. Chalk out the line of work that is congenial to your aim. Work hard to realise the ideal. Have your ideal before you and try every second to live up to it. Develop a strong desire to remove carelessness and forgetfulness. Have confidence in your own powers and faculties. Keep up your mental poise amidst the changes of the world without consideration of success and failure, gain and loss, pleasure and pain. Have the mind rooted in God amidst the activities of daily life. Through intense concentration kindle the fire of devotion.
18. BE SELF-CONTROLLED
Spiritual life is not an idle talk. It is actual living in God. It is a transcendental experience of unalloyed bliss. It is a life of fullness and perfection. Be self-controlled. Be just. Know the right. Keep your promise. Be noble and impartial. Be like the ocean in depth of devotion. Cultivate peace in the garden of your heart by removing the weeds of lust, hatred, greed, selfishness and jealousy. Know and feel always that you are the all-pervading, Immortal Consciousness, that you are one with God.
19. WORSHIP THE GURU
Worship of Saints has been taken more or less as a necessary Sadhana in the life of an aspirant. Even the Upanishads declare that an aspirant should have the same devotion to his Guru as he has to God. The idea is that by constantly thinking of his Guru, the aspirant is kept on the right path–away from evil and moulds himself on the pattern of his teacher. When the aspirant superimposes on his personal Guru the characteristics of the Impersonal Absolute–as in the case of idol-worship–the aspirant’s devotion reaches the Supreme! God, the indweller knows the aspirant’s devotion and guides him along proper path. Even wise men sometimes lack this broader outlook and argue that the human figure of a Saint should not be adored with devotion due to God. As with God, so with Guru–the way to Impersonal lies through the personal.
20. PEACE
Peace is a divine attribute. It is a quality of the soul. It cannot remain with greedy persons. It fills the pure heart. It deserts the lustful. It runs away from the selfish. Wealth, women, children, property and palatial buildings cannot give you everlasting peace. Look within the chambers of your heart. When you are established in the Highest Self within, you will not be shaken even by heavy sorrow, loss or failure. You will tide over all difficulties in life easily and will come out with triumph in life’s experiences. Marvellous is this Peace. Realise this Peace here and now.
21. DIVINE AWAKENERS
Trials do not make a sincere devotee lose his faith in God. Love is imperishable. Love is the ultimate Truth. Love is the greatest power in this earth. Love is the basis of life. Life is a song of love. Love is a song of life. Love is the essence of religion. Build your life on the great ideals of selfless service. All other ideals will manifest in life through this ideal of selfless service. There is a soul immortal in thee, O beloved Krishna! Realise this Atman through service, devotion and wisdom. Fear not. Grieve not. Worry not. Be cautious, vigilant. Reflect and meditate. Keep the mind fully occupied. Aim at perfection. A sincere prayer gives tremendous strength and removes all evil thoughts.
22. CHECK THE IMPULSE
You should not use any word that will hurt a devotee’s feelings. You should not give any negative suggestion. Always dwell on positive thoughts and ideas. Encourage everyone. If you are vigilant you will persuade the aspirant and ignore the weak points. Every word you speak must be sweet even if the other man is completely wrong in his stand. When you write a letter under a sudden impulse, leave it there. When the impulse has died out, read the letter again. You will surely like to alter it. Similarly in the case of conversation also. Never give vent to the first impulse. When you are agitated leave the place. Do not talk. Do not be foolish and say something which you will later regret. If you give vent to the first impulse, then later on you will go on your knees and apologise. Make it a habit not to use offensive words. Never give offence to anyone. You will never regret. You will be loved by all.
23. SURRENDER UNTO HIM
God knows what is best for each individual. He has placed you in conditions and environments that are suitable for your evolution. Do not revolt. Do not rebel. Overcome difficulties one by one, through surrender to the Lord. All will disappear through His Grace. The mind tempts and deceives through imagination. Beware. Be cautious. You may encounter more difficulties when you come to the Ashram.
24. STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES
Study of the scriptures fills the mind with sublime and elevating thoughts. Study systematically the Gita, the Ramayana, the Bhagavata, the Upanishads, the Yoga Vasishtha, the Bible, the Quoran, the Imitation of Christ, the Zend Avesta and other religious books from half an hour to one hour daily.
25. BASIC VIRTUE OF AN ASPIRANT
In the field of active work alone does man come face to face with his own inner contents. The inner nature is dormant while one is away from the battlefield. When the favourable opportunities offer themselves, then his inner hidden traits have a chance to manifest themselves. There must be some truth in what the other man says. This is the attitude that every aspirant must adopt. Then sit, reflect, analyse your own self and find out what hidden trait he has pointed out. Some people’s nature is sensitive. Their sensitivity is too high-strung; but we should not consider that a defect in them and prick it. We should mind what we do. We should on our part understand and respect that sensitiveness. His sensitiveness has felt that something that you said was offensive. At once you should feel thankful to him. That man who points out your defects should be thanked. This is the basic virtue that every aspirant should cultivate and develop. Then only is there a chance for one’s own improvement.
26. MAN REAPS WHAT HE SOWS
The Lord does not create inequality. He does not make a man suffer and another man rejoice. He is the silent witness of all this. Man himself is the cause of what he has sown in previous births. The relentless work of the Law of Cause and Effect brings about pain and pleasure, misery and joy. Misery is only the purgation of past evil deeds. Mother Nature punishes in order that he might learn. She is not unkind either. Just think: would you accuse a mother who beats her child to correct him and to mould his character? Similarly, you ought to be thankful to Mother Nature for enabling you to work out your own Karma by suffering in this birth. At the same time you should take care that you add no more to this load of Karma, by the awakening of the knowledge latent in you and by thus crossing over this ocean of Samsara.
27. THOU ART FREE
You are already free. Only you have to know and realise this truth. Realise the oneness of existence. Enter the Superconscious state. The illusion of the body will vanish. The world has disappeared for a sage. He works for the welfare of the world but gathers no fresh Karma. A sage has realised the mirage of the world. He is no longer deluded by it. The world may come back again for a sage, but no more as the same world of pain and sorrow. May you become a sage!
28. SURRENDER TO THE LORD
The all-merciful Lord resides in the chambers of your heart. He is quite close to you. You have forgotten Him. Give up your self-created responsibility and be at perfect ease. Have perfect faith in Him. Do total unreserved self-surrender. Open your heart to Him quite freely like a child. All miseries will come to an end. Say unto Him, “I am Thine, my Lord. All is Thine. Thy Will be done. Thou doest everything for my own good.” You will become one with the Lord. Thus you will feel that the whole world is your body, your own home. Feel that this body is the moving temple of the Lord. Wherever you are, whether at home, office, railway-station or at the theatre, know you are in the temple. Feel that all beings are images of God.
29. BE FIERY IN YOUR DETERMINATION
Be always cheerful and smile away your worries. Follow the correct principles of living. Be temperate in eating, drinking, sleeping, amusement and in all other things. Cultivate a very strong faith in God. Silence the surging emotions and bubbling thoughts. Do not be carried away by the temptations of the world. Be careful. Be wise. Get away from the company of worldly-minded people. Put your thoughts, heart, mind and intellect even in your smallest act. Always act with faith and determination. Be firm in your resolve and fiery in your determination.
30. WORRY NOT
Worry does great harm to the astral body and the mind. Energy is wasted by worry. It causes inflammation and drains the vitality of man. Nothing is gained by the worry habit. Be vigilant. Keep the mind fully occupied. The habit will be eradicated.
31. BRAHMACHARYA
Brahmacharya is freedom from sexual thoughts and desires. It is control of all organs in thought, word and deed. It is both for men and women. Through Brahmacharya you can get over the miseries of mundane life and attain health, strength, peace of mind, endurance, courage and material progress, psychic advancement, clear brain, gigantic will-power, bold understanding, retentive memory, power to face the difficulties in the daily battle of life and immortality. Occasional fasts check emotions, calm the passions and help in the practice of Brahmacharya. Have a cold hip bath. Get up at four in the morning and practise meditation. Keep the mind fully occupied. If the sexual energy is transformed into Ojas or spiritual energy by pure thoughts, it is called sex-sublimation in Western psychology. The sexual energy is purified and changed into divine energy by spiritual practices, by entertaining sublime thoughts of God. The seminal energy has flown upwards into the brain as Ojas Sakti. The practice of celibacy is not attended with any danger or any disease or any undesirable results such as the various sorts of ‘complex.’
32. BECOME SILENT
Be sincere at heart. Care not for the little perishable things. Care for the everlasting bliss of God only. Give up idle talk, long talk, tall talk and loose talk. Become silent. Look within your heart. Try to remove your defects. Collect all your scattered thoughts and apply yourself in remembering God. Become very, very humble. Become an embodiment of good nature. Do always good actions. Serve. Love. Make others happy.
33. ANGER
Anger begets eight kinds of vices. All evil qualities proceed from anger. If you eradicate anger, all bad qualities will die by themselves. An aspirant should always watch whether the sight of an unpleasant object or an unpleasant sound causes irritation or agitation in his mind. He should have perfect control over his temper. It is anger that brings destruction to a man. When he is under the influence of anger, he does whatever he likes. He even kills his father and wife. He even insults his Guru. He does not know what he is exactly doing. Watch the mind carefully. Avoid the company of those persons or objects that tend to excite your temper. Try to make your anger as short-lived as possible by prayer and counter-thoughts. Divert the mind immediately and keep it fully occupied. You may fail several times, but gradually you will gain strength. Anger will gradually disappear.
34. LOOK WITHIN
Within you is the hidden God. Within you is the immortal Soul. Within you is the inexhaustible spiritual treasure. Within you is the ocean of bliss. Look within for the happiness which you have sought in vain in perishable sensual objects. Rest peacefully in your own Self or God. Surrender everything unto Him. Place your ego at His feet and be at ease. He will take complete charge of you. He will do anything and everything for you. Practise. Feel. Assert. Enjoy the Supreme.
35. CONTROL OF THE TONGUE
The tongue is a double-edged sword. This is the most powerful organ. If this is controlled, all other organs can be easily controlled. The tongue is the most turbulent and powerful of all the senses. Words possess tremendous power. By words you can encourage and cheer up others. By words you can ruin or displease others. By words the master imparts his knowledge to the students. By words the orator keeps his audience spellbound. Use sweet words and conquer the hearts of others. Word is God in manifestation. Be careful in the selection. Never use harsh words. You must practise austerity of speech if you really want quick progress in meditation. You must always speak sweet and loving words. You must always speak the truth at any cost. You should not hurt the feelings of others through speech.
36. HEALTH
Pure water, pure air, wholesome food, physical exercises, Yoga Asanas, outdoor games, rowing, swimming, light games like tennis–all contribute to the maintenance of good health, strength and a high standard of vigour and vitality. Without good health you cannot penetrate into the hidden depths of the vast ocean of life within and attain the final beatitude of the life eternal. Without good health you cannot wage war with the turbulent senses and the boisterous mind.
Regular practice of Yogic exercises, even for fifteen minutes a day, will keep you quite fit and make you hale and hearty. You will have abundant energy, muscular strength and nerve-power, a charming personality and longevity. Brain, muscles, organs, tissues are toned and energised. All chronic diseases are rooted out by the practice of Yoga Asanas.
37. AROMA OF A SAGE
A liberated Sage is an ocean of mercy. He is a great spiritual hero. He has no identification with the senses and body. He is ever tranquil whether at the approach of a great calamity or great rejoicing or even at the moment of death itself. A Sage only can know the heart of another Sage and his actions. Just as the Himalayas stand unmoved by storms, so also the Sage stands unmoved by praise and censure, respect and disrespect, gain and loss, victory and defeat.
38. SEARCH HIM INSIDE YOUR HEART
God is in your heart. He is in you and you are in Him. Search Him inside your heart. If you do not find Him there, you will not find Him anywhere else. This search after God is a question of supply and demand. If you are really in earnest search for God, if there is a demand for God, then the supply will come at once. Give up clinging to illusory life. Be fearless. Take refuge in dispassion. All fears will die away. Cling to the Lotus-Feet of the Lord. Cling to the invisible, unseen ‘Brahman’ (God). May the Almighty guide you in all your activities!
39. LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
You should try to love all–even your worst enemy who wants to destroy you, who is planning to poison you, who is drawing the sword to chop off your head. When you hear that your bitterest enemy is sick, you will have to run to his house wet with devotion and shampoo his legs with love. This is, of course difficult, but you will have to practise this if you really want spiritual growth and salvation. This is real Sannyasa. You should live, work and meditate amidst people who are aiming at your destruction and amidst worst unfavourable surroundings. Then only can you grow spiritually. Then only can you have the unruffled mind of a sage. This method is doubtless difficult but it makes one really a Sage.
40. INTROSPECT
Watch your mind and thoughts. Introspect and practise self-analysis. Avoid evil company. Understand the ways of God. Be on the alert. Be very humble and simple. Remember God at every moment. Remove arrogance, self-conceit and laziness. Develop humility to a maximum degree. Be sincere. Serve all with love. Respect your elders and parents. Lead a simple, dynamic life. Cheer up your spirit. Have perfect trust in God. Keep the mind fully occupied. Practise daily meditation. Develop virtuous qualities. Sing the Name of the Lord. Thirst for His vision. The Divine Grace will descend upon you. You will enjoy the Supreme Peace, Bliss and Immortality.
41. GOAL OF LIFE IS GOD-REALISATION
The Goal of life is God-realisation. All desires are gratified by realising God. God can be realised by pure, subtle reasoning. There is not an iota of happiness in the sensual objects, because they are insentient. There are mental uneasiness, discontentment and restlessness even in multi-millionaires and kings. All sorts of fears, miseries and troubles will melt away when the knowledge of God dawns. You will be freed from the wheel of births and deaths with all its concomitant evils. Form a strong habit of remembering God at all times. Control the senses. Be balanced in pain and pleasure, heat and cold, praise and censure. Have unshakable faith in and unflinching devotion towards God.
42. PRAYER WORKS WONDERS
Prayer has tremendous influence. Mahatma Gandhiji was a great votary of prayer. If the prayer is sincere and if it proceeds from the bottom of your heart, it will at once melt the heart of the Lord. Lord Krishna had to run bare-footed from Dwaraka on hearing the heartfelt prayer of Draupadi. Lord Hari, the mighty ruler of this Universe apologised to Prahlada for coming a little late when the latter prayed. How merciful and loving is the Lord! Do not argue about the efficacy of prayer. You will be deluded. There is no arguing in spiritual matters. Intellect is a finite and frail instrument. Remove now the darkness of your ignorance, you will enjoy the unalloyed bliss of prayer.
43. LOVE DIVINE
Love of body or skin is passion. Love of God is Prem or devotion. It is pure love. It is love for love’s sake. It is divine. To love anyone for attaining some selfish gain is selfish love. It binds you to this earth. To love all beings with Narayana-bhava as manifestations of the Lord Himself is pure love. It is divine love. It leads to liberation. Pure love redeems, purifies the heart and transmutes you into divinity. God is an embodiment of love. He is an ocean of love. If you wish to attain God-realisation, you must also become an embodiment of love. Love is the master-key to open the door of Moksha or Eternal Bliss. Love is a song of life. Life is a song of love.
44. SIT MOTIONLESS
Do not grumble of bad environments. Create your own mental world and environments. Build up your character properly. Establish virtuous, healthy habits. Understand the glory, splendour and power of God who is at the back of your mind, thoughts, will and memory. Keep your body strong and healthy through regular exercise. Become a spiritual hero. Shut out the doors of the senses. Still the thoughts, emotions and feelings. Sit motionless and calm in the early morning hours. Have a receptive attitude. Go along with God. Enjoy peace in the silence.
45. BE PURE, EVIL WILL PERISH
When you repeat the Name of the Lord and practise meditation, if evil thoughts enter your mind, do not use your will-force in driving them. You will only lose your energy. You will only tax your will. You will fatigue yourself. The greater the efforts you make, the more will thoughts return with redoubled force. They will return more quickly also. The thoughts will become more powerful. Be indifferent. Keep quiet. They will pass off soon. Or substitute good counter thoughts or think of the picture of God or the Guru and repeat the Mantra again and again. Pray forcibly. Never miss a day in meditation. Be regular and systematic in your spiritual practices. Take pure and Sattvic food. Fruits and milk help mental focussing.