Hello! How are you..?

Dear Sadhakas,

Hope by this time you would have begun to feel the gentle breeze of the winter. I feel like sharing something about “health” with you all in this Editorial. Health is an essential aspect of human endeavour for happiness in life. The word “health” can be dissected to get “he” and “al” (pronounced as “all”); meaning He (god) is all (he + all); i.e., He permeates the entire creation and works through all. Anybody who stays with this feeling will always be in a healthy mood. Even if you see the word “Heart”, it could be divided to get “He” and “Art” meaning His (HE) Art. All our emotions and feelings spring from Him and one who lives with this feeling, his life becomes an Aesthetic Life.

So friends our health (wherever I say health, it implies physical + mental + emotional health) should be in perfect balance if we want to live peacefully and happily. The kind of attitude mentioned above will go a long way in developing such an aesthetic life. Action is unavoidable. So, it will be wise if we learn to perform our actions in a skillful and efficient way. That is the only way to live rather. Those who resist this natural law experience what is known in common parlance as suffering, strain, misery, dejection, stress, psyco-somatic diseases and the list goes on. The absence of this list in one’s life is what is known as peace, happiness, bliss etc.

Friends, don’t you all feel that it is high time that we understood this simple secret and make our life a very healthy one, thereby influencing the surroundings around us to become healthy? I do sincerely hope that you will give a serious thought to what I have said. My only request is: Do not ignore your health as well as your near and dear one’s health. Take personal responsibility in this matter and see the difference in the quality of your life. I would like to see you all with the result of this experiment when I meet you next in person. Till then, please do take care and I assure you of the blessings of the Parampara in this venture.

In service of Guru Parampara
Sri Pattabhiram

Excellent Communication

Please take care to read till the last word...A very important message for both professional and personal Grooming...If we can remind ourselves , the essence of the message , we may be able to handle our stress more effectively...moment to moment...in everyday life...!

Why we Shout when we are angry?

A saint asked his disciples, 'Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?'

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.'

'But, why to shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the saint.

'Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice?

Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?'

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint.

Finally he explained, 'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot.

To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.'

Then the saint asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why?

Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small...'

The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love.

Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all.

That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

MORAL: When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other.

(from a Sadhaka)

Antardarshana

Taking up sadhana in the initial days is bitter. But when you establish yourself in sadhana-life, it starts giving you a sweet feeling. Eating neem leaves is bitter; but after you eat, the taste it leaves is really worth experimenting. Initially sitting still is difficult, going inside our mind and emotions is difficult. Even if you go inside, it would irritate a lot, initially. Once you learn to withstand irritation, the sadhana will ultimately give you only nectar, amrita.

There are two types of knowledge working with us—inner and outside. The knowledge related to the outside world, its memory, its reactions, are all stored in the chitta. You would be able to tap the inner light only when you learn to empty what is stored in the chitta. In order to clear up the chitta, we need to understand how it got filled up with so many things. Chitta is a store house of mental impressions. As I have told you earlier, there is light within us but the only difficulty with us is we are not able to experience it, because the contents of the chitta are covering that light, and hence the emphasis on clearing the contents of the chitta. That is why we must move on from impulsive behaviour to intelligent behaviour. As you practice this shift from impulsive behaviour to intelligent behaviour, your very mastery over intelligent behaviour would automatically open the door of intuitive realm of your personality. Impulse, or the hurried action, relates to animal instinct. The intelligence relates to human, and intuition relates to the beyond. Whatever contains in the chitta relates to the external world. You can’t enter intuitive world directly; you must bring down the speed of your mind intelligently. Handle your affairs intelligently. Deliberately, try to act slowly and intelligently. When someone says something, don’t react immediately. Wait a while. This way, you develop a space in your mind, for you to relax, to see, to feel and to act intelligently. Even in day-to-day life, learn to listen silently, see silently without commenting, act silently without complaining. As you spend your time silently, you are introduced to the way of your speech, action and thought. Then whatever you do, they all will have to have your approval first and then they would be executed. That way, every action of yours would become responsible and intelligent action. Then, a question comes, what type of things were filled into it?

pramaana-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidraa-smritayah

The chitta operates from the above five vrittis. Pramaana means proof and it is the first vritti. Again, proof has three constituents:

pratyaksha-anumaana-aagamaah pramaanaani

The chitta wants some proof to defend itself and it employs the proof of the things seen. The eyes, ears, tongue, touch, and nose, collect things from the world and transmit it inside. The moment an impression goes inside, immediately, reactions would crop up from inside, it is called chitta vritti. Here, yoga asks you to restrain yourself from reacting though you might have seen/ heard/tasted/touched things directly. It asks you to pause for a while and then act intelligently.

An example. You are sitting in a room and outside you hear a comment on you—you don’t know in what context somebody made a comment on you—but you go and take that person to task. You react violently. This proof is called pratyaksha. The other type of proof is anumaana, inference. Suppose, a smell of garam masaala comes from the kitchen of a pious family. If you had experienced such smell from a non-vegetarian family, immediately you infer that that family is also cooking a non-vegetarian dish. The next proof is aagama, words of the trusted people. You might have seen it with your children. Even if you say the correct spelling of a word, the child would defend only the teacher. The child trusts the teacher more than you. In such beliefs, we strengthen the chitta. We don’t ponder whether our beliefs are right or wrong. Yoga asks you, though you believe the people, yet you test what they say. If you find them at fault, don’t even neglect them. Even if the Lord or Guru says something, without judging, find out for yourself what is right. Viparyaya is explained as - viparyayo mithyaajnaanam atadroopam apratishttham

Viparyaya means false knowledge, no truth, and it means labelling something which is not. In other words, the image which your mind is seeing is not there. But the mind projects something else over there. Sage Patanjali says, see rope as a rope, not as a snake. When you have related chitta vrittis, the rope is seen as a snake. The defect is in the mind. If you have a lot of fear inside, your dealings with the outside world will add up to the fear. The third vritti is vikalpa.

shabda-jnaana-anupaatee vastu-shoonyo vikalpah

Based only on the word-meaning, we go on building castles; it is also called day-dreaming or fantasizing. There is no object, yet we dream about it. The day-dream may be a dream of fear or of pleasure. The fourth vritti is sleep.

abhaava-pratyaya-aalambana-vrittih-nidraah

Patanjali says even sleep is a vritti. Atman doesn’t need sleep. Chitta needs it to get ready for the next day’s ordeal. Since chitta is engaged all through the day, it needs rest. When there is no experience, that state is known as sleep. The thoughts, emotions, imaginations are all pratyaya, contents. The absence of contents, or the absence of transactions in chitta, is called sleep. The mind doesn’t want to do anything for sometime, and it depends on no-action, and that is sleep. To cite an example, the engine of a car is on but is not moving. The biological activity is on, but chitta is resting. Only during sleep the growth and rejuvenation of body happens. That is why it is said that one should not disturb the sleeping child/man. How much we sleep is not important but how qualitatively we sleep is important. The fifth vritti is memory, smriti.

It means, an event has happened, I have experienced that; yet, I have not forgotten it. That unforgotten impression is memory, smriti. The characteristics of the memory is, one memory will give rise to so many other memories. Memory gives rise to aversion, sadness, frustration, fear.... Psychologically, we should try to erase all memories. We should not remember even what we have eaten in the afternoon. That would allow me to stay in the present. When one is in the present, the next meal would be really an enjoyable one. There are two types of memories, objective and subjective. For example, when I see you, I must remember your face. That is necessary. But I should not remember the subjective memories. Subjective memory means, when I met you, you might have said something which left a deep scar on my being. That I should not remember. Normally the mind doesn’t remember that which ended in happiness. But it remembers vividly that which ended in pain. That is why our Gurudev, Swami Rama says, “If you want to progress in sadhana, forget and forgive.” It is enough to say that the memory is the greatest impediment in one’s experience of pure consciousness.

May you succeed in your Sadhana
Sri Pattabhiram

What does Yoga science mean to you?

When people talk about Yoga they often think it has something to do with the physical being only. Yoga is a science that deals with body, breath, mind, soul, and ultimately, the universe itself. It is both practical and theoretical.

Patanjali* is not trying to teach any particular religion to you. Yoga is not a new religion, nor does it condemn any religion. Yoga does not teach that if you are Jewish, you should become Catholic, or if you are Catholic, you should become Hindu, or if you are Hindu, you should become Buddhist. All the great religions have come from one source. Religions tell people what to do and what not to do, and provide a set of rules or commandments that are not fully satisfying.

Yoga science does not tell you what to do and what not to do, but teaches you how to be. Yoga science is a science of life that helps you to know the known and unknown parts of life, that helps you to liberate yourself from pains and miseries, and that helps you to attain that state which is free from pains and miseries.

How can someone living in the world practice Yoga science? If you understand the fundamental principles of Yoga science and why Yoga science should be practiced, it will become easy for you to practice. First you have to decide to search. You have to feel the necessity of finding yourself. Yes, I want to know myself. Something is missing, something I could not receive from my church, from my religion. Millions of people, both in the East and in the West, are searching for Truth and Self-realization—or as the religionists put it, God. You may go to church or temple or synagogues, but the questioning mind is still there. Sometimes orthodox religions do not satisfy your needs, so you question life. When your mind questions, it means you are not fully satisfied. Life is a question in front of you. You want to know something more, but you are using this little mind, which is like a yardstick, to measure the vast universe and its mysteries. You do not understand your religion because you do not understand yourself.

The highest of all books is the book of life. Unless you open the book of life, you will not understand the teachings of the scriptures. The scriptures say what to do and what not to do, but you have to learn how to be. All the gates to higher knowledge will be opened to you once you understand yourself. Patanjali offers something to such seekers. Patanjali says the source of knowledge is within you. The world and external knowledge can only inform you and inspire you. To evolve does not mean going toward the external world. Evolution means going back to the source. If you put ten covers around a light, what will happen to the light? The light will be as it is, but it will appear dim to you. You will not be able to see it. If you remove the covers, you will see it clearly. You can compare yourself with the light. Before you go to the source of knowledge within, you have to go through many barriers.

Yoga science does not offer any new religion; it offers a methodology. Through Yoga science you can understand yourself better on all levels, including your physical well-being, your actions, thought process, emotions, and desires. You will also understand how you are related to the world, and how to lead a successful life in the world. Yoga science creates a bridge between the internal and external conditions of life. Yoga is a way of improving yourself, a way of understanding your internal states. Whosoever you are, you have all the potentials within you. Are you aware of this? If you are aware of this, do you know how to use them? Patanjali encourages us to be aware of the potentials that we have and to learn how to use them. This practical science says to explore more and more.

The word Yoga means “unification, to unite with.” You have to unite yourself with the whole. At present you are an individual and you are experiencing miseries. The cause of misery, according to Patanjali, is ignorance. Ignorance is self-created. You can be free from that misery because it has been created by you. It’s as if you constantly slap your face and then say, God help me. It’s as though you blindfold yourself and then say, O Lord of light, of life, and love, give me light. This prayer is in vain.

You have to light your own lamp. No one will give you salvation. I am talking of enlightenment. All individuals have the responsibility to enlighten themselves. Do not think you cannot do it. You have that spark. You are fully equipped. You simply need to discipline yourself. Discipline is not a prison. It simply means practice.

- Swami Rama

(Extracted from sites.google.com/site/swamiramateachings)

Hello! How are you..?

AUSTERITY IN SADHANA

Dear Sadhakas,

November 13th is very special day for all of us. It is the day on which our beloved Baba attained Maha Samadhi. Baba had a great concern for all of us, even to those who have not seen Baba in his physical form. Baba always said, have faith in the Guru Parampara and it will guide you in all walks of life. On the occasion of Baba’s Maha Samadhi, let us also remember some of his teachings.

While Baba strongly believed in austerity for everlasting transformation and highest spiritual attainment, he rejected the meaning of austerity or tapas being not eating food or drinking water for days together or giving torture to the self. In fact he used to say, “adopting a healthy way of living is austerity”. By eating of too much or too little, by sleeping too much or very little, by exercising too strenuously or not doing any exercise at all, by thinking too much or not using the mind at all, one disturbs the pranic forces which support and sustain both body and mind. To enjoy life, you have to be healthy and strong, by avoiding extremes. For, it is only in a healthy body there can be a sound mind. No matter how spiritual you are, when you are not well, a great deal of your mental and spiritual energy is wasted in managing the complaints of the body. When you spend so much of energy complying with the demands of the body, where do you have the time and energy to discover the higher purpose and meaning of life? Taking care of oneself is the first and the most important step in practicing austerity. Therefore, first take care of your body.

The Sanskrit word ‘tapas’ literally means heat or glow. The practices that help you to shine are called ‘tapas’. Unhealthy living smothers the fire within us. To blow off the ashes of sloth and inertia, and allow the fire to become active, is tapas. Keeping the body cleansed and nourished is the way to practice tapas. For a genuine and everlasting transformation, you must practice a systematic method of self discipline and self training. Mere philosophy or intellectual knowledge cannot stand in times of need. To start and complete any practice, first you must have a strong, burning desire. Such a desire leads to commitment. Commitment needs to be nourished by the power of determination. When you are determined that today you will sit in meditation, no one has the power to disturb you. The combined force of your burning desire, the actual practice and God’s grace will guide you and whenever you are about to make a mistake, the same force will protect you.


In service of Guru Parampara
Sri Pattabhiram

Swami Rama Message

I pray that you will all be happy and enjoy, and let the flower of your life bloom so that you can serve one an-other and help others. Enjoy all the time. Be happy. Learn to be Happy.

I too have a Guru. The spiri-tual path can’t be tread with-out kripa, Guru’s graces. But if you want to have the Guru’s grace, you would have to have your own grace. You should make sincere efforts, and then the grace of God will come. Let you be graced today, the day which reminds you that you have to follow the path of enlightenment, loving all and excluding none. That is the way to the Divine.

To that glorious Guru my homage,
who has shown me that state which is identical
with the unbroken full orb of the sun,
which pervades all things, moving and unmoving.
Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi. May God bless you.

Swami Rama

Antardarshana

tasya vachakah pranavah

It means, His own voice is Pranava, the Omkara. We all would like to reach Godhood. But how to reach Godhood? That is why we all go to temples, satsanga, and other such events. When we visit such places, what we get is a soothing feeling, a tranquil mind. But this tranquil mind doesn’t last long. The moment we come to the busy streets, immediately our minds get diverted and we remain the same before we went to the temple! The same restlessness, the same discontentment, the same negative thoughts.... Sometimes, one really wonders whether there is really God or not.

Why this Sutra? We all believe that we are in darkness. We continuously pray to the Almighty : Please lead me from darkness to light, from falsehood to the real, from mortality to immortality. Our buddhi is clouded with lot of negativities and that is why we don’t see clarity in our thought, positivity in our actions, and bliss in our being.

In the modern age, we live in fully lighted houses during nights. Even if current goes off, we have standby generators or inverters. We get enough light for a period of time. But imagine the days when you have no standby generators. All is pitch dark. You are sitting in a room, and your father is resting in some other room. Your father calls you to offer you something. How do you reach the place he is staying? Though you don’t see anything, you follow the voice of your father and as your father goes on calling you, you go on reaching him. Suddenly, you are there! You are at his feet!

Maharshi Patanjali had seen this long ago. That is why he has suggested this Sutra. When mind pushes the human being to get lost in the mad race of the modern times, he undergoes chaos, confusion & frustration. In other words, he is in utter darkness. Though he has all the gadgets to light his external living, there is no light within, no peace within. That is why, Maharshi Patanjali asks us to follow the voice of the Lord. He is testifying the voice of the Lord to be Om. This is also testified by those who have followed Om. It is the same truth for you and me. If you board the Karnataka Express train from Delhi, it takes you to Bangalore; it is the same for you and me. Even if a beggar takes this train, he is assured of his destination: Bangalore.

In the same way, if you sit in the ‘Train of Om’, the destination is sure: He Himself. Though you can chant it the way you like, the effective technique is as given in our Antar Darshana. You must sit quiet, stabilise the sitting posture, harmonise the breathing, watch your mind and allow the mental disturbance to settle down and then chant long Omkara for a few times. After that, chant short Omkara. You can go on chanting this. How do you have to chant it? It is said in another Sutra: tat-japah-tat-artha-bhaavanam.You must chant it with the meaning and feeling. What is the meaning? Om means the voice of the Lord, means He Himself. What can be the feeling? The confidence of reaching Him. Assure yourself that you would reach him one day or the other.

You can do this chanting anytime or everytime you feel like doing: whether walking, eating, giving, receiving, when you are angry, when you are sad, when you are elated. In all walks of life you can tune in to this Om as a background music. Inside, go on establishing this beautiful musical note. Om, om, om..... A day will come when this background music happens on its own. Then it is called ajapa-japa. You are not doing the japa, but it is happening. When this happens for a period of time, one day or the other, you would really listen to the Voice of the Lord.

I give you an example. You want to ring up someone, your dear one. You pick up the receiver and dial the number of your friend from your phone. The response you hear depends on the instrument and the number engagement. In the same way, you must attune yourself with the Voice of the Lord with the chant of Om. He may be busy talking to someone. Actually, our own instruments are faulty. We have a number of negative tendencies. These negative tendencies really come in the way of our tuning in to the Voice of the Lord. Continuously work with your tendencies towards life, towards yourself and towards the other. Just see how your tendency is towards your work, your wife, your family, your neighbours, and everyone around the globe. The more you divide, the more miserable you are. The more integrated you are, the better the tuning would be.

My request to you is, as you tune in with the Voice of the Lord, also work on yourself. Observe how do you perform your duties. Is it a burdened work? Is it a boring work? If so, change the attitude. Do you not like someone? Question yourself as to why you don’t like him/her.

Do you utter lies? For what? Do you avoid work? For what? Do you deceive people? Question the deceiving mind. What for is it deceiving? If you develop this deceit in you, the day is not far away when you yourself would be deceived totally by your own mind! Become aware of this! You may free yourself from some people. You can’t free yourself from this deceitful mind!

Set your instrument right. Keep yourself light by closely monitoring the way you work, the way you think, and the way you speak. Filtering of your actions should happen right at these planes. If you do it, nobody can stop you from regaining your Kingdom of Bliss. OM.

May your practice guide you and all.

Sri Pattabhiram

Three Stages of Practice

1. Initial stage: At this stage, the student thinks that he is practicing, but actually he is preparing himself for the practice. His so-called practice consists of collecting the necessary means and resources to begin and to stay on the path.

2. Intermediate stage: At this stage, a student is fully equipped with all the resources he needs to practice. His time and energy are not involved in collecting means and learning methods, rather he spends his time in practice.

3. Last stage—achievement: At this stage, a student experiences the Truth. He may have only a momentary glimpse of the Truth, but at least it is a direct experience, which helps him understand the greatness of the Truth. Now, sadhana consists of trying to maintain that state. As his practice matures, he becomes an adept; then he need not try, for the experience of non-dual Reality is maintained effortlessly and spontaneously.


You really do not need to know many things, but you definitely need to practice what you know.

(Extracted from sites.google.com/site/swamiramateachings)

Mantra Anushtthaana for Navaratri

Dear Sadhaka

I have been sending special mantra practices on very auspicious occasions and I am certain that you are doing it and creating the energy fields in you to protect yourself and your family from various negative influences.

Navaratri, nine nights of very powerful divine manifestations, are very sensitive nights for sadhakas to meditate and to experience communion with the Divine Mother -- the energy play of the Cosmos.

I am blessed by Guru Parampara to initiate a very transformative mantra needed at this critical passage of time, which is full of confusions, conflicts,uncertainties, insecurities and unexpected happenings causing misery.

The Mantra:

OM - AIM - HREEM - SHREEM - ICCHAASHAKTI - KRIYAASHAKTI - JNAANASHAKTI - LALITAA - ABHAYA - SUNDARYAI – NAMAH

Meanings:

Hreem Iccha - Determination, Sankalpa
Aim Jnaana - Knowledge
Shreem Kriyaa - Dynamism
Abhaya - Assurance, Security
Sundara - Beauty, Harmony
Lalitaa - Divine Mother

Practice:

1. Sit and prepare for meditation.

2. Connect Sahasrara and Mooladhaara with a golden bridge of light and energize with Praana and SO HAM Naada.

3. Concentrate on Navel - the center of Iccha Shakti. Activate through nine rounds of breathing i.e. Praana Aahuti. Chant 9 times OM HREEM.

4. Come to Anaahata, heart center and do the Praana Aahuthi and chant 9 times OM - SHREEM.

5. Come to Agna, space between the eyebrows and do the Praana Aahuthi and chant 9 times OM - AIM.

6. Come to Sahasrara and feel the Blue sky with a Golden triangle and red dot (Bindu). Feel the presence of Divine Mother - the embodiment of knowledge, dynamism, determination and assurance.

7. Remember your Guru and seek the blessings to enter the mantra sadhana.

8. Chant the mantra given above - minimum 516 times.

9. Feel as if Divine Mother is blessing all the above powers to you to recreate your life and your family and the entire humanity.

10. Conclude with the following shloka:

Sarvamangala Maangalye Shive Sarvaartha Saadhike
Sharanye Tryambake Devi Naaraayani Namostute

Please practice this sadhana with your family in the evening between 8:30 - 9:30 PM every day for 108 days.

The purpose of meditation is to invoke the integrated energy of brilliance with full of confidence, dynamism of prosperity, knowledge of eternity and the shields if security and assurance. The effect will be a beautiful life beaming with Health, Harmony and Happiness.

Then you become Lalita - the benevolent ray of Divine Mother. May Guru Parampara bless you. Wish you happy Navaratri. Let the effort lead to Victory (Vijaya) in all ten directions (Dassera / Dashahara).

Hello! How are you..?

We suffer from various types of diseases not because of something ‘wrong’ in the physical body, but because of the continuous generation of negative energy in the mind; the mind is continuously generating the negative energy because we are feeding negative emotions.

What is negative energy? Negative energy is that energy which blocks the smooth flow of pure consciousness. If my emotions are selfish, then the pure energy cannot travel easily because of this blockage. Say, my heart says, "go and do something good to that fellow because he needs your support", that is the nature of the consciousness; our inner awareness - Aatmavat sarva bhooteshu. It is the same energy that is flowing everywhere. So, go and help. The moment pure energy starts coming out, the heart, which is filled with negative emotions, blocks it as if to say "Do not do it, if you do it, you will get caught." It is because we are selfish deep within. This slowly corrupts my pure energy. This corrupted impure energy is travelling all over the body.

There are 72,000 channels through which this corrupted energy is flowing. Wherever this corrupted energy flows, corrupted energy at the physical body will generate a negative chemical. Negative chemical gets deposited in the blood vessels, nerves, and in all such channels (or) passages through which various types of energies flow. Then slowly it starts blocking the communication system. The whole personality thus becomes negative.

When the personality becomes negative, automatically it creates a field around you. That field acquires the negative qualities of your personality. I am at the centre, the field surrounds me, sitting in that field, I attract people having similar negative energies. Because, in a way I become a magnet. When it becomes the magnet, it attracts. So, I start attracting only negative people towards me. Because there is negativity, there are negative people around me.

Similar attracts similar. That is the principle of nature. If there is negativity, it attracts only negativity. Slowly and surely, the negative field around me gets strengthened. In that negative field, where is the protection? Who is there to protect? My own emotions cannot protect me. Please understand - every emotion gets transformed into negative attitude. If a particular emotion starts operating 10 times in the mind, the same emotion becomes the attitude. I start seeing through that emotion only. Then, my entire perception becomes that only. So, the negative perception.

When the perception is negative, when the attitude is negative, then the habit patterns acquire negativity and get strengthened in a negative way.

For liberation, it is the mind; and so does for bondage too. For good things, it is the mind and for bad things too. Whatever samskara I give, whatever attitude I develop, whatever emotions I nurture, whatever feeling I develop within, that becomes my life. In that zone, small positive activities here and there do not help much. People are doing a lot of positive work, still it is not helping them to remove the density of negativity that they have stored inside. It is like sweeping for 10 minutes in a day and putting dirt all around the rest of the day. One or two days you will clean with a great enthusiasm. As days advance, you become tired of doing; because the amount of dirt piling up is so much, it makes you feel heavy, you feel bored - everyday doing the same thing! Because, you are not able to see the clean floor.

So, Sadhana or Mantras are very powerful, and they invoke a special energy from deep within. You must make efforts to awaken that intelligence which is charged with cosmic brilliance. That is your true energy. When you do Sadhana with feeling, then automatically, the natural cosmic brilliance which is in all of us in the latent form gets activated. We are not going to get it somewhere from above, no. It simply comes from within.

Therefore, instead of waiting to do your Sadhana ‘one day’, after you are through with your life’s commitments, start today and now. The moment you make the decision, my blessings and best wishes will start traveling with you.

Determination & Patience

Determination

Faith and determination are two essential rungs on the ladder of enlightenment. Without them enlightenment can never be realized. Without faith we can attain some degree of intellectual knowledge, but only with faith can we see into the most subtle chambers of our being.

Determination is the power that sees us through all frustrations and obstacles. It helps in building the willpower that is the very basis of success within and without. It is said in the scriptures that with the help of sankalpa shakti, the power of determination, nothing is impossible.

Shakti is behind all the great works done by the great leaders of the world. When the power of determination is not interrupted, one inevitably attains the desired goal.

Decide that no matter what happens, you will do what you set out to do. If you are determined, possible distractions will still be there, but you will continue on your path and remain undisturbed.

Sankalpa (determination) is very important. You cannot change your circumstances, the world, or society to suit you. If you have strength and determination, you can go through the procession of life very successfully.

Be confident, self-reliant, and always say to yourself, “I will do it. I can do it. I have to do it.” These confirmations build the power of determination, or sankalpa shakti.

Patience

In sadhana patience plays an important role.

Patience is a great virtue that needs to be cultivated. One should always pay attention to one’s determination, sincere efforts, patience, regularity, and loving nature. Always try to be vigilant, so that the opposite forces do not take over.

Whenever you find an obstacle, you should learn to be patient. You will have to be patient when you go to the unconscious mind, to the many fields of your mind.

The mind says, “How come you are so brave to go to the kingdom of the Lord within, without dealing with me?” Sometimes it becomes a devil; sometimes it becomes an angel; sometimes it becomes evil; sometimes it becomes a sage. It has all these qualities. The mind is a means for bondage—it could be a means for liberation. If the mind is at your disposal, it will not create obstacles for you.

You should learn to be patient. The quest of the soul helps you, if you persist; then, finally, you will find the light from the distance that dispels the darkness of ignorance. Will you please practice?

The time will come when you will know all that is to be known. Do not allow the gentle and eternal flame to diminish, and do not give name to the nameless.

(Extracted from sites.google.com/site/swamiramateachings)