After knowing what happens in the other unseen world and how the two types of energies act on each other in the Universe, the next possible query in your mind now would  be – okay, I know the working of the forces of God behind my physical eyes. But in spite of what is happening around me, I want to have peace of mind. And in this disorganized and unstable world!  So now the question is – What should I do to have it?

At this point, I ask you- Have you ever made conscious efforts to beget peace?  And did you ever experience very deep and sustained peace Mandira? Even if it was for a few minutes? Recall that.

If not, then my advice to you is that you must certainly attempt this rewarding endeavour. You will know its significance once you experience it yourself. You see, we make all sorts of efforts to achieve material goals, but we do not really know and understand how important it is to try and attempt to procure and attain peace in our lives.

When you do get a glimpse of deep peace at an an advanced meditative stage as a mature sadhak later, then hold on to it. It is evasive and slippery, it slips away. Let that deep peace linger and spread in your whole body, complete mind and in all your daily activities profusely and be cautious to retain it after that!

The next question is how?

There are some ways by which you can have lasting peace by adopting and practicing  some actions and habits in your daily life. I have incorporated and followed them for quite some time now and have found impressive results. You too can adopt and  follow them for a good, healthy, enriching and balanced life. In this way, you will enhance your spiritual life also.

• Firstly, disconnect and release your mind from material objects and materialistic thoughts. This tendency makes our mind impatient and restless. In this category also fall people who are not good and add nothing substantial to your well-being. Do not spend your time in discussing worthless people and their doings with others. You will gain nothing out of it. Distance yourself from their unproductive life activities. Only pick up good things from them. Please do not give unnecessary importance, time and energy to material goods and related thoughts, I repeat. 

You can never be fully satisfied without Divine peace!

There is a thin line which divides need from greed!!

• Have regards for superior thoughts. Infuse your mind with thoughts which have gravity, depth and meaning. They should serve the purpose of guiding your line of thoughts and your life in the right direction. From superior thoughts of wisdom, take your mind and anchor it on thoughts on God. In this way the mind becomes pure. Mind is matter and the thoughts lingering with worldly matters has impurities. But the worldly  mind becomes pure with contemplation and absorption of sublime divine thoughts. The mind should be  thrown in the fire of knowledge and wisdom. After burning, the residue is the sediments of impure, fleeting  thoughts of this transitory world and the gold is now clean and it shines! Like wise our mind, over a long, continuous period of isolation from worldly tendencies and inclinations becomes transformed and purified for a higher purpose. So internalize your mind by bringing it back to its source again and again till it rests in God permanently. This needs regular and uninterrupted practice.

 

• When you perform your daily activities, involve your mind completely in it. No job is done well unless we give our heart and soul to it. But once the job is done, disconnect your mind and take a relief. After refreshing your mind, go on to the next task. If you are stormed by bouts of uneasiness and disruption of peace, then immediately bring your mind on your breath. Focus your attention on your breath. Observe your breathe and be a witness to it. As you watch the flow of incoming and outgoing breath, the uneasiness, anxiety or anger and all other negative emotions shall subside and pass away. Calmness and peace shall return to you soon. Make it a habit of calming your mind many times a day by observing your breath and not by other de-stressing methods to improve your moods. 

 

• Continuous practice of the mind for uninterrupted peace, discovering thoughts of God’s nature by regular practice of meditation, penance, maintaining silence, fasting on saatvik food, internalization makes the mind firm and steady. 

 

• Do not carry the weight of the load of your past. Leave your past behind. Let your past  be past.

 

• Discard immediately all those thoughts which arise in the mind that are impure, repetitive,  fruitless and unprofitable.

 

•  Give love to all. That is God’s love which you shall distribute to whom so ever is worthy.

 

• Spread kindness. Kindness in words, thoughts and deeds. Be kind to  animals, animate and inanimate objects too. Speak words to people  which are pleasing to their heart, mind and soul. Your words should have balming effect on them.

 

• Meditate on God. Meditate on Self. Do self inquiry and correct yourself again and again. Meditate deeply for long lasting peace. Deep breathing and meditation clears your mind of fogginess and also clears your future path.

As I wrap up and conclude this topic, I feel like telling you something in brief. A precept which you may need to know at a later stage of advancement and development. Have you heard the word -Soliloquy? Compare these two words ‘soliloquy  and dialogue’. Dialogue is with the mind while soliloquy is with our Spirit, our soul. After soliloquy there is only peace. One is at peace with the world, with people and with own self. This is a state of Nirvana- nir (without) vana (speech), a speechless state of mind, a quiet and silent mind. Complete  freedom from the noise of our own loud incessant, futile thoughts which are self created. The clouds over the sun when dispersed facilitates the sun to shine brightly. Like wise the noisy, cloudy thoughts when calmed down makes our Spirit shine. The shining Sun here is our luminous Spirit, our very own Atman.

God is the all pervading force in the Universe as well as in Nature in its pure, undiluted, sublime form. While Mind is matter and gross in nature. It completely dissolves in God, in the Spirit, in the Light, in sublime Self. The mind at last arrives at a stage where it has no conflict, no rebellion traits, no upheaval, no unrest, no agitation, and no fuss at all. Only Peace prevails. Attain that!!

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti OM.

(Refer post no. 4 Awareness- the art of right living. Why do we need to control and discipline our breath?)

4a.m. Today is 7^thof Mar. It is the mahasamadhi day of Sri Paramhansa Yogananda. I reverentially dedicate this post in his remembrance at his Lotus Feet.

As 7^th March was approaching, I was remembering Sri Paramhansa Yogananda’s life or Guruji, as he was lovingly addressed, and was wondering how did he manage to accomplish so much in such a little time. That too in such a chaotic and unpredictable world? He was born for and worked towards the world wide mission of reviving the long lost, ancient science of Kriya Yoga of God-union. He united the Eastern philosophy with the western culture and ideology by showing similarities and propagated the conviction of oneness of both religions. He stressed the unity and brotherhood of mankind which is the only way to open the door of permanent peace in the world.

It was no mean a task for him as an Indian in the 30’s to land up all alone on the soil of America, a foreign country with no resources in hand. He knew nobody in America and had no trace or any idea as to how he could approach anyone and begin his spiritual work where no-one understood his language or when in those days  one was not even exposed to the western world and its converse culture? Yet, by the time he took mahasamadhi in 1952, he was a well known spiritual figure and one of the  pioneers of spiritual sciences on the world stage. He had initiated 1 lakh devotees into Kriya Yoga Deeksha in U.S. alone apart from so many others in India including Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan and others. He established the SRF and YSS  centres in Washington and California as well as in Ranchi and Dakshineshwar, India. He toured and visited many cities and towns in USA, Mexico, U.K, and also India lecturing on spiritual subjects and topics giving answers to questions, healing their bodies, souls and minds.

He conceived and designed many essential and informative spiritual lessons and life skills in the form of home lessons (Yogoda Satsanga Lessons in Self-realization. They are still in circulation and can be obtained from the YSS centres for aspiring devotees and practitioners of Yoga and Self-realization. He undertook the formidable task of translating and interpreting the Geeta and the Bible from the standpoint of Kriya Yoga. And so much more spiritual contribution was made by him that it is not possible for us to assess his gigantic reserve and enrichment to the existing pool. Now this is not an easy task if you really ask me. Recalling and recounting all this, I thought to myself…

In what way and manner do the great ones lead their lives?

How do they add so much value to a normal human life?

How do they accomplish so much in an average span of human life?

Are their minds very extra ordinary and special? If so, then how?

Can I too, enhance and escalate my present life by choosing and picking and then acting upon some special kind of actions or karmas which will attach added value, purpose and depth to my life also? I am wondering, really wondering??

I also thought of Lord Krishna. How could He compose and create the perennially new, ocean of wisdom ‘Bhagwad Geeta’ then?

I was extremely fascinated  by great figures like Krishna, Arjuna and some other Mahabharat characters. More so when I used to watch the serial Mahabharat on TV. When I watched this engrossing epic, I really became ponderous and was very curious to know-

How could Krishna remain so unperturbed and composed in spite of the ongoing mass killing and ghastly scenes at the battlefield of Kurukshetra? How could he inspire the despondent Arjuna to resume the fight of dharma or righteousness? How was it possible at all for Arjuna to realize God and have a glimpse of the Divine nature of Krishna in such a disrupting and blood shedding times?

How did Krishna still retain peace, which he transferred to Arjuna and resolved his mental turmoil erupting in his mind?

Why did stalwarts and good souls like Bhishma pitamaha, Karna, Dronacharya not leave Duryodhana? He was depending mainly on these three great fighters who were also great people and were noble at heart.

Why could they not forsake the sinful men, the Kauravas? Had they done so, there would have been no war at all.

How can anyone have peace of mind when he is all the time surrounded by egoism, antagonism, unrest, disagreement, discord, jealousy and rivalry?

In short, I mean I need to know,  is it possible for us to maintain peace and still surge ahead with our aspirations and intentions with existing conflict and antagonistic elements around us?

To be continued…….

(Read ‘Autobiography of a Yogi and ‘Whispers from Eternity’ among his best known work & Paramahansa Yogananda-In memoriam. Personal Accounts of the Master’s Final Days)

 

Whatever we wish to achieve in life should be firmly determined first. Only then success is assured. Determination and firmness of purpose comes from the power of Spirit which makes our mind resolute in nature.

We must set high goals in life with a meaningful purpose touching larger issues and serving larger people. Petty goals and petty means demean our souls. It is a loss to our dignity and self respect.

Unpreparedness of mind should be dealt with, first of all. To become mentally prepared we must search our souls to know what our goal in life is at present. To know and determine the exact goal, to ascertain whether we are doing the right thing, or to excel in all our pursuits we must first surrender ourselves at the Lord’s feet. The Lord, the Master of the Universe knows what is really right for us and after that we can pick up our chosen destination and decide on our set goals.

Once the period of confusion, self-doubt and unpreparedness is over, we must be thoroughly determined to achieve our large goals after receiving God’s consent, Grace and kind blessings.

Determination makes us empowered with a quality which later creates a carved out path for ourselves. And that quality is- fearlessness.

There are going to be speed-breakers, unexpected mental barriers and other tiring deterrents. But the faith in oneself and the Power of the Almighty clears the path and the road is well defined and uncluttered by now.

Now my dear, can you recall and think of some known characters from the past who had firmness of purpose and determination resembling fire?? You think on this and in the meantime I will tell you whom I consider worth mentioning here, who really had fiery determination and also enjoys a place in man’s history. And that is Panchali from Mahabharat period.

Panchali knew that the rightful heir of Hastinapur was Yudhishtir and that their kingdom was usurped by Duryodhan and his coterie of evil minded associates. The Kauravas grabbed the kingdom from the Pandavas by cheating them in the game of dice. Panchali was disgraced and insulted in the court-hall by Duryodhana, Karna, Dushshasan and the other wicked people present there at that foreboding time. She felt very lonely and had only Krishna for her timely help on her side. She was anguished and felt helpless at her own plight.

After the humiliation, Panchali avowed that she will avenge every misdeed of theirs. And she did. In the war of Kurukshetra, she asked her beloved husband Arjun and Herculean Bhima to kill Karna and Duryodhana respectively for their unforgiving abuses and demeaning acts towards her and relieve her from her agonizing vows. She called them cowards because for everything that they had won was won by fraud, cheating, plotting, conspiracy and treachery.

Panchali was determined to regain her dignity, self respect and lost glory which she eventually did. All that was possible because of not only her devotion towards Krishna but because of her unshakable resolution and fiery determination to win back her lost pride and honour.

And have you thought of some more extra-ordinary persons who have achieved what they set their eyes on  because they possessed fiery determination?

Illumination here means knowledge of Self. In all of us exists Light of God. Light is where there is no darkness. The purpose and aim of spirituality is to discover our real and authentic nature. It is a journey that we undertake where the destination is the discovery of the presence of Spirit or the source of illumination in ourselves. Spirit is the illuminating Light ever present within ourselves.

 The journey though long and uphill, once when embarked, one day comes to an end only when a stalwart Spiritual Guru, who is of course a liberated soul himself, rescues and salvages our soul. He transmits and infuses His own power for us to unfold and later manifest fully our omnipresent Spirit, the source of Light of Illumination and Knowledge.

Swami Nityananda is my param guru, a maha siddha yogi. His entire life was dedicated to the welfare of those people who were dispirited, miserable, grief-stricken or sick and dying. And also towards the seekers or sadhaks. He was always in bliss and therefore earned the title Nityananda which means ‘always in ananda,  bliss’

His samadhi is in Ganeshpuri, approximately 75 kms from Navi Mumbai. Incidentaly, there is no Ganesh temple in Ganeshpuri as the name says, but the main place of interest is the samadhi of Swami Sri Nityananda. There one  also finds  samadhis of his prominent disciples  resting close to him like Swami Dayanand Shaligram and Swami Muktananda. Ganeshpuri is famous and known mainly for Shri Nityananda who spent almost all of his life there amidst the tribal people inhabiting the forests some 70 years ago. He made their lives better helping them by providing much needed social services like schools, hospitals, roads etc. Ganeshpuri is synonymous with Sri Nityananda.

Though he is no more in his impermanent physical encasement, that place still emanates very strong vibrations of deep peace and  tranquility and spiritual splendour within a wide range of its radius.

It is not possible for us to know the depth and stature of his prolific spiritual state and the staggering heights that he had touched and had possessed. But even now, if we implore with a sincere call, he readily unveils a profile of his great humane character. For us, this is like receiving Kripa- Prasad or grace as blessings.

Param Siddha Yogi means an expounder and exponent of mighty and lofty liberating ideas. A rescuer, a liberator and the one who has attained multiple divine powers since very early childhood. He is born as a free soul with no tinge of lingering mud of sins and only virtues of highest order with him. Param Siddha yogis appear on earth only with the wish and will of God with a very big mission to accomplish and merely for the uplifting and welfare of the humanity in masses. Their kind-bigheartedness compels them to have pity at the helpless state of  the miserable and needy men. They raise them from physical, mental, emotional and spiritual sufferings and sorrows. People’s lives are restored, their miseries mitigated and stability as well as prosperity established. The delusion of Maya is completely wiped out in the case of sadhaks, sannyasis, yogis, mahayogis and rishis if they so desire. For enlightened souls like Nityanand Swami,  Gyan (knowledge), karma (action) and bhakti (devotion) are all one because they converge and all three are equally dear to him, whichever our path maybe.

The world for them is a Leela, a stage where there is a passing show or drama going on. Brahma, the absolute is real and the rest unreal.

Out of the so many followers that come to the Maha Siddha Yogi,  just a handful plead for salvation. Whenever such a suppliant implores with a sincere call, he loses no time in responding immediately. But the petitioner should possess some basic qualifications such as firm determination to help himself and devotion and loyalty towards his gracious guru. The rest of the responsibility is taken care of by him as he is endowed with all the Shakti (power) and yukti (strategy).

The birth and life of exalted souls is encrypted in mystery by God’s will. They have exceptional missions and goals in life which are unthinkable and unimaginable for us and impossible to ever attain. But when their benevolence and Kripa Prasad is given out of mercy on us, we are equipped to accomplish some extra-ordinary goals, missions  and feats in our  life which we could have never achieved otherwise on our own.

Let me now share something with you my dear. What I just finished telling you just now relates to my life too.  It has occurred in my life because of which I could deal with many life situations in extra-ordinary ways by overcoming various deterring obstacles and also achieving difficult goals. I beat many odds and therefore could accomplish many things which was impossible for me to do otherwise. This has led to altering my life completely. How can I not thank the compassionate and merciful Master for his benevolence, generosity and kindness towards me? Words are never enough to thank Him.

Yesterday was 31^st Jan of the year 2009 and the day was Basant Panchami, the spring festival in India. It is also a day on which the Hindus pray to goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge of scriptures, arts and music. As a child I remember in school we all used to worship Ma Saraswati by decorating her idol with yellow and orange marigold flowers, singing hymns and devotional songs in her praise, saying prayers and asking her to bless us and give us knowledge. We all gathered in the assembly hall and sang in chorus. All the girls would wear yellow clothes on that day and after the prayer meeting, we all got a piece of yellow burfi to eat! I presumed then that we chose the special colour of the day, yellow because in North India, after Basant Panchami arrives Basant Ritu or the spring season. So yellow was seen everywhere, you see. But that was all I knew, the spiritual aspect of the colour yellow and the importance of the spring season in terms of scientific and spiritual sense was unknown to me.

In Ganeshpuri Samadhi temple on this particular day, the celebration of the spring festival is also performed by opening the restricted idol area of Swami Nityanand in the temple by removing the barricade in front of the idol for a few hours for all to enter. The purpose is that the devotees can circumambulate or walk all the way around the holy idol. Circumambulating an idol is a ritual, a way of worshiping and in this way we also get an opportunity to come closer to the energy field of the resting soul there.

To recharge myself and to receive additional spiritual benefits, I planned and made a trip to Ganeshpuri on this day with my daughter. I wore a deep lemon yellow cotton sari and proceeded towards my chosen destination in the morning. On the way, I stopped my car at Vajreshwari, 3 kms before Ganeshpuri  and climbed upto the doorsteps of the  temple of Ma Vajreshwari, one of the many forms of goddess Durga. The temple is unique in structure and style of architecture as it is made like a fort by the local ruler before independence. We were lucky that day as we found very few people in the temple complex and I was able to pray there quietly and spend some peaceful minutes inside the inner chambers. We then drove towards Ganeshpuri .

After reaching the place, we both went inside the big temple hall of Swami Nityananda where the followers and bhakta were in a relaxed mood and were waiting in the short queue to walk around the idol. Once again  we got lucky as the swarm of people had not arrived yet. Like others, we too walked towards the idol without any restrictions and felt privileged. Once inside, I was ecstatic. The chamber where the idol is installed vibrated like a dynamo, it was a very charged zone. We also took a parikrama around the idol and touched Baba’s feet. With humility in our heart, we offered a box of sweets and a coconut as per the rituals as a mark of gratitude towards him. I came out with a deep sense of contentment and found a comfortable place to sit in the hall in front of the iconic idol… ..

                                                                                                                                                                                                         To be continued.

Please -refer- How to surmount obstacles-II to know Swami Nityananda’s contribution in re-moulding my life through his benediction and selfless love)

 

My invocation

My Lord! You give me Inspiration

Inspiration is blind without creation

I call you, my Divine to make me your

Space of beauty and rhyme

Create in me something never created before

And create so beautiful that never seen before!

Visit to Dakshineshwar YSS ashram second time

I have just returned from my spiritual re-treat at Dakshineshwar ashram and since then I am pondering over the fledgling thoughts and diving deep to assess and gather all my spiritual experiences.  I am aware of the fact that there is always a purpose of God, who gives me some exotic solitary moments and isolation from the noisy and clamorous crowd of the city.  It was  refreshing  in the quiet sabbatical in the holy precinct there.

The weather was very pleasant and the garden was blooming with beautiful seasonal flowers.  Saw them all:- dahlias, roses, pansies, hollyhocks, sweet peas, nasturtiums, carnation, honeysuckle, cockscomb and many more attractive varieties. Some were bell shaped, some dish-shaped and some like falling water droplets. Such a soothing environment compelled me to spend most of my time on the green lawns, under the huge shady trees or just walk around the garden on the brick path. The winter flowering shrubs and perennials had their element of beauty and they shared their perfume and beauty with all who passed by. The flowerpots were placed in various corners and places in various formations showing the craftsmanship of the designer making lovely landscapes. The songbird Koels were singing songs of joy and felicity while the  sonorous Bulbuls were hopping in glee from one branch to another gathering seeds and visiting their mates. Butterflies of all colours and shapes were dancing gracefully around the flowering plants in synchronized patterns  and the mynas were singing their ragas in full throat. A place of perfect peace and beauty well worth visited!

I also did some introspection in the conducive atmosphere apart from drowning in the gifts of nature.  I compared this visit to the ashram with the  last one that I made about three years ago. I am wonder struck to see that so much has happened in my life, particularly in the area of fitness and personal health. During my last visit, I was very feeble. I needed some one to accompany me and take care of me there. But this time around, I went alone and I was bouncing and beaming with boundless energy. There was no dearth of zest and mental agility and  the outcome of the retreat was wonderful. Since I have come back home, I am craving to know what has caused this exceeding health benefit in me? What are the factors responsible for this mega reversal of physical trend? So, I gave myself some time at home to find out the possible reasons for the same.

I have gladly arrived at the conclusion that in the years that have gone by, though wobbly, I had nurtured a vision, and have been creating a mental picture, a dream for myself. I have without a single day for that matter told myself many times in a day that I have very good health, I have tremendous mental and physical power, I am not sick, new cells are re-generating in my body, blood circulation is very good, I am a very happy person, I can do and complete all the jobs and tasks that come my way, I can exercise without any fatigue and I will one day be in pink of health, I will share and give happiness and abundant joy with others ……

Every time there was a picture of all this being created in my mind, I visualized myself as a very happy, healthy, strong and  degeneration-free being. I instilled and fed very bright, vibrant  and enthusiastic thoughts many times a day repeatedly and very vehemently. Today I have understood that I have actually achieved all this without my even being aware of it! It only dawned on me when on the last day I visited places in the city, did so many things in a high activity packed day yet did not even get tired. Previously any change of weather and city would have a significant slackening effect on me. So I ask myself  today what does this prove?

My realizations–

There is so much power in our mind alone in the form of imagining and creating mental pictures!

 

Visualizing them, repeating them over and over again so that they get deeply ingrained in the brain that one day they start  manifesting in our lives with the grace of the Divine.

 

When we imagine something over a good amount of time, we arouse and collect the creative powers lying within us and store them in the mind little by little, brick by brick. The foundation of a new castle is laid by first wanting something, desiring something. Thoughts of creativity and visualization are the bricks by which we build our future. Faith in God and in oneself is the cement and repeated reinforcement  is the mortar for bonding it. The structure is ready for us to see now!

 

So, whatever you want today, create it in the mind first, make mental pictures of it and everyday water your visions and dreams with love and passionate longing. One day it is bound to sprout and manifest in your life.

 

The power to create by mental and Spiritual visualization

————————————————————————————-

In our mind lies the power to create.

In our mind lie the thoughts.

Our thoughts have power contained in them.

To make them dynamic, strong  and come true.

Invoke Divine Will and use Divine perceptions.

Throw and beam your thoughts in the Cosmic Universe.

Soon you will see Nature at your command.

See your ideas, visions and dreams.

Shaping up, bit by bit, like the bricks in the castle.

Weave dreams around your aspirations, lofty ideas and soft fluffy wishes.

Create visuals in your mind like a design on a fabric.

Soon you shall see the vibrant colours and hues of the motifs coming up alive.

Like a beautiful garden full of blooming dahlias, lilies, honeysuckle, roses.

Inhale the intoxicating fragrance of the lovely roses floating in the misty air.

Drink the nectar of peace, serenity and fulfilling joy.

Design and create your own wonderful tomorrows.

By the warps and wefts of creative visualization and mental imagery.

Keep on weaving your dreams till one day they manifest.

Like a heavenly angel straight from the fairy tale!!!

 

# Creative power of visualization       # The power to create by mental and Spiritual visualization

In love we shall find God,

In love we shall attain peace.

In love is hidden our salvation.

In love is hidden salvation for others.

 

Love means to give and never ask.

Love means to give freedom and never tie.

Love means to receive whatever comes your way.

Without a grouse, complaint or a sigh.

 

Love means to endure, even if you think you can’t take it anymore.

Love means doing things for others which you never did before.

Love means giving respect for their ideas, beliefs and unique thoughts of mind.

Knowing that one day they will converge with yours.

 

All roads lead to one destination.

That is the abode of God.

No matter where, when we met and how.

All that matters is we have met at last with a purpose in mind.

 

Our love is true and must meet every test of time.

We both must hold hands together and must attempt the climb.

The next step of transformation and ascent.

To prove to ourselves that we have met with the wish of our Maker.

 

In these moments of utmost happiness and joy.

Let us not forget and enter the stupor.

Or else the purpose of our meeting will be lost.

So arise, arise, arise and arise and you shall climb.

 

Till you see the Light of the Creator in you.

And re-awaken the glory and honour that was once yours.

So that the world will see you and

Through your grand work for the Divine.

 

Will be reminded to others that

Do not be in a state of quiescent.

Know that the Light of God is present everywhere,

In you, me and everyone.

 

Know that in God you shall find full rest and peace.

In God lies all the answers to all the queries of the fleeting world.

One cannot ever rest well unless he rests in God through his soul.

So rest your mind and body in God alone!

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Updated on 25.5.21

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1411374165786510&set=a.1380940312163229

P-65 dated 28.2.2015

God has made love the most quintessential quality in human life.

God has made love the most quintessential quality in human life. Material acquisition and its senseless possessions are blinding acts. Human flaw and error is such that they never recognize the virtue of love which every human needs to live happily all his life. Unrestricted love without wanting anything in return makes man most happy. Non-judgemental, unconditional love inculcates compassion. These actions bring back love and more endearing lives for us in next lives.

 

 

(This article on Yoga is of elementary level and for beginners. Please see the footer where you can visit other posts of advanced nature)

Yoga strictly speaking means union with God. The mind through the gradual process of purification and refinement becomes absorbed and unites with the omnipresent Spirit and is then guided by it in all the activities and endeavours of the practitioner.

Broadly speaking, minds are of two types-worldly and unworldly. Most minds are worldly and materialistic in nature but through the regular practice of yoga in daily life, the chakras or spinal centres of energy are cleansed and purified and the mind is enlightened and illuminated. The dormant spiritual energy is awakened and god realization takes place. Higher levels of consciousness and understanding can be reached through this ancient science of god realization. The evolution of the soul accompanies shift in understanding and  quality of actions are refined and so become superior. The life of the sadhak or aspirant becomes useful to the society.

The word Yoga needs to be approached in a holistic manner. It encompasses many aspects like discipline of the mind and body, purification and widening of the mind, a restful mind, acquiring new skills and abilities, higher levels of energy, subtler understanding, achieving great heights in personal and professional work, setting better and higher goals in life and in this way adding a valuable contribution to the wealth and capital of the world in terms of knowledge and services to mankind.

Dear child, so far we have discussed spirituality in the previous posts and as we go along, we are going to delve in a different aspect of yoga today- that of personal grooming and development. Mahavatar Babaji and Nityananda Swami have expressed their wish to us that we all must aspire and develop to our highest potential through yoga and make a wholesome contribution towards our society to make it a purposeful and worthwhile place to live in. The more we develop ourselves, the more we are capable of perceiving the working of God  in our daily life and in this way we are able to serve God.

Did you know that we can either be constructive or destructive in our tendencies at a set given point of time? By being constructive here means that we should make a continuous attempt and effort in increasing the quality and value of our life and get better in our overall personality too. We must aspire to progress bit by bit everyday to develop our mind, intellect and senses to unfold the unused and undeveloped divine qualities lying within us. But the question is how do we do it?

There are many courses, programmes or education programmes available on improving the quality of our life, personality development, grooming, management programmes in our cities to improve productivity, be successful, make profits and gain new insights in gaining access to our hidden potential of the sub-conscious mind etc. But as I understand they do not show very high success rates because personality development should not be superficial. If these programmes only touch and hardly scratch the surface of our psyche, the end results are not satisfactory. The mind of the person involved should change and the person should experience a positive transformation within. The deeper levels and realms of the aspirant should be contacted and he should re-orient his life into upward climb in every sense. The first noticeable change should be in the area of his daily work.

A new thought should bring a change in the manner the person works and the end result must be more constructive, productive and must show improvement in terms of quality and quantity.

It is desirable that the educational programme of development should also have practical application by telling the aspirant ‘how’ to do it through solo and group activities. And only then the quality of performance, tasks and productivity can be expected to be outstanding after attending the programme.

Dear, can you think  and tell me now as to why a fresher in an organization who is so full of promises and brimming over with creative energy and potential becomes de-motivated in 2 years? Surely something must be missing or lacking somewhere, something goes wrong and the performance of the worker or correspondingly for that matter even a  spiritual seeker declines slowly and he loses  sight of his vision?

I have looked around and also searched my answers from my own experiences and found out that some of the reasons for non performance or under performance in material and  spiritual fields also are-

• A sluggish mind. Make the mind sharp, quick and witty by doing mental exercises.
• Lack of motivation within. Motivate yourself by getting inspired by great men, being positive in life and generating hope and aspirations.
• Lack of competence. Keep improvising your existing skills and knowledge and acquire new interests, abilities and talents.
• Jealousy. It is a destructive feeling and beware of it. Instead think and feel good for others, wish well for all. Do not harbour inferiority complex.
• Failure to recognize opportunities. Opportunities come in disguise, grab them. Be daunting, fearless and take on challenges. God loves bravehearts. Learn while you move up. Look at the best 10% performers in your field and learn from them by observation and also through the process of asking ‘why’ and ‘how’. Do not feel shy to admit that you don’t know a particular task or thing.
• Reluctance to work hard, put in extra time and effort. We achieve nothing in life if we do not burn the night oil. While others play and wander and lose sight of their vision, Mandira, my child you please stay focused in your life. Do not splurge your precious time and money in unproductive ways foolishly.
• Unwilling to accept new ideas, new concepts and thoughts so essential for our progress and growth. Keep the doors of your mind always open as even a small thought by God’s will can change one’s whole life. Do not miss that.
• Unwilling to learn from past mistakes. Mistakes are great masters and teachers. There are lessons to acquire from them.
• Not setting goals for achieving material and spiritual success. Nothing great and worthwhile can be achieved without asking yourself what do you want and then setting up those goals for our selves. Make a journal or maintain a diary in which you can write your goals. Once they are achieved, mark them and write new ones.
• Not practicing Yoga in daily life. We all need a few minutes to de-stress and re- connect with our inner peace after performing our duties and work everyday to replenish our energies. The quality and standard of our work is escalated  by receiving God’s thoughts and  power by daily God thoughts and meditating upon Thee. God is the infinite sea of energy, power, talents and gifts, ideas and inventions as well as creativity. A quiet and calm mind performs better and produces applauding results. One excels in this way. Peace and tranquility are a great source of right thinking which makes us do right actions. Right actions produce right results. Right results or effects makes our life worth living and meaningful.

(Also read related post on practical application of Yoga- How to live today and How to increase your capacity to do work?  Food and breath control,   How to increase the power of your will? Kundalini Shakti-I, Kundalini Shakti-II and Kundalini Shakti-III to lead a yogic life style)