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Date31:7/2008 When a river reaches the ocean, it becomes one with the ocean and
the river ceases to exist. Before it joins the ocean, the river is bound by its
banks and it has a distinct form. But when it merges in the ocean, it loses its
form, name and taste. Likewise, when "man" merges in the Infinite "I" only the
Infinite "I" remains and the limited human entity disappears.
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Date30:7/2008 There is a tendency to interpret renunciation as merely giving up
worldly attachments. Renunciation truly means attaining perfect equanimity.
People may criticize you or praise you, take them both with a sense of
equanimity. One may try to harm you while another may try to do you a good turn;
treat both situations with equanimity. In one business venture, you may incur a
loss while in another you may make a profit; treat them both alike. Equanimity
is the hallmark of yoga (spiritual attainment).
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Date29:7/2008 There are two forms of Love. One binds you to God. The other binds
you to the world. The mind is responsible for either of these states. The mind
can be compared to a lock. If you turn the key to the right, the lock opens. If
you turn the key to the left, it gets locked. The heart is the key to the lock
of the mind. If you turn the key towards the world, you have attachment and
bondage; when you turn it towards God, you achieve liberation. That is why, it
has been declared that the mind is the cause of human bondage or liberation.
When it is filled with wisdom, it makes a man a saint. When it is associated
with ignorance, it turns into an agent of death.
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Date28:7/2008 This world is the jungle in which you roam; fear is the lion which
drives you up the tree of samsara (worldly activities). Anxiety is the bear that
terrifies you and dogs your every step in this world, so you slide down into
attachments and binding deeds through the twin roots of hope and despair. Day
and night are the rats which nibble away at the span of life. Meanwhile, you try
to snatch a little joy from the sweet drops of egoism and the 'I' feeling.
Finding at last that the drops do not give true fulfillment, you shout in the
agony of renunciation, calling on the Guru; the Guru appears from within or
without, and saves you from fear and anxiety.
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Date27:7/2008 Sadhana (spiritual discipline) determines the character of a person and character in turn determines one's destiny. Character is cultivated by performing good actions. Actions are based on one's thoughts and intentions. Whenever any thought arises in the mind, one should examine whether it is right or wrong, whether it will benefit society or cause harm. Actions should be based on such enquiry. It is wrong to blame anyone for our misfortunes. Our thoughts and actions alone are responsible for our plight. If one entertains pure thoughts and does all actions with firm faith in God, one will be favoured with God's Grace. |
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Date26:7/2008 What man needs today is not Siddhantam (ideology). Instead, he
needs sense-control. Without control of the senses, a man cannot become
spiritual. This was proclaimed by Saint Thyagaraja in his song wherein he said
that without peace of the Spirit there can be no happiness for any one, whether
he is a scholar or an novice. Only through self-control can a man experience
peace.
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Date25:7/2008 When you know that you are but a spark of the Divine and that
everything around you too is a spark of the same Divine principle, you look upon
all with reverence and true Love; your heart is filled with supreme joy and the
assertions of the ego are rendered ineffective. Man seeks joy in far off places
and peace in quiet spots; but, the spring of joy is in his heart, the heaven of
peace is within him. Even when he walks on the moon man has to take with him his
fears, his anxieties, his prejudices and his aversions. Have faith in God and in
the correctness of moral living. Then, you can have peace and joy, whatever may
be the fare fortune offers you.
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Date24:7/2008 The word 'Dharma', which is really bound up with an infinite
variety of meanings, is regarded in common usage as referring to actions like
charity, performing good deeds, going on pilgrimages and discharging one's
duties, etc. But these relate only to external actions. Dharma is eternal, the
same for everyone, everywhere. It expresses the significance of the inner Atma.
The birth place of Dharma is the heart. What emanates from the heart as a pure
idea, when translated into action is Dharma. The true Dharma of every human
being is to make every endeavour to realize the Divine; Dharma should lead to
Self-realization.
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Date23:7/2008 The best Sadhana (spiritual practice) is to behave as you do when
you get a parcel of books by post. To get at the books you unwrap the parcel and
throw off the packing material. Now, take the prayer that is the deepest and the
most significant - 'I want Peace'. Unwrap it of the 'I' (the ego) and of the
'want' (desire) and get hold of Shanti (Peace). When you are burdened with
egoism and desire, how can you attain Shanti? So, throw away the outer covering
and hold on to the precious essence that remains.
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Date22:7/2008 He who considers himself free is free indeed, and he who considers
himself bound remains bound. Constantly think yourself as being eternal,
unlimited, Consciousness-Bliss, and you will be free and happy. So long as you
trap yourself in body consciousness you are like a lion moping about in a musty
cave. Do not feel satisfied by saying, 'I am the body'. Roar and say, 'I am the
Universal Absolute. I am all that is, was and will be.' Pettiness, ego, time and
space - all will flee from your heart and you will realise your own Divinity.
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Date21:7/2008 '
Attachment causes pain, and detachment results in joy. But, you
cannot easily detach yourself from activity; the mind clings to something or the
other. Make it cling to God, let it perform all actions for God and leave the
success or failure, the loss and the profit, the elation or the dejection, to
God. This is the secret of Shanti (Peace) and contentment.
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Date20:7/2008 'The mind must become the servant of the intellect, not the slave of the
senses. It must discriminate and detach itself from identification with
the body. The kernel of the ripe tamarind fruit is not attached to the
outer shell; likewise the mind must be unattached to this shell called
the body. Strike an unripe tamarind fruit with a stone and you cause harm
to the pulp inside; but, when you strike the ripe fruit it is the dry rind
that falls off; nothing affects the pulp or the seed. The mature aspirant
does not feel the blows of fate or fortune; it is the unripe one who is
wounded by every blow.
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Date19:7/2008 '
Believe firmly that the body is the residence of God, that the
food you eat is the offering you make to your deity; that bathing is the
ceremonial bathing of the Divine Spirit in you; the ground you walk upon is His
domain; the joy you derive is His gift; the grief you experience is His lesson
that you tread the path more carefully. Remember Him at all times; many people
think of God only when grief overtakes them; of course, it is good to do so; it
is better than seeking the help of those who are also equally liable to grief.
But, it is infinitely better to think of God in grief and in joy, in peace and
strife. The proof of rain is in the wetness of the ground; the proof of Bhakthi
(devotion) is in the Shanti (equanimity) the bhaktha (devotee) has, Shanthi
which protects him against the onslaughts of success and failure, fame and
dishonour, gain and loss.
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Date18:7/2008 'Gu' means darkness and 'Ru' means light. Guru (spiritual preceptor) scatters darkness through light; he imparts wisdom which roots out our ignorance. 'Gu' also connotes 'Gunaatheetha' (One who is beyond 'gunas' or attributes) and 'Ru' connotes 'Roopavarjitha' (One who has transcended Form). Do not seek human Gurus, however great their reputation. They are bound by the qualities they have developed and they are still in need of the Form so that they may conceive of Reality. They themselves being limited, how can they communicate to you the Unlimited? Pray to the Parabrahma Principle (transcendental principle) or God within you to reveal Itself. Accept that as the Guru and you will be illumined.
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Date17:7/2008 Man is a prisoner of his senses as long as the feelings of 'I' and
'mine' remain. Man strays into misery and pain, because he aspires for the
temporary and the trivial. He ignores the voice of God that warns and guides
from within, and pays the penalty for the transgression. Life is to be dedicated
not to mere food and drink and catering to the cravings of the senses. It has to
be devoted to the attainment of the bliss that God alone can confer.
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Date16:7/2008 The sense of duality arises when the Aham ('I') assumes a specific
form and name. Ahamkara (the ego-sense) is the result of this change in form. It
is only when one dissociates himself from name and form that one can discover
one's true divine self. To forget one's essential divinity and identify oneself
with a changing and impermanent form is the cause of bondage and sorrow. It is
the mind that is the cause of this wrongful identification, because of its
involvement with the external world and the impressions received through the
senses. When the workings of the mind are understood, the reality of the Atma,
which is beyond the mind, will be experienced as the one omnipresent, immutable
principle.
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Date15:7/2008 The proof of rain is in the wetness of the ground. Likewise, the
proof of true devotion is in the peace of mind that the aspirant has been able
to attain - the peace that protects him against the onslaught of failures and
disappointments, the stillness of mind which is not agitated by loss and
dishonour or perturbed by anger, jealousy and other lower passions. Know that
you are the embodiment of that peace. Whoever has the determination,
discrimination, steadfastness and the earnestness to reach the goal will reach
it.
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Date14:7/2008 For the bird in mid-ocean, flying over the deep, blue waters, the
only resting place is the mast of a ship sailing in those waters. In the same
way, the Lord is the only refuge for the man who is tossed about in the stormy
seas of this world. However far the bird may fly, it knows where it can find
rest; that knowledge gives it confidence. The Name of the Lord is like that
mast; remember it always, associate it with the Form and have that Form fixed in
the mind's eye. It is a lamp shedding light in the recesses of your heart. Have
the Name on the tongue and it will drive away the inner darkness as well as the
outer.
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Date13:7/2008 Broaden your vision. Cultivate the spirit of love. Being endowed
with the human form, you must strive to develop human values and not stray away
from the path of righteousness. Fill your minds with sublime thoughts, and your
hearts with divine feelings. Consider everyone as your brother and sister. Only
then will you realize your unity with all creation. Redeem your lives by
revering your parents, honouring your teachers and developing loving faith in
God. Be aware of the divinity that is inherent in every being. Thereby, you will
grow in self-esteem. Fill your life with joy. Be happy and make others happy.
This will please God.
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Date12:7/2008 With faith in the omnipresence of the Divine, man should engage
himself in good deeds, cherish good thoughts and dedicate his life to good
practices. His words should be words of truth. The ornaments he should wear are
the necklace of truthful speech, the earrings of listening to sacred lore and
the bracelet of charity. Money is of the nature of manure. Piled up in one
place, it pollutes the air. Spread it wide, scatter it over fields, it rewards
you with a bumper harvest. So too, when money is spent for promoting good works,
it yields contentment and happiness in plenty.
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Date11:7/2008 You wear coloured glasses and see everything through those
glasses. Correct your vision; the world will get corrected. Reform yourselves
and the world will get reformed. You create the world of your choice. You see
many, because you seek the many, not the One. Try to subsume the many in the One
- first the family, then the community, the state, the nation and finally the
world. Thus, progressively march on towards more and more inclusive loyalties
and reach the stage of universality in thought, word and deed. This is the
Sadhana (spiritual endeavour) of Love, for, Love is expansion. The individual
has to be Universalised and expanded into Vishwaroopa (the cosmic form of the
Divine).
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Date10:7/2008 The human body has been given to you for a grand purpose - that of
realizing the Lord within. If you have a fully equipped car in good running
condition would you stow it away in the garage? The car is primarily for going
on a journey. Only then is it worthwhile to own it. So too with the body.
Proceed, march on towards the goal. Learn how to use the faculties of the body,
the senses, the intellect and the mind, for achieving that goal.
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Date9:7/2008 What God loves most are the flowers that blossom on the tree of man's own life, fed and fostered by his own skill and sincerity. They are the flowers of virtues grown in the garden of his heart. Of these, the virtue of non-violence is most important. It involves much more than abstaining from harming living beings. One should desist from causing pain to any living being, not only in deed, but also in word and thought. One should not entertain any idea of hurting or humiliating another. - BABA |
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Date8:7/2008 The nature of Divine love is different from that of human
attachment. It is timeless and constant. Make it your sole ideal. It is inherent
in you; all that needs to be done is to manifest it in the proper way. If there
is sugar at the bottom of a tumbler of water, you can make the water sweet by
stirring the sugar to dissolve it. Likewise, your heart is a tumbler at the
bottom of which there is Divinity. Take the spoon of Buddhi (intellect), stir
the heart by the process of Sadhana (spiritual effort). Then, the Divinity in
the heart will permeate the entire body.
- BABA |
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Date7:7/2008 Man is enamoured of wealth, spouse and children. These obstruct
him at each step and act as handicaps to spiritual advancement. Of course, money
is essential for the process of living and labouring for it cannot be avoided.
But, beyond a limit, riches foul the mind and breed arrogance. They must be used
for good purposes, fostering Dharma (righteousness) and well-being, and
fulfilling one's duties along the Divine path. If riches are spent for realizing
fleeting desires, they can never be enough and the ego discovers newer and more
heinous ways of earning and spending.
- BABA |
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Date6:7/2008 Grief is the feet and joy the head; both are part of the same
entity. You cannot welcome joy and reject grief at the same time. You cannot
have the obverse without the reverse. The diamond is at first just a dull piece
of stone, a hard pebble. Only when it is cut by a skilled artisan does it shine
brilliantly like a flame. Allow yourselves to be treated by the Master so that
all your dullness will disappear and you will emerge effulgent as a resplendent
diamond.
- BABA |
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Date5:7/2008 Do not get attached to this evanescent body; utilize it as an
instrument. Consider yourself as being separate from the body created out of the
conjunction of the five elements. Know yourself to be the indestructible Atma.
The body is the root cause of all grief and misery. Make the body obey your
will. Contemplate on the truth that the body and the Atma are separate. This
practice is indispensable for realizing the truth of one's Divinity.
- BABA |
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Date4:7/2008 Man has the choice of two paths - the Pravritti Marga (the outward
path of involvement) or the Nivritti Marga (the inward path and
non-involvement). When involved in the world, man is confronted with the six
internal foes - lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hatred. When detached
from the world, man is helped by six internal friends - sense and mind control,
fortitude, contentment, faith and equanimity. The human body is deified as the
temple of God; but the foes have to be evicted and the friends admitted before
the Divine can establish itself there.
- BABA |
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Date3:7/2008 Broaden your heart and make it as magnanimous as that of God
Himself. If you look at a balloon, at first, it is flat. If you go on blowing
air into it, it becomes bigger and bigger, and at one stage it will burst.
Though beginning with the ideas of 'I' and 'mine', if you ultimately move on to
the stage where you realize that "all are mine", "all are one"; gradually you
will become broader in your vision and will merge in God who is omnipresent. You
should recognise the truth that man's life consists of making the journey from
the stage of 'I' to the stage of 'We'.
- BABA |
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Date2:7/2008 Man should be the master of his behaviour; he should not be led
away by the impulse of the moment; he must always be conscious of what is good
for him. He should carry on his daily tasks such that he does not make others
suffer or suffer himself. Be calm, unruffled and collected. The more you develop
charity for all beings, contrition at your own faults, fear of sin and love of
God, the more firmly established you will be in Shanti (peace).
- BABA |
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