Swami Sivananda

 

Swami Sivananda

 

 

The divine within you is stronger than anything that is without you. Therefore, be not afraid of anything. Rely on your own Inner Self, the Divinity within you. Tap the source through looking within. Improve yourself. Build your character. Purify the heart. Develop the divine virtues. Eradicate evil traits. Conquer all that is base in you. Endeavor to attain all that is worthy and noble. Make the lower nature the servant of the higher through discipline, Tapas, self-restraint and meditation. This is the beginning of your freedom.

 

Swami Sivananda Maharaj

Swami Sivananda

 

 

Life is short. Time is fleeting. Realize the Self. Purity of the heart is the gateway to God. Aspire. Renounce. Meditate. Be good; do good. Be kind; be compassionate. Inquire, know Thyself.

 

Swami Sivananda

 

Swami Sivananda

 

 

“The divine within you is stronger than anything that is without you. Therefore, be not afraid of anything. Rely on your own Inner Self, the Divinity within you. Tap the source through looking within. Improve yourself. Build your character. Purify the heart. Develop the divine virtues. Eradicate evil traits. Conquer all that is base in you. Endeavor to attain all that is worthy and noble. Make the lower nature the servant of the higher through discipline, Tapas, self-restraint and meditation. This is the beginning of your freedom.”

 

 Swami Sivananda Saraswati Maharaj

 

Swami Sivananda

 

Realization cannot come to you as a miracle done by your Guru. Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus, Rama Tirtha have all done Sadhana. Lord Krishna asks Arjuna to develop Vairagya (dispassion) and Abhyasa (practice). He did not say to him, “I will give you Mukti (liberation) now”. Therefore, abandon the wrong notion that your Guru will give you Samadhi and Mukti. Strive, purify, meditate and realize.

 

Guru-kripa-grace of a Guru is very necessary. That does not mean that the disciple should sit idle. He must do rigid Purushartha, spiritual practices. The whole work must be done by the student. Nowadays, people want a drop of water from the Kamandalu (water pot) from a Sannyasin and desire to enter into Samadhi immediately. They are not prepared to undergo any Sadhana for purification and Self-Realization. They want a magic pill to push them into Samadhi. If you have got such delusion, give it up immediately.

 

The Guru and the Shastras can show you the path and remove your doubts. Anubhava (direct experience) of the Aparoksha kind or direct intuitive knowledge is left for your own experience. A hungry man will have to eat for himself. He who has a severe itching has to scratch for himself.

 

No doubt, the Guru’s blessing can do everything. But how can one have his blessings? By pleasing the Guru. A Guru can be pleased with his disciple only if the latter carries out his spiritual instructions implicitly. Carefully follow, therefore the instructions of the Guru. Act up to his instructions. Then only will you deserve his blessings and then alone his blessings can do everything.

Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda

JIVANMUKHTA 

A God-intoxicated Jivanmukta sees God in a tree, a stone, boy, child, girl, cow, dog; in fact, in everything. 

He feels that the universe is filled with one life, that there is no such thing as blind force or dead matter and that all is alive, vibrating and intelligent. 

He experiences a sense of universality, a consciousness of eternal life. 

He who has cosmic consciousness feels that all the universe is his. 

He is one with the Supreme Lord, with universal knowledge and life. 

He acquires the celestial eye and experiences bliss beyond understanding or  description.”

(Swami Sivananda) 

Swami Sivananda

Sri Sankara writes: "He who sees inaction in action, i.e., he who has the right knowledge that action, which is commonly supposed by all to pertain to the Self, does not really belong to the Self, just as motion does not really pertain to the trees (on the shore of the river) which appear (to a man on board the ship) to move in the opposite direction, and who sees action in inaction, i.e., he who knows that even inaction is action, for, inaction is but a cessation of bodily and mental activities, and like action it is falsely attributed to the Self and causes the feeling of egoism as expressed in the words "quiet and doing nothing, I sit happy" - he who can realize the nature of action and inaction as now explained is wise among men: "He is a devout Yogin, he is the performer of actions, he is released from evil and has achieved all."

 - Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda

ANANDA

Every human being has desires, but the desires vary from person to person and from time to time for the same person. Some desire wealth, some fame, some power; one who has no children wants children, a bachelor wants to get married, and so on. 

But if these persons are asked why they desire all these, the answer will invariably be that they expect to get happiness by the fulfillment of their desires. 

Thus it is happiness alone that is desired for its own sake, and everything else is desired only for the sake of happiness. In Vedanta all objects of desire are denoted by the word 'Vishaya'. 

This noun is derived from the verbal root 'si' with prefix 'vi' which means 'to bind'. 

This very derivation indicates that it is these objects of desire that bind a human being firmly to transmigratory existence characterized by repeated births and deaths. The happiness experienced on the attainment of any object of desire is known as 'Vishayananda'. 

'Brahmananda' is the bliss which is the very nature of the person who has realized that he is Brahman (CONSCIOUSNESS). 

This realization is the consequence of the removal of the wrong identification with the body, and mind, which is natural to every living creature. 

Brahman being Bliss itself, one who has realized that he is Brahman remains as that very Bliss. 

Though Bliss is the real nature of every human being, it is only the realized soul who is aware of it. 

- Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda

Combine all the love you cherish towards all worldly objects, wife, son, wealth, property, relatives, friends, and then apply this combined love towards God. You will realize in this very second. 

It is not very difficult to have Darshan (vision) of God, or to please Him. God is an ocean of mercy. He is a slave of His devotees. He ran with lightning speed to save Draupadi from the wicked hands of the Kauravas. 

He begged pardon of Prahlada for not coming to his rescue earlier. He caressed the dying bird, Jatayu, keeping him on His laps, and wiped off his dirt with the trusses of His hairs. He carried the palanquin of His devotee Tyagaraja and also water in a vessel for his ablution. 

He proudly bears, as an ornament, the scar left on His chest by the kick of Bhrigu. He wears the skulls of His devotees as a garland round His neck. The Lord Himself has admitted: "I am under the complete control of my Bhaktas." 

Pray to Him fervently for His Grace. Be up and doing in spiritual Sadhana, Bhajana, etc. Never waste a single minute. Pray fervently like Prahlad. Sing His name like Radha. 

Weep in solitude like Mira on account of His separation. Do kirtan like Lord Gauranga. Sing Bhajan like Ram Prasad of Bengal. Dance in Divine ecstasy like Chaitanya Maha Prabhu and enter into Bhava Samadhi. 

Repeat His Name like Valmiki, Tukaram and Ramdas. He will certainly bless you with His beatific vision, Supreme Knowledge, and Eternal Bliss.

- Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda

What is divine life? To shed the animal in man and to sublimate the human in him to the Divine; to express the sublimation in his daily life, in his hourly life, in thought, word and deed. That is Divine life.

To realise God is your duty. God-realisation is your birthright. Develop strong yearning for God-realisation.

Have confidence in your self. Be self-controlled. Be fiery in your determination. Stick to your resolves tenaciously.

Cultivate a very strong faith in God. Do total self-surrender and obtain His grace. Supreme love comes only by the grace of God. Grace of God will make you stick to the spiritual path. You will know that life is eternal and that you are eternal. God is the only reality. God is the only truth. God alone exists. Know this, realise this.

- Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda

God is a question of supply and demand. If you really yearn for His Darshan, He will reveal Himself to you in an instant. 

You need neither art nor science, neither study nor erudition for God-realisation, but faith, purity, and devotion. 

Combine all the love you cherish towards all worldly objects-wife, son, wealth, property, relatives, friends-and then apply this combined love towards God. You will realise in this very second. 

To serve God and Mammon at the same time is impossible. You cannot enjoy the bliss of the Self and the sensual pleasure in one and the same cup. You cannot have light and darkness at the same time. 

The Lord demands your whole heart. 

Reduce yourself into zero before God. Only then will God completely take care of and guide you. Only then surrender becomes complete. 

Forget your own interests, your own longings, your own desires. You will attain the bliss of the Supreme Self. 

Crucify, sacrifice the lower self, if you wish to have union with God. 

Empty your egoism. You will be filled with God. Lose your personality. You will find the Divine Life. You will realise God.

- Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda

Just as gold is purified by heating it on the fire, so also mind is purified by the fire of meditation.

As fire is concealed by ashes, sword by the scabbard, sun by the clouds, foetus by the amnion, rubies by the earth, mattress by the bedsheet, so also Brahman is concealed by flesh and bones. If you remove the ash you can perceive the fire; if the clouds are dispersed you can cognise the sun; if you remove the scabbard you can behold the sword; if you remove the bed sheet you can see the mattress. Even so, if the veil of ignorance which conceals the Brahman is removed by knowledge of Brahman you can directly cognise the self-luminous Brahman.

You cannot see the all-pervading butter in the milk, but if you churn it you can get the butter. Even so you cannot see Brahman by these physical eyes, but you can behold the all-pervading Brahman by the churning of meditation.

Purge your mind of all impurities. Sever mentally all your connection with visible objects. Destroy the weeds of desires. Abandon all sankalpas (thoughts). Eradicate the longings. Meditate on Brahman. You will attain soon the nondual Brahmic seat of ineffable splendour.

Swami Sivananda

Universal Prayer 

What you are 

O adorable Lord of mercy and love,
Salutations and prostrations unto Thee.
Thou art omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient;
Thou are Satchidananda, Truth, Knowledge, and Bliss;
Thou art the Indweller of all beings.

What we pray from you

Grant us an understanding heart,
Equal vision, balanced mind,
Faith, devotion, and wisdom.
Grant us inner spiritual strength
To resist temptations and to control the mind.
Free us from egoism, lust, greed, and hatred,
Fill our hearts with divine virtues.

What we promise you, after you have graced us

Let us behold Thee in all these names and forms,
Let us serve Thee in all these names and forms,
Let us ever remember Thee,
Let us ever sing Thy glories,
Let Thy name be ever on our lips,
Let us abide in Thee for ever and ever.

- Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda

SANKIRTANA YOGA 

Sankirtan is the Svarupa (essential nature) of God. Dhvani is Sankirtan. Sankirtan is the essence of the Vedas. 

People sit together and sing the names of the Lord with harmony and concord, and with Suddha or Divine Bhava (feeling). This is Sankirtan. 

Maya is so powerful that she deludes you every moment. Every moment she makes you feel that there is pleasure only in the sense-objects and nowhere else. You mistake pain for pleasure. This is the work of Maya. Beware. 

Sankirtan will save you from Maya, from delusion. Therefore sing the Names of the Lord always. 

Narada went to Lord Brahma and said: "O Lord, the people of Kail Yuga will not be able to practice austerities, nor to perform the Yajnas (sacrifices), nor to pursue the path of Vedanta. Kindly have mercy on them and tell me some easy way by which they can attain God." 

Lord Brahma in His Supreme Compassion and Mercy gave the Maha Mantra (of Namasmarana)  by repeating which people of the Kali Yuga will attain Self-realization. 

Therefore, sing the Lord's Names; serve, love, give, meditate, realize; be good and do good (this is the essence of all scriptures); be kind and be compassionate; enquire "Who am I ?", know the Self and be free. 

Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda

Oneness of Self or oneness of Existence is Reality, and the realisation of this Reality is Moksha.

Moksha is the breaking down of the barriers that constitute separate existence. Moksha is the absolute state of Being, where the unity of all-pervading and all-permeating consciousness is realised with certainty, like that of an orange which we see in our palm.

Moksha is not an attainment of liberation from an actual state of bondage, but is the realisation of the liberation which already exists. It is freedom from the false notion of bondage.

The individual soul feels itself to be in bondage on account of ignorance caused by the power of Avidya. When the false belief caused by delusion is removed by Knowledge of Atman, the state of Moksha is realised then and there, in this very life. It is not to follow after death.

The cause of delusion is the desire in man. The desires generate the thought-waves, and the thought-waves veil the real nature of the Soul which is blissful, immortal, and eternal. When the desires are annihilated, Knowledge of Brahman dawns on the individual.

Knowledge of Brahman is not an action. You cannot reach Brahman even as you cannot reach yourself except by knowing yourself. Knowledge of Brahman is absolute and direct. It is intuitive experience.

 - Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda

After every happiness comes misery; they may be far apart or near. The more advanced the soul, the more quickly does one follow the other. What we want is neither happiness nor misery. Both make us forget our true nature; both are chains--one iron, one gold; behind both is the Atman, who knows neither happiness nor misery. These are states, and states must ever change; but the nature of the Atman is bliss, peace, unchanging. We have not to get it, we have it; only wash away the dross and see it.

- Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda