Divine Messages - 164 : Quotes from Speaking Tree

Some quotes from Speaking Tree by Swami Sivananda

• Your duty is to treat everybody with love as a manifestation of the Lord.
• Crave for a thing, you will get it. Renounce the craving, the object will follow you by itself. 
• Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity.
• A desire arises in the mind. It is satisfied immediately another comes. In the interval which separates two desires a perfect calm reigns in the mind. It is at this moment freed from all thought, love or hate.
• Go beyond science, into the region of metaphysics. Real religion is beyond argument. It can only be lived both inwardly and outwardly.
• Meditation is painful in the beginning but it bestows immortal Bliss and supreme joy in the end.
• 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.
 

Speaking Tree Web Site – speakingtree.in

Divine Messages - 163 : The Dharma of Money

The Dharma of Money – Shammi Paranjape - Appeared in Speaking Tree on 06th November 2012

Can money buy Grace? When the basics are covered, extra money can buy extra food, clothes, houses and whatever else.  However, you can live in only one house at a time, wear one set of clothes at a time, and eat as much as your stomach can hold at a time. Therefore money is useful to buy goods and services and there is nothing wrong with money, per se. It is after all the core need and everybody’s entitled to earn it in order to have some kind of purchasing power.

Our scriptures go as far as to declare it as artha, one of the four purusharthas of human life-- dharma, artha, kama and moksha.  Yet, money corrupts. Why? According to Sri Sathya Sai Baba this is because the basic and first principle of dharma is bypassed. It is on the basis of dharma that the balance purusharthas have to be worked out.

The key concept is righteousness. Is the money that you earn acquired and used in a righteous way? Everybody has the right to earn a living and be recompensed for their labour. The trouble starts when money becomes the ultimate goal and end in itself. This leads to a distorted perspective that in turn could lead to hoarding of wealth. According to Baba, “Wealth accumulated beyond unreasonable levels intoxicates the self and breeds destructive desires and habits. Riches, when one comes by them, have to be revered as something given on trust, and the surplus must be used for the betterment of society and for helping the needy and less fortunate.’’  

Scriptures say that a portion of one’s wealth ought to be earmarked for charitable purposes and such an attitude of benevolence earns valuable merit.  It is believed that only when you give, you get -- sometimes ten or hundred-fold. However, for all the noble exhortations of sacred scriptures, the thrall of money weakens even the best resolve. Excessive wealth is not only seen as a symbol of worth, it creates a false sense of status and power.

The gains of material wealth are never reliable or lasting. Moreover, unrighteously acquired wealth is bound to lead to karmic consequences. Every act, whether good or bad, will germinate with time, according to scriptures. Sri Sathya Sai Baba would say that man’s primary endeavour should be to earn the Grace of the Lord, which can confer everything, both material and spiritual. Baba says, “Tthe riches that you should strive to amass are not fields, factories, bungalows or bank- balances but the wisdom and experience of oneness with the grandeur of the Force that runs this universe, without a hitch. Arjuna is called Dhananjay by Krishna because he won (jaya) the wealth (dhan) that saves man and not that which can be taxed, stolen or transferred. The method of winning these riches is through practice of sadhana.., and living a righteous life.’’

Man strives hard  and unceasingly for accumulating the riches of the world. However, all these riches that are so sought after do not have the quality of eternal nature – for ultimately it all turns to dust! The material world is but transitory; hence to invest too much into it at the cost of spiritual growth could prove detrimental. It would be well worth our while to take some time off to pause, and try earn that inner wealth too, that can make Dhananjayas out of us. Then we could call ourselves masters of that wealth which truly counts.      

Speaking Tree Web Site – speakingtree.in

Divine Messages - 162 : Quotes from Speaking Tree

Some quotes from Speaking Tree by Swami Vivekananda

• It is feeling that is the life, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount of intellectual activity can reach God
• To me the very essence of education is concentration of the mind, not the collecting of facts
• Thank God for giving you this world as a moral gymnasium to help your development, but never imagine you can help the world
• Neither seek nor avoid; take what comes. It is liberty to be affected by nothing. Do not merely endure; be unattached
• We see that the apparent contradictions and perplexities in every RELIGION mark but different stages of growth. The end of all religions is the realizing of God in the soul. That is the one universal religion.'
• Let all your nerves vibrate through the backbone of your religion
• Learning and wisdom are superfluities, the surface glitter merely, but it is the heart that is the seat of all power. It is not in the brain but in the heart that the Atman, possessed of knowledge, power, and activity, has its seat.

hSpeaking Tree Web Site – speakingtree.in

Divine Messages - 161 : Live Life Of A Zen

Live Life Of A Zen – Bina Jhaveri - Appeared in Speaking Tree on 26th October 2012

Life coach BINA JHAVERI, tells you how to make each day feel like a blessing

Am I really living my life to its full potential? This is a question you need to ask yourself. It will prompt you to think. It will lead to inner curiosity, introspection, perhaps even confusion. But eventually, you will figure out what is it that adds meaning to your life. It will determine whether you live a life of Zen. Living in Zen means living “awake,” full of spirit and mindfulness. It means tapping into your natural way of being intelligently and consciously. It enables you to live in accordance with your life’s passions, explore your potential with more creativity and confidence, discover inspired communication and heightened leadership abilities. This way of life is so powerful that it makes every day feel like a blessing.  

The purpose of living in Zen is to recognise our innate qualities - love, courage, strength and spaciousness in order to understand them on a deeper level. This enlightened state enables you to slowly release negative judgement of self and others so that you can live more freely and positively, allowing peacefulness to co-exist all around. But how do you do that? What is the formula for this blissful existence?

Listen to your inner voice and let it guide you: Only when we are able to be still and ask questions to our inner self, can we achieve oneness with our inner guide. This means staying open to possibilities and believing that everything is exactly the way it is meant to be. Let this wisdom guide you forward every day. But, first, you must learn to listen consciously.

Fix things in your life by trying not to fix: Sometimes what we require is silent support through a deeper sense of understanding and acceptance of things that happen in our lives. We don’t necessarily need to come up with a solution or quick fix right away. Deeper pondering and exploration of situations eventually lead to self-solutions. Things naturally work out as they are intended to. So learn to let go and live more freely.

Stay in the now and connect with yourself: Stay present with what is “alive” within you right now. Is it joy, love, excitement or anticipation? Being present with what your body, mind and spirit are telling you, means you are in congruence with them. This creates a radiant effect. Most perceived problems manifest because there is a disconnect with who you are. Learn to love and respect yourself as a whole person; don’t break yourself up into parts.

Be forgiving of others and of yourself; don’t beat yourself up: Discover more of your natural energies and inner resources. There are several ways to achieve this. Meditation and deep breathing, yoga, chanting and various therapies. Spending time alone regularly will also teach you to forgive yourself and others more easily. It’s only through forgiveness that we can accept. And only through acceptance can we do justice to the present moment. So begin living in fullness.

Try to support others in their life’s journey: Living in Zen also entails having higher responsibilities. At times, it means taking the higher road and being solid enough to get past petty hurdles and support others in their life’s journey. It also involves being there for others as they find their way back to themselves. Be patient and learn to allow others to grow in their own way and complete their own journey.

Allow your heart to lead you: Listening to your heart welcomes a relaxed way of being. It creates abundance and fullness all around you. Your true nature shines when you are happy and in turn, you notice and bring out the best in others. Let your heart lead your thoughts, ideas, conversations and positive beliefs. You will magically begin spreading love, bliss and a beautiful and contagious energy all around you.

Living in Zen allows you to be the master of your life. It allows you to grow, while creating support for others through a demonstration of peace, strength and courage. It is one of the most gracious ways to live your life. So make a conscious decision to begin taking little steps each day, week and month, towards yourself. And as you focus more inward, your journey outward will automatically become more confident, purposeful, enhanced and rewarding.

Speaking Tree Web Site – www.speakingtree.in

Divine Messages - 160: Grasping The Present Moment

Grasping The Present Moment - Dada J P Vaswani - Appeared in Speaking Tree on 31st October 2012

Life is often compared to a book, each chapter representing one particular phase of our life; but there is one major difference between my life and my book; I cannot turn back the pages of my life. I cannot revisit the past except in my memories. Nor can I read the final chapter of my life before its due time. Life has to be lived in the present.

Two sisters were travelling by train from Jammu to Kanyakumari. Due to adverse weather conditions, the train halted at a station in central India, until conditions improved, and the tracks were cleared. The passengers were stuck on the train for hours together. The older sister was annoyed, irritated and frustrated; she railed and ranted; she complained bitterly to the TTE and the conductors, who were helpless themselves; she sulked endlessly and became a source of annoyance to all her fellow travellers.

The younger sister on the other hand, refused to allow her spirits to be dampened by the delay. She went around cheerfully, making friends with the others, exchanging jokes, playing with children, starting singing sessions in different carriages, conducting quiz contests to keep young people occupied, and generally spreading good cheer all around. Strangers responded to her, sharing their food with her, inviting her to join their group, and enthusiastically joining her efforts to 'organise' games for the entertainment of all.

When the train finally reached its destination, the older sister was morose, depressed and tired. She felt that her time had been wasted. As for the younger sister, she had had the time of her life! She had made so many new friends, she had had such new experiences, and she had managed to retain her good mood and her good humour all along. She had enjoyed the journey, despite the delays and the setbacks and all the little inconveniences. She had made the most of the present.

Living in the present maximises all the possibilities that life offers to us. We are able to focus on what is happening around us, and savour all those little joys and pleasures that are available in the here-and-now.

The past is over and done with; the future is in God's hands; the best that anyone can do is to live in the present, wisely and well. Every day will have its own share of challenges, difficulties, rewards and achievements: why should we complicate matters by dragging our regrets of the past and fears of the future into the present?

The trouble with most of us is that we hardly ever dwell on the happy experiences that we have had in the past. Most of us seem to have a permanent love affair with the sorrows, regrets and failures of the past. We hold on to these bitter memories, refusing to let go. In a beautiful sonnet on the theme of remembrance, Shakespeare compares this attitude to repaying old debts that have already been settled long ago!

Imagine that you have taken a housing loan, and have paid it off diligently over a period of years. After the whole thing is over, will you keep transferring money to your loan account just because you like to dwell on your own past? Is that not futile and foolish, apart from being a waste of your money? So why dwell on past memories that are negative and bitter? This too, is emotional waste of a high order!

The past is over and done. The future is yet to come. What is real is the present moment. Let us make the best use of the present. Let us make it beautiful.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org 

Fwd: Divine Messages - 159 : God and I

God And I  - Dada J P Vaswani - Appeared in Speaking Tree on 22nd October 2012

The great ancient epics of Indian literature depict the struggle within the self as a war between two armies. In the Mahabharata, the war is between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. In the Ramayana, it is between Ravana's rakshasas and Sri Rama's vanaras. These physical battles are representative of man's struggle with life and the inner conflict that rages within him.

In the Ramayana, the battle between Sri Rama and Ravana, may be seen as the struggle between the higher self (representing qualities of forgiveness, kindness and compassion) and the lower self (representing qualities of aggression, desire and violence). Sri Rama is symbolic of all that is noble and virtuous. Ravana is symbolic of aggression and force. Man has the free will, he has the freedom to choose between the Kauravas and the Pandavas or between Sri Rama and Ravana. Very often man wavers and joins the army of the evil forces. His wrong choice lands him in trouble.

For, as the epic tells us:

                              Yatra yogeshwara Krishno yatra Partho dhanurdhara

                                  Tatra Sri-Vijayo bhutir Dhruva nitirmatir mamah

In other words: "Where there is the Lord of Yoga Sri Krishna; where there is the Lord of Archery Arjuna, are to be found victory and good fortune in My opinion; as also steadfastness and good governance". Hindu tradition calls this sangati sanga dosha: your friends and associates will determine your virtues and vices.

If we wish to be true winners in the battle of life, we too must make the right choice; we must choose good over evil, we must choose God above all else. For, it is always Sri Rama or Sri Krishna who is the ultimate winner. It is for us to choose to be with the winner. After all, no one wants to be a loser, even on the physical 'earthly' level.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org