Satsangam

WISH YOU ALL MEMBERS A HAPPY NEW YEAR, DETERMINE TO PURIFY OUR MIND! To, All Members, Many devotees would come to Sri Ramakrishna and openly confess to him that they are unable to progress in spiritual life because of their impure minds, etc. Sri Ramakrishna would advise them to be patient and hold on steadfastly to the methods of sadhana or spiritual striving advised by their preceptors or gurus. He would say that one has to wait for the right time. In this connection, he would narrate a beautiful example from an occurrence of daily life. There was a youngster in a town who had developed a boil on his forearm. It was quite painful and he would visit the doctor almost every day. The doctor would examine the boil thoroughly and advise the youngster to wait. As days passed by, the patient became more and more impatient and he would plead with the doctor to operate the boil and relieve him of his suffering since it was very painful and he was unable to bear it any longe...

To, All  Members, As with Hatha Yoga, the serious practitioner can obtain very solid, even remarkable results through the practice of Raja Yoga. There are of course, practical limitations for most people in practicing Raja Yoga. The stilling of the mind-substance (chitta) is a process which takes serious practice, including all the basic steps to quiet the vital being, stabilize the physical being, and systematically learn how to withdraw the mind from running after or reacting to the impinging sensations from the sense-organs, not to speak of detaching the mind from involvement in plans, projects and results in the outer world, at least during the time of the practice. While one can theoretically close the eyes and shut out visual sensations for the most part, the question of blocking the internal impact of sound and smell in particular is much more difficult to answer. In today’s world with sounds blasting everywhere in day to day life, few people have the luxury...

To, All Members, There are people who bitterly blame their fate when they fail to reach their goal. This fatalistic attitude never helps them to see where they have gone wrong. Instead, it is better for them to examine the details of the means they adopted. If they are unable to find out the lapses and loopholes in the means al by themselves, It will be wise for them to approach some experts for the right guidance. When the means are strengthened and made flawless, success is assured. We may have any aim of our choice. But we have no other choice than following the correct method with enthusiasm, perseverance and patience. Swami Udit Chaithanya

To, All Members, After hearing what Bhagavan had said yesterday about the kamandalams (earthen or wooden pots used by ascetics), a devotee asked, “Is it a fact that somebody asked Bhagavan to give him the tiger’s skin on which Bhagavan was sitting and, as it was being taken away, someone here prevented him from doing so?” Bhagavan said with a smile, “Yes. That happened only after we came here. It was in 1924, or about that time. One sadhu came here to see me. I happened to be seated at the time on a tiger’s skin. He cast his eyes upon it. Waiting for an opportunity when no one was with me, he said, ‘Swami, I want that tiger’s skin. Please give it to me.’ I said that I had no objection to give it, but if any one saw him taking it away, they might not keep quiet. He said that there was no one present at the time and that he would manage to walk away with it before anyone could notice it. I said, ‘All right. Just as you like. I will get up. Take it. But if any...

To, All Members, Two brothers, one a bachelor, the other married, owned a farm whose fertile soil yields an abundance of grain. Half the grain went to one brother and half to the other. All went well at first. Then, every now and then, the married man began to wake with a start from his sleep at night and think: "This is not fair. My brother is not married and he gets half the produce of the farm. Here I am with a wife and five kids, so I have all the security I need for my old age. But who will care for my poor brother when he gets old? He needs to save much more for the future than he does at present. So his need is obviously greater than mine." With that he would get out of bed, steal over to his brother's place and pour a sackful of grain into his brother's granary. The bachelor too began to get these nightly attacks. Every once in a while he would wake from his sleep and say to himself: "This is simply not fair. My brother has a wife a...

To, All Members, On a cold winter night a wandering ascetic asked for shelter in a temple . The poor man stood shivering there in the falling snow. So the temple priest, reluctant though he was to let the man in, said, "very well you can stay but only for the night . This is a temple, not a hospice. In the morning you will have to go." At dead of night the priest heard a strange crackling sound. He rushed to the temple and saw an incredible site. There was the stranger warming himself at a fire he had lit in the temple. A wooden Buddha was missing. The priest asked, "where is the statue?" The wanderer pointed to the fire then said, "I thought this cold would kill me." The priest shouted, "Are you out of your mind? Do you know what you have done? That was a Buddha statue. You have burnt the Buddha!" The fire was slowly dying out. The ascetic gazed into it and began to poke it with his stick. "What are you doing now?...

To, All  Members, When a river merges with the ocean the flow ceases. Similarly when your mind reaches or merges with the Supreme Self, the flow of creation stops. So no external force is responsible but our mind alone is the cause..EVIL OR GOODNESS is created by mind . And God is our strength and power. Our mind is responsible for our life. Instead of asking why God has created us , think about who is God . Then you will discover that reality ,YOU ARE GOD . Because of Maya or illusion you are not able to realize it Swami Udit Chaithanya

To, All Members, The mind is by nature restless. Begin liberating it from its restlessness; give it peace; make it free from distractions; train it to look inward; make this a habit. "When the jiva does not like the house (body), he leaves it and he takes away along with him the watchman (breath of life) also. He wanders from one house to another saying this is no good and that is no good until at last he feels disgusted and gives up houses and the life connected with them. He then realises that his own Self is the best of all and, with an intensity of feeling, enquires about his own Self, realises the truth and stays within his Self. When that happens, who is the Seer?” Sri Ramana Maharishi

To, All  Members, Better than reading is hearing, and better than hearing is seeing. One understands the scriptures better by hearing them from the lips of the guru or of a holy man. Then one doesn't have to think about their non-essential part. Hanuman said: 'Brother, I don't know much about the phase of the moon or the position of the stars. I just contemplate Rama.' "But seeing is far better than hearing. Then all doubts disappear. It is true that many things are recorded in the scriptures; but all these are useless without the direct realization of God, without devotion to His Lotus Feet, without purity of heart. The almanac forecasts the rainfall of the year. But not a drop of water will you get by squeezing the almanac. No, not even one drop. -From the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

To, All Members, Hatha Yoga is seen today primarily as a course of exercise, intended to make the body supple and flexible, and thereby to enhance health and well-being. Yoga, as it is called in the West, has been touted for its ability to help one lose weight as well as improve the functioning of the body. For most people, this is what is meant by the term “yoga” and they do not appreciate the hidden intention behind the development of this science. Sri Aurobindo provides insight to the true goal of Hatha Yoga: “Hathayoga aims at the conquest of the life and the body whose combination in the food sheath and the vital vehicle constitutes, as we have seen, the gross body and whose equilibrium is the foundation of all Nature’s workings in the human being.” It goes far beyond this starting point. Sri Aurobindo explains that the body and its vital vehicle are set up functionally in the human being to provide a basis for the energy required to live a normal life on a more...

To, All  Members, We can experience everything through our mind . The mind is our most valuable tool. We should maintain it very well . Observe our thoughts and expectations . If we do this we will be able to nourish good thoughts and reject negative ones. We can see many buildings that have fire-alarms fitted in them; when the temperature level soars, the alarms ring, the fire engine arrives and does its best to rescue people. Awareness is the fire alarm of the mind. Now we have knowledge but no awareness. We should bring awareness into our mind. Swami Udit Chaithanya

To, All Members, Devotee: “It (the story of the only lie Bhagavan ever told his aunt in order that he could depart to Arunachala) means that for doing a great thing, sometimes a lie has to be told!” Bhagavan: “Yes. When it is for the welfare of the world and when the exigencies of the situation demand it, it has to be done. It can’t be helped. Where is the question of telling a lie? Some force makes one say so. So long as there is a purpose, there is need of action. When there is no purpose, no action is needed. In this case, we can avoid action in the same way as was done by the sage in “The Sage and Hunter” story in the Yoga Vasishtam.” Devotee: “What is that story?” Bhagavan: “In a forest, a sage sat motionless and in silence. His eyes however were open. A hunter hit a deer and as it was running away, he began pursuing it and when he saw the sage, he stopped. The deer had run in front of the sage, and hidden itself in a bush nearby. The hunter could not se...

To, All  Members, Referring  to  japam    Sri  Ramakrishna  Paramahamsa  said to a devotee: "Japa means silently repeating God's name in solitude. When you chant His name with single-minded devotion you can see God's form and realize Him. Suppose there is a piece of timber sunk in the water of the Ganges and fastened with a chain to the bank. You proceed link by link, holding to the chain, and you dive into the water and follow the chain. Finally you are able to reach the timber. In the same way, by repeating God's name you become absorbed in Him and finally realize Him." -From the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

To, All Members, While different terminology is used, there is considerable agreement between the precepts of Western philosophy and religion and that of the East when it comes to the question of knowledge, and the truths of human psychology in regard to the attainment of knowledge. Put in the terms of the West, there is the seeker after knowledge, there is the knowledge being sought after and there is the connection between the two which represents the process of seeking. This three-fold relationship governs all human activity, not just the seeking after knowledge. Sri Aurobindo applies this model to the science of Yoga, in its various forms and permutations: “There can be no Yoga of knowledge without a human seeker of the knowledge, the supreme subject of knowledge and the divine use by the individual of the universal faculties of knowledge; no Yoga of devotion without the human God-lover, the supreme object of love and delight and the divine use by the individual of ...

To, All  Members, Sri Ramakrishna is hailed as one of the greatest prophets of harmony. He was extremely liberal and all inclusive in his approach to different religions. He would advise his devotees to be broad and open hearted so that they could draw inspiration from the teachings of different religions and progress in their spiritual life. To emphasise this idea, he used to draw inference from an occurrence of daily life. Once, a farmer had two cows. They used to give different yields of milk. One cow was extremely choosy about its fodder, etc. Even if there was a least deviation from its daily routine of food it would refuse to eat anything. The farmer found it very difficult to maintain this cow. For all the trouble that the farmer took, the cow yielded very limited milk. On the other hand, the farmer found it extremely easy to maintain the other cow. It would graze on its own and eat all and sundry food and at the same time it yielded a substantial quantity o...

To, All Members, Live in the world like a maidservant in a rich man's house. She performs all the household duties, brings up her master's child, and speaks of him as 'my Hari'. But in her heart she knows quite well that neither the house nor the child belongs to her. She performs all her duties, but just the same her mind dwells on her native place. Likewise, do your worldly duties but fix your mind on God. And know that house, family, and son do not belong to you; they are God's. You are only His servant. I ask people to renounce mentally. I do not ask them to give up the world. If one lives in the world unattached and seeks God with sincerity, then one is able to attain Him. -From the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

To, All  Members, Every day we pass through three experiences in life . These are called ‘ jagrut ‘ ‘swapna’ ‘sushupti’ . Jagrut is the fully awakened state of the mind . Swapna is the half asleep stage where the sub conscious mind is taking us through various experiences . Sushupti is the deep sleeping stage where we are in a fully unconscious stage . Out of these three stages , in sushupti we experience maximum peace . The reason is , thoughts are absent here and the ego is also absent . When ever the thoughts and ego are absent the mind is at peace . This inner peace can be experienced through meditation . Divine message from the Holy Gita : Restlessness, Tension, Depression, etc are various diseases of the Mind. The same mind can cure it too. Swami Udit Chaithanya

Ahimsa – The Antidote to Fear: Dr. Harsh K. Luthar November 5, 2006 Bhagavan Sri Ramana used to say, “Ahimsa Param Dharma”. It means that Ahimsa (Nonviolence) is the Supreme Dharma (Duty or Principle). Sri Ramana pointed out to the devotees and yogis that in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Ahimsa is named as the highest virtue above all other virtues. If we are able to understand what Ahimsa means at the deepest level, that clarity itself guides us in discovering the nature of the Self as our own Being. Ahimsa means to be gentle with others and oneself and all of nature. Ahimsa means to be natural and aware without rushing and pushing and trying to get somewhere quickly. This applies to both the material and the spiritual world.  The mental tendency to grab and consume experiences of various types remains, even as people get on the spiritual path. There is nothing wrong with that. However, we should be aware of the tendencies that drive us in one direction or another as they...

To, All  Members, Do you know what the truth is? God has made different religions to suit different aspirants, times, and countries. All doctrines are only so many paths; but a path is by no means God Himself. Indeed, one can reach God if one follows any of the paths with whole-hearted devotion. Suppose there are errors in the religion that one has accepted; if one is sincere and earnest, then God Himself will correct those errors. Suppose a man has set out with a sincere desire to visit Jagannath at Puri and by mistake has gone north instead of south; then certainly someone meeting him on the way will tell him: 'My good fellow, don't go that way. Go to the south.' And the man will reach Jagannath sooner or later. If there are errors in other religions, that is none of our business. God, to whom the world belongs, takes care of that. Our duty is somehow to visit Jagannath. (To the Brahmos) The view you hold is good indeed. You describe God as ...

For the most part, spiritual seeking has been seen as the affair of an individual. The result has been either an attempt to abandon the life in the world by treating it as something inferior, illusory or distracting to the search for spiritual illumination; or else, the spiritual realization is turned back on the world in some form of compassionate action to ameliorate the suffering and provide comfort to those who have not yet overcome the suffering of the life. Or else, with a wider aim, there is an attempt to teach and guide others to the realization so that they can take one of these two routes upon achievement of their spiritual goal. In only very rare instances has the spiritual seeking gone beyond an acceptance of the world of duality “as it is” with the goal of transforming the life in the world to more nearly approximate and be able to truly represent the Truth of the Spirit. It is this goal which Sri Aurobindo sets before us in his development of the yogic path and it...

To, All  Members, "Sorrow is adventitious. It is only happiness that is natural. Every living being desires happiness because his natural state is the embodiment of happiness. All sadhanas (spiritual efforts) are for overcoming adventitious sorrow. When a headache comes on casually, you have to get rid of it by medicine. If it is a permanent ailment of the body, attached to it from birth to death, why should you try to get rid of it? Just as boils and other diseases of the body are cured by a doctor’s treatment, sorrows which are the result of various difficulties can be overcome by sadhana specially aimed at them. This body itself is a disease. The root cause of it is ignorance. If for that ignorance the medicine called jnana is administered all inherent diseases will disappear at once.” Sri Ramana Maharishi (Bhagavan in 'Letters from Sri Ramanasramam' 205)

To, Al  Members, Old age and physical weakness make people regret all their deeds of the past. They wish whether they could undo their past and live again wisely . Knowing that this is not possible , why can’t humans live a life of success as Lord Krishna narrates in the Gita . Along with success in external life one should develop good qualities, behaviour and a positive approach to life . Along with these qualities one should develop the skills to interact with the world positively , affectionately and with sense of humour. Today this ability is replaced by arrogance and greed . When people interact with the world with false pride and ego , they don’t understand that they are becoming a prey to their weaknesses . We can see in today’s world how politicians and religious heads are interacting with their stubborn egoistic mind . Krishna reminds us that the more a person interacts with a friendly , loving attitude to others the more they are respected ...

To, All  Members, Sri Ramakrishna(smiling): Water is water whether it is still or moves or breaks into waves. I must tell you something else. Why should I not listen to the mahut Narayana? The guru had taught his disciple that everything was Narayana. A mad elephant was coming toward the disciple, but he did not move away since he believed the guru's words. He thought that the elephant was Narayana. The mahut shouted to him: 'Get away! Get away!' But the disciple did not move. The elephant picked him up and threw him to the ground. The disciple was not quite dead; when his face was sprinkled with water he regained consciousness. Being asked why he had not moved away, he said 'Why should I? The guru said, "Everything is Narayana."' 'But, my child,' said the guru, 'why didn't you listen to the words of the mahut Narayana?' "It is God who dwells within as the Pure Mind and Pure Intelligence. I am ...

When we view the evolutionary status of the mentality in humanity, we can identify the three stages or levels which Sri Aurobindo has described. The first is what he calls the “material mind” and this essentially brings a basically rudimentary form of mental process to the established basis of the vitality and the body. This mind is able to view, handle, manipulate, process and work on the organization of the outer life and is itself a quite considerable advance upon the much more limited mental expression found in the general animal kingdom. The second stage is the development of the true intellectual capability of the mind, abstracted from focus or addressing the basic physical-vital life directly. The arts, philosophy, science and higher forms of religious abstraction are expressions of this second stage. This stage is not yet fully and completely integrated into human life, as seen both by its lack of full expression generally in all human beings and by the lack of an inte...