The Best New Year Resolution By Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda

December 31^st each year is an important day in Sivananda Ashram. First, it is the anniversary of the installation of Lord Viswanatha in the temple by Gurudev’s holy hands. The worship celebrating this occasion will go on in the temple this morning until noon as it did 59 years ago when the murthi was brought up on the back of an elephant.

The second reason that December 31^st is important is a reason in common with all the rest of the world. It is the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one—which signifies a change. And so our evening satsang will go till past midnight to allow time to think about change and the worldwide phenomena of making New Year resolutions about things we want to change.

This puts into focus the significance of the theme of our Christmas Retreat, Spirituality Means Change. And the essence of what is required was brought out yesterday in one of the talks. The essence is the willingness to change. That is what New Year resolutions signify: “I want to change this particular thing. I am willing and anxious to change.”

But here is where we must be very careful to distinguish between what we could call a secular willingness to change and a spiritual willingness to change. A secular willingness to change is the ego deciding that it doesn’t like something about itself which it wants to change, and, in some cases, is determined to change. Very often this is a worthy objective, but the fact is that at least 999 out of a 1000 News Year resolutions amount to nothing. Indeed by January 31^st most people can’t even remember what their resolutions were. Therefore, there is an obvious flaw in the ego’s willingness to change because it doesn’t seem to be able to back it up with real change.

On the other hand, there is a spiritual willingness to change that is in a totally different dimension. Perhaps we could even call it a vertical dimension. It is the willingness to change that is based on surrender to God, on not knowing what changes are in our highest interest, and, therefore, waiting for God’s guidance. It is a whole attitude to life rather than a determination to change something about life. In fact, properly interpreted, willingness to change is the key to successful daily living as well as the spiritual life. It is an attitude of the heart. It stems from humility. It is an openness. It is a childlike attitude towards life.

If this can be nurtured in our heart, then our spiritual life has to be progressive, because this humble willingness to change leaves the ego aside; it is not ego-based. It has a spiritual base because it is in harmony with the universe. The universe means change. Being willing to change means that we want to be in harmony with the changing universe. It means lack of resistance.

In that there is no place for the arrogant ego that wants what it wants and causes all our problems. Being humbly willing to change will lead to the solution to any problem and will also bless us in the years to come with a progressive spiritual life.

[Fifth Early Morning Meditation Talk given during the Annual Christmas Retreat—Spirituality Means Change—in Gurudev’s sacred Samadhi Hall, Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh.: http://www.dlshq.org/messages/bestresolution.htm%5D

How to Serve and Change the World?

Mother Amritanandamayi, “You will benefit only if you change; and once you change, others will be benefitted as well.

“There was once an old man who was looking back on his life. He sat in a tea shop with his friends, telling them his story. ‘When I was a young man, I was arrogant and thought I knew it all. I felt I could do anything, and wanted to change everyone. I would pray to God to give me the strength to change the world. When I reached middle age, I awoke one morning and realised that my life was half over. I had done nothing, and I hadn’t changed anyone. So, I prayed to God to give me the strength to change those who were close to me since they needed it so much. But now I am old and my prayer is very simple: God, please give me the strength to change at least myself.’ ”

“Don’t try to change the world or other people before you are able to change yourself. If you try to change others without changing your own attitudes, it will not have any effect….

“…people who live in constant indulgence, with never-ending expectations, dreams and hopes, build castles in the air. They drain all their energies and finally break down. Then, to whom can they turn?…..Their only source of support is a spiritual person who has conserved a vast amount of energy, who can afford to spend lavishly from his limitless supply. He saves energy for the sake of others, for the sake of the world, and helps those who are in need…

“….once a seed becomes a big tree with an abundance of fruit, it doesn’t have to declare to the world, ‘Look everyone, look at me. I am a beautiful tree, laden with fruit. Come, people, come! Rest in the shade of my limbs! Enjoy the cool breeze that filters through my leaves! Enjoy my delicious fruit!’ Even without any kind of announcement, people will flock to the tree to enjoy its fruit, its shade, and the breeze. But first, like the seed coming of its shell, you must come out of the hard shell of the ego….”

(Pgs. 27-28, 41-42, 43-44, Awaken, Children! Vol 6)

Who Can Help and Guide Others?

Question: Don’t you think it is a meritorious thing, or perhaps even a highly spiritual endeavour to help others. I am sure there are a lot of people I can help, especially those in spiritual field. Often, when they come to me for help, I cannot turn them away: I set aside some time for them.

Swami Prajnanapada: “The blind should not try to lead the blind. (The person who seeks to help others) should first see light himself, and, after he HAS, it will be time enough to help…. to be able to help others, one MUST be a helper first, that is to say, one MUST acquire the ABILITY and technique to help… (If you want to help others) You MUST FIRST equip YOURSELF…. equip yourself with the ability to help… You must make sure that you are COMPETENT to help… If you are yourself in doubt, you can HARDLY dispel another man’s doubts.” (pgs. 109, 110, Talks with Swami Prajnanapada)

Question: Who then is capable of spiritually guiding others?

“(Only) a very good sadhak can…(He) can not only inspire people but also LEAD them and GUIDE along the spiritual path.” (pg. 20, Voice of the Himalayas by Swami Sivananda

Question: Who is deemed a good sadhak?
“Fully realise the IMPORTANCE of becoming a changed man ETHICALLY and MORALLY, before YOU can claim to be sadhak,” Swami Sivananda (pg. 322, Sadhana)

Question: So, there is no way for me to help change others?

Paramahansa Yogananda: “Let YOUR example be THE way to change others’ lives.” (Yoganandaji’s address on 6.3.1952: Rajarsi Janankananda, pg. 153)

Swami Sivananda: “You can BEST serve…your fellow-beings… by conscious Self-culture, by LIVING for the realisation of the self.” (pg. 109, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda)

Mata Amirtanandamayi: “Don’t try to change the world or other people before YOU are able to change YOURSELF.” (pg. 28, Awaken Children Vol. 6)

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa: “Who are YOU to help others?… This sort of too much preoccupation of helping OTHERS is also a sort of DELUSION, and egoistic DELUSION.” (pgs. 200-201, Swami Sivananda: Saint, Sage and Godman by Swami Chidananda Maharaj [A Divine Life Society Publication]).

Question: What about preaching?

Swami Sivananda: “When people who are inharmonious within themselves begin to PREACH, they can ONLY spread disharmony, even though they might avowedly strive to spread peace. The rishies have called this ‘the blind leading the blind.’ ” (Swamiji’s speech on 3.10.1950: pg. 244, Sivananda’s Lectures: All-India and Ceylon Tour).

Hypocrites who Try to Teach and Guide Others

Question: Can a spiritual person, who prays, chants and does spiritual practices, be egoistic? It seems remarkably strange that someone who reads and talks about God and spiritual living could act and behave with so much self-importance. Aren’t spirituality and egotistical conduct polar opposites? If someone IS “spiritual” yet egotistical, then, he is a hypocrite. Right?

Answer: “…egoism assumes a subtle form. The gross ego is NOT as dangerous as the subtle egoism… The working of egoism is very mysterious. It is very difficult to detect it’s various ways of working. It needs subtle and sharp intellect to find out its operation… (The) ego wants to exercise POWER and influence over OTHERS. He wants titles, prestige, STATUS, RESPECT, prosperity, house, wife, children. He wants self-aggrandisement. He wishes to domineer and rule over others. If anybody points out his DEFECTS, his vanity feels offended. If anyone PRAISES him, he is elated. This ego says, ‘I know everything. He doesn’t know anything. What I say is quite correct. What he says is quite incorrect. He is inferior to me. I am superior to him.’ He FORCES others to follow his ways and views.” (pg. 84, Conquest of Mind by Swami Sivananda)

Mata Amritanandamayi: “…it may happen that a spiritual person learns to hide his ego and PRETENDS to be very humble…. acts and behaves like a spiritually mature person… A person who wears the FALSE mask of a spiritually advanced person does not know what terrible HARM he is doing. He is MISLEADING others, and also paving the way for his OWN destruction. (pgs. 185, 186, 187, 188, Awaken, Children Vol. 7)

HYPOCRISY in the garb of religion is CRIME.” (pg. 273, Voice of the Himalayas by Swami Sivananda)

“Hypocrisy, arrogance, self-conceit, anger and also harshness and ignorance, belong to one who is born in a demoniacal state, O Arjuna!” [Gita 16:04]

Commentary on Gita 16:04 by Swami Sivananda: “Religious hypocrisy is the WORST form. Hypocrisy is a mixture of deceit and falsehood. Asuras are those who have waged war and who are still waging war with the gods in heaven. Those who are endowed with Asuric tendencies or evil qualities are Asuras or demons. They exist in abundance in this Iron Age.” (pg. 426, The Bhagavad Gita by Swami Sivananda [South African Edition])

New Year’s Message (1st January, 1950)

Swami Sivananda, “Is there a man whose heart will shed tears of blood at the misery of even the meanest of God’s creation? It is in his heart–be sure–that the Lord dwells.
O Man! Years have come and gone! You are yet the same old brute, the same abode of the same old cruel heart which grabs and does not give. Renounce, serve, love! Become good this very minute!

“What have you learnt from the terrible tragedy which shook the country from end to end? Would you still lean back in your cushioned lounge and ignore the misery of the poor, of the downtrodden, of the ignorant masses, merely philosophising: “It is their lot, it is their own Karma?” Have you not seen that in the twinkling of an eye the rich man becomes penniless and the pauper becomes a millionaire?

“Come, plunge into selfless service. Serve all. Love all. See your God in all. Renounce every penny that you have in the service of the poor, in the regeneration of the fallen. Rush to the aid of the Lord that walks on the road with his begging bowl. Hasten to the aid of the hapless and the helpless sick and relieve their suffering. Greet the half-naked, poverty-stricken God-in-human-form with a smile, reverence and sympathy. Clothe the naked. Feed the poor. Educate the illiterate. Nurse the sick. Raise the downtrodden. Give of your best in their service.

“Shame upon the perpetrators of violence, the Asuras in human garb who massacre innocent men and women! Gandhiji lived, loved and died for the sake of the establishment of Ahimsa in the human heart. His life’s toil should not go in vain. It is a crime to allow it to be neglected as mere ideology. The immortal glory that Gandhiji achieved can be achieved by every one, if only one is prepared to pay the price in the form of loss of personal gains.

“God has sent His messengers again and again to teach humanity Divine love. To make this Message of Love more prominent, He sends wars, famines, riots and pestilences! Love shines sharply in contrast. Yet, how long does it take for man to understand the Message of Love!

“It is not yet too late. O children of God! This beastly nature is only an outward covering. Your essential nature is Divine. Under the influence of this ignorance-Anaesthesia you commit all sorts of crimes. Your real nature is Purity, Wisdom and Godliness. Come, wake up! Wait not for calamities to put into your heart the wisdom which is available to you in the life and teachings of the Sages of India! Wake up at once, realise the folly of worshipping Mammon and the glory of serving God.

“Worship God not only in the temples and shrines, not only in places of pilgrimage; but in every one you see around you, in the poorest of the poor, in the lowliest of the low, in the downtrodden, illiterate masses, in the sick and the suffering. See the lord in them and love them, express this love in the form of service. This alone will make each one of you a real MAN, nay, a Superman, or a Divine Personality!

“It is the One Self or the One God alone that pervades every atom of creation. If but every morning this forms your first thought: “My own self it is that pervades the universe”, you will realise that it is you yourself that suffer through every suffering man! You will then become utterly unselfish and share with the needy what you have and thus bring about a new and glorious Age of Peace, Plenty and Prosperity.

“All religious and spiritual organisations, social service leagues and humanitarian institutions, should convert themselves into Sevashrams for the amelioration of the conditions of the poor–the masses. Every one who can afford to, should contribute his mite to these institutions and see that the poor are raised to a normal standard of living. Individually, every one should sympathise with, and comfort, every man in distress, every man in need, and rest not till he has been provided for. This is the greatest service. It is only when the heart thus expands that the Lord will be enshrined in it.

“It is when every Indian heart is brimming with this universal love that Mother India will assume the motherhood of all nations of the earth and guide her children in all parts of the world to limitless happiness.

“Let us all hail the New Year with a heart of Love! Let us melt our differences and unite! Let our heart melt at human suffering! May all be united! May all attain God-consciousness in this very year! May there be peace, amity, plenty and prosperity everywhere! May His blessings be upon you all!”

Practise Your Conviction By Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda

The scriptures tell us that we live, move and have our being in God. More than that, they affirm our identity with God. To realise these truths, Gurudev urged us to practise integral yoga: “See your work as worship. Be devoted to God. Repeat His name. Meditate on Him. Think about Him. Enquire who am I?” But even if we are fortunate enough to have the temperament and ability to fill our days with spiritual practices, we can come to what could be called a stalemate.

Pujya Swami Chidanandaji dealt with this in his book Ponder These Truths in a talk called “Practise Your Conviction.” In that talk, Swamiji related how a devotee had approached him saying, “We are convinced of the truth of the scriptures. There is no doubt in our minds that God alone is; He is the only permanent Reality. But our conviction doesn’t seem to make a change in our lives. We seem much the same as we have always been.” Swamiji offered a solution. Not a magic one, but a very practical one that follows the scriptures. He said, “You must practise your conviction.”

Is there a difference between doing spiritual practices and actually practising them? The truth is, we can live a spiritual life without coming to the essence of it. So Swamiji said, “You are convinced that God alone is; He is the only reality; your only true relationship is with Him—which means that all other relationships are false relationships—therefore, practise that conviction. Constantly affirm the truth of your true relationship and deny and reject all other relationships.” This includes our relationships to our family, to our institution, even to our guru. All these are temporary relationships. Our only true relationship is with God. Swamiji continued, “If you will practise this, then gradually your intellectual conviction will deepen into feeling. You will feel the truth of it, and ultimately that bhav will ripen into anubhav or direct experience.”

We can bring about the same results through devotion, through surrender, offering everything to God and putting ourselves into His hands. But it is only when we move away from the surface of our life right down to where we live, to where our deepest convictions are, that our spiritual life actually begins to move. We have to get down to who we think we are and to where our relationships have their source. Most of us are filled with a network of relationships and identities that have nothing to do with God in His essence. We must deny all those temporary relationships and affirm the truth of our real relationship.

This is the practice of our conviction that Swamiji urged us to follow. He said, “This is the Vedantic method—the affirmation of your true relationship with God and the denial and rejection of all false, temporary relationships.”

Source: Early Morning Meditation Talk given in the Sacred Samadhi Hall of Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh

A Barometer of Our Spiritual Life By Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda

It is well known that Gurudev wrote over 300 books on all aspects of the spiritual life. Included in his breadth of interest were books on health, plays, poems, and he used to from time to time write different versions of spiritual barometers, which normally took the form of asking questions: “How would you feel if…” And then he would list a number of outrageous things and conclude, “If none of these disturbs you, then you’re 50% of the way to the goal.” In doing this, he was, in a sense, echoing Lord Krishna in the Gita, especially the end of Chapter two and Chapter twelve.

To compare our spiritual progress to the ideals set out by Gurudev and Lord Krishna has the very salutary effect of making us recognise that we have a long way to go, no matter how long we have been in the spiritual life or what progress we might have made. Indeed, they seem to create such a gap that we have a tendency to ignore them altogether. Actually, we can feel more comfortable with something like Gurudev’s spiritual diary. At least we can understand when he asks us how much time did you spend in meditation, how much time for japa, what time did you get up? This is something that we can relate to and more easily do.

However, is there another simple question that we could ask ourselves that could act as a barometer of our spiritual life and at the same time is doable for us? There may be many simple questions we could ask, but one that surely goes to the heart of our spiritual life is to ask ourselves, “How much am I prepared to let go of control of my life?”

This is not normally a question we ask ourselves. We assume that our life belongs to us, and we resent it if anyone else tries to control us, especially unless we’re getting something in return:

a) If we’re getting protection from somebody else, we recognise we have to give up a certain amount of control.

b) If we’re being paid by someone else, we recognise that we owe them a certain degree of obedience and control over our lives.

c) If we’re deeply in love with someone, then that person has a certain control over our behaviour or we won’t have a relationship that will last.

But other than that, where we perceive that we are getting something in return for giving up control of our lives, we don’t want to give up control for nothing in return. “This is my life” is an automatic assumption.

If we’re on the spiritual path though, we begin to gradually discover that thinking about ourselves, controlling our lives, being in charge is a route to unhappiness, confusion, misery. Letting go, even temporarily, is the path to peace, contentment, and happiness. In fact, the whole purpose of our spiritual life is to give up this individual sense of control. Indeed, our whole sadhana ultimately is one of surrender and trust, letting go and letting God.

Does this mean that we give up activity? This is a common error. What it means is giving up control and recognising that we have always belonged to God. We have never belonged to ourselves as an individual. That practice means that the ego is gradually being rubbed away. When the ego goes, peace remains. Therefore, one barometer, one test, of our spiritual life is how much are we prepared to give up control of our life and acknowledge that our lives now, always have been and always will be part of God.

Early Morning Meditation Talk given in the Sacred Samadhi Hall of Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh.

Loose Talk and Wrong Company

Swami Sivananda, “I am dead against gossip, giggling and guffaw. I ask my students to avoid loose talk…” (pg. 102, Autobiography of Swami Sivananda)

Swami Sivananda, “Shun those who obstruct you…” (pg. 22, Maha Yoga)

Swami Sivananda, “It is very easy to deal with the rank materialist, the man of openly vicious nature, the human brute; his unrighteousness is patent and it is easy to convince people of the need to keep away from him. Such vicious people are not as many as those who are extremely vicious at heart, whose conscience is enshrouded in ignorance, and through whose veins flows the deadly venom of selfishness, greed, lust, anger and egoism, but who knavishly presume an authority to teach people, to guide people along “the path of righteousness.” Often, the devil quotes scriptures; and it is to the common man to detect the tiger masquerading in the garb of a cow, before it is too late to save himself. It is by the rescue of Dharma from the clutches of these misleaders of mankind that the Lord has truly fulfilled the self-imposed task of restoration of Dharma. Mercilessly He exposes these hypocrites by defining Jnana in terms of ethics.

He has given a completely revolutionary definition of Jnana: “Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness, service of the teacher, purity, steadfastness, self-control, indifference to the objects of the senses, absence of egoism, perception of or reflection over the evil in birth, death, old age, sickness and pain, non-attachment, non-identification of Self with son, wife, home and the rest, constant even-mindedness on the attainment of the desirable and the undesirable, unswerving devotion unto Me by the Yoga of non-separation, resort to solitary places, distaste for the society of men, constancy in Self-knowledge, perception of the end of true knowledge—this is declared to be Knowledge and what is opposite to it is ignorance.” (http://www.dlshq.org/religions/gospel_krishna.htm)

Swami Sivananda, “…avoid the company of all those who have no faith in God, and who deride God, your Guru and religion, from this very day.” (pg. 78, Hindu Fasts & Festivals)

Tenth Spiritual Instruction by Swami Chidananda

Have Satsanga. Give up bad company, smoking, meat and alcoholic liquors entirely. Do not develop any evil habits.

Have satsanga, give up bad company, smoking, meat-eating and alcoholic liquor entirely. Do not develop any evil habits. Ego is very bad company. Selfishness is very bad company. Anger is very bad company. All these are bad company. All that constitutes this little barrier personality, little ego, is bad company. That is why Gurudev said: “Keep company with the inner Divinity,” and giving up all other company, do your duty, fulfil your obligations—be what you are. If you are a human being it is your duty to affirm, assert and manifest actively your human nature—compassion, kindness, truthfulness. What does He want us to give up? What company does He want us to keep? This has to be pondered.

Lord Krishna says in the Gita: Yogasthah kuru karmani sangam tyaktva Dhananjaya “Perform actions, O Dhananjaya being fixed in Yoga, be ever united with Me inwardly and act, having abandoned attachments.”

When He says act, it means give up the sangha (attachments) to tamo guna (inactivity, inertia) and all that it implies. And if you want to know what tamo guna is, study the Gunatraya Vibhag Yoga (Fourteenth chapter) of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita. By the very instruction kuru karmani—be active, be dynamic, engage in activity, good activity, is implied. Give up the company of dire tamas (inertia). It will pull you down. It will hold you down.

Kshudram hridaya daurbalyam tyaktvottishtha parantapa “Cast off this petty faint-heartedness. Wake up, O vanquisher of foes!” What you have to give up is faintheartedness, negativity, depression, dejection—otherwise the mind cannot be elevated, no meditation is possible. Negative conditions drain away all energy, make you your own problem, make you your own enemy, make you your own main obstacle, make you your own net, your own entanglement. Therefore the Lord admonishes Arjuna to become free from himself, the negative Arjuna.

Give up bad company. It does not merely mean company from outside us. There is inside bad company—our own thoughts, our own wrong emotions and sentiments, our own wrong motivations hidden motivations—other than that which is the ideal placed before us as a sadhaka. There should be sooram (courageousness) kritagnam (gratefulness), dridha (steadiness). Everything contrary is the presence of bad company. That has to be given up.

Do not develop any evil habits. Anything that holds you back from spiritual progress is an evil habit. Anything that ties you down to a low state of consciousness is a bad habit. Determinedly, it should be given up.

Aalasyam manushyanam angasto mahan ripuh. One of the greatest enemies of the human individual, residing within one’s own body, is aalasya (laziness). In this way:
Kamah krodhascha lobhascha dehe tishtanti taskarah.
Jnanaratna apaharartham tasmad jagrat jagrat.

“Lust, anger and greed are like three robbers residing within us. They are stealing the jewel of knowledge from us. Awake, awake, they are within you!” They are your own undoing, your own enemies. So symbolically, Jesus cast out devils. Now we have to invoke the Jesus within us to cast out the devils within us. If we do that, outer devils cannot trouble us because they are powerless. However, more troublesome are the inner devils. If there is not a state of Yoga (union with God) within, it is your devil’s workshop. If the mind and the heart is not united with the Lord through constant remembrance and devotion, then the interior of your mind becomes the devil’s workshop.

Therefore keep the mind elevated, learn by heart some inspiring slokas, prayers, stotras, recite them and thereby elevate the mind. Constantly give up bad company. Giving up bad company is not only a state of life but also a sadhana (practice). Thus we should go on giving up bad company, go on being united with the Lord inwardly everyday, and thus proceed upon the divine life path to Self-realisation or Liberation. That is the goal. Let us keep that goal ever before us and proceed undauntingly onwards—“Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven. Arise and follow Me. Knock and it shall be given. Seek and you shall find. Ask and you shall be given. Knock and it shall be opened unto you.”

[TWENTY IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTIONS, A Series of talks on Swami Sivananda’s Twenty Important Spiritual Instructions.]

Anyone Can Preach But Only a Middling Few Can Practise What They Preached

Question: There are people who are good at giving spiritual advice to others but when their lives spiral into an abyss of pressure and turmoil or when they face crisis, they fumble, tumble and flip, not being able to practise what they preached. Why is that so?

Swami Dayananda: “Paying lip service to obligatory values is no more useful than the chorus of parrots in a tree, who were singing out, ‘Be careful of the hunter’s net!’ A wise old parrot had seen the hunter coming and had called our the warning. But the silly flock did not look at the ground to spot the hunter—to understand the fact of the situation—to establish a personal content for the words they had heard from the old bird. Instead, they continued to sit happily on the branches of the tree repeating the words which were empty of any real meaning for them: ‘Be careful of the hunter’s net!’ Even after the net had descended upon them, they wriggled and squirmed, caught in the web, screeching: ‘Be careful of the hunter’s net!’

“When I claim as my standards values in which I fail to see any personal gain for myself, I am in as risky a position, so far as expressing those values, as were the parrots in the tree, who mindlessly repeated the warning.”

(pg. 17, The Value of Values).