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సర్వమంగళ

సర్వ మంగళ మాంగల్యే శివే సర్వార్ధి సాధికే శరన్యే త్రయంబకే దేవి నారాయని నమోస్తుతే .
కాలే వర్షతు పర్జన్యః పృథివీ సశ్యశాలినీ । దేశోఽయం క్షోభరహితః బ్రాహ్మణాః సంతు నిర్భయాః ॥

ఓం శాంతి ! శాంతి !! శాంతి: !!! .సత్యం నిత్యం అనంతం

16 డిసెంబర్, 2011

Alone but not Lonely

Swami Dayatmananda
Loneliness is an existential and inescapable human condition
feared by all. Wherever we look we find loneliness amidst crowds. It is
hard to come by a person who has not experienced loneliness.
Nothing comes with us, nothing goes with us; we are born alone,
we travel alone and we die alone. We cannot eat, sleep or share our
experience, our joys or sorrows with anyone else. We can only share
information, but not understanding.
Such is our human condition and this state of affairs will continue
until the individual merges into the divine. This is what Plotinus calls "the
flight of the alone to the Alone"
There could be no poverty greater than loneliness, no fear greater
than the feeling of being isolated, not being wanted, not loved, not
appreciated. Some existential philosophers even consider loneliness
as the essential condition of humanness. Vedanta, naturally, denies this
view. All our struggle from birth to death is to accept, cope and overcome
this dreaded loneliness through family, society, work, prayer, meditation,
etc.

So what is loneliness?
Loneliness is a mental state where a person experiences an
intense feeling of emptiness and isolation, of not being wanted, of
being cut off from everything. It is a state in which life appears to be
meaningless and purposeless. It is a state where a person is incapable
of deriving any joy from life and, often, feels like committing suicide.
It is normal to feel lonely at times. But when loneliness becomes intense,
constant and brings on depression and pessimism, it turns into a dreadful
disease.

Loneliness should not, however, be equated with being alone. One can
be alone and feel joyful and fulfilled. And one can be intensely lonely in the
midst of crowds.
"Language... has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of
being alone. And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of
being alone."

Paul Tillich (Theologian and Philosopher)

Types of loneliness
Loneliness is of many types.
1.
There is a simple and temporary type of loneliness. Often when one

Reprinted from Vedanta Magazine - Ramakrishna Vedanta Center, UK.(Sept. 2009 to Jan. 2010)
Swami Dayatmananda is the spiritual head of Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre, UK.

1

is removed from one's surroundings one feels lonely. When people lose their
loved ones or partners they can be overwhelmed with loneliness. Or when a
person fails to pass an examination or fails to secure a job, he may feel lonely.
This state does not last long and can easily be remedied.
2.
One may feel lonely when one feels misunderstood and not
appreciated. This is especially applicable to creative people like artists, scientists,
great writers, and also patriots and statesmen; these people often feel lonely,
because there are few with whom they can talk meaningfully.
Spiritual giants can experience loneliness sometimes. Swamis like Shivananda
and Brahmananda used to feel sad, because there was nobody with whom they
can joyfully share their experiences. (Even Sri Ramakrishna felt it sometimes! A
joyful person, often, wishes to share his joy with all!)
3.
Another type of loneliness is the feeling that one has no friends and
relatives, and that no one loves me, and I have no one to relate to. Such people
feel forlorn and depressed, and often entertain thoughts of suicide.
4.
Old age and chronic diseases can and do often bring on the
feelings of loneliness. In fact these days the aged and elderly suffer
intensely from feelings of loneliness in spite of all the facilities provided for
them.
5.
Then there is a special type of loneliness. It is the intense
longing of the soul to become united with the divine within. Vedanta tells us
each soul is potentially divine. This potential divinity will not allow any
individual to rest until the soul is merged in the Universal. This spiritual
longing may not manifest for a long time. But it is bound to come in
every person's life at some point of time and make them lead a spiritual
life. Sincere spiritual aspirants feel that in this whole world they are
alone, no one belongs to them and they belong to no one. Though this
feeling is categorised as loneliness, this is not a disease, nor a cause for
distress. On the contrary this is a most necessary and desirable condition
for spiritual growth. Without this feeling of loneliness none can
advance in spiritual life. As May Sarton put it so beautifully: "Loneliness is
the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self"
Loneliness is a dreadful disease. Its causes, effects, and cure will
be discussed in future editorials.

∗∗∗

Loneliness is a painful and negative state of mind. There is no
one who is free from it, no one can be free from it. We all suffer from
it for a shorter or longer period of time. Some philosophers consider
'aloneness' as the very essence of being human. It means that being
unable to be alone is to lose one's humanness itself. Even animals (pets,
especially dogs when separated from their owners) are seen to suffer
from loneliness! Saints alone are exceptions. They never feel lonely
as they experience the presence of God at all times.
In our last editorial we discussed what loneliness is. In this

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editorial we will discuss the causes and effects of loneliness. Loneliness
results not from one but from many causes. These causes can be roughly
divided into five categories: existential, external, psychological, social and
spiritual.

Existential causes
Loneliness is a constitutional element of existence. We are born and die
alone. Each of us sleeps, eats, experiences pleasure and pain, health and
sickness all by himself. At the most others can make conditions better or
worse.
Birth, adolescence, youth, middle age, old age, and death (What
Vedanta calls shat vikaras, the six changes) are inescapable realities of life.
We gladly accept adolescence and youth but, inexplicably, many of us suffer
from mid-life crisis. Menopause is a painful period of transition for many
women. Old age affects almost all of us. Death and bereavement can also
cause loneliness. All these events also bring about some external changes in our
life. But the effects of these are also usually temporary and we learn to accept
them soon.
Some of us cannot escape physical and mental disability. These can,
and usually do, bring about some amount of discrimination and being
looked down upon. Being treated as 'different' by others often makes
people feel even lonelier.

External and Social causes
Loneliness, definitely, has become a major problem of our times. In the
past, families were either joint or typically larger, and very few people lived
alone. Today millions live alone. Retirement and unemployment are also common
causes of loneliness. To move away from one's country, family and familiar
surroundings can lead to a sense of loneliness.
The stresses of modern life such as changes in employment practice, a rising
divorce rate, and the fact that people easily move away to far off places, have
caused many to suffer from feelings of loneliness. These actions give us much
freedom. But this freedom has a negative effect. It leaves us without solid
grounding in, or commitment to a family, a place or a community.
Thanks to advancement in medicine people are living longer. A new word
'Geriatrics,' i.e. the branch of medicine that focuses on health care of the elderly,
has been coined. Due to modern social conditions many elderly people are forced to
live in old people's homes. Though otherwise well taken care of, many of them
experience intense feelings of loneliness. This is due to lack of love and affection
from their families.

Psychological causes
Along with the advancements in science and technology, massive
inequalities, racial and social discrimination are also on the rise. Companies
are growing bigger and multi-nationals are edging out or even snuffing smaller

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and individual companies. This gives rise to intense competition and attempts
to outdo others. Competition and success are the two great diseases of
modern social life reminding us of the 'survival of the fittest.' Naturally these
lead to feelings of being unwelcome, fear, sadness and failure.
Lack of purpose in one's life can also bring on feelings of loneliness. Low self-
esteem, especially, when one compares oneself with (the seeming success of)
one's colleagues can give rise to feelings of frustration and loneliness.
A survey of mental health problems in the USA found that social phobia was
the third most common problem, after depression and alcohol dependence. People
who are anxious, depressed, or trapped in addictive behaviour, may have low self-
esteem and feel guilty and worthless. This can lead them to shun the company of
other people and cut themselves off from their families and friends. This in turn
leads to loneliness.
Fear of fear is a terrible experience! Along with other effects, anticipating the
fear of loneliness can lead to deeper despair.

Spiritual Causes
The root cause of any form of loneliness can be traced to the neglect of
spiritual life. What is spirituality? It is "The Flight of the Alone to the Alone," as
Plotinus puts it. The inability to be alone and enjoy the company of one's own
higher Self is to be unspiritual and unhappy.
Vedanta teaches us that man's personality is trichotomous i.e., soul, mind
and body. We suffer if body and mind are sick; we suffer even more if we neglect
the spiritual side of our life.
In the past religion provided comfort for most people. Unfortunately the rise
of science and technology has made many lose faith in God and moral values.
Many of us are blissfully ignorant that neglect of spiritual life can leave us with
feelings of profound emptiness and loneliness.
How do we know this is true? If we have, more or less, all that life can give
us and still continue to feel empty and lonely inside ourselves, the cause is
undoubtedly spiritual. If we do not lead a spiritual life, we definitely feel an
emptiness in spite of having an abundance of material goods.

Effects of loneliness
Loneliness can lead to varying degrees of despair, anxiety, sadness,
boredom, inability to function effectively in any given situation, etc. Loneliness and
boredom are closely allied emotions. These emotions must be understood and dealt
with properly. Otherwise they can lead to suicide, or all sorts of criminal activities,
even to murder. Many antisocial activities, including crime, can be traced to intense
feelings of boredom.
We can see from the above that there is no option but to deal with our
feelings of loneliness.
The cure for loneliness will be discussed in our next editorial.

∗∗∗

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Loneliness can wreck our lives. But if we deal with it in the right
way, it will yield invaluable fruits: physical, intellectual and spiritual.
In this issue we will discuss how we can do it.
Loneliness can be overcome, but it needs strong determination and
definite practice of some of the steps outlined below.

Accepting loneliness
The first step in overcoming loneliness is by understanding
its inevitability and accepting it. We live and die alone - this is an
inescapable fact of existence. When we begin to accept it, a new vision of
life opens before us. With this acceptance also dawns a new urge to
make creative use of it. It is only then that our true potential begins to
manifest. When we accept the existential condition of our loneliness, the
first thing we notice is that our fears and anxieties start to diminish slowly.
Sri Ramakrishna used to advise his devotees to go into solitude
every now and then. His words have deep significance. Most of us fear
solitude, for we fear to be alone. Solitary confinement is considered as one
of the worst forms of punishment, for one is forced to confront oneself
and few can stand it.
What may be the cause of this fear? Perhaps the ego fears the
loss of its identity. The ego, for its support, usually depends heavily on
nationality, religion, language, culture, job-status, social position etc.
When these seem to be lost in solitude, the ego fears for its very
existence. Just as a baby seems to be lost without its mother, so also
the ego experiences terrible fear in the absence of all these. If I am not
so and so, then what am I? Part of our fear of loneliness is our fear of
losing our self, or our sense of who we are. But by accepting the fact
that we are alone we lessen our fear of loneliness.

A definite goal in life
We must have a definite goal in life. The secret of a mature personality is to
have a goal and purpose in life. A definite goal makes life meaningful and also
defines one's daily activities. A person with a goal in life and a set routine of
activities can cope with loneliness better than one who has none.

Physical exercise
Surprisingly those who exercise regularly have less problems with
loneliness. Probably this is due to the changes that occur in our bodies as a
result of exercising. Swami Vivekananda used to say strong bodied people
have more control over their emotions.

A good hobby
An enjoyable hobby is a good antidote to stress and loneliness.

5

Especially hobbies like music and gardening can uplift our minds and make
life's journey much more pleasant.

Service
Many rush into feverish activities or cook up other schemes for
avoiding loneliness. All these escape tactics will not help us. They are not
only counter-productive, but can actually exacerbate our loneliness once the
excitement is over!
But true service-oriented activities can help much. Swami
Vivekananda was a great advocate of service to God in the form of
humanity. The Ramakrishna Order was founded with the twin motto of
one's own salvation and the welfare of the world. His concept of service
goes far beyond the spiritual and merely social realm. Genuine service
needs a good and loving heart. Love and goodness, as we know, are
the greatest purifiers of the ego! They act as antidotes to negative
feelings like depression and despair, loneliness included.
True love unites the lover with the object of his love. No one can
be loving and selfish at the same time. As such one of the best
remedies to loneliness is serving society, looking upon it as the
manifestation of God. These days many opportunities exist for those
willing to render service. One can join an organisation (and there are
many who welcome volunteers) or a voluntary group. Or visit old-age
homes, hospices, etc. and spend some time with people who feel lonely
and left out. If one is unable to render service, one can help
organisations not only financially but in many other ways.

Spiritual practice
As we mentioned earlier, the root cause of loneliness is spiritual..
We feel lonely, because we are ignorant of our true nature. No matter
how fulfilling our life might be socially, intellectually or morally, our
heart yearns for the divine. This yearning we feel is deep, real and it
comes from the depths of ourselves. Spiritual loneliness is really a deep
void within ourselves, a hollowness that cannot be filled with anything
other than spirituality.
Swami Vivekananda put his finger right on the problem when he
said: "Each soul is potentially divine." Whether we know it or not all of
us are trying to manifest our forgotten divinity. Any halt in this process
is what makes us feel lonely. Even a little regular practice of spiritual
disciplines like prayer, meditation, etc. goes a long way in coping with
loneliness. Sri Krishna says: "Even a little practice of this Yoga protects
one from great fear." (Bhagavad Gita 2.40)
Simple prayer can uplift the mind to a higher realm. Whenever we
detect feelings of depression or desolation, we can lift ourselves up through
simple whole-hearted prayer. Similarly regular readings from the holy
scriptures also can help us a great deal. Scriptures are the recording's of
saints and sages. There is a great power in them. Even mechanical reading or

6

hearing of scriptures can lift our minds up into a higher state.
There are many types of spiritual practises. One of the most
effective of these is the practice of the presence of God. The well-known book
Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence is very reassuring and
helpful. One should try to feel the presence of God in all places, at all times
and under all circumstances.
Japa or constant remembrance of one's mantram or a holy word is
highly effective. Japam should, of course, be done with full awareness and
love. Through practice one can do japam almost constantly.
Vipassana or the meditation taught by many Buddhists is an excellent
practice. (Belief in a God is not a necessary condition for this practice.
Buddha did not speak of a God.) In Vipassana one is taught to pay close
attention to all that goes on in the body and mind. One is advised to
watch one's breath, postures, thoughts that rush in one's mind etc. Practice
of Vipassana meditation is an excellent remedy for loneliness.

The importance of solitude
Ours is a busy and extroverted civilisation. Here the cultivation of
solitude is discouraged. But cultivation of solitude is most important if we want
to have peace, joy and fulfilment.
Sri Ramakrishna often advised his devotees to go into solitude. He said:
"It is most necessary to go into solitude now and then and think of God. To
fix the mind on God is very difficult, in the beginning, unless one practises
meditation in solitude. To meditate, you should withdraw within yourself or
retire to a secluded corner or to the forest." The Bhagavad Gita also advises all
aspirants on a number of qualities which a seeker of self-knowledge must
cultivate. One such quality is resorting to solitude and turning away from the
society of men.
Solitude is an excellent way of cultivating noble thoughts. "They are
never alone that are accompanied by noble thoughts." (Sir Philip Sidney)
Some of the greatest creations in literature, art, and music (not to speak
of spirituality) that the world has known were only conceived in moments of
profound solitude. Kierkegaard speaks of relating to one's own self by willing
to be oneself. This is undoubtedly a heroic task.
Solitude is the handmaid of the interior life. In solitude alone we can
discover our true Self. Without quiet and aloneness, it is not possible to
develop an interior life. And without an interior life there is nothing to speak
to us but our own emptiness and loneliness.
Loneliness is an existential fact of life. But we need not be lonely or suffer
from it. We have outlined some of the best ways of coping with it. Loneliness is
a gift of God. Through proper use of it we can become Blessed and Fulfilled.

13 డిసెంబర్, 2011

Divine Light

A – C C –  G H – N N – S S – Z
aglow
air
alive
altruis
amaze, amazed, amazing
amuse, amused
anew
angels
anticipate,
anticipation
apples
apple pie
autumn
awe
awesome
bask
baby
balloons
beach
beautiful
birds
birthday
blessed
bliss, blissful
blithe
bloom,
blooming
blossom
blush
book, books
breathe
breeze,
cool breeze
bright
brownies
brunch
bubbles
bubble bath
bubbly
butterflies
butterfly kisses
cake
calm
camaraderie
candlelight
casual
celebrate,
celebration
cheer, cheerful
say cheese…:D
child, childhood, children
chocolate
clean
colors
comfort
compliments
cookies and milk
cool
cooperate
cooperation
comedy
comic
companion,
companionship
compassion
congratulations
content
cozy
cuddle
curl up
cute
daisy, daisies
dad
dance
dawn
day
daylight
dear
delight
delightful
dew
dimples
dreams
drizzle
ecstasy
eat
elated, elation
empathy
energy
enjoy
enthusiastic
euphoric
excellence
exhale
exuberant
fall (season)
family
father
favor
fire place
flowers
fly
fortunate
friend, friends,
best friends
friendship
freckles
free
fresh
full
fun
funny
gay
generosity
give
glad
glee
glitter
glow, glowing
good
good thoughts
garden
gifts
giggles
glee
good morning,
good afternoon,
good evening, etc
grace
gracious
grass
gratitude
great weather
grin
grow
hallelujah hands
happiness
happy
happy anniversary
happy birthday
happy-go-lucky
harmony
head-over-heels
healthy
heart
heaven
hide and seek
hobby
holiday, holidays
home
honey
hope
hopeful
hot dogs
hubby
hug
humor
humorous
ice cream
idea
inspiration
inspirational
inspired
jello
jelly beans
joke
jolly
jolly notes:)
joy, joyful
joyous
jubilant
kindness
kiss, kisses
kittens
lake
leaves
lego
laugh, laughter
life
light
lighthearted
lily, lilies
lollipops
love
I love you
love you
much love
lovely
lullaby
lunch
magical
marshmallows
melody
merry
mild
miss you,
missing you
I’ll miss you
mom
mother
music
nap
nature
natural nostalgic
ocean
open
optimistic
oreos
overjoyed
pancakes
patient, patience
passion
peace, peaceful
pets
pictures
pie
pillows
pillow fight
play, playful
play dough
pleasant
pleased
pleasure
poetry
positive
presents
puppy, puppies
quality
quiet
rain
rainbow
rapture
red
red letter day
relax
relief
renewal
respect
rest
restore
river
rose, roses
run
safe
salvation
sand
satisfaction
seventh heaven
shine
silly
sing, singing
simple
sky
sleep
good smells
smell of food
smell of roses
smell of rain
smile, smiles, smiling
smitten
smooch,
smoochies:)
snow angels
snow flakes
snow man
snuggles
soft
song, songs
sooth
soothing
sparkle special
spiritual
splash
spontaneous
spring
stars
still
strawberries
stretch
success
summer
sun
sunlight
sunshine
sunrise
sunset
surprise
sweet
sweet dreams
swing
tasty
tickle
tire swings
tiny toes
thanks,
thank you
thinking of you
thrill
together
togetherness
touch
toys
travel
trees
tree house
truth
twilight
upbeat
uplifting
useful
vacation
vivacious
walk
warm
warmth
warm weather
water
water-balloons
waterfall
waves
sound of waves
weekend
welcome
welcoming
whole
whoosh!
woo-hoo!
win
wish, wishes
wish you were here
wonder
wonderful
yellow
yay!
yippee!:)!
yum, yummy
zzzzz’s:)


--
Guru Raghavendra G


12 డిసెంబర్, 2011

Karma and Reincarnation

Human suffering is one of religion's most compelling mysteries: Why do the innocent suffer? Why does God permit evil? Is God helpless to act or does he choose not to? And if He chooses not to act, does that mean he is cruel? Or merely indifferent?
Vedanta takes the problem out of God's court and places it firmly in our own. We can blame neither God nor a devil. Nothing happens to us by the whim of some outside agency: we ourselves are responsible for what life brings us; all of us are reaping the results of our own previous actions in this life or in previous lives. To understand this better we first need to understand the law of karma.

The word "karma" comes from the Sanskrit verb kri, to do. Although karma means action, it also means the result of action. Whatever acts we have performed and whatever thoughts we have thought have created an impression, both in our minds and in the universe around us. The universe gives back to us what we have given to it: "As ye sow, so shall ye reap" as Christ said. Good actions and thoughts create good effects, bad ones create bad effects.

Mental Imprints

Whenever we perform any action and whenever we think any thought, an imprint—a kind of subtle groove—is made upon the mind. These imprints or grooves are known as samskaras. Sometimes we are conscious of the imprinting process; just as often we are not. When actions and thoughts are repeated, the grooves become deeper. The combination of "grooves"— samskaras—creates our individual characters and also strongly influences our subsequent thoughts and actions. If we anger easily, for example, we create an angry mind that is predisposed to react with anger rather than with patience or understanding. As water when directed into a narrow canal gains force, so the grooves in the mind create canals of behavior patterns which become extraordinarily difficult to resist or reverse. Changing an ingrained mental habit literally becomes an uphill battle.

If our thoughts are predominantly those of kindness, love, and compassion, our character reflects it, and these very thoughts will be returned to us sooner or later. If we send out thoughts of hatred, anger, or pettiness, those thoughts will also be returned to us.

Our thoughts and actions aren't so much arrows as boomerangs—eventually they find their way back home. The effects of karma may come instantly, later in life, or in another life altogether; what is absolutely certain, however, is that they will appear at some time or other. Until liberation is achieved, we live and we die within the confines of the law of karma, the chain of cause and effect.
Reincarnation
What happens at death if we haven't attained liberation?
When a person dies, the only "death" is that of the physical body. The mind, which contains a person's mental impressions, continues after the body's death. When the person is reborn, the "birth" is of a new physical body accompanied by the old mind with the impressions or "grooves" from previous lives. When the environment becomes conducive, these samskaras again reassert themselves in the new life.
Thankfully, this process doesn't go on eternally. When we attain God-realization or Self-realization, the law of karma is transcended, the Self gives up its identification with the body and mind, and regains its native freedom, perfection and bliss.

An Absurd Universe?
When we take a hard look around us, the world doesn't seem to make much sense. If we go by appearances, it would seem that countless people have escaped the noose of fate: many an evil person has died peacefully in bed. Worse, good and noble people have suffered without apparent cause, their goodness being repaid by hatred and torture. Witness the Holocaust; witness child abuse.
If we look only on the surface, the universe appears absurd at best, malevolent at worst. But that's because we're not looking deeply; we're only viewing this lifetime, seeing neither the lives that precede this one nor the lives that may follow. When we see a calamity or a triumph, we're seeing only one freeze frame of a very, very long movie. We can see neither the beginning nor the end of the movie. What we do know, however, is that everyone, no matter how depraved, will eventually, through the course of many lifetimes and undoubtedly through much suffering, come to realize his or her own divine nature. That is the inevitable happy ending of the movie.

Karma=Fatalism?

Doesn't the law of karma make Vedanta a cold and fatalistic philosophy?
Not in the slightest.

Vedanta is both personally empowering and deeply compassionate. First, if we have created—through our own thoughts and actions—the life that we are leading today, we also have the power to create the life that we will live tomorrow. Whether we like it or not, whether we want to take responsibility or not, that's what we are doing every step of the way. Vedanta doesn't allow us to assign blame elsewhere: every thought and action builds our future experience.

Doesn't the law of karma then imply that we can be indifferent to our fellow beings because, after all, they're only getting what they deserve?
Absolutely not. If a person's karma is such that he or she is suffering, we have an opportunity to alleviate that suffering in whatever way we can: doing so would be good karma. We need not be unduly heroic, but we can always offer a helping hand or at least a kind word. If we choose not to do whatever is in our limited power to alleviate the pain of those around us, we're chalking up bad karma for ourselves. In fact, we're really hurting ourselves.

Oneness is the law of the universe, and that truth is the real root of all acts of love and compassion. The Atman, my true Self, is the same Spirit that dwells in all; there cannot be two Atmans. Consciousness cannot be divided; it's all-pervasive. My Atman and your Atman cannot be different. For that reason Vedanta says: Love your neighbor as yourself because your neighbor IS yourself.

Philosophy and Vedanta

Philosophy and Vedanta

by Swami Sivananda

YOU ARE THE MASTER OF YOUR DESTINY

Courage is thy birthright, but not fear; peace is thy divine heritage, but not restlessness. Immortality is thy birthright, but not mortality; strength, but not weakness; health, but not disease; bliss, but not sorrow; knowledge, but not ignorance.

Pain, sorrow and ignorance are illusory; these cannot live. Bliss, joy and knowledge are true; these cannot die.

You are the architect of your own fate. You are the master of your own destiny. You can do and undo things. You sow an action and reap a tendency. You sow a tendency and reap a habit. You sow a habit and reap your character. You sow your character and reap your destiny. Therefore, destiny is your own creation. You can undo it if you like-destiny is a bundle of habits.

Purushartha is self-exertion. Purushartha can give you anything. Change your habits. Change the mode of thinking. You can conquer destiny. You are now thinking: "I am the body." Start the spiritual anti-current and think: "I am immortal, diseaseless, sexless Atman." You can conquer death and attain the immortal seat of supreme splendour.

By virtuous deeds and right thoughts you can disarm destiny. You have a free-will to act. By self-exertion, Ratnakar became Valmiki. By self-exertion, Markandeya conquered death. By self-exertion alone did Uddalaka attain Nirvikalpa Samadhi (higher realisation). By self-exertion, Savitri brought back her husband (Satyavan) to life.

Therefore, apply yourself tenaciously, O Prema, to Atmic enquiry and meditation. Be vigilant and diligent. Kill the thoughts and desires. Overcome tomorrow's evil by today's self-exertion. Destroy unholy desires (Asubha Vasanas) through holy desires (Subha Vasanas). Slay unholy thoughts by holy thoughts, and gain victory over your destiny.

Do not yield to fatalism. Do not become impotent. Stand like a lion. Exert and attain independence or Atma Svarajya. There is a magazine of power within you. There is a vast ocean of knowledge within you. All faculties are latent in you. Unfold them and become a Jivanmukta (liberated soul).

Positive overcomes the negative. This is the immutable law of nature. Purushartha (self-exertion) is a mightier power. Purushartha is the lion or the elephant. Prarabdha (destiny) is the cat or the jackal. God helps those who help themselves. Vasishtha asked Rama to do Purushartha. Fatalism will certainly induce inertia and laziness. Therefore, gird up your loins and exert yourself to the utmost, O Prema.

May you all attain Self-realisation or Brahma Jnana in this very birth! May you all live immersed in the ocean of bliss in an illumined state! May you shine as liberated sages!
KNOW THYSELF
That 'Being' who is described in the Upanishads is Brahman or Atman or the Absolute. He is the fountain-head of all scriptural knowledge. He is the source or womb for everything. He is Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute and Bliss Absolute. He is indivisible, all-pervading, self-contained, eternal and immortal. He is beyond time, space and causation. He is beginningless and endless. He is the indweller of all beings. He is the witness of the activities of all the minds.

What on earth can cause fear in you when you have realised identity with Brahman? What on earth can generate hatred, delusion, difference and sorrow in you when you behold one in all, and all in one? What on earth can cause agitation in you when you have transcended the mind and when you rest peacefully in your own Sat Chit Ananda Svarupa—that magnanimous ocean of bliss and stupendous silence?

You experience disharmony and discord when Rajas (passion) and Tamas (inertia) prevail in the mind. Annihilate Tamas by increasing Rajas and destroy Rajas increasing Sattva. There will be harmony and concord when Sattva prevails in the mind. Go beyond Sattva and hear the celestial music of the Soul-music that you never heard before. It is the music of the meeting of the soul with Soul. It is the wonderful music that transcends all Ragas and Raginis. It is the unstruck music of the Infinite-that celestial melody which helps the aspirant to merge himself in Brahman. It is the music of Om or Pranava Dhvani. It is transcendental Anahata sound. It is the divine music of Krishna's flute. It is silence itself. Drown yourself in the bliss of the inner music of the soul. Its melody and sweetness are beyond description. You should experience it yourself.

You are the real master or governor of the universe. You are bound to none. Feel the majesty of yourself. Whatever your circumstances and environments may be, keep peaceful and happy. Abandon all anxiety, fear and worry. Rest in your centre. Be self-poised, self-pleased and self-contained. Sing Om. Chant Om. Meditate on Om. Realise the Self. Know the Self and be free. Now the whole world will be a heaven or a paradise for you. You are the Lord of lords, the God of all gods, the Emperor of emperors. You are in possession of the inexhaustible spiritual wealth. The sum total of the pleasures of the whole world is but a mere drop when compared to the bliss you enjoy now. You are the ocean of bliss now. What a magnificent state! Even the thousand-tongued Adisesha cannot describe it.
Abandon all anxiety, fear and worry. Rest in your centre. Be self-poised, self-pleased and self-contained. Sing Om. Chant Om. Meditate on Om. Realise the Self. Know the Self and be free. Now the whole world will be a heaven or a paradise for you. You are the Lord of lords, the God of all gods, the Emperor of emperors. You are in possession of the inexhaustible spiritual wealth. The sum total of the pleasures of the whole world is but a mere drop when compared to the bliss you enjoy now. You are the ocean of bliss now. What a magnificent state! Even the thousand-tongued Adisesha cannot describe it.

ఆత్మీయ బంధువులకు ఆత్మీయ ఉత్తరం - 23

పరమాత్మా వైపా! ప్రపంచము వైపా ! కురు పాండవ సంగ్రామము నిశ్చయమయినాక కౌరవులనునుడి దుర్యోధనుడు, పాండవులనుండి అర్జునుడు శ్రీ కృష్ణ పరమాత్మాను సహాయ...

శాంతి నేలకోనుగాక !

భూమి లో శాంతి నేలకోనుగాక ! అంతరిక్షం లో శాంతి నేలకోనుగాక ! ఆకాశం లో శాంతి నేలకోనని. నీటిలో శాంతి నేలకోనుగాక ! మూలకాలలో ( మూలికలలో ) శాంతి నేలకోనుగాక !
చెట్టు చేమలలో శాంతి నేలకోనుగాక ! దేవతలందరూ నాకు శాంతిని ప్రసాదిస్తారు గాక ! ప్రతి ఒక్కరికి దేవతలు శాంతిని అనుగ్రహిస్తారు గాక ! శాంతి లో సకల ప్రాణులు శాంతి పొందు గాక !
ఈ నానా విధ శాంతులు మూలంగా నాకు మరియు అందరికి మంగళం ఒనగూరు గాక ! వాటికీ మంగళం ఒనగూరు గాక ! సమస్తమూ మనకు మంగళమును ప్రసాదించు గాక !. సమస్తానికి మంగళం ఒనగూరుగాక.

ఓం శాంతి ! శాంతి !! శాంతి: !!! .సత్యం నిత్యం అనంతం

సర్వేజనః సుఖినో భవంతు

సర్వేజనః సుఖినో భవంతు, MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY, MAY THE WHOLE WORLD BE HAPPY

అహం బ్రహ్మసి

The peace (Shanti) that resides in the solar world (Dyauh), in space (Antariksha), in the earth (Prithwi) and elemental waters (Rapah),
nourishes the herbs, fruits and grains (Roshadhayah) thereby nourishing the original power (Om) in all beings (Vishvedevah).
May the peace of the whole (Brahma) now and forever more (Sarvagwam) come into us, we pray. May the highest good prevail.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti (Peace Peace Peace) .సత్యం నిత్యం అనంతం

Peace

tranquilness, Peace, peace, peace shanti shanti shanti !

May all people be happy

May all people be happy
May all people be happy

వినాయక చవితి శుభాకాంక్షలు

వినాయక చవితి శుభాకాంక్షలు
వినాయక చవితి శుభాకాంక్షలు

వినాయక చవితి శుభాకాంక్షలు

వినాయక చవితి శుభాకాంక్షలు
వినాయక చవితి శుభాకాంక్షలు

SRI PADAVALLABHA

SRI PADAVALLABHA
SRI PADA RAJAM SHARANAM PRAPADYE

NEE JEEVITANIKI

NEE JEEVITANIKI

SUVISHALAM IDAM VISWAM

SUVISHALAM IDAM VISWAM

SRI GURU RAGHAVENDRA

SRI GURU RAGHAVENDRA

SRI RAMAKRISHNA PARAMA HAMSA

SRI RAMAKRISHNA PARAMA HAMSA

JAI GURU DATTA

JAI GURU DATTA
SRI GURU DATTA

JAI GURU DATTA

JAI GURU DATTA

Trident

Trident
Trident