“God knows what we need; we think he does not. How strange!-Swami Satyananda

God has created everything both living and non-living on his earth. He   provides for the necessities of all his children. If a fish lives in water, it has 2 fins and a tail to swim and gills to breathe in water. Similarly birds have wings, claws, beak and a tail. The plants are designed according to the weather in which they grow. E.g.:-Trees on hills have very thin leaves so that snow cannot stay on them, it falls down. Coconuts and dates need humid weather so they grow in coastal areas near the sea. Similarly all human beings are born with their special innate qualities and potential. God pays sameattention to all his children but due to one’s own karmas the destiny differs. Destiny is the result of our past karmas and our present karmas will decide our future destiny. If we do good, we get good and if we do bad we get bad. This is the unchangeable law of nature. But how many of us really apply it in our lives in spite of knowing it? Being good is the simplest thing what God wants from us. When over a period of time one indulges in selfishness and deliberately commits himself to the pleasure of senses only, then he is likely to suffer.

What ever we get on this earth must be considered as a gift from the almighty. We are only the managers of this property. But what most of us do? We forget that we came to this world empty handed and will go like that only at the time of death. Hence we become attached to the worldly objects and attachment brings pain, misery. Attachment causes bondage due to a feeling of possession; we are always gripped by the strong demon of fear in our beings. We are afraid lest we lose it. And these negative emotions mar the veryhappiness that we think can be derived from those materialistic possessions.

Every creation of God is unique. And so are the needs and capabilities of each living being. In our greed, we forget this very basic fact and become miserable when our desires are not fulfilled. There is no end of desires. In order to understand God’s unique gift to us, we have to learn to become contented. It is only after the attainment of contentment, our mind learns to remain calm and concentrated. And only with a calm and concentrated mind one can realize one’s true inner potential. And when that happens, there is an amazing transformation in the personality of that person. A fountain of true inner happiness opens up automatically which startles not others but himself also.

I am miserable when I am expecting from others. I am miserable when I am desiring for things, events, circumstances to go my way. I am miserable when I am worrying, fretting and fuming. I am miserable when I want others to follow my wishes and my way of living. so for happiness and peace, I should let go off expectation. I should let go of all the worries and tensions. I should let go of all the desires and passions. I should understand the divine plan in each and every creation. I am destined to follow a certain path when I start realizing, my life becomes cool and tensiion free. I am deriving immense pleasure and satisfaction from serving others, this thought puts my mind at peace. I am deriving immense God's grace by elation of non expectation. Though it is not easy, yet there is pleasure in difficulties which is indescribable. How God sends someone to solve the problems and remove thorns of obstacles. It is amazing! Hard to believe! But it is happening right in front of my eyes! How can I deny it! I challenge readers to experiment and find out!

Compassion is the quality of God. God takes care of all living andnon living beings as His own children. And God has filled all human beings with this quality of compassion. When we are able to realize the sufferings of others as our own and try are best to help them come out of it, then automatically the grace of God dawns on us. All the good wishes of people whom we try to help or actually help keep on piling up. And a big pile of these very good wishes mitigate our destiny; nullify our bad karmas to a great extent. Gradually one develops the true compassion. True compassion does not happen accidentally or automatically in most of the people. But it can be easily acquired if one tries to put oneself in others’ shoes. Service done with a feeling of truecompassion may or may not be valued by the receiver but it works wonder for the one who is serving

                                                              And God! OH! HE Showers his grace in abundance. The receiver gets overwhelmed and many times is also puzzled by this grace.

The word child denotes innocence and helplessness.A child is completely dependent on his mother.Thewomb of the mother is the first home of a child.A child derives all his nutrition,education from his mother for the first 9 months of his life.Even after the birth he is solely dependent on his mother for quite sometime.Though he may not realize it,throughout his childhood he keeps on learning from his mother.A large part of every child’s personality is influenced by his mother.

In Indian mythology the Goddess Durga is the mother of all human beings.She is nothing but all power.Though she is extremely gentle,loving and caring with Her children yet She can become the destroyer if the need arises.In Durga Saptashati the Mother Durga kills a lot of demons one by one.and these demons are nothing but the weakenesses of human personality eg.anger,hatered,jealousy etc.Once these demons are killed by the power of our mother,we become fully Divine like a child,who is a channel of Divine Energy.During Navaratri children are worshipped as Gods and Goddesses because of this reason only.Children are free from vices of adults.they are as pure as Gods.

​Let us all awaken to our own child status,become innocent and pure like children and receive the Grace of God in abundanceGod is our mother and father both,His abode is our real and true home,this world is only our temporary home.Let us all awaken to the abundant wealth of our Great Father God and claim it in this very birth.And the simplest way is to become pure and innocent like a child,who does not rancour any ill will towards anyone in its being.The very sight of a child evokes only love in each and every human being.Let simplicity be our garb and innocence be our ornament.Let us sail through the ocean of life with bliss and happiness as our boat and oar.And that is nothing but divine life!

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The innocence,the simplicity,freedom from inhibition,the sweetest and purest smile,love and tenderness;these are the things you have to relearn from children.

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-SWAMI SATYANANDA.

Self Confidence means thinking oneself capable of performing a task efficiently.Venturing out in new field often leads oneself  to confusions and perplexities. Though we may be capable to carryout designated task but negativity of our own inner personality curbs our inner potential. God has designed each individual uniquely. To realize ones potential and utilize it fully s not the destiny of all. And this is not the will of God. We,many times are misled by a lot of negative suggestions of the people who surround us. The people in our environment play a vital role in the development of our personality. If one is surrounded by a happy and successful people, his outlook is completely different from others, who are not so lucky. Generally people transfer their own tensions, anxieties and worries to other people unknowingly. A person with low self confidence cannot inspire the other person. Such a person suffers inferiority complex and concentrate only on negative aspects or weaknesses of others personality.

Yoga offers a way out of this dilemma. By practising asana with breath concentrations, pranayama and simple pratyahara like yogindra and antarmouna, one starts discovering his strengths and weaknesses and enhancing strengths, we start realizing our inner potential. As physical health improves, negative thinking gets converted into positive thinking the path to success becomes clear and evident.

Keeping company of virtuous happy and successful people boost a feeling of wellbeing. Satsang with books of great men also goes a long way in increasing one’s self confidence. As we come across the basic facts that their rise to greatness was not a miracle but a result of hard work.  Various practices mentioned in their biographies reveal the depth of determination of their personalities. Success and self confidence does not come by chance or accident. There is no elevator to success; one has to ascend the ladder step by step. Hard work, strong determination and a faith in ones own conviction ensure success.

   “Have courage to act according to your conviction”

                                                             

                                                         -Swami Satyananda

One of the god’s other name is love.so when we love ,we acquire god’s grace which is in abundance all around us.Getting or receiving grace of god could be so easy.and whenever you love you get love. Isn’t that so simple and wonderful, beautiful.Every wants to be loved-loved and loved.but we have to start by giving,giving and giving.it is only by giving we learn to become compassionate,tolerant and learn the great message of each religion that happiness lies not in receiving but in giving.

So let us take a firm resolve for our own happpiness to start giving,sharing,whatever we have with others. ‘sharing  generates cosmic love and how can god stay away when we follow this great cosmic law’.

‘Seva is a natural expression of love.’’-Swami Sivananda.

Evolution is the process of transformation of a substance or individual from good to better and best. In nature, scientists like Charles Darwin have proved the evolution in nature from the tiniest living being to present stage of human being. At each stage of evolution, one can see the definite improvement in organ formation, sensitivity, perception and functioning of the creatures. Similarly there is an inner process of evolution which though is hidden to the naked eye, yet is continuously happening. Whatever we see, hear or feel during the waking hours is stored in our conscious and subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is exactly like the cassette of a tape recorder which stores every thing whether pleasant or unpleasant. And when we play this cassette or rewind we can hear everything, visualize it. Sometimes a simple incidence or sentence acts as a trigger and a lot of negativity in the form of anger, revenge comes out from the innermost depths of a person, that he himself is surprised at his own reaction.

Every one of us is at a particular stage of internal evolution. And there is a vast inner world which is as big as the outer-world. Because we are not aware of it that does not mean that it does not exist. Many saints and sages have proved it beyond doubt. Many times, we get amazed why did Gautam Buddha went to forest for his penace inspite of being a prince?  The sight of suffering evoked this reaction in him. There are many other examples of kings and princes who gladly wore a geru robe and followed the path of renunciation. They must have seen a splendor in those geru robes which was far more enchanting than the worldly pleasures. And even after achievement of the highest, they did not come back to enjoy worldly pleasures but immersed themselves in the upliftment of mankind. Abating the sufferings of the sick and needy (poor or rich) became their major occupation.

So time and again, India has been birth place of innumerable saints and sages, India is a land of rich spiritual heritage. The romance of the West with materialism is almost over. The people in the West are running, craving for their mental peace, inner solace as they have realized the emptiness of materialism. And that is the reason many foreigners come to India in search of a Guru who will help them in their evolution. The process of evolution continues for many births. The body perishes but the soul carries all the impressions of Karmas i.e. Samaskaras. The new body is like a new cloth worn out by the old soul.

And due to this very reason many people do not feel the need of a guru or do not even go to temples or do any worships. And whose evolution is at a different level, their awareness and perception changes beyond limits and they feel the need of a Satguru. Every one has to finally reach the goal of God Realization; it is only a matter of time. Even a thief or robber has to achieve this, though his passage is zigzag and very long. In Geeta, Lord Krishna has said that whatever spiritual attainment a jiva obtains in one birth, is definitely carried to his next birth. The process of evolution starts from previous achievement onwards.

The best way to evolve speedily is to adopt the attitude of selfless service. Selfless service is possible for every individual in whatever circumstances, one may be. Loving God’s creations by heart is the best way to worship him. Selfless service purifies the heart quickly.

“Service is an expression of love. It expands the heart and widens the vision. The more energy you spend in serving others, the more divine energy will flow into you. Serve with love, kindness and courtesy. Watch for opportunities to serve.”

                  

                                                                             - Swami Sivananda

(FROM THE TEACHINGS OF SWAMI SATYANANDA)

Living in this world, most of us begin our lives with attachment. Attachment starts from the moment a child starts understanding relations of parents, siblings & grandparents. That attachment deepens its roots with objects that give one pleasure i.e. toys in the childhood & other possessions in the adults. The whole life of a person is spent in chasing acquiring these objects( eg. food, clothes, car, T.V., fridge, sofa etc.) and then fearing if he would lose them. The fear of losing one's relations to death is also there in many people's minds. The happiness achieved from these objects is transitory as desires are rampant & sorrow keeps on eluding a person if desire is not fulfilled. 

The whole life is spent in this jugglery of gaining & losing momentary happiness & sorrow. Sant Kabir said- Detach & Attach. Detach from worldly relations & possessions. Though one may be living in the world among various luxuries, he can choose to remain mentally detached from them. Mind can be trained to shun these possessions slowly & gradually. Life is so uncertain. Death can come at any moment. By mental detachment the sorrow & misery can be reduced greatly. Many people successfully detach themselves from worldly possessions outwardly & take sanyasa. They become inactive & start living on alms( bhiksha) but they are full of anger, jealousy & attachment. They are attached to their water pot(kamandal) & sleeping mat. Such detachment can't help them much spiritually. Along with detachment one must attach oneself to God according to one's faith. If love for God is cultivated then all the negative emotions can be directed towards God. eg. there can be greed to do more & more selfless service or name chanting.

Service to humanity is actually service to God. One who dedicates one's possessions( physical, material & spiritual powers) for the service of others selflessly can easily evolve & commune with God. Communion with God is one of the most beautiful experience which is birthright of every individual. What a pity! individual today is lost in the quagmire of materialistic possessions. Doing karma for others selflessly without bothering about results is one of the easiest way of attaing God's grace. When one is not bothered about results of one's good karma(action) one feels very much at peace mentally. This simple practice of detaching from the world & attaching slowly & gradually with God gives peace & satisfaction. The money, name & fame all come by themselves, one need not run after them.  

"Kirtan”means chanting God’s name with or without music. Music is the divine gift of god to mankind. When gods name is chanted with music, rythmatically it becomes very potent. Music is liked by each & every being on this earth. Even the plants respond to pleasant music & grow healthy. Animals like cows & buffaloes give more milk while listening to music.
            Great Gurudev Sivananda gave a lot of importance to kirtan.
                    “Kirtan is the easiest & surest way to God.”
                                                                                 -Swami Sivananda
    “It is difficult to practice Hatha Yoga & awaken the kundalini through Asans & Pranayama. It is difficult to study Vedanta, understand its secrets & enter in to deep meditation. But it is easy to repeat the lord’s names. Kirtan cools down the three fires. Kirtan destroys the five kleshas. Kirtan alone removes three kinds of great obstacles-Mala, vikeshpa, & avarna- to the perception of splendor of atman. Three kinds of Sadhanas are prescribed for the removal of these obstacles. Karma Yoga- for the removal of Mala, Bhakti Yoga for steadying the mind & removal of vikeshpa & Jnana Yoga for tearing the veil of ignorance i.e. avarna. Kirtan alone can do all these: Sing the Lord’s names with bhav & shraddha mala , Vikshepa & avarna, all the three will be removed . You will have sakhshatkara of Supreme Lord.
How easy is it! You can repeat Lord’s name before or after taking bath. wherever you are, you can sing his name. Even when you prepare bread you can sing his name.”
Sadhana can be so easy! So enjoyable! Sivananda was known as Kirtan Samrat. Wherever he went he started singing Kirtan. Even the scorching heat of summer could not deter him. For speedy recovery of patients he prescribed kirtans. All physical & mental ailments can be cured effectively, quickly if kirtan is prescribed along with other medicines. The strong vibration of the Lord’s names soothen the nerves & one discovers ones own inner strength. Positive thinking leads to removal of all negativity. As one starts counting one’s blessings, his being is flooded with a sense of deep gratitude