Gurudev Uvacha

 ======================================================================== =========================================================================== Friday, December 24, 2021. 6:00.AM. Identifying and Overcoming the Resistance of the Tamasic and Rajasic Egos : ========================================================================= The action of the three Gunas pervades and permeates all action including our response to obstacles, setbacks and concerns that arise during the practice of Yoga. When Tamas is predominant it sends out thoughts and ideas of weakness, failure and limitation. When Rajas is in the ascendent it sends out thoughts and ideas of domination, control and pride. Both of these create ‘affirmations’ that impact the body-life-mind complex and colour the response we have to the obstacles and difficulties we face. Sri Aurobindo identifies the thought patterns that accompany either of these Gunas as well as substitute affirmations that can redirect and ‘tune’ the resp...

======================================================================= ==================================================================== Thursday, December 23, 2021. 6:00.AM.  IN TRUE BHARATIYA TRADITION : ===================================================================== This article is a chapter from the book Chidanandam : The Joy of Knowing ‘Him‘. This was written on the occasion of the Shashtyabda Purti Celebrations of Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj ===================================================================== It was a sunny winter afternoon in the Barabati Stadium grounds in Cuttack. Enjoying that sunshine and moving about in colourful groups were thousands of eager and enthusiastic men, women and children, high and low, rich and poor, literate and illiterate. They had come there not to attend a circus or a fun fair, nor to watch a game of cricket or football. The occasion which drew them in such large numbers was the All India Divine Life Conference and the cen...

 ========================================================================= ======================================================================== Wednesday, December 22, 2021. 6:00. AM. VEDANTA AS A FACTOR IN CIVILISATION : (Extract from an address delivered at Airlie Lodge, Ridgeway Gardens, England) ======================================================================== =================================================================== People who are capable of seeing only the gross external aspect of things can perceive in the Indian nation only a conquered and suffering people, a race of dreamers and philosophers. They seem to be incapable of perceiving that in the spiritual realm India conquers the world. No doubt it is true that just as the too active Western mind would profit by an admixture of Eastern introspect ion and the meditative habit, so the Eastern would benefit by a somewhat greater activity and energy. Still we must ask: What may be that force which causes thi...

 ======================================================================= ======================================================================== Tuesday, December 21, 2021. 6:00. AM. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MIND : ======================================================================= ===================================================================== 1.The prime characteristic of the mind is externalization.  Bharathiya Maharishis found that the flow of the mind was outward and not centred inward. This is the law of life: everything spreads outward from its center. But there is a force which is trying to draw everything back towards their source and center. When the externalizing force is overcome, man is able to release that re-integrating force, and in the way finds his Center. When this is done, his search is over. Life is mastered. 2.The second characteristic of the mind is constancy of activity. Never for a single moment is the mind still. 3.The third characteristic is...

 =========================================================================== ========================================================================= Monday, December 20, 2021. 6:00.AM. The Search for the Meaning of Life  ====================================================================== We are all people brought up in an atmosphere of the stature of Swami Sivananda, and so whatever we are thinking is a reverberation of the thoughts of Swami Sivananda. He was, to our knowledge, a superman in the sense that he was more than a human being in the compass of his relationship with the world. We have been told by him and by other saints and sages with whom we had contact that this world is not all, because everything is fleeting, everything is momentary, as the great Buddha once declared. Everything is fleeting, everything seems to be existing for a moment rather, and it moves and moves and moves. Buddha considered life as a kind of flowing river, but I do not know whether he h...

 ============================================================================ ========================================================================== Sunday,December 19, 2021. 6;00. AM. #ON 'PEACE' : A SUMMARY ===================================================================== Many are working today for the promotion of world peace without having peace in themselves. Their loud propaganda, big talk and lectures cause more confusion, conflict and discord. A proper understanding of the essential unity of religions is the most effective and powerful factor in bringing about peace in this world. It will remove all superficial differences and conflicts, which create restlessness, discord and quarrels. If everyone turns to the Supreme peace within, there will be peace everywhere. A glorious new era of peace, amity, love and prosperity can be ushered in, only if the youth of the day is educated in the methods of self-culture. Educate the moral conscience of the public. This will ...

 ========================================================================= =========================================================================== Saturday, December 18, 2021. 6:00. AM. #Work and not expectation, produces results :  ========================================================================== The only thing we all seek is happiness. But, we indulge in contrary actions: one gets married because one wants to be happy; one seeks divorce because one wants to be happy! Is permanent happiness really possible? ‘Yes’, says Sri Krishna, and gives wonderful tips for happiness, success, satisfaction and self-discovery in the Bhagwad Gita. His first message is, ‘Refuse to be miserable’. Life can be painful, but it need not be sorrowful. If you want to be happy, find occasions to be cheerful. Before you fall into self-pity and blame games, remember that responsibility comes to only those who feel responsible. Challenges are faced by the strong and courageous, and if life ...

 ===================================================================== ======================================================================= Friday, December 17, 2021. 6:00. AM. Guru - The Ultimate Giver : ================================================================== Udarahridaya is one who is large-hearted, gives generously and gives whatever is asked for. Such greatness is revealed in Ramacharitmanas wherein the Lord declares, “You can ask for anything. There is nothing that I cannot give to My devotees. I will give you whatever you ask.” From the standpoint of the seeker, asking is a very good sadhana, but we must know whom to ask and what to ask for. Whom to Ask :  ‘Ask and you shall receive,’ says the Bible. Our problem is that we do not ask. The ego does not like to ask because it amounts to submission. By asking, we are accepting our own helplessness and limited abilities. So, we do not like to ask. On the whole, we ask from people in the world. Besides, we do no...

 ======================================================================= ======================================================================= Thursday, December 16, 23021. 7:00. AM. #To See Change Begin With Yourself : ================================================================== ================================================================== The fabric of society is built with the building blocks of family units. Each jiva is born into a family and the majority, grow up in the same family, surrounded by their loved ones  parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. There are of course, a few who do not have this privilege. Generally we find that despite the deep love that family members share, living together poses problems that arise from a host of negativities like anger, possessiveness, greed, and jealousy. Court rooms are full of cases, the highest percentage of which are between members of the same family. This is not new. Our ancient wise, said...

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, November 9, 2021. 6:00AM. The Characteristics of the Physical Nature and the Way Toward Transformation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At some point everyone experiences periods where the physical body and its corresponding physical mind seem dull, tired, lacking in enthusiasm, and interested only in sleeping, eating and the most basic things that occupy our physical life on earth. During these periods there is an absence of energy and inspiration, the spiritual effort is seemingly missing, and the individual feels lost and helpless. The basic characteristics of Matter govern the physical nature. Slow to change, accustomed to habitual action that i...

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, November 8, 2021. 6:00.AM. SANATANA DHARMA OTHERWISE  HINDUISM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Introduction : Hinduism is the religion of the Hindus. It is the oldest of all living religions. Hinduism is not a man-made religion. It was not founded by any single person. It is not based on a set of dogmas preached by a particular set of teachers. It was not started as a system, like Islam or Christianity. It is the product of the seers of the Vedas. It was developed from age to age by the teachings of Avataras, Rishis, Vedas, the Upanishads, the Gita and the Itihasas. It will exist as long as the world lasts. There is a peculiar, mysterious spi...

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday, November 7, 2021. 7:00.AM. India's Ancient Culture : Swami Krishnananda --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. The Definition of Culture India has always been considered as the repository of one of the earliest of cultures. Cultures are there in every country, but Indian culture is said to be one of the most ancient, historically speaking. So there is some point in trying to go a little deep into the ancient circumstance that gave rise to the kind of culture which we call Indian culture. 2. The Evolution of Culture To recapitulate, I mentioned that a qualified, educated person may not be up to the mark in culture,...

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #KEDARNATH SRI ADI SANKARACHARYA SWAMIKAL SAMADHI STHAL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday, November 6, 2021. 9:00AM. #Sri Adi Swami Shankaracharya  Jayanti : Swami Sivananda ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Guru charanam, bhaja charanam, Satguru charanam, bhava haranam. Maanasa bhajare, guru charanam, Dustara bhava saagara taranam. Guru maharaaj guru jaya jaya, Para brahma satguru jaya jaya." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Religion is realisation. It is not mere learning, or dialectic.” This is the divine message which stands deeply imprinted in the mind of every Hindu. This is not m...