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Sharing Teachings from Scriptures of Sanātanaḥ Dharmaḥ and Self Realised Masters. Owner - @Vasudevom #spiritual #sanatandharma #hinduism
Lord Rama's Compassion towards all creatures-
When Vibhīṣana comes to seek His refuge, the compassionate Rāma says -
sakrdēva prapannāya tava asmi iti ca yācatē। abhayaṁ sarva bhūtēbhyō dadāmi ētad vrataṁ mama ।
"He who seeks refuge in Me just once, telling me that ‘I am yours', I shall give him assurance of safety against all types of beings. This is My solemn pledge."
Also, He added, “O, Sugrīva, Let him either be Vibhīṣana or even Rāvana himself; I shall give an assurance of safety once they surrender to Me.”
In Sanskrit, bhūtēbhyō - means ‘from all beings’ and also ‘to all beings’. ‘sakr dēva ‘means ‘just once’.
If one whole heartedly surrenders to Rāma just once, He shall protect us from everything.
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What is the force that compels person to commit sin?
Answer: It is Kama (desire) and it is Krodha (anger)
Lust and greed form the food for kama.
When kama is frustrated, it takes form of anger.
Kama is the cause and anger is the effect.
Question: What is the nature of these twin evils?
Answer: They are all-devouring and all-sinful, and they are the constant enemies of the person.
The most heinous sins are committed, greatest disasters of the human race are caused by these forces.
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There are two types of men in the world – the wise and the ignorant.
Those who follow the righteous path, who seek light and purity, who are bold and active, are the wise. This is the aryan way of life.
The other category of men live in ignorance, are subject to dark passions, follow the demonic way, and fall into sorrow and despair.
~ From Commentary by Swami Vivekananda on Bhagavad gita
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What is the ego?
Enquire.
The body is insentient and cannot say ‘I’. The Self is pure consciousness and non-dual. It cannot say ‘I’. No one says, ‘I’ in sleep. What is the ego then? It is something intermediate between the inert body and the Self. It has no locus standi. If sought for it vanishes like a ghost.
You see, a man imagines that there is something by his side in darkness; it may be some dark object. If he looks closely the ghost is not to be seen, but some dark object which he could identify as a tree or a post, etc. If he does not look closely the ghost strikes terror in the person.
All that is required is only to look closely and the ghost vanishes. The ghost was never there.
So also with the ego. It is an intangible link between the body and Pure Consciousness. It is not real. So long as one does not look closely it continues to give trouble. But when one looks for it, it is found not to exist.
~ Ramana Maharshi
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The Guru is the Self. At some time a man grows dissatisfied with his life and, not content with what he has, seeks the satisfaction of his desires through prayer to God.
His mind is gradually purified until he longs to know God, more to obtain His Grace than to satisfy worldly desires.
Then God's grace begins to manifest. God takes the form of a Guru and appears to the devotee, teaches him the Truth and, moreover, purifies his mind by association with him.
The devotee's mind thus gains strength and is then able to turn inward. By meditation it is further purified until it remains calm without the least ripple. That calm Expanse is the Self.
~ Sri Ramana Maharshi
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Whatever is destined not to happen will not happen, try as you may.
Whatever is destined to happen will happen, do what you may to prevent it.
This is certain. The best course, therefore, is to remain silent.
~ Sri Ramana Maharshi
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Today is the only real and important day in your life.
Yesterday does not matter and tomorrow is only an imagination, a mental concept.
Therefore, live today virtuously, properly and well.
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Salutations to Lord Shiva who is the embodiment of Satchidananda (Existence- Consciousness and Bliss), who is effulgent and effulgence embodied, who is the beneficent One, the radiant vision of Infinite Beauty and Beatitude, who is beyond all change, time and destruction, who is complete, pure, who is endless and eternal, who is beyond the chains of causes and effects.
Lord Shiva is Non-dual, One Without a Second, indivisible, non-doer, non-enjoyer, Unattached, Soundless, formless, Immovable, without impurities, imperishable, inexhaustible, All-pervading like space, Witnesser, Seer, the fourth state, self-knowledge, bliss.
Lord Shiva minus Parvati or Durga is Nirguna Brahman Himself.
With Maya-Parvati He becomes the Saguna Brahman for the purpose of creation and for pious devotion of His devotees and resides in Kailash with Parvati.
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Question : What is the nature of the mind?
Ramana Maharshi : What is called ‘mind’ is a wondrous power residing in the Self. It causes all thoughts to arise. Apart from thoughts, there is no such thing as mind. Therefore, thought is the nature of mind.
Apart from thoughts, there is no independent entity called the world. In deep sleep there are no thoughts, and there is no world. In the states of waking and dream, there are thoughts, and there is a world also.
Just as the spider emits the thread (of the web) out of itself and again withdraws it into itself, likewise the mind projects the world out of itself and again resolves it into itself.
When the mind comes out of the Self, the world appears. Therefore, when the world appears (to be real), the Self does not appear; and when the Self appears (shines) the world(as objective reality) does not appear.
When one persistently inquires into the nature of the mind, the mind will end leaving the Self (as the residue). What is referred to as the Self is the Atman.
The mind always exists only in dependence on something gross; it cannot stay alone. It is the mind that is called the subtle body or the soul (jiva).
~ Who am I, Q.8, Sri Ramana Maharshi
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What is bliss but your own being ? You are not apart from being which is the same as bliss.
You are now thinking that you are the mind or the body which are both changing and transient.
But you are unchanging and eternal. That is what you should know.
~ Sri Ramana Maharshi
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As long as the individual soul (jiva) thinks it is separate from the Lord, it revolves upon the wheel in bondage to the laws of birth, death, and rebirth.
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Where there is peace of mind, there is happiness.
Live in such a way that your mind is always calm and peaceful, then you will begin to feel happiness automatically.
~ Swami Chidananda Saraswati
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The true purpose of education is to realize the magnanimity of God, see Him everywhere and in everything, and thereby help the humanity around.
If one cannot do, one still should be called uneducated only.
- Kan̄ci Paramācārya Śrī Śrī Śrī Candraśēkharēndra Sarasvati.
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Elevate yourself through the power of your mind, and not degrade yourself, for the mind can be the friend and also the enemy of the self.
For those who have conquered the mind, it is their friend. For those who have failed to do so, the mind works like an enemy.
~ Bhagavad Gita 6.5 & 6.6
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Anger, lust and greed are the three main causes of all human suffering. If one wishes to enjoy peace and happiness, then these enemies have to be fought and overcome.
Almost all are victims of anger. Anger makes everyone its slave. It even breaks the friendship of friends. It holds the whole world under its sway.
~ Swami Shivananda Saraswati
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In the heart of every being, the light of Atma is always shining.
But it is not seen because it is covered up by kama and krodha. To explain this, the Lord in Gita uses three illustrations –
(1) as fire being covered by smoke
(2) a mirror being covered by dust
(3) the embryo being enveloped by the amnion.
When smoke is cleared away by fanning, the fire underneath shines bright.
When the dust is rubbed off, the mirror shines in all its purity.
Also when the amnion is removed the newborn comes out free from the womb. In the same way, when the enveloping force of kama is dispelled by the practice of devotion, dispassion, selfless action, and knowledge, the light of Atma shines forth in all its effulgence.
When Atma manifests, man attains liberation and gets freedom from all-enveloping forces.
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What would be the relationship between JIvAtmA and ParamAtmA?
This is an important question raised and answered by each of the schools in its own distinct way.
One school says that the JIvAtmA will always be distinct from the ParamAtmA; and in that state of moksha, the JIvAtmA would enjoy infinite bliss by worshipping the ParamAtmA with Bhakti – that is the Dvaita conclusion.
Another says: Even though the JIvAtmA will be a separate soul doing Bhakti towards ParamAtmA, it will have the feeling of the ParamAtmA immanent in it as its soul; this is Vishishtadvaita.
Still another says: When the Sun rises the stars do not lose their existence; they just disappear from view, because of the luminosity of the Sun; so also in moksha, the JIvAtmA, though it does not lose its existence, will have its own little consciousness submerged in the Absolute Consciousness of the ParamAtmA – this is the doctrine of Shaiva-siddhanta.
The school of philosophy propagated by Adi Shankara Bhagavat-pada is called Advaita. It says something totally different from all the above.
It discards all that talk about the JIvAtmA escaping from this world, from this samsara, about the JIvAtmA going and joining with the ParamAtmA and all the consequent underlying assumptions about this world and the so-called world of moksha and the relationship between the two.
There is no such thing as ‘this world’; it is only mAyA. Moksha is not a place or a world. When the Atma is released from the bondage of the mind, that is moksha. It may be right here and now.
~ Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati
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Karma yoga
When karma is done with the desire of enjoying its fruits, it binds man to the wheel of birth and death. What is done without desire and attachment cannot bind man. On the other hand, it purifies the mind and heart and leads to ultimate freedom.
Work done with attachment binds; the same work performed without attachment, liberates. Work performed as dedicated to God or as service to mankind liberates.
~ From Commentary by Swami Vivekananda on Bhagavad gita 3.9
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One attains Samadhi (superconscious state) when the dormant Kundalini awakens, rises from the Muladhara- Chakra and ascends, via the Sushumna-Nadi, to the Sahasrara-Chakra, which is in the head.
~ Sri Abhinava vidhyateertha Mahaswami
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True spiritualists have a peaceful and happy look on their faces under all circumstances.
~ Commentary by Swami Vivekananda on Bhagavad gita 2.57
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God has given you a beautiful intellect, a good sound body and so many other precious gifts.
If you neglect Japa, Kirtan and meditation, you do not justify your existence as a human being.
You can change all your evil habits, you can transform your mind and heart in the twinkling of an eye with the help of Ram/Shiva/Hari Naam, with the help of Japa and meditation.
You can cultivate healthy, excellent, spiritual habits now. You have infinite bliss and peace within you in your own self.
~ Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati
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Your life is nothing but the time you have got.
Waste of time is destruction of your life.
~ Swami Chidananda Saraswati
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Prostrations to that Guru who, by the collyrium-rod of Knowledge, opens the eyes of those who are rendered blind by the darkness of ignorance (Guru Gita).
The Guru is God Himself manifesting in a personal form to guide the aspirant. Grace of God takes the form of Guru. To see the Guru is to see God. The Guru is united with God. He inspires devotion in others. His presence purifies all.
The Guru is verily a link between the individual and the Immortal.
Mere study of books cannot make one a Guru. One who has studied the Vedas and who has direct knowledge of Atman through Anubhava (experience) can only be enrolled as a Guru.
A Jivanmukta or a liberated sage is the real Guru. He is the Satguru. He is identical with Brahman or the Supreme Self. He is a Knower of Brahman.
The Satguru is Brahman Himself. He is an ocean of bliss, knowledge and mercy. He is the captain of your soul.
He is the fountain of joy. He removes all your troubles, sorrows and obstacles.
He shows you the right divine path. He tears your veil of ignorance. He makes you immortal and divine.
He transmutes your lower, diabolical nature. He gives you the rope of knowledge and saves you when you are drowning in this ocean of Samsara. Do not consider him to be only a man. If you take him as a man, you are a beast.
Worship your Guru and bow to him with reverence.
~ Swami Shivananda Saraswati.
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Pleasure and pain are only aspects of the mind. Our essential nature is happiness, but we have forgotten the Self and imagine that the body or the mind is the Self. It is this wrong identification that gives rise to misery.
~ Sri Ramana Maharshi
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You see many stars in the sky at night, but not when the sun rises.
Can you therefore say that there are no stars in the heavens during the day?
Because you cannot find God in the days of your ignorance, say not that there is no God.
~ Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
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Always think rightly and act rightly. Entertain noble and sublime thoughts.
Have supreme self-confidence and courage.
Whatever you do, do with a will to succeed in your attempts.
This is the sovereign secret.
~ Swami Sivananda Saraswati
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Seeing everything is imagination for a sage, knowing that the Self is eternally free, realised sage lives like a child.
~ Ashtavakra Gita
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Watch and smile away. There are millions who have not even a fraction of what you have. Pause and think. Rest your mind in Him and look out to smile and to feel joy.
Learn to throw silver round the edges of the clouds that come and go in your life’s path. Hold on to Him alone. Don’t ask Him for anything.
You have given me – Lord I ask nothing. But when the storms you send me are too strong, be by my side that I can hold your hand and sink my face into your lap!
~ Swami Chinmayananda
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Work is only the first step. It can never be the goal of life. Devote yourself to spiritual practice and go forward.
Through practice you will advance more and more in the path of God.
The goal of life is the attainment of God.
~ Sri Paramahamsa Ramakrishna
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All suffering, agitation, fear is just the result of wrong attitude, wrong ideas and wrong approach towards life.
Life otherwise is just bliss. Contemplation and self-analysis is therefore, a must. It paves way to wisdom; wisdom leads to peace.
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