Saturday, May 31, 2014

Self Realization

                                            Srimad Bhagavatam

Bathing, prayer, meditation, straightforwardness, pilgrimage, control of mind speech and body, etc are the universal observances for all orders of life.

After completing his student life one may either take up family life or become a monk.

Both forms of life are ultimately meant to attain self realization.

After this stage one must enter the life of a hermit. This is the last step before renunciation.

One who has control over prana has self control.

A man without self control cannot become a monk.

The senses of a monk are in his command and the thing that delights him most is the divine self.

The sage loves god intently and strives to be merged with god.

Though the sage is wise and full of knowledge his nature is childlike.

He is humble and causes fear to no one.

He remains calm and does not have any enmity towards any one.

The wise man uses this body to realize the self.

All duties performed with devotion to god, result in eternal liberation.
                                                **************************



Friday, May 30, 2014

Self Realization

                                                Srimad Bhagavatam

Self Control, meditation, purity, forbearance, straightforwardness, compassion, truthfulness, and devotion to god are the qualities of a brahmin.

Strength, patience, valor, fortitude, liberality, enterprise, steadiness, leadership, and devotion to Brahmins are the characteristics of a kshatriya.

Faith, charity service and a desire to amass wealth are the features of a vaishya.

Service, humility, obedience and a desire to follow the great are the qualities of a sudra.

Untidiness, falsehood, theft, atheism, vain argumentation, incontinence, anger and greed are the qualities of those who are below the above four.

Non violence, truthfulness, chastity, freedom from anger and greed, and service to mankind are the qualities applicable to all castes.
                                                            ********************

  

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Self Realization

                                               Srimad Bhagavatam

In the beginning, as it was the age of Krita that is self realized people, all the inhabitants were called “Hansa”.

In this golden age everyone had attained the knowledge of universal truth.

In that age the only Veda was the word “OM”.

And the only duty was God.

All men were pure and given to divine contemplation.

They took great pleasure in meditating upon god.

In the silver age part of humanity pursued god and the other half pursued duty.

In this age the Brahmin originated from the mouth of the universal form.

The Kshatriya originated from the heart.

The Vaishya from the thighs.

And the Sudra from the feet.

These people were differentiated by their varied temperaments and duties.

The life of monk came from the head of god.

The life of retirement from his chest.

The life of student from his heart.

The family life from his thighs.
                                                ****************************

   

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Self Realization

                                               Srimad Bhagavatam

The atoms of the universe can be calculated but the manifestations of god can not be computed.

God is eternally the creator of countless worlds.

God is manifested wherever there is power, beauty, fame, prosperity, modesty, sacrifice, concord, fortune, strength, fortitude, and knowledge.

God is revealed in those who are pure at heart.

Therefore one should control one’s speech and restlessness of mind.

One should also control one’s senses and breath.

And finally one should control oneself by one self.

The fullness of life belongs to those who are in love with god.
                                                ********************  



Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Self Realization

                                                Srimad Bhagavatam

God is the self in all beings, their supreme benefactor and the cause of their very life.

He is the cause for all that moves.

Among virtues he is even mindedness.

He is the primary attribute of all attributes.

He is universal intelligence.

Of all things subtle he is the soul.

And of all the most difficult things to subdue he is mind.

He is Brahma the teacher of Vedas.

Among the sacred words he is Om.

Of the great seers he is Bhrigu.

Of kingly sages he is Manu.

Of the divine seers he is Narada.

Of the perfected souls he is Kapila.

Of all the progeny of Diti he is Prahalada.

Of all satellites he is moon.

Of all luminaries he is the sun.

Of all men he is the king.

Of all metals he is Gold.

Of all the controllers he is Yama.

Of all the orders of life he is the monastic order.

Of all castes he is Brahmin.

Of all sacred rivers he is the holy Ganges.

Of waters he is the ocean.

Of all weapons he is the bow.

Of all bowmen he is Lord Siva.

Of all abodes he is mount Meru.

Of all inaccessible places he is the Himalayas.

Of all trees he is Asvattha.

And of all grains he is Barley.

Of all priests he is Vasistha.

And of all knowers of Brahman he is Brihaspathi.

Of generals he is Skandha.

And of all pioneers he is Brahma.

Of all sacrifices he is the study of Vedas.

Of all vows he is non violence.

Of all purifiers he is the self.

Of all spiritual disciplines he is control of the mind.

And of all victory he is the victor.

Of all intellectual power he is the discrimination between self and non self.

Among women he is Satarupa.

And among men he is Manu.

Among saints he is Narayana.

Among celibates he is Sanat Kumara.

Among all vows he is the monastic vow.

Among all sources of well being he is introspection.

Of all secrets he is the truthful word and silence.

Of all seasons he is spring.

Of the knowers of Vedas he is Vyasa.

Among the wise he is Sukra.

Among the lords he is Vasudeva.

Among devotees he is the devotee.

Of the gems he is sapphire.

And among the beautiful things he is the lotus bud.

Of the species of grass he is Kusa.

Among oblations he is clarified butter.

He is the energy and tenacity of the strong.

He is the devotion of the devotee.

In water he is the sweet taste.

Of resplendence he is the sun.

He is the luster of the sun, moon and stars.

He is the music of the spheres.

He is the origin, maintenance and dissolution of all beings.

He is the function of all organs.

He is the three modes of material nature ie. Goodness, passion and ignorance.

He is the supreme Brahman.

He is the knowledge and realization.

Nothing exists without or beyond god.
                                                ********************



Monday, May 26, 2014

Self Realization

                                              Srimad Bhagavatam

When the yogi meditates, several occult powers come to him as by products. Some of these powers are:

Become larger or smaller or lighter in body size.

The power to obtain what one wishes.

Irresistible will power.

The power to read minds.

The power to live without food and drinks.

 The power of clairaudience, clairvoyance, levitation.

 Power to enter into another person’s body.
Etc.

There is no power which is out of reach for a yogi whose mind is poised and concentrated on god.

But the yogi considers these great powers, as obstacles in his journey to reach god.

God is the ultimate of all powers, the ultimate goal of all yoga, the ultimate knowledge, the truth of all religion, and teacher of all teachers.

God dwells in the hearts of all.
                                                            
                                               ********************


Sunday, May 25, 2014

Self Realization

                                              Srimad Bhagavatam

One should sit in an easy posture with the body erect and practice pranayama, that is inhalation, retention and exhalation of breath.

After this one should practice control of mind by gathering all the thoughts with great patience and perseverance.

One should chant “Om” ten times thrice daily while practicing pranayama. This will help in control of breath.

There is a lotus within the heart with its petals pointing downwards, and the sushumna running through it. While meditating, one should think that the petals of the lotus have begun pointing upwards and the lotus is full blown. Further the sun the moon and the fire are one within the other and they are all at the heart of the lotus.

Now one should meditate on the fire and behold within it  “Ishtham” the supreme cause of all universes.

And then one should meditate on the oneness of self.

Thus the devotee will see god in all.
                                                **********************
   


Saturday, May 24, 2014

Self Realzation

                                           Srimad Bhagavatam

Of all the ways of attaining god the method of attaining him through love is supreme.

Love and devotion unite the devotee with god.

For the devotee who finds delight in god alone, the universe is bliss.

Such a devotee does not crave for any power, position or wealth.

Such devotion to god consumes all evil.

Without love for god all virtues and learning are waste.

When a devotee falls in love with god, all evil in him evaporates away.

Blessed are the pure in mind for they shall receive the wisdom of god.

By meditating on god all the time, one ultimately blends with god.
                                                
                                 ***************************



Friday, May 23, 2014

Self Realization

                                              Srimad Bhagavatam

A man who is ignorant of the self does not have the peace and the tranquility for divine knowledge.

Thus attracted to objects of sensual pleasures, he commits deeds that drag him towards misery.

Hence one should give up lethargy and concentrate on god alone.

Thus his mind will be controlled and he will dwell only on divine thoughts.

One should stop identifying with the body as that leads to ignorance of the self which in turn is the cause of all miseries.

One really wakes up when he identifies himself as the self.

One should withdraw himself from this material world and get attached to the supreme soul.

A self realized man lives in this world but yet he is detached.

God is the end of all goals.
                                                *********************




Thursday, May 22, 2014

Self Realization

                                          Srimad Bhagavatam

The three modes of material nature namely goodness, passion and ignorance belong to the mind and not to the soul. The soul is Nirguna that is without any nature.

There is a predominance of at least one mode of material nature in a each one of us. 

Our deeds and thoughts reflect at least one mode of material nature.

Every object in the manifold universe is visualized through these three modes.

One should overcome ignorance through passion, then he should overcome passion through goodness and ultimate one should overcome goodness through renunciation.

In the mode of goodness one develops love for god.

One who is in the mode of goodness is called Saatwic. To become Saatwic one should always be in the company of such people or in the company of god.

                                                *******************


Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Self Realization

                                                Srimad Bhagavatam

Spiritual discrimination, noble deeds, austerity, study, meditation etc are important steps towards self realization.

Similarly it is also important to seek the company of self realized souls. As the famous proverb says you are judged by the company you keep. The nobler your company the nobler you become.

The noblest of all souls is god. Hence when you are always in the company of god, you do not need any other refuge.

The whole universe exists within god are it is actually a sample of god’s power.
                                                            *****************

    

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Self Realization

                                         Srimad Bhagavatam

The true devotee of god is compassionate towards all beings.

He is an embodiment of truth.

He looks at everyone with an equal eye and works for the welfare of all.

He is desire less, sweet, pure, kind, free from false ego, serene, temperate and meditative.

He is tranquil, patient and in control of nature.

He knows the difference between good and evil and he performs all karma for me alone.

He offers everything that is dear to him, to god.

He surrenders himself to god unconditionally and serves him alone.

He does not use his knowledge for selfish ends.

He sees god in all and everything and worships as follows:

He worships sun through vedic hymns.

He worships fire through oblations wherein all his sins are consumed.

He worships the saints through hospitality and service.

He worships god’s devotees through cordiality.

He worships god by meditating his image in one’s heart.

He worships air as divine energy and water as symbol of purity.

He worships god in mother earth by chanting the sacred mantras.

He worships the gross body by offering it food and drink.

He worships god through constancy in vision by which he sees god in all.

Thus the devotee lives in god all the time and attains true love for god.

Of all the paths to god the path of love is the most sacred and the best.
                                    **************************  

  

Monday, May 19, 2014

Self Realization

                                               Srimad Bhagavatam

Because of its association with the three modes of material nature, the ever free self appears to be bonded.

The senses of duality are created by Maya. In reality there is no duality.

Just like a waking kind that knows that what it experienced was just a dream, similarly the soul knows that the endless births and deaths are actually illusions of Maya.

Maya has the power to bond as well as to liberate.

Ignorance causes bondage and knowledge causes liberation.

There are two birds sitting on a tree. Both are alike in every way. One of the birds tastes the fruits of the tree where as the other does not.

The one which tastes the fruits becomes bound and the one that does not taste the fruits remains free.

The wise man identifies with the soul. The ignorant man identifies with the body.

The wise man who knows his true identity as the self, does not get attached to the material world despite living in it.

The wise man is like the drops of water on a lotus flower. Despite living amidst the three modes of material nature he remains detached.

With his doubts dispelled by knowledge the wise man wakes up from this eternal dream and looks at reality.

Even though the wise man’s body engages in action and his mind is full of thoughts the wise man remains detached.

Blessed is he who is not affected by the dualities of life.

One should have full faith in god, one should attach one’s mind to god, and do all work as an offering to god.

One should always think, meditate and talk about god.
                                                            ***************



Sunday, May 18, 2014

Self Realization

                                            Srimad Bhagavatam

One should take refuge in god and perform his duties without attachment.

With one’s mind fixed in god, one should engage in selfless activity.

One with a quest for truth goes beyond duty.

With one’s mind steadfast in god one should practice the following virtues:

Non violence

Truthfulness

Selflessness

Chastity

Cleanliness

Studiousness

Contentment

Devotion

One should serve the self realized guru with devotion.

One should shun all pride and jealousy.

One should avoid unnecessary talk.

One should god in all and avoid attachment to material things.

Just like fire which burns the wood is separate from the wood, similarly self which illumines the body is separate from the  body.

Knowledge of the self is the greatest knowledge.  It is the key to happiness, bliss and self realization.
                                                ******************                                      


Saturday, May 17, 2014

Self Realization

                                                Srimad Bhagavatam

It is better to be alone than to be with controversial friends.

One should steady one’s mind and concentrate it on god.

When the mind is in steady contemplation of god, one is in the saatwic or goodness mode and one’s heart becomes tranquil.

One who is concentrated is above the subjective and objective world.

The lord weaves the universe, plays with it for some time and then withdraws it within himself.

You become what you think. If you keep thinking about god all the time, you will attain divinity.

If they remain uncontrolled, the senses destroy a man’s morality.

A human being should spend all his time in the pursuit of self realization.
                                                            ***************


Friday, May 16, 2014

Self Realization

                                                  Srimad Bhagavatam

Like the bee which works hard to collect honey that is ultimately used by man, one should not spend all his life trying to hoard material wealth which will ultimately be used by someone else.

At the same time one should not steal another man’s hoarded wealth.

One should never fall in the trap of sensual objects.

One should avoid ignorance and greed.

One should never waste one’s love and devotion which is meant for god, on another human being.

God is the only friend, lover, and master.

Attachment brings misery and freedom from attachment brings joy.

A self realized soul is like a child. However whereas the child is happy because of its ignorance, the self realized soul is happy because of knowledge.
                                                ****************  



Thursday, May 15, 2014

Self Realization

                                               Srimad Bhagavatam

When one develops the power of introspection he comes to realize the existence of god.

One can learn something or the other for every living entity.

Earth teaches patience.

Air teaches detachment.

Ether teaches omnipresence.

Water teaches purity.

]Fire gives internal radiance and the ability to burn the evil within to ashes.

Time teaches change.

Sun teaches the fact that there is only one soul but it appears in many.

The ocean teaches calmness.

The bee teaches the art of selecting the best from all sources.
                                       *******************



Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Self Realization

                                           Srimad Bhagavatam

A true devotee of god finds it impossible to be separated from his lord even for a moment.

For him god is the king of all yogis

Blessed are they who constantly meditate upon god and thus become one with him.

God is a devotee’s sole possession.

The true devotee even when he is living like a common man in the material world always thinks and meditates only upon god.

The self in every one his one’s only teacher. By constantly meditating upon the self the devotee slowly but surely becomes inward looking and through this method he perceives the almighty.

Gradually through meditation and unconditional surrender to the almighty the devotee at last attains liberation.

The true yogi finds god, with all his divine attributes manifest in the human body.

The human heart is god’s favorite dwelling place.
                                                *****************************






Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Self Realization

Srimad Bhagavatam

God resides in the innermost self of all beings.

God is the lord of the whole universe.

Blessed are they who surrender themselves whole heartedely to god.

Blessed are they who are born with an all consuming love and devotion for god.

A true devotee of god considers serving god as the greatest wealth in the world.

Blessed are they who with a pure heart meditate on god.
                                                *****************


Monday, May 12, 2014

Self Realization

                                            Srimad Bhagavatam

God is formless, infinite and blissful.

The human form that he takes as avatar is goodness personified and is intended just to please his infinite devotees.

God is blissful, unfading and eternal.

God’s ardent devotees can through divine sight find him within them.

Just like a rope is mistaken for a snake in the dark, similarly the all pervading brahman is misunderstood as the universe by the common man.

God is atman the divine self.

The Vedas only speak of god by his ardent devotees can actually enjoy his company all the time.

Attachment and delusion can bind a man only as long as he does not understand his true identity as a servitor of god.
                                                ***********************
 

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Self Realization

                                                 Srimad Bhagavatam

God should be worshiped with complete devotion and should be meditated upon with a focused mind.

He is in everything and is a witness to all.

He is power and he is knowledge.

Devotion to him is the highest boon.

The devotee of god is glorified everywhere.

A person who does everything for god becomes a demigod.
                                    ************************
 


Saturday, May 10, 2014

Self Realization

                                            Srimad Bhagavatam

Constant practice of god consciousness brings tranquility and peace.

When the mind becomes tranquil the entity starts developing divinity.

The sacred word OM is the bow and the mind is the arrow. The target is the divine self.

One should spend his leisure hours in god consciousness.

One should find peace and bliss in meditation on the self.

Just like when water is poured on the root of the tree the whole tree is nourished similarly when god is served and worshipped everyone is happy.

One should always mingle with god’s ardent devotees.
                                                ****************  

 



Friday, May 9, 2014

Self Realization

Pearls of wisdom

Talent is what you possess. Genius is what possesses you.

If you take care of the head, the head will take care of the rest of the body.

If you give your best to the good twenty percent, the other eighty will be taken care of by this twenty percent.

It is better to spend time with the good minority than to waste it on a bad majority.

Good things come in small packages and bull shit comes in bulk.

It is better to be alone than to be with a wrong friend.

One stupid friend is more dangerous than ten intelligent enemies.

It is better to discover the universe within than to roam aimlessly in the market without.

It is better to be a master of one than a jack of many.

Creativity is not a career. It is a way of life.

Creativity is the no man’s land between material world and spiritual world.

Live one day at a time, and you will achieve more than you could ever have imagined.

God gives us what we deserve and not what we desire. And he knows best.

The more you give to a relationship the more it will grow.

The right teacher is like god.

The best way to ensure that the best will always be with you is by becoming the best yourself.

You are your most precious possession.

Prayer is communication with god. Meditation is communion with god.

There is no end to self improvement.

Your value is determined by what you make of yourself.

Don’t judge a person by the way he lives. Judge him too by the way he dies.

People who care for you, love you. People who care for themselves flatter you.

Knowledge is creative. It should be used for self improvement.

A stitch in time saves nine. Doing a work at the right time saves money, energy and resources.

One should walk where there is no road. That will make one an explorer.

Failures are the pillars of success.

It is not half as important what others think of you, as what you think of yourself.

Men judge you by your actions. God judges you by your intentions.

You are judged by the company you keep.

Where there is nothing else, there is false ego.

Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.

It is the moral responsibility of good people to procure wealth and use it for common good.


                                              ***********************