Thought for the Day - As written at Prasanthi Nilayam


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April 2004

April 1, 2004

By simply reading and repeating the text of Bhagavad Gita or any other scripture, by merely thinking about the contents of the text, we do not derive any benefit out of it. It is only by understanding the meaning of the text, by ruminating over the meaning in your mind and internalizing it completely and making it a part and parcel of your life, can you truly be benefited.

April 2, 2004

Today all spiritual sadhana is being done through the mind. As long as the mind dominates spiritual exercises, the goal of self-realisation cannot be attained. The mind is like a thief who will not allow himself to be caught. There is no use relying on the mind to realise the self. When the vision is centred on the self, the mind fades away by itself.

April 3, 2004

The Upanishadic texts proclaim that Thyaga (renunciation) alone can grant Amrithathva (bliss of immortality). One has to ignore all bonds of kinship and comradeship, give up all attachment, and in the heart thus liberated, install God in all His Glory. This is the only means to earn everlasting and undiminished Ananda (Divine bliss).

April 4, 2004

Man cannot lead a fruitful life on this earth if he tries to earn only material wealth. He has to cultivate and practise virtues too. He has to adhere to Dharma (righteousness). The scriptures direct that man should earn just enough for his upkeep, and use the rest of his time and skill for the general good of humanity. Earn Artha (wealth) through Dharma (righteous means) and that will confer the grace of God on you.

April 5, 2004

What you need for spiritual progress are three things: a heart free from attachment and hatred; a tongue that is not tainted by untruth; a body not polluted by violence. The one who has these three is indeed holy. Without these three, all penance and religious practices are of no use. You have to pray incessantly for Divine Grace to confer these qualities.

April 6, 2004

Man's attitude towards God should not be based on the fulfillment or non-fulfillment of his petty desires. You must feel that whatever happens to you is for your own good. This is called Bhakthi (devotion). It is love for the sake of love alone. It is characterised by fearlessness and it always yearns to give and not to receive. It is only the Love of the Divine that is devoid of any trace of self-interest. Of what avail is it if you simply worship Me without attempting to cultivate my qualities of Samathwa (equanimity), Shanti (unruffled peace), Prema (equal love for all) and Sahana (patience and fortitude).

April 7, 2004

The mind has no independent identity of its own. It is a conglomeration of the desires that sprout from the impulses. A cloth is essentially a bundle of threads. Threads in their truth are basically cotton. Similarly, desires arise from basic impulses, and the mind is constituted of these desires. Just as a piece of cloth disintegrates if threads in it are pulled apart, the mind too can be destroyed by the eradication of desires.

April 8, 2004

I am the embodiment of Love; Love is my instrument. There is no creature without Love, even the lowliest loves itself and its 'self' is nothing but God. There are no atheists, though they may dislike God or refuse Him. They are like the people affected by malarial fever who dislike sweets or like the diabetic patients who refuse to have anything to do with sweets! Those who preen themselves as atheists now will one day, when their illness is gone, relish God and revere Him.

April 9, 2004

One has to be slow and steady on the spiritual path. Adhere to a regular routine. Just as a doctor prescribes a certain fixed measure or weight of a drug and warns you that anything more is harmful, so too, have some limit for your spiritual exercises. Do not overdo them or perform them casually and without care. Just as the medicines have to be taken at a particular time of the day and a specified number of times a day, so also the japa (chanting the Lord's name) and dhyana (meditation) have to be carried out regularly at specified timings every day.

April 10, 2004

It may be possible to teach a person the posture, the pose, the position of legs, feet or hands, neck, head or back, the style of breathing or its speed. But meditation is a function of the inner self; it motivates deep subjective quiet, the employing of the mind and filling oneself with the light that emerges from the divine spark within. This is a discipline that no text book can teach and no class can communicate.

April 11, 2004

When a sculptor transforms a piece of rock into a beautiful idol to be worshipped in a shrine, what was inert and worthless becomes sacred. In the same manner, everything which is petty and worldly should be transformed in course of time into something sacred and divine. That is the real transformation that every man must aspire for.

April 12, 2004

In order to calm the mind and keep it on an even keel, dhyana (meditation) is prescribed as a sadhana (spiritual exercise). Dhyana is the process by which the positive and negative aspects of the mind are regulated out of existence. Man enjoys unlimited bliss when the stage of 'nirvikalpa samadhi' (state of thoughtlessness) is reached. A taste of this experience is offered to man during his deep, dreamless sleep, when no wish or want, no desire or denial disturbs him. How much more satisfying should be the bliss when we attain that state with all consciousness through dhyana? It is beyond one's imagination.

April 13, 2004

The New Year Day proclaims the truth that God is the Master of Time. Unfortunately, man fails to understand the power of God. He wastes three quarters of his time in unworthy earthly pursuits. Spiritual pursuit is the right way of making use of time. It calls for fostering good feelings, doing good deeds without any selfish motive and extending love and compassion towards all beings. By utilising your time in spiritual pursuits, you can enjoy spiritual wealth. If you want to sanctify your hard-earned human birth you have to cultivate divine thoughts.

April 14, 2004

The New Year Day gives you an opportunity to contemplate the vastness of time, its fleeting nature and the short span of time that we share. Contemplate on the beginning of things, of nature, of life, of man - all emanating from God and journeying towards God. Dwell on the grandeur of this procession from birth to Liberation, life after life. Become aware that you, Nature and all that is, that was and that is to be, are Divine. Love is the surest means to attain this awareness.

April 15, 2004

There are three things which one should keep in mind, namely, "I will not think of anything except God; I will not do anything without the permission of God and I will have my attention completely fixed on God at all times." It is only when one accepts and puts into practice these three statements that the Lord will look after one's welfare. However, one does not care to follow God's injunctions and instead questions God as to why he does not look after us.

April 16, 2004

The Divine manifests itself in many forms. God is worshipped in many forms for the joy to be derived from it. The primary duty of human beings is to recognise that though the paths indicated by the various religions are different, the goal is One. Love, sacrifice, compassion, morality, integrity and similar qualities are common to all religions. In different ways all religions seek to promote unity in diversity.

April 17, 2004

You have to busy yourselves with activity in order to use your time and skill to the best advantage. That is your duty and duty is God. Tamasic (dull and lethargic) individuals will hesitate to be active for fear of exhaustion or failure or loss. Rajasic (emotional and passionate) individuals will plunge headlong and crave for quick results and will be disappointed if they do not come in. Sathwic (balanced) individuals will be active, because it is their duty; they will not be agitated by failure or success. They do it as a means of worshipping God and they leave the results to God. They realise that they are but instruments in the hands of God.

April 18, 2004

How can a person who himself cannot swim teach others the art? How can one whose granary is empty pour out in charity to others? Acquire the wealth of devotion, fortitude and peace before venturing to advise others on how to acquire them. You may be very enthusiastic to spread the message of the Lord, but the one and the only sure way of doing it is by translating the teachings in to action in your lives. Your thoughts, words and deeds must be saturated with the love and message of the Lord. Then the message of the Lord will spread effectively throughout the world and transform everybody.

April 19, 2004

God is present in every human being as a seed. For a seed to become a plant, earth and water are essential, likewise for the Divine seed in man to grow and blossom into a flower of Sat-Chith-Ananda (Being-Awareness-Bliss), it needs Bhakthi (devotion) and Shraddha (faith and earnestness). It is not enough if one merely turns the mind towards God, one must endeavour to experience the presence of the Divine in every particle and at every moment. One must fill the mind with pure and sacred thoughts.

April 20, 2004

Some people ask - "How can we find time for sadhana (spiritual practice) when we have to toil every moment for feeding and clothing ourselves?" They forget that the Lord will grant these material comforts and even immortality, if only they completely rely on Him. Whatever you do, always have the name of the Lord on your lips, you do not have to spend extra time or energy for that. When you rise in the morning and slide into sleep in the night, do so with the name of God on your lips.

April 21, 2004

Matham (religion) is a matter of Mathi (mind). Based on the teachings of the founders of different faiths, having different regard to the requirements of the time and circumstances of particular countries, and keeping in view the specific needs of the people concerned, certain rules and regulations were laid down. On this account, one faith should not be considered superior and another inferior. Man's primary duty is to bear in mind the sacred truths enshrined in every religion and practise them in his life.

April 22, 2004

There are three ways of realizing oneself: Pravrithi, Nivrithi and Prapathi. Pravrithi (external activity) is the method of sublimating the instincts and impulses. Nivrithi (detachment and internal quiet) is the method of subduing the thirst of the senses and the ego. Prapathi (surrender) is the method of utilizing the senses, instincts, emotions and intelligence for the glorification of the divine. Perform your actions and dedicate them to God without worrying about its results. That is the secret of spiritual success.

April 23, 2004

Reflections of the sun shining in the sky can be seen in the oceans, rivers, the lakes and in the wells. Though the reflections are varied, there is only one sun. The Divine is present in man like the unseen thread which holds a garland of gems together. The entire cosmos is permeated by the Divine and is the visible manifestation of the Divine. Nothing in the world, no object, no human being, no creature can be found wherein God is not present. There is only one God and he is 'Sath-Chith-Ananda' (Being-Awareness-Bliss).

April 24, 2004

Active paticipation in society, in a spirit of dedication and surrender, conceiving all acts as worship and all men as the embodiments of the Supreme, is one of the best forms of Sadhana (spiritual practises). For, there is no place where He is not; no object which is not Divine. The Vedas declare that that the Supreme willed and became all this. Worship, undertaking pilgrimages, etc. are only means to an end. The goal is the realisation of the ultimate truth that "God and I are One." That alone can fill the heart with permanent bliss.

April 25, 2004

Let the different faiths exist, let them flourish. Let the glory of God be sung in all languages and a variety of tunes. That should be the ideal. Respect the differences between faiths and recognise them as valid, so far as they do not extinguish the flame of unity. The motive behind the formation and the propagation of all these different faiths is the same. The founders were all filled with love and wisdom and their goal and purpose was the same.

April 26, 2004

The aeroplane has to land at a certain place in order to take on board those who have reserved the right to fly through the tickets that they have purchased. So too, the Lord has to descend so that those who have won the right to be liberated may be saved. Incidentally, others too will know of the Lord, of His grace and ways of winning it and the joy of liberation. However, a few ignorant people will cavil at the very Lord who has come to save them.

April 27, 2004

It is not possible to consider Creation and the Creator, Nature and God as different or separate. Just as the bubble is born in water, stays on water and disappears in water, so too the Cosmos is born in the Absolute, exists as a part of the Absolute and merges back in the Absolute. Recognise the truth that just as the bubble cannot be conceived without water, the Cosmos cannot be conceived without God.

April 28, 2004

You are in this body in order to realise the God you really are. This body is the cocoon you have spun around yourselves by means of your impulses and desires. Use it while it lasts, to grow wings so that you can escape from it. You came into this world crying, announcing your grief for having to take on the burden of earthly existence. Having come with grief, decide not to go with it from here. Get rid of it in this very life.

April 29, 2004

Men try to know everything about everybody else; but, they do not try to know about themselves! The attempt to know about the 'Knower' is called sadhana; knowledge about the 'Knower' is Aathma Vidhya. It is only through that knowledge that man can live in peace anywhere. For, when you know that you are but a spark of the Divine and that all else are the same Divine sparks, you look upon all with reverence and true Love; your heart is filled with supreme joy; and the assertions of the ego are rendered ineffective. Man seeks joy in far places and peace in quiet spots; but the spring of joy is in his heart, the haven of peace is within him. Have faith in God, and in the correctness of moral living. Then, you can have peace and joy, whatever may be the fare that fortune offers you.

April 30, 2004

There is only one religion, the religion of Love. There is only one caste, the caste of humanity. There is only one language, the language of the heart. There is only one God, He is omnipresent. All religions are different paths leading to one and the same destination. All devotees should understand this truth and live up to it in their daily lives. They should adhere to the right path.


 

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