Life 41 (Oct 21 - Jan 22)

[winston]

Conquering Hate

To conquer hate, you have to find unshakeable tolerance.

— Robert A. F. Thurman, “Rising to the Challenge: Cool Heroism”

[winston]

What technique we must learn to overcome a common challenge, that prevents us from blossoming from within?

Many ideas take shape in the human heart; they wander to the very ends of the eight directions.

Some of these are mutually supporting; some are mutually destructive. But without leaving them free, they must all be canalized and disciplined to subserve some high purpose. Only then can you be established in peace.

You must have the cleverness needed for this canalization. It is not merely cleverness in the use of external things; it lies more in the control and subjugation of the mental faculties; this is essential for the blossoming of the Atma (Inner-Self).

For understanding the faculties of your own mind, you must move with elders experienced in that line or in the sublimation of the vagaries of the mind.

Until you intelligently fix upon a certain direction for all your thoughts and activities, you will only be building shadowy castles in the air and roaming about in them.

- Prasanthi Vahini, Ch 22.

When we say 'one-pointedness’, it must mean that the mind should be pointed
towards the 'One' that is denoted as being without a second, the 'One' which has
willed that It may become the many.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Rising From Failure

Failures are not just inevitable but are a necessary part of the process.

A good mother is not one whose baby never cries but one who knows how to respond and soothe her crying baby.

— Barry Magid, “Precious Scars: Art as Practice”

[winston]

What is most essential and inescapable, in this spiritual journey?

Everyone has, by virtue of human nature itself, the discrimination needed to strive for the ideal.

You should not allow the slightest idea of neglect, to hinder you or stand in your way.

Peace based on spiritual wisdom (jnana) can arise only out of actual experience; the end and the consequence of each and every act, is and must be wisdom.

The progress of the individual consists in activity done with discrimination.

Take one small example: Even a person who has all the means of comfortable travel through the grace of the Divine, namely, cars, planes, or other conveniences, has perforce to walk, in spite of everything, for the sake of health!

So too, whoever one is, whatever the spiritual discipline engaged in, one has to necessarily experience activity and learn the consequence themself for the sake of their mental health! Otherwise, mental weakness cannot be cured.

- Prasanthi Vahini, Ch 22.

Each man has to educate himself through trials and errors and attain graduation by reaching the full knowledge of his own reality.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is most essential and inescapable, in this spiritual journey?

Everyone has, by virtue of human nature itself, the discrimination needed to strive for the ideal.

You should not allow the slightest idea of neglect, to hinder you or stand in your way.

Peace based on spiritual wisdom (jnana) can arise only out of actual experience; the end and the consequence of each and every act, is and must be wisdom.

The progress of the individual consists in activity done with discrimination.

Take one small example: Even a person who has all the means of comfortable travel through the grace of the Divine, namely, cars, planes, or other conveniences, has perforce to walk, in spite of everything, for the sake of health!

So too, whoever one is, whatever the spiritual discipline engaged in, one has to necessarily experience activity and learn the consequence themself for the sake of their mental health! Otherwise, mental weakness cannot be cured.

- Prasanthi Vahini, Ch 22.

Each man has to educate himself through trials and errors and attain graduation by reaching the full knowledge of his own reality.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

The Greatest Happiness

The Buddha said peace is the greatest happiness.

We might call it a quiet joy, and that quiet joy can be underneath all the waves, because there will be waves—the ups and downs, times of exuberance and times when we’re feeling low.

— Joseph Goldstein, “Joseph Goldstein on Easing Self-Judgement and Finding Joy”

[winston]

What is the outcome that we will personally experience, when we practice human values?

Follow the heart, do not follow the head, lest you should be caught up in the mire of worldly life.

Head puts you in many dangers. If you follow the head, you may lose your head itself!

Turn your vision inward. Follow the heart, which is the source of all noble qualities like truth, righteousness, peace, love and non-violence.

Here, we find many bulbs glowing in this hall. How? Current flows through the wire, enters the bulb and gives us light.

Likewise, when the current of truth flows through the wire of righteousness and enters the bulb of peace, we get the light of love.

A true human being is the perfect combination of these five human values. These are, in fact, the very life-principle of man, without which one is just like a corpse.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 05, 2000.

The five elements are natural phenomena in creation. Similarly, the five human values
are natural to human beings.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

The Breath of the Universe

Through consistent meditation practice, we come to realize that, in essence, there exists only the breath.

It is the breath of the universe that flows through all.

You can think of the breath like one big dream.

— Brittany Micek, “Radical Imagination: A Teaching for Juneteenth”

[winston]

What is the sixth flower we must offer to the Divine?

The sixth is the flower of penance (tapas).

Penance does not mean retiring to the forest and living on fruits and tubers. In fact, such a life can be called a life of tamas (dullness) not of Tapas.

True penance lies in controlling one’s emotions, thoughts, words and deeds, arising out of satwic, rajasic and tamasic qualities.

One should contemplate on the Divine at all times and achieve harmony of thought, word and deed.

One whose thoughts, words and deeds are in complete harmony, is indeed the noble one.

Do not be carried away by pain or pleasure. The Scriptures teaches one should be even-minded in happiness or sorrow, gain or loss, victory or defeat.

One should discharge one’s duty and serve society without any expectation of reward. Such even-mindedness and desireless state is true penance!

- Divine Discourse, Aug 22, 2000.

Renunciation devoid of the discipline of activity (karma-yoga) will lead to grief.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Let Go and Rest

This is a dreamlike illusion, a temporary mirage, a fleeting fabrication.

Let it go and rest.

— Pema Düddul, “Freedom From Illusion”