Life 45 (Jan 23 - Aug 23)

[behappyalways]

Commentary: Tiredness of life is a growing phenomenon among seniors
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/comment ... th-3463771

[winston]

What are the different ways we tend to misuse our senses?

A saint rebuked men for not using the Divine-given tongue for chanting the sweet and sacred name of the Divine. The tongue should be engaged only in speaking the truth, in speaking sweetly and in consuming what is pleasant and wholesome for the body.

Man degrades himself by consuming intoxicating drinks and non-vegetarian food and by indulging in smoking. These noxious habits affect the brain also.

Another saint lamented on the behaviour of people who would not listen to the hymns of praise of the Divine with their Divine-given ears or gaze on the beauteous form of Him with their Divine-given sight.

Persons going on the road should concentrate on the road and not allow their eyes to stray to the wall posters and shop windows. It is necessary that everyone should recognise the proper role of the sense organs and use them properly.

- Divine Discourse, Oct 06, 1997.

Liberation is control of the senses. Unless one controls one's senses, liberation is not possible.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Are we truly clear in what we are asking from the Divine?

To discard maya (illusion) and escape from its shadow, you have to walk Sun-wards. Then the shadow will fall behind you.

When the Sun (the source of reason and Intelligence) climbs higher and higher, the shadow becomes shorter and smaller.

Until at last, when he is right on top, the shadow (maya) crouches at your feet, surrendering to you; you can trample on it.

So too, when your Intelligence is supreme, maya cannot cast her evil spell on you. The Hymns, recited thrice a day by millions, asks for the awakening of the intelligence so that when it brightens like the Sun at its zenith, the smog of delusion is destroyed.

Then the waves of indecision and decision that confound, contradict and confuse are stilled. This is the process of yoga or the arrest of the wandering mind.

- Divine Discourse, Jul 08, 1968.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Are we truly practising seeing the Divine within and in everyone around us, especially in moments when we are slighted or feel angry?

Now, the law of human behaviour has become "each for himself"! This is because of the fact that “all-are-one-in-Divine" is not known and realised.

This realisation is the product of sadhana; the conviction in it is of slow growth but must be acquired.

A great sage, famous in epics for asceticism, is also renowned for his anger when he’s slighted or thwarted by others! He was so sensitive, so egoistic, so uppish, that he forgot the unity of “all-in-Divine”!

He was ready with a frightful curse when anyone showed disregard for his inflated ego! Of what avail are all years of austerity?

Surrender all you have and have gained to the Divine. Sometimes, when you have extra cash with you, you hand it over to a trusted friend, saying, "Keep this for me; I’m afraid I may spend it soon if it’s in my hands; I can’t trust myself."

The Divine is the friend on whom you should put your trust! So, hand over to Him all that you have and be free and happy! You do not do it now, since faith is wanting!

- Divine Discourse, May 24, 1967.

Virtue can grow only in an atmosphere of theism; you must have faith in the omnipresence of Him, that He is the witness, the guide, and the guardian.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

When will we experience the depth of truth and love?

Man's nature is fundamentally Truth; his breath is fundamentally Love; his blood is fundamentally Tolerance.

Falsehood, hatred and faction, are characteristics of beastly or demonic natures. They are acquired from ignorance or greed or from others in society.

Today, man is shaped by the head, rather than the heart. It is cleverness that is admired, that pays! But peace and joy emanate from the heart, not the head.

The heart teaches compassion, awe, reverence, humility, equanimity, and sympathy - qualities that bind men in love, and turn them towards righteousness and the source and sustenance of the Universe, namely, the Divine.

The pursuit of property and possessions, cannot uplift the heart into heights of bliss.

- Divine Discourse, July 1970.

Your very nature is Reality. How can you realise this truth? Only by cultivating pure, selfless and divine love.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

At times ,we wonder why isn’t the Divine giving us His guidance and grace. What should we do to receive Divine guidance & grace?

The Message can be grasped only by those who yearn to know the Duty, to which they have to be loyal.

Or else, it will sound hollow and mechanical, like the prattle of a phonograph record.

But if the heart is ploughed by that yearning and made ready for the seed, the harvest will certainly follow.

Develop the requisite attitude for the reception and retention of the Message.

First, be puzzled about your duty and be tremendously anxious to get light thrown upon it.
You may be torn between two paths and in spite of all your discrimination and detachment, you may be at a loss to discover what your Dharma is.

Second, surrendered your judgement to the Divine and declare out of the deepest recesses of your heart, in indescribable agony, "I am Your disciple; I dedicate my entire being to Your Will; tell me what to do and I shall obey."

- Divine Discourse, July 1970.

Man should cultivate the necessary strength and willpower to deserve divine grace. You will be free from the shackles of karma once you attain divine grace.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

How can we conquer our own mind and its vicissitudes?

The mind has an innate tendency to merge in whatever it contacts; it craves this.

So, it is ever agitated and restless. Through constant practice and training, it can be directed towards “Om” and taught to merge with it.

It is also naturally drawn towards sound. Hence, it is compared to a serpent.

The serpent has two crude qualities; its crooked gait and its tendency to bite all that comes its way.

These two are also the characteristics of people. People also seek to hold and possess all that they set their eyes on. They also move crookedly.

But the serpent has one praiseworthy trait. However, poisonous and deadly be its nature, when strains of the charmer’s music are played, it spreads its hood and merges itself in the sweetness of that sound, forgetting everything else.

Similarly, through practice, people also can merge themselves in the bliss of Om. This close attention to sound is a principal way to realise the highest Atma.

- Gita Vahini, Ch XII.

Of all mantras, the Om is the highest and the best. It is the very head and crown of all of them.

Source: radiocarbon.org

[behappyalways]

Be sure to savor the time you have
Spend some with family and friends
Make an effort to enjoy your life, whenever you can
And always treat yourself well

https://twitter.com/Mayhem4Markets/stat ... 9719114752

[winston]

What is the guidance on choice of clothes and activities for youth and sadhakas (disciples)?

I like simplicity, I like the dress that will not discourage people from approaching you for a kind word, a bit of service, a helping hand. It must be clean and decent; not outlandish and queer. It should not be worn to attract attention.

Just as you desire to wear clean comfortable clothes for the body, desire also clean consoling exercises for the mind, like japam, dhyanam (repetition of holy word and meditation), etc.

Use the eyes to watch wholesome things, the feet to proceed to the House of the Divine, the hands to serve the embodiments of the Divine moving around you as men, the tongue to soothe pain, praise virtue and glorify Him.

Do not use the eye to vulgarise your brain, the feet to stand in queue for deleterious films.

Character is the most precious gift of education. I consider gratitude as the chief component; gratitude above all, to the parents, for this gift of life.

- Divine Discourse, Jul 23, 1970.

The educated person and the student undergoing education must both cultivate simplicity; they must discard ostentation.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What should we seek and aspire for as we go through this life?

Many times in human history, Avatars (Divine Incarnations) have come and awakened man. But, the animal past and the demonic delusion drag him into the mire, where he foolishly revels in sensual, physical and transient trivialities.

This is a splendid chance to fulfil your human existence. The Ananda (Bliss) that you hope to derive from kith and kin, from wealth and worldly fame, is but a pale shadow of the Ananda that resides in the spring of your heart, where He dwells.

Try to contact that spring; go to the very source; be centred in the Atma or the Divine within.

Few seek real Ananda; many are led away by the pseudo-ananda of the senses, the intellect and the mind.

Real Ananda springs only from Truth. And Truth is the Dharma or duty of each to himself. Seek Truth, serve Truth, be Truth. Truth will reveal itself when the heart is saturated in Love.

- Divine Discourse, July 1970.

True bliss flows from a pure and loving heart. Try to experience such bliss. All other forms of happiness are momentary.

Source: radiosai.org