This document provides guidance for married couples and householders to lead an ideal spiritual life. It encourages serving God and others with love, maintaining purity and simplicity, and engaging in regular meditation and worship. Specific advice includes regarding one's spouse as a manifestation of the divine, developing mutual respect and harmony in the home, upholding dharma, creating a spiritual atmosphere, and viewing all activities as offerings to God. Living this way transforms the home into a sanctuary and portal to higher consciousness.
The document discusses the Hindu concept of pilgrimage or "theerthatan". It explains that a theertham refers to anything that cleanses impurities from bad thoughts, words, and actions, bringing one closer to God. There are three types of theerthams: jangamam (people), manasam (thoughts), and sthaavaram (permanent places). Some examples of important theerthams in India are various rivers, temples, mountains and holy sites that have been destinations for pilgrimage since ancient times. Undertaking a pilgrimage was considered a form of penance that provided spiritual benefits through experiences, observations, and lessons that helped one in their pursuit of
The document discusses the reasons behind various Hindu religious practices and traditions. It explains that lighting lamps symbolizes seeking knowledge and removing ignorance. Having a prayer room provides a conductive atmosphere for worship. Namaste involves bowing to the divinity within another person. Prostrating before elders acknowledges their wisdom and sacrifices. Tilak and holy ash are applied to remind people of their spiritual goals and protect against negative influences. Overall, many practices have deeper symbolic meanings rather than just being cultural conventions, and aim to foster virtues like humility, gratitude, and remembrance of God.
This document discusses several Hindu rituals and their symbolic meanings and significance. It explains why Hindus light lamps, have prayer rooms, greet with namaste, prostrate before elders, wear marks on the forehead, do not touch things with feet, apply holy ash, offer food to God before eating, fast, circumambulate, regard plants as sacred, ring temple bells, worship the kalasha, see the lotus as special, worship tulsi, blow conches, say "shaanti" thrice, offer coconuts, and chant "Om". The rituals are said to symbolize concepts like knowledge, humility, respect, purity, protection, and remembering the divine.
The document is a newsletter from Gunashrayamz that discusses several topics. It begins with discussing Vikrami Samvat, the Indian calendar, and how it wanted to celebrate its birthday with other calendars but initially faced doubts. It then shares a story about "The Titles", different titles that came together to discuss their roles and challenges in a changing world. It also provides information on ancient Indian mathematicians and their contributions to theorems like the Pythagorean theorem. Finally, it discusses learning from children and shares a story of a mother's experience with her daughter.
This document is an introduction to the book "Çré Nåsiàha-sahasranäma: A Thousand Holy Names of Lord Nåsiàhadeva". It discusses how material existence is full of suffering due to constant transmigration of the soul between bodies. It describes how chanting the Holy Names of the Lord, as contained in this book, can help relieve one of material suffering by transferring one's consciousness to the spiritual world. It explains that the Holy Names are non-different from God and have the power to purify one and bestow spiritual knowledge and bliss. In this age, chanting the Holy Names is the recommended process for self-realization.
Pratikraman: The Key That Resolves All Conflicts (Full Version) Part-2Dada Bhagwan
Those seeking to lead a spiritual life inevitably face challenges in their sincere pursuit of spirituality and practice. As spiritual development progresses, facing the many unintentional mistakes made through mind, speech, and conduct become disconcerting.
Naturally one begins to wonder, “How to forgive and forget in unhealthy relationships?”, “How to forgive yourself - both for mistakes of the past and for ongoing mistakes in the present?”
One of the most powerful tools for spiritual healing of both past and present is repentance with sincere apology. Yet, it is rare to find a concise scripture on forgiveness.
In the book “Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentance”, Gnani Purush (embodiment of Self knowledge) Dada Bhagwan describes the spiritual power of forgiveness prayer, and offers a precise formula for asking for forgiveness. The book allows anyone seeking to practice spiritual forgiveness prayer to easily understand how to repent, how to forgive someone, and self.
Pratikraman: The Key That Resolves All Conflicts (Full Version) Part-1Dada Bhagwan
Those seeking to lead a spiritual life inevitably face challenges in their sincere pursuit of spirituality and practice. As spiritual development progresses, facing the many unintentional mistakes made through mind, speech, and conduct become disconcerting.
Naturally one begins to wonder, “How to forgive and forget in unhealthy relationships?”, “How to forgive yourself - both for mistakes of the past and for ongoing mistakes in the present?”
One of the most powerful tools for spiritual healing of both past and present is repentance with sincere apology. Yet, it is rare to find a concise scripture on forgiveness.
In the book “Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentance”, Gnani Purush (embodiment of Self knowledge) Dada Bhagwan describes the spiritual power of forgiveness prayer, and offers a precise formula for asking for forgiveness. The book allows anyone seeking to practice spiritual forgiveness prayer to easily understand how to repent, how to forgive someone, and self.
Pratikraman: The Key That Resolves All Conflicts (Full Version) Part-3Dada Bhagwan
Those seeking to lead a spiritual life inevitably face challenges in their sincere pursuit of spirituality and practice. As spiritual development progresses, facing the many unintentional mistakes made through mind, speech, and conduct become disconcerting.
Naturally one begins to wonder, “How to forgive and forget in unhealthy relationships?”, “How to forgive yourself - both for mistakes of the past and for ongoing mistakes in the present?”
One of the most powerful tools for spiritual healing of both past and present is repentance with sincere apology. Yet, it is rare to find a concise scripture on forgiveness.
In the book “Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentance”, Gnani Purush (embodiment of Self knowledge) Dada Bhagwan describes the spiritual power of forgiveness prayer, and offers a precise formula for asking for forgiveness. The book allows anyone seeking to practice spiritual forgiveness prayer to easily understand how to repent, how to forgive someone, and self.
The document discusses the Hindu concept of pilgrimage or "theerthatan". It explains that a theertham refers to anything that cleanses impurities from bad thoughts, words, and actions, bringing one closer to God. There are three types of theerthams: jangamam (people), manasam (thoughts), and sthaavaram (permanent places). Some examples of important theerthams in India are various rivers, temples, mountains and holy sites that have been destinations for pilgrimage since ancient times. Undertaking a pilgrimage was considered a form of penance that provided spiritual benefits through experiences, observations, and lessons that helped one in their pursuit of
The document discusses the reasons behind various Hindu religious practices and traditions. It explains that lighting lamps symbolizes seeking knowledge and removing ignorance. Having a prayer room provides a conductive atmosphere for worship. Namaste involves bowing to the divinity within another person. Prostrating before elders acknowledges their wisdom and sacrifices. Tilak and holy ash are applied to remind people of their spiritual goals and protect against negative influences. Overall, many practices have deeper symbolic meanings rather than just being cultural conventions, and aim to foster virtues like humility, gratitude, and remembrance of God.
This document discusses several Hindu rituals and their symbolic meanings and significance. It explains why Hindus light lamps, have prayer rooms, greet with namaste, prostrate before elders, wear marks on the forehead, do not touch things with feet, apply holy ash, offer food to God before eating, fast, circumambulate, regard plants as sacred, ring temple bells, worship the kalasha, see the lotus as special, worship tulsi, blow conches, say "shaanti" thrice, offer coconuts, and chant "Om". The rituals are said to symbolize concepts like knowledge, humility, respect, purity, protection, and remembering the divine.
The document is a newsletter from Gunashrayamz that discusses several topics. It begins with discussing Vikrami Samvat, the Indian calendar, and how it wanted to celebrate its birthday with other calendars but initially faced doubts. It then shares a story about "The Titles", different titles that came together to discuss their roles and challenges in a changing world. It also provides information on ancient Indian mathematicians and their contributions to theorems like the Pythagorean theorem. Finally, it discusses learning from children and shares a story of a mother's experience with her daughter.
This document is an introduction to the book "Çré Nåsiàha-sahasranäma: A Thousand Holy Names of Lord Nåsiàhadeva". It discusses how material existence is full of suffering due to constant transmigration of the soul between bodies. It describes how chanting the Holy Names of the Lord, as contained in this book, can help relieve one of material suffering by transferring one's consciousness to the spiritual world. It explains that the Holy Names are non-different from God and have the power to purify one and bestow spiritual knowledge and bliss. In this age, chanting the Holy Names is the recommended process for self-realization.
Pratikraman: The Key That Resolves All Conflicts (Full Version) Part-2Dada Bhagwan
Those seeking to lead a spiritual life inevitably face challenges in their sincere pursuit of spirituality and practice. As spiritual development progresses, facing the many unintentional mistakes made through mind, speech, and conduct become disconcerting.
Naturally one begins to wonder, “How to forgive and forget in unhealthy relationships?”, “How to forgive yourself - both for mistakes of the past and for ongoing mistakes in the present?”
One of the most powerful tools for spiritual healing of both past and present is repentance with sincere apology. Yet, it is rare to find a concise scripture on forgiveness.
In the book “Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentance”, Gnani Purush (embodiment of Self knowledge) Dada Bhagwan describes the spiritual power of forgiveness prayer, and offers a precise formula for asking for forgiveness. The book allows anyone seeking to practice spiritual forgiveness prayer to easily understand how to repent, how to forgive someone, and self.
Pratikraman: The Key That Resolves All Conflicts (Full Version) Part-1Dada Bhagwan
Those seeking to lead a spiritual life inevitably face challenges in their sincere pursuit of spirituality and practice. As spiritual development progresses, facing the many unintentional mistakes made through mind, speech, and conduct become disconcerting.
Naturally one begins to wonder, “How to forgive and forget in unhealthy relationships?”, “How to forgive yourself - both for mistakes of the past and for ongoing mistakes in the present?”
One of the most powerful tools for spiritual healing of both past and present is repentance with sincere apology. Yet, it is rare to find a concise scripture on forgiveness.
In the book “Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentance”, Gnani Purush (embodiment of Self knowledge) Dada Bhagwan describes the spiritual power of forgiveness prayer, and offers a precise formula for asking for forgiveness. The book allows anyone seeking to practice spiritual forgiveness prayer to easily understand how to repent, how to forgive someone, and self.
Pratikraman: The Key That Resolves All Conflicts (Full Version) Part-3Dada Bhagwan
Those seeking to lead a spiritual life inevitably face challenges in their sincere pursuit of spirituality and practice. As spiritual development progresses, facing the many unintentional mistakes made through mind, speech, and conduct become disconcerting.
Naturally one begins to wonder, “How to forgive and forget in unhealthy relationships?”, “How to forgive yourself - both for mistakes of the past and for ongoing mistakes in the present?”
One of the most powerful tools for spiritual healing of both past and present is repentance with sincere apology. Yet, it is rare to find a concise scripture on forgiveness.
In the book “Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentance”, Gnani Purush (embodiment of Self knowledge) Dada Bhagwan describes the spiritual power of forgiveness prayer, and offers a precise formula for asking for forgiveness. The book allows anyone seeking to practice spiritual forgiveness prayer to easily understand how to repent, how to forgive someone, and self.
1. Money and wealth are considered very important in the world but true love can only exist for either money or God, not both. Love for money will disappear upon developing love for God.
2. Money comes and goes in one's life. What is built can also be destroyed. Only God remains unchanged and keeps one in a state of liberation and happiness.
3. Earning money is not due to hard work or intellect alone. It is a reward of one's past merit karma. Laborers work very hard but may not be wealthy, and educated people are not wealthy due to intellect alone. True wealth is liberation from worldly anxieties and attachments.
This document provides information about Hindu fasts and festivals as explained by Sri Swami Sivananda. It begins with introductory sections about the publisher's note and prayers for all occasions. The main body of the document then lists and provides brief descriptions of various Hindu festivals and Jayanthi (birthdays) celebrated in India, including Chitra Purnima, Deepavali, Durga Puja or Navaratri, Gayatri Japa Day, Guru Purnima, Holi, Kartigai Deepam, Makara Shankranti, Raksha Bandhan, Ratha Saptami, Telugu New Year's Day, Vasant Navaratri, and Vasant
The document provides prayers and dedications from Shriniwas Janardan Kashalikar's book "Conceptual Stress Understanding and Management". It offers prayers to various Hindu deities including Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Gauri, and Lord Narayana to bless the writing and success of the book. It also offers prayers to cosmic principles like the Guru principle and all enlightened beings. The document explains that the prayers are meant to establish a link with the infinite cosmic powers to overcome ego and difficulties. It is dedicated to helping others attain salvation or liberation through the book.
My siksa-guru and priya-bandhu - "my instructing spiritual master and dearmos...Mangala Nilay Dasa
This document describes the author's early association with Srila Prabhupada. It discusses how their gurus were close friends and how the author first heard of Prabhupada from his guru. It describes how Prabhupada invited the author's guru to stay with him for several months, where they engaged in preaching. It also discusses how Prabhupada and the author's guru founded the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti to establish the teachings of their guru after turmoil in the Gaudiya Matha. The author had his first meeting with Prabhupada in 1947 at a lecture given by his guru.
The document summarizes Krishna instructing the residents of Vrindavan to stop performing sacrifices to Indra and instead worship Govardhana Hill. Krishna argues that nature and the three modes are ultimately in control of rain and sustenance, not Indra. He tells them to decorate and feed cows, invite brahmanas to chant, give charity, and circumambulate Govardhana Hill with offerings. The residents agree and celebrate Govardhana Puja, with Krishna assuming a divine form as Govardhana. Worship of Govardhana Hill is said to bring good fortune to cows and residents.
This chapter discusses what religion can contribute to mankind. It notes that all humans seek happiness and freedom from suffering. While material progress has solved some problems, it has not eliminated suffering. Religions aim to serve humanity by providing guidance on reducing suffering and increasing happiness. The chapter argues that non-material forms of development deserve examination alongside economic growth.
This document provides an introduction to Kundalini Yoga. It discusses Kundalini energy, which lies dormant at the base of the spine. The goal of Kundalini Yoga is to awaken this energy and move it up the central channel (sushumna nadi) through meditation and practice, piercing the six chakras until reaching the crown chakra, where the individual is united with cosmic consciousness. It outlines some of the key concepts in Kundalini Yoga such as the chakras, kundalini energy, prana, and different states of meditation. The introduction emphasizes that Kundalini Yoga is an exact science that can lead one to
Theme - The Art of Responding Effectively | Turning Crisis into Opportunities
CONTENTS:
1) The Art of Responding Effectively
2) Verse of the Month
3) Pari-prasna
4) Quiz Corner
5) Analogy Arena
6) Bhagavata Pravaha (SB 3.23-25, DUTIFUL HUSBAND & RESPONSIBLE RENUNCIANT )
GSB Madhva English Newsletter - August 2016 IssueGsb Madhva
The aim of this newsletter is to disseminate Dvaita (Tattvavada), the philosophy of Sri Madhvacharya in a language and tone that majority of today's youth can understand, get convinced, connect, practice and succeed.
Dvaita is more than what is seen from outside. It is a fruitful way of life allowing us to achieve worldly and spiritual success. Living in harmony with our indwelling God.
It is not sectarian. It is rather based on strong authentic Veda itself. Find out how Dvaita can give a new outlook to your life.
Make spirituality relevant in life.
Inaugural issue unveiled by Sri Samyamindra Teertha of Kashi math and blessed by Sri Vidyadhiraj Teerta of Gokarn math
Sri Sarada Devi was born in 1853 in West Bengal and was married to Sri Ramakrishna at a young age. She lived with him at Dakshineswar and served him selflessly, becoming his first disciple. After his death, she guided his spiritual movement and disciples. As a spiritual leader, she emphasized finding God within, serving others, and seeing God in all. She taught the importance of spiritual practices, renunciation, and seeking God with love, faith and perseverance. Sarada Devi embodied compassion and saw no one as a stranger. She spread Ramakrishna's teachings until her death in 1920.
This document provides a description of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi in 3 paragraphs. It describes her as kind, gentle, and a mother figure who is above others yet always with them. It notes how she gives advice and counsels others, understanding their problems and dilemmas better than they do. It highlights how wise people listen to her words rather than interrupt or second guess her.
RETREAT - India Buddhist circuit 12 - 22 September 2019Savina Cenuse
This document provides information about an 11-day spiritual program in the Himalayas from September 12-22, 2019. It will include accommodations in Leh, Nubra Valley, and Delhi, as well as meals, transportation, and activities. Participants will work on healing, manifestation, and spiritual development goals with guides Amaleswari Devi and Karma Dhondup. The schedule includes yoga, meditation, energy work, and visits to monasteries and ashrams. The program contribution is 1,550 Euro which covers costs but not flights. A 500 Euro deposit is required upon booking with the remaining balance due 2 months before. Testimonials from previous participants describe transformative experiences of personal growth, connection to spirit
The document outlines a vision, mission, and strategic plan for providing holistic care to devotees in ISKCON. It aims to ensure devotees receive proper spiritual, physical, and emotional care so they can happily progress in Krishna consciousness and expand Srila Prabhupada's mission. Key aspects of the plan include developing care programs for temple devotees, families, the elderly, and more; facilitating access to healthcare, counseling, and spiritual education; and creating devotee care committees and databases to help address devotees' varied needs. The goal is to support devotees' dedication to Krishna by taking care of their well-being.
Kanchi Periva Forum Newsletter - Volume 5kanchiperiva
This newsletter provides updates from the Kanchi Periva Forum community. It shares divine experiences
with Sri Maha Periva submitted by devotees, along with articles on Hindu philosophy and teachings from
Periva. It encourages new members to participate actively and thanks contributors for their service. The
newsletter aims to spread the message and teachings of Periva.
1. Sri Ramakrishna was a 19th century Hindu saint from Bengal who helped liberalize Hinduism and spread its teachings.
2. He emphasized God-realization as the supreme goal and that lust, greed, and worldly attachments prevent people from realizing God.
3. His teachings were spread by his disciple Swami Vivekananda who founded the Ramakrishna Mission to conduct spiritual and social service work.
4. Sri Ramakrishna taught that one can live in the world detached like a mud fish lives in mud, and that through devotion, love, and surrendering to God one can know God.
Theme - Disapproved but not Disowned
CONTENTS -
Disapproved but not Disowned, Verse of the Month, Bhagavata Pravaha, Pari-prasna, Quiz Corner, Analogy Arena
The document contains extracts from prayers and mantras in Sanskrit dedicated to various Hindu deities like Lord Ganesh, Guru, Surya (the Sun God), and Saraswati (the Goddess of knowledge). It includes invocations for early morning, daily prayers, before meals and studies. The mantras focus on seeking blessings, forgiveness and guidance from the gods. Rituals and mantras are described as ways to cultivate proper attitudes and understand spiritual concepts like karma.
The document discusses life after death from a Hindu perspective. It begins with an introduction explaining that the science of life after death, or Paraloka-Vidya, has fascinated people for millennia. It then provides excerpts from Hindu scriptures, including prayers from the dying asking to see the truth and identifying the self as the supreme being. The introduction explains that conquering the fear of death is the aim of yoga practices.
This document summarizes the author's spiritual studies over 18 years. It discusses how belief in miracles is declining as belief in natural law increases. If miracles described in religious texts can't be explained by natural law, then either they did not occur or the person performing them was deceptive. However, if similar spiritual phenomena that occurred in biblical times can be shown to still occur naturally today, it could help address increasing skepticism toward miraculous claims from the past. The author's main conclusion is that after 18 years of study, they are convinced spiritual gifts and phenomena described in the past can still occur naturally today.
1. Money and wealth are considered very important in the world but true love can only exist for either money or God, not both. Love for money will disappear upon developing love for God.
2. Money comes and goes in one's life. What is built can also be destroyed. Only God remains unchanged and keeps one in a state of liberation and happiness.
3. Earning money is not due to hard work or intellect alone. It is a reward of one's past merit karma. Laborers work very hard but may not be wealthy, and educated people are not wealthy due to intellect alone. True wealth is liberation from worldly anxieties and attachments.
This document provides information about Hindu fasts and festivals as explained by Sri Swami Sivananda. It begins with introductory sections about the publisher's note and prayers for all occasions. The main body of the document then lists and provides brief descriptions of various Hindu festivals and Jayanthi (birthdays) celebrated in India, including Chitra Purnima, Deepavali, Durga Puja or Navaratri, Gayatri Japa Day, Guru Purnima, Holi, Kartigai Deepam, Makara Shankranti, Raksha Bandhan, Ratha Saptami, Telugu New Year's Day, Vasant Navaratri, and Vasant
The document provides prayers and dedications from Shriniwas Janardan Kashalikar's book "Conceptual Stress Understanding and Management". It offers prayers to various Hindu deities including Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Gauri, and Lord Narayana to bless the writing and success of the book. It also offers prayers to cosmic principles like the Guru principle and all enlightened beings. The document explains that the prayers are meant to establish a link with the infinite cosmic powers to overcome ego and difficulties. It is dedicated to helping others attain salvation or liberation through the book.
My siksa-guru and priya-bandhu - "my instructing spiritual master and dearmos...Mangala Nilay Dasa
This document describes the author's early association with Srila Prabhupada. It discusses how their gurus were close friends and how the author first heard of Prabhupada from his guru. It describes how Prabhupada invited the author's guru to stay with him for several months, where they engaged in preaching. It also discusses how Prabhupada and the author's guru founded the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti to establish the teachings of their guru after turmoil in the Gaudiya Matha. The author had his first meeting with Prabhupada in 1947 at a lecture given by his guru.
The document summarizes Krishna instructing the residents of Vrindavan to stop performing sacrifices to Indra and instead worship Govardhana Hill. Krishna argues that nature and the three modes are ultimately in control of rain and sustenance, not Indra. He tells them to decorate and feed cows, invite brahmanas to chant, give charity, and circumambulate Govardhana Hill with offerings. The residents agree and celebrate Govardhana Puja, with Krishna assuming a divine form as Govardhana. Worship of Govardhana Hill is said to bring good fortune to cows and residents.
This chapter discusses what religion can contribute to mankind. It notes that all humans seek happiness and freedom from suffering. While material progress has solved some problems, it has not eliminated suffering. Religions aim to serve humanity by providing guidance on reducing suffering and increasing happiness. The chapter argues that non-material forms of development deserve examination alongside economic growth.
This document provides an introduction to Kundalini Yoga. It discusses Kundalini energy, which lies dormant at the base of the spine. The goal of Kundalini Yoga is to awaken this energy and move it up the central channel (sushumna nadi) through meditation and practice, piercing the six chakras until reaching the crown chakra, where the individual is united with cosmic consciousness. It outlines some of the key concepts in Kundalini Yoga such as the chakras, kundalini energy, prana, and different states of meditation. The introduction emphasizes that Kundalini Yoga is an exact science that can lead one to
Theme - The Art of Responding Effectively | Turning Crisis into Opportunities
CONTENTS:
1) The Art of Responding Effectively
2) Verse of the Month
3) Pari-prasna
4) Quiz Corner
5) Analogy Arena
6) Bhagavata Pravaha (SB 3.23-25, DUTIFUL HUSBAND & RESPONSIBLE RENUNCIANT )
GSB Madhva English Newsletter - August 2016 IssueGsb Madhva
The aim of this newsletter is to disseminate Dvaita (Tattvavada), the philosophy of Sri Madhvacharya in a language and tone that majority of today's youth can understand, get convinced, connect, practice and succeed.
Dvaita is more than what is seen from outside. It is a fruitful way of life allowing us to achieve worldly and spiritual success. Living in harmony with our indwelling God.
It is not sectarian. It is rather based on strong authentic Veda itself. Find out how Dvaita can give a new outlook to your life.
Make spirituality relevant in life.
Inaugural issue unveiled by Sri Samyamindra Teertha of Kashi math and blessed by Sri Vidyadhiraj Teerta of Gokarn math
Sri Sarada Devi was born in 1853 in West Bengal and was married to Sri Ramakrishna at a young age. She lived with him at Dakshineswar and served him selflessly, becoming his first disciple. After his death, she guided his spiritual movement and disciples. As a spiritual leader, she emphasized finding God within, serving others, and seeing God in all. She taught the importance of spiritual practices, renunciation, and seeking God with love, faith and perseverance. Sarada Devi embodied compassion and saw no one as a stranger. She spread Ramakrishna's teachings until her death in 1920.
This document provides a description of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi in 3 paragraphs. It describes her as kind, gentle, and a mother figure who is above others yet always with them. It notes how she gives advice and counsels others, understanding their problems and dilemmas better than they do. It highlights how wise people listen to her words rather than interrupt or second guess her.
RETREAT - India Buddhist circuit 12 - 22 September 2019Savina Cenuse
This document provides information about an 11-day spiritual program in the Himalayas from September 12-22, 2019. It will include accommodations in Leh, Nubra Valley, and Delhi, as well as meals, transportation, and activities. Participants will work on healing, manifestation, and spiritual development goals with guides Amaleswari Devi and Karma Dhondup. The schedule includes yoga, meditation, energy work, and visits to monasteries and ashrams. The program contribution is 1,550 Euro which covers costs but not flights. A 500 Euro deposit is required upon booking with the remaining balance due 2 months before. Testimonials from previous participants describe transformative experiences of personal growth, connection to spirit
The document outlines a vision, mission, and strategic plan for providing holistic care to devotees in ISKCON. It aims to ensure devotees receive proper spiritual, physical, and emotional care so they can happily progress in Krishna consciousness and expand Srila Prabhupada's mission. Key aspects of the plan include developing care programs for temple devotees, families, the elderly, and more; facilitating access to healthcare, counseling, and spiritual education; and creating devotee care committees and databases to help address devotees' varied needs. The goal is to support devotees' dedication to Krishna by taking care of their well-being.
Kanchi Periva Forum Newsletter - Volume 5kanchiperiva
This newsletter provides updates from the Kanchi Periva Forum community. It shares divine experiences
with Sri Maha Periva submitted by devotees, along with articles on Hindu philosophy and teachings from
Periva. It encourages new members to participate actively and thanks contributors for their service. The
newsletter aims to spread the message and teachings of Periva.
1. Sri Ramakrishna was a 19th century Hindu saint from Bengal who helped liberalize Hinduism and spread its teachings.
2. He emphasized God-realization as the supreme goal and that lust, greed, and worldly attachments prevent people from realizing God.
3. His teachings were spread by his disciple Swami Vivekananda who founded the Ramakrishna Mission to conduct spiritual and social service work.
4. Sri Ramakrishna taught that one can live in the world detached like a mud fish lives in mud, and that through devotion, love, and surrendering to God one can know God.
Theme - Disapproved but not Disowned
CONTENTS -
Disapproved but not Disowned, Verse of the Month, Bhagavata Pravaha, Pari-prasna, Quiz Corner, Analogy Arena
The document contains extracts from prayers and mantras in Sanskrit dedicated to various Hindu deities like Lord Ganesh, Guru, Surya (the Sun God), and Saraswati (the Goddess of knowledge). It includes invocations for early morning, daily prayers, before meals and studies. The mantras focus on seeking blessings, forgiveness and guidance from the gods. Rituals and mantras are described as ways to cultivate proper attitudes and understand spiritual concepts like karma.
The document discusses life after death from a Hindu perspective. It begins with an introduction explaining that the science of life after death, or Paraloka-Vidya, has fascinated people for millennia. It then provides excerpts from Hindu scriptures, including prayers from the dying asking to see the truth and identifying the self as the supreme being. The introduction explains that conquering the fear of death is the aim of yoga practices.
This document summarizes the author's spiritual studies over 18 years. It discusses how belief in miracles is declining as belief in natural law increases. If miracles described in religious texts can't be explained by natural law, then either they did not occur or the person performing them was deceptive. However, if similar spiritual phenomena that occurred in biblical times can be shown to still occur naturally today, it could help address increasing skepticism toward miraculous claims from the past. The author's main conclusion is that after 18 years of study, they are convinced spiritual gifts and phenomena described in the past can still occur naturally today.
This document provides a summary of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in 3 sentences or less. It begins with an introduction to the book and its purpose of sharing the message of Jesus' birth. The main body then summarizes Jesus' life from his birth and divine protection as a baby, through his teachings, miracles, crucifixion and the meaning of his sacrifice. It also includes summaries of the Beatitudes and Jesus' key spiritual teachings.
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive function. Exercise causes chemical changes in the brain that may help protect against developing mental illness and improve symptoms for those who already suffer from conditions like anxiety and depression.
WiMAX has the potential to replace existing telecommunications infrastructure by providing broadband internet, phone, and TV services without the need for cables. It can do this through either fixed wireless or mobile configurations. WiMAX uses radio signals to transmit data between a base station and customer equipment up to 6 miles away, delivering speeds of around 40 Mbps. Key benefits of WiMAX include its ability to provide broadband connectivity to both businesses and homes from a single base station. Objections around interference, quality of service, security and reliability for wireless technologies are addressed through features in the WiMAX protocol like adaptive antenna systems and dynamic frequency selection.
Harley Davidson India Motorcycles Brochuregopi1985
This document provides specifications for various Harley-Davidson motorcycle models, including dimensions, engine details, drivetrain components, chassis details, tire sizes, and contact information for exclusive dealers in several Indian cities. Key motorcycle models described include the Sportster, Iron 883, Roadster, Forty-Eight, Nightster, XR1200X, Dyna Street Bob, Super Glide Custom, Fat Boy, Heritage Softail Classic, and Fat Boy Special. Contact phone numbers and addresses are provided for dealerships in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.
This document is an excerpt from the book "Yoga in Daily Life" by Sri Swami Sivananda. It discusses the foundations of yoga practice and provides guidance for implementing bhakti (devotional), karma (selfless service), and jnana (knowledge) yoga in daily life. Some key points include: cultivating willpower and self-control on the spiritual path; finding happiness within rather than from external objects; the importance of a guru; different yogic diets and restrictions; practicing japa (mantra repetition), kirtan (devotional singing), and daily spiritual routines; developing selfless service without attachment to results; and using wisdom and discrimination to attain moksha (liberation
This document provides background information on the Bhagavad Gita. It was composed by Sri Swami Sivananda and published by the Divine Life Society. The Gita is a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna that takes place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. It contains 18 chapters and over 700 verses covering topics like yoga, karma, wisdom, devotion and more. The Gita provides guidance for daily living and achieving self-realization. It is considered a universal scripture that can benefit all people regardless of religion, age or background.
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Table of Contents Title PageWELCOMETHE VAJRA.docxdeanmtaylor1545
Table of Contents
Title Page
WELCOME
THE VAJRACCHEDIKA PRAJÑAPARAMITA SUTRA
COMMENTARIES
PART ONE - THE DIALECTICS OF
PRAJÑAPARAMITA
Chapter 1 - THE SETTING
Chapter 2 - SUBHUTI’S QUESTION
Chapter 3 - THE FIRST FLASH OF LIGHTNING
Chapter 4 - THE GREATEST GIFT
Chapter 5 - SIGNLESSNESS
PART TWO - THE LANGUAGE OF
NONATTACHMENT
Chapter 6 - A ROSE IS NOT A ROSE
Chapter 7 - ENTERING THE OCEAN OF REALITY
Chapter 8 - NONATTACHMENT
PART THREE - THE ANSWER IS IN
THE QUESTION
Chapter 9 - DWELLING IN PEACE
Chapter 10 - CREATING A FORMLESS PURE
LAND
Chapter 11 - THE SAND IN THE GANGES
Chapter 12 - EVERY LAND IS A HOLY LAND
Chapter 13 - THE DIAMOND THAT CUTS
THROUGH ILLUSION
Chapter 14 - ABIDING IN NON-ABIDING
Chapter 15 - GREAT DETERMINATION
Chapter 16 - THE LAST EPOCH
Chapter 17 - THE ANSWER IS IN THE QUESTION
PART FOUR - MOUNTAINS AND
RIVERS ARE OUR OWN BODY
Chapter 18 - REALITY IS A STEADILY FLOWING
STREAM
Chapter 19 - GREAT HAPPINESS
Chapter 20 - THIRTY-TWO MARKS
Chapter 21 - INSIGHT-LIFE
Chapter 22 - THE SUNFLOWER
Chapter 23 - THE MOON IS JUST THE MOON
Chapter 24 - THE MOST VIRTUOUS ACT
Chapter 25 - ORGANIC LOVE
Chapter 26 - A BASKET FILLED WITH WORDS
Chapter 27 - NOT CUT OFF FROM LIFE
Chapter 28 - VIRTUE AND HAPPINESS
Chapter 29 - NEITHER COMING NOR GOING
Chapter 30 - THE INDESCRIBABLE NATURE OF
ALL THINGS
Chapter 31 - TORTOISE HAIR AND RABBIT
HORNS
Chapter 32 - TEACHING THE DHARMA
CONCLUSION
Copyright Page
WELCOME
WELCOME
BROTHERS AND SISTERS, please read The Diamond
That Cuts through Illusion with a serene mind, a mind
free from views. It’s the basic sutra for the practice of
meditation. Late at night, it’s a pleasure to recite the
Diamond Sutra alone, in complete silence. The sutra is
so deep and wonderful. It has its own language. The
first Western scholars who obtained the text thought it
was talking nonsense. Its language seems mysterious,
but when you look deeply, you can understand.
Don’t rush into the commentaries or you may be
unduly influenced by them. Please read the sutra first.
You may see things that no commentator has seen. You
can read as if you were chanting, using your clear body
and mind to be in touch with the words. Try to
understand the sutra from your own experiences and
your own suffering. It is helpful to ask, “Do these
teachings of the Buddha have anything to do with my
daily life?” Abstract ideas can be beautiful, but if they
have nothing to do with our life, of what use are they?
So please ask, “Do the words have anything to do with
eating a meal, drinking tea, cutting wood, or carrying
water?”
The sutra’s full name is The Diamond That Cuts
through Illusion, Vajracchedika Prajñaparamita in
Sanskrit. Vajracchedika means “the diamond that cuts
through afflictions, ignorance, delusion, or illusion.” In
China and Vietnam, people generally call it the Diamond
Sutra, emphasizing the word “diamond,” but, in fact,
the phrase “cutting through” is the most important.
Prajñaparamita means “per.
Table of Contents Title PageWELCOMETHE VAJRA.docxperryk1
Table of Contents
Title Page
WELCOME
THE VAJRACCHEDIKA PRAJÑAPARAMITA SUTRA
COMMENTARIES
PART ONE - THE DIALECTICS OF
PRAJÑAPARAMITA
Chapter 1 - THE SETTING
Chapter 2 - SUBHUTI’S QUESTION
Chapter 3 - THE FIRST FLASH OF LIGHTNING
Chapter 4 - THE GREATEST GIFT
Chapter 5 - SIGNLESSNESS
PART TWO - THE LANGUAGE OF
NONATTACHMENT
Chapter 6 - A ROSE IS NOT A ROSE
Chapter 7 - ENTERING THE OCEAN OF REALITY
Chapter 8 - NONATTACHMENT
PART THREE - THE ANSWER IS IN
THE QUESTION
Chapter 9 - DWELLING IN PEACE
Chapter 10 - CREATING A FORMLESS PURE
LAND
Chapter 11 - THE SAND IN THE GANGES
Chapter 12 - EVERY LAND IS A HOLY LAND
Chapter 13 - THE DIAMOND THAT CUTS
THROUGH ILLUSION
Chapter 14 - ABIDING IN NON-ABIDING
Chapter 15 - GREAT DETERMINATION
Chapter 16 - THE LAST EPOCH
Chapter 17 - THE ANSWER IS IN THE QUESTION
PART FOUR - MOUNTAINS AND
RIVERS ARE OUR OWN BODY
Chapter 18 - REALITY IS A STEADILY FLOWING
STREAM
Chapter 19 - GREAT HAPPINESS
Chapter 20 - THIRTY-TWO MARKS
Chapter 21 - INSIGHT-LIFE
Chapter 22 - THE SUNFLOWER
Chapter 23 - THE MOON IS JUST THE MOON
Chapter 24 - THE MOST VIRTUOUS ACT
Chapter 25 - ORGANIC LOVE
Chapter 26 - A BASKET FILLED WITH WORDS
Chapter 27 - NOT CUT OFF FROM LIFE
Chapter 28 - VIRTUE AND HAPPINESS
Chapter 29 - NEITHER COMING NOR GOING
Chapter 30 - THE INDESCRIBABLE NATURE OF
ALL THINGS
Chapter 31 - TORTOISE HAIR AND RABBIT
HORNS
Chapter 32 - TEACHING THE DHARMA
CONCLUSION
Copyright Page
WELCOME
WELCOME
BROTHERS AND SISTERS, please read The Diamond
That Cuts through Illusion with a serene mind, a mind
free from views. It’s the basic sutra for the practice of
meditation. Late at night, it’s a pleasure to recite the
Diamond Sutra alone, in complete silence. The sutra is
so deep and wonderful. It has its own language. The
first Western scholars who obtained the text thought it
was talking nonsense. Its language seems mysterious,
but when you look deeply, you can understand.
Don’t rush into the commentaries or you may be
unduly influenced by them. Please read the sutra first.
You may see things that no commentator has seen. You
can read as if you were chanting, using your clear body
and mind to be in touch with the words. Try to
understand the sutra from your own experiences and
your own suffering. It is helpful to ask, “Do these
teachings of the Buddha have anything to do with my
daily life?” Abstract ideas can be beautiful, but if they
have nothing to do with our life, of what use are they?
So please ask, “Do the words have anything to do with
eating a meal, drinking tea, cutting wood, or carrying
water?”
The sutra’s full name is The Diamond That Cuts
through Illusion, Vajracchedika Prajñaparamita in
Sanskrit. Vajracchedika means “the diamond that cuts
through afflictions, ignorance, delusion, or illusion.” In
China and Vietnam, people generally call it the Diamond
Sutra, emphasizing the word “diamond,” but, in fact,
the phrase “cutting through” is the most important.
Prajñaparamita means “per.
The document is an excerpt from a spiritual text guiding meditation aspirants. It discusses overcoming attachment to the body and identity. It advises visualizing one's own death to overcome fear and attachment. It suggests imagining the body's funeral and corpse to help realize that physical existence is temporary and does not define one's true self. The goal is to attain liberation from rebirth's cycle of suffering.
This document discusses the importance of prayer through several key points:
1. To become a true son or daughter of God requires total concentration on that goal and looking to the True Parents constantly, which is difficult to achieve alone.
2. Prayer is necessary to restore the original union between God and humanity that was lost due to the Fall. Prayer allows one to discover and inherit God's true desires.
3. God's kingdom and righteousness should be the central focus for believers, not worldly concerns. Everything should be centered on fulfilling God's will to create one harmonized world.
4. Prayer helps one align their family, society, nation and self behind God's providence and become a locomotive
Hindu rituals & routines - why do we follow thesemiddela
This document discusses several common Hindu rituals and their symbolic meanings. It explains that lighting lamps represents worshipping knowledge which dispels ignorance. Having a prayer room in the home allows one to commune daily with God within the home. The greeting of Namaste acknowledges the shared divinity in all people. Prostrating before elders recognizes their maturity, sacrifices, and conveys respect for family ties in Indian culture.
The document provides an overview of the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing protocol. It describes key OSPF concepts like link-state routing, shortest path first algorithm, areas, border routers, link-state advertisements, authentication, and route redistribution. It also covers OSPF configuration and design considerations for building large networks.
The document describes a lab activity on configuring Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) across two pods of network devices. Each pod contains an access-layer switch and distribution-layer switch. The objective is to observe the default STP configuration, configure STP, and verify the STP configuration. Students are instructed to configure the distribution-layer switches as primary and secondary root bridges for VLANs 11 and 12 based on a provided table. They then verify the root bridge configuration by displaying the STP information.
Performance problems are common in mission critical Java and .NET applications running in distributed, heterogeneous environments. Problem resolution takes too much time and resources using current tools. Traditional developer tools like debuggers and profilers do not work in production and do not provide the information needed to diagnose problems across multiple servers. Performance issues can occur anywhere in a transaction's execution path, so simply addressing symptoms does not solve the underlying problem. A new approach is needed to efficiently collect diagnostic data and speed up root cause analysis.
This document is a guidebook about Windows certification and public key infrastructure (PKI). It contains 8 chapters written by different authors on topics such as Windows 2003 certificate services architecture and installation, certificate templates, certificate validation, autoenrollment, revocation, key archival and recovery, and using certificates to secure wireless local area networks (WLANs).
This document discusses patch management best practices for keeping businesses safe from cyber attacks. It covers establishing processes for patch deployment, choosing software to deploy patches across networks, testing patches in a lab environment before production, and understanding Microsoft patching technologies. Specific topics include setting up a patch management team, configuring automatic updates, using Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer to scan for missing patches, decoding patch installers, and deploying individual patches and updates for Windows and Office applications. The goal is to build a strong foundation for timely and effective patch management.
This document provides an overview of new features in Windows Server 2003, including the different editions, hardware requirements, and how to keep systems updated and secure. It discusses improvements to Active Directory, including working with domain and forest levels, preparing for upgrades, and new management features in the administration console and Group Policy Management Console.
Sherpa Software Whitepaper Solving .Pst Management Problems In Microsoft Ex...gopi1985
Mail Attender and Archive Attender provide solutions for common problems organizations face in managing .PST files and Exchange data. These tools allow organizations to [1] locate and manage distributed .PST files, [2] search .PST content by customizable criteria, and [3] comply with legal/regulatory requirements more easily. The products also [4] archive .PST data, [5] capture and report .PST statistics, [6] delete unnecessary information to save storage, and [7] automatically compact .PST files.
Server And Desktop Virtualization1.0 Dhanasekaran Vgopi1985
This document is a copyright notice and disclaimer from Microsoft Corporation regarding the information presented. It states that the content is for informational purposes only and represents Microsoft's views as of the date of presentation. Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of presentation and makes no warranties, either express or implied, about the information in the presentation.
Server And Desktop Virtualization1.0 Dhanasekaran V
Married[1]
1. IDEAL OF MARRIED LIFE
Guidelines for happy household and family life
SERVE, LOVE, GIVE,
PURIFY, MEDITATE,
REALIZE
So Says
Sri Swami Sivananda
Sri Swami Sivananda
Founder of
The Divine Life Society
Published by the
THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
P.O. SHIVANANDANAGAR—249 192
Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh,
Himalayas, India.
World Wide Web (WWW) Edition: 2001
WWW site: http://www.SivanandaDlshq.org/
3. IF YOU WANT TO BE REALLY HAPPY......... FOLLOW AHIMSA
The Hindu doctrine of Ahimsa (Non Violence) is a comprehensive term and emphasises the
value of Satya (Truth) Tyaga (Non-Covetousness) and Brahmacharya (Self-restraint).
“Meat diet is prohibited. Do not kill even for sacrifice (Yajna)”.
This is the teaching of the Hindu sages. The Statesman sage of Mahabharata, Bhishma
censures animal slaughter even for sacrifice (Yajna).
The mighty faith of Mahavira, the prophet of Jainism reproclaimed the truth of the ancient
Vedic Rishis.
Over and over again he taught ‘regard every living being as thy own self and harm no one’.
In his last sermon given on the last day of his earthly life Mahavira said “Destroy the
bondage of Karma. Be kind to every creature” ‘O Man!’, he said “Thou art thine own friend”.
Yes—Man is his own friend, he also is his own enemy.
For there is the great cosmic law that what you do comes back to you. What you do unto
others, you do unto yourselves. Therefore be kind to all, if you want to be really happy.
—Swami Sivananda
MESSAGE TO NEWLY WED COUPLE
Radiant Immortal Soul!
Blessed Couple;
Jai Sri Ram! May God bless you!
Upon this very happy and auspicious day of your sacred marriage, I pray to the Lord to
shower His grace upon you both and grant you happiness, health, prosperity and success in life. I am
very happy to give you this little message about the greatness and glory of married life and the
sanctity of the home of a house-holder in the Grihasthashrama. This message, I give in the name of
Parama Pujya Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj invoking his blessings and Guru-kripa
upon you both. Receive this message with earnest attention. You will be greatly benefited.
The significance of married life is great indeed. Fortunate indeed is that couple who start
married life with right understanding of its importance and greatness. Marriage is a sacred spiritual
partnership between two souls who have come upon this earth to evolve an ideal life of nobility,
virtue and Dharma and attain their goal of divine perfection through such ideal life. Therefore, the
home of the married couple is a sanctified centre of spiritual life. The home is their place of
worship, prayer, spiritual Sadhana and daily meditation. The cultural ideal of your holy motherland,
1
4. MESSAGE TO NEWLY WED COUPLE
Bharatavarsha, regards this second stage of a person’s life, namely, the Grihasthashrama, as the
sacred field for the practice of noble virtue, Paropakara and Dharma and for the awakening of your
true inner spiritual nature. You are Divine Atman. You are not merely a physical creature or a
mental-intellectual being but you are a spiritual being far superior to the lesser biological and
psychological aspects of your temporary human personality. You are divinities without birth or
death. Your eternal, imperishable, immortal, spiritual nature must be realised and experienced in
this very life. To attain this wonderful experience the wife and the husband must help each other.
They are mutual helpers in this grand adventure of ideal living and spiritual unfoldment.
The home is a sacred arena for the attainment of self-conquest and self-mastery which is
more thrilling than the scaling of Mount Everest. The daily life of the Grihastha and his
Grihalakshmi must be the sublime process of manifesting their inner divinity and expressing it
outwardly through thought, speech and action. Lead this divine life. Truth, purity and universal
love and compassion constitute the basic foundation of such divine life. The essence of divine life is
selflessness and Seva, devotion and daily worship, concentration and regular meditation and to
discriminate between the real and the unreal, the divine and the undivine, between the spiritual and
the unspiritual.
Blessed couple! May you both lead such a divine life! Feel that your house is the abode of
God. Make God the most important factor in your life. Give God the central place in your daily life.
God who is the Lord of the universe is the master of your home also. Feel it a sacred privilege to be
servants at His feet. Tell Him with deep feelings, “I am Thine, all is Thine, nothing belongs to me.
Thou art everything O Lord. Bless me to worship You and to serve You in and through all beings.”
Feel God’s divine presence always in your home. Feel that you are doing everything to please Him,
to glorify Him. Make your home the holy house of prayer. Both of you must worship together, pray
together and glorify God together. Uphold Dharma. Love and respect each other. Evolve the life of
harmony, beauty and mutual regard. Develop noble character. Let moderation and a wise
self-control be the keynote of your life in all things. Create a sublime spiritual atmosphere within
the home. Shine with lofty virtue. Let your life be an inspiration to other young couples. Make such
an atmosphere at home that one who enters your home must feel at once inspired and elevated. Such
is true success in life. In such a home Satya-Yuga will prevail. Kali-Yuga cannot enter there. Such a
home is Vaikuntha on earth. Such is the glory and greatness of Grihasthashrama.
Always regard your married life in its correct perspective and recognise its sanctity,
spirituality and divinity. This is the wisdom. This is the way to joy, peace and blessedness. This is
the secret of spiritualising all your activities and living Yoga in daily life. Thus the home-life will
become the gateway to immortality, spiritual perfection and divine realisation. Verily,
Grihasthashrama, when it is rightly understood and nobly lived, becomes the great portal to eternal
blessedness and liberation. Our salutations and adorations to ideal married couples who are visible
divinities and worthy of our worship. In that home where dwell the Pativrata Nari and her loyal and
devoted husband like Bhagavati Mother Sita and Maryada-Purushottama Lord Rama there the
Devatas from Devaloka come to offer worship and feel themselves sanctified. All the sacred rivers
like Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati abide in such an ideal home. That home is sacred like Varanasi,
Prayaga, Ayodhya, Mathura and Dwaraka. May this world be blessed by such ideal married
couples, and such sacred houses of ideal Grihasthashrama! I wish you joy and peace. May your life
be radiant like the shining sun and bring light into the lives of many others! Hari Om Tat Sat!
2
5. IDEAL OF MARRIED LIFE
With regards, Prem and Prayers for your highest welfare and happiness,
Yours, at the feet of Sri Gurudev,
(Swami Chidananda)
STHREE DHARMA
Duties of a Woman
Manu says “Let a woman attend to her household duties most cheerfully and with great
dexterity, keep her utensils and apparel clean, her home tidy, her furniture free from dust, all
eatables pure, clean and free from dirt. Let her never be lavish in expenditure. Let her cooking be
done so nicely that the food may act on the system like a good medicine and keep away disease. Let
her keep a proper account of income and expenditure and show it to her husband, use her servants
properly and see that nothing goes wrong in the house.” (Chapter V-50).
“Let the husband and the wife read and recite the Vedas and other Shastras that soon give
increase of wisdom, teach the means of acquiring wealth and promote their welfare. Let them also
carefully revise what they have studied during their student life and teach the same. As far as a man
thoroughly understands the Shastras, so far as can his knowledge advance and so far may his love
for them grow.” (Manu IV-19, 20).
She should do such noble actions which would please her husband and would bring him
glory, honour, faith in God and the final attainment of God-consciousness. She should be humble,
active and straightforward. She should have a knowledge of the duties of the Grihasthis. She should
herself do all the works of the house. She should know cooking well.
She should respect all her husband’s relatives. She must serve her old mother-in-law and
father-in-law. She must do prostration to old ladies in the house, father-in-law, mother-in-law,
Sadhus, Sannyasins and Bhaktas. She must give alms to poor people, Sannyasins and
Brahmacharins when they come to her house. She should give blankets and clothes to Sannyasins.
She should treat the guests and friends of her husband with respect. She should invite them for
dinner on auspicious days. She should serve poor and sick people, Sadhus and Sannyasins. She
should be charitable and spend one-tenth of her husband’s income in charity. She should cut the
coat according to the cloth. She should never live beyond the income of her husband. She should
never borrow. She should make both ends meet. She should never allow the expenditure exceed the
income of her husband. She should have a very large heart, she should get up at four in the morning
and practise meditation. She should wake up her children also at this time and make them do Japa
and Kirtan.
The sleeping apartment must be furnished with the pictures of saints, Rama, Krishna,
Narayana, Siva. Husband, wife and children will draw inspiration when they look at the pictures.
The child in the womb is influenced by the sentiments and emotions of the mother. If she studies
daily Ramayana or Bhagavata and leads a pious life during her period of pregnancy, she will give
birth to a noble and pious child.
3
6. STHREE DHARMA
Napoleon’s mother always kept with her pictures of Greek and Roman heroes and sang
songs of these heroes. Thus the heroic spirit was created in Napoleon while he was dwelling in the
womb of his mother. Abhimanyu learnt the way to go inside the Padma Vyuha (Chakravyuha)
when he was in his mother’s womb.
Mother is the first Guru. The child learns the alphabet from the mother. The child learns to
speak from its mother. She may make him a saint or a ruler or a rogue. She imparts her virtues to her
child with the milk.
—Swami Sivananda
Annadana purifies the heart of the giver. One who does charity of food and
delights in feeding others, develops cosmic love or universal brotherhood.
—Swami Sivananda
WOMEN
Modesty is the ornament of women. To go beyond the boundary of modesty, to behave like
a man, destroys the elegance, grandeur, grace and beauty of the fair sex. Nothing can atone for the
want of modesty in a woman, without which beauty is ungraceful. Modesty is a fundamental virtue
which a woman ought to possess. Modesty is a wonderful mixture of humility, politeness, decency,
elegance, gentleness and sweetness. Modesty is the most precious ornament of a woman. A modest
woman is restrained by a sense of propriety. She has good behaviour and manners. Modesty is the
mark of true nobility. A woman without modesty is a flower without fragrance. A woman without
modesty is a mere void although she possesses many other virtues. Modesty raises a woman to the
status of divinity. A modest woman commands respect.
O Devis! do not waste your lives in fashion and passion. Open your eyes. Walk in the path of
righteousness. Preserve your Pativrata Dharma. See divinity in your husband.
—Swami Sivananda
4
7. IDEAL OF MARRIED LIFE
ADVICE TO HOUSEHOLDERS
I will tell you a very, very easy method of Sadhana by which you can attain
God-consciousness even while you live in the world amidst multifarious activities. You need not
have a separate place or room and time of meditation. Close your eyes for a minute or two once in
every two or three hours and think of God and His Divine qualities such as Mercy, Love, Peace, Joy,
Knowledge, Purity, Perfection and so forth during work and repeat mentally HARI OM or SRI
RAM or RAM RAM or KRISHNA KRISHNA or any Mantra according to your liking. Feel that the
body is a moving temple of God, your office or business house is a big temple or Vrindavan and
every activity such as walking, talking, writing, eating, breathing, seeing, hearing, etc., are
offerings unto the Lord. Work is worship. Work is meditation.
Give up expectation of fruits and idea of agency (I am the doer. I am the enjoyer). Feel that
you are an instrument in the hands of God and He works through your organs. Feel also that this
world is a manifestation of the Lord or Visva Vrindavan and your children, wife, father and mother
are the images of the same Lord. See Him in every face and in every object. Have a cool balanced
mind always. If you develop this changed angle of vision and Divine Bhava in dally life by
protracted and constant practice, all actions will become Yogic activities. All actions will become
worship of the Lord. This is quite sufficient. You will get God-realisation quickly. This is dynamic
Yoga. This is very powerful Sadhana. I have given you a very easy Sadhana.
Write daily for half an hour in a notebook your Ishta Mantra, observing Mowna and without
turning to the other sides. Write down in bold types on slips of paper “SPEAK TRUTH”, “OM
PURITY”, “I MUST REALISE GOD NOW”, “I AM AN EMBODIMENT OF PURITY, MERCY,
LOVE, AND PATIENCE”,—and fix them in bedroom, dining hall, front-rooms and verandah.
Keep some slips in your pocket and diary also. This is an easy way for developing virtuous divine
qualities.
May the Lord bless you all!
—Swami Sivananda
Love and service are two keys to Divine Life. Religion and life are not two
but one. Lead the Life Divine.
—Swami Sivananda
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8. SANCTITY OF WOMANHOOD
SANCTITY OF WOMANHOOD
1. Woman is the Divine power on earth.
2. Woman is the first teacher of man.
3. See woman as the Energy of God.
4. Woman is the Sajiva Maya or Chaitanya Maya.
5. Woman is an embodiment of sacrifice, Ahimsa and patience.
6. If she is weak in striking, she is strong in suffering.
7. Woman is an embodiment of patience, gentleness, softness, sweetness, service and
Ahimsa.
8. Woman has innate sweetness. She is kind, tender and affectionate. She has a motherly
heart. So she is fit for Bhakti-Yoga.
9. The women of India have preserved the spiritual character of our society.
—Swami Sivananda
DOMESTIC ETHICS
(1) Yoga At Home
Sometimes the house becomes a hell when there is no religious unity between husband and
wife. If the husband is religious, the irreligious wife does not allow him to study religious books, to
sit in meditation, to visit holy places of pilgrimage, to practise Brahmacharya and to have Satsanga
with great souls. She is afraid that he will become a Sannyasin even though he gives a solemn
pledge that he will not do so. There are always quarrels in the house between husband and wife. The
husband has no peace of mind even though he earns a decent sum and has got all the earthly
comforts. The wife threatens the husband, “I will burn all your religious books as study of these
books has only produced a change in you and you are neglecting me and do not take any interest in
household affairs. I will throw stones at the head of the man who has written these books and has
inspired you to take recourse to Yogic practices. Fools only will practise Yoga”. How can men live
happily with such ignorant and irreligious women? It is better to dwell in the midst of Asuric
women like Tataka in the forest than to remain in the company of such horrible women who disturb
the peace of the house. If your wife stands in your way of doing spiritual practice mildly suggest to
her that you will take to Sannyasa. Then she will come to her senses.
It is the duty of the husband to train his wife also in the religious line. She must do some
Japa, and Kirtan. She must study religious books such as Ramayana, Bhagavata and Mahabharata.
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9. IDEAL OF MARRIED LIFE
She must take recourse to occasional fasting. He must take her to places of pilgrimage and attend
discourses and Kathas conducted by Mahatmas. The wife must help the husband in his religious and
Yogic practices. Then only the house will be a blessed place.
Some have taken Sannyasa on account of the bad behaviour of their wives and their
hindrance to Yogic practices at home. If they allowed their husbands to continue their practices and
helped them, they would have remained in the Grihastha Ashram. It is the duty of intelligent girls to
co-operate with their husbands in leading a religious life at home. Then only can both lead a life of
peace and happiness at home. The scriptures declare, “Without religion a house is a burial ground
though it is a palace.”
The husband also should not interfere with the religious practices of his wife. He should
help her in all possible ways in her spiritual evolution and purity of life.
May there be temperamental, psychological and spiritual unity between the husband and
wife! May the husband help the wife and vice versa in religious and Yogic practices! May
God-realisation be your watchword! May purity be your maxim! May Dharma be your guide!
(2) To Husbands And Wives
Quarrels arise daily in the house between the husband and the wife on account of
misunderstanding and difference of opinion. The wife thinks that the husband should obey and
please her in all respects. The husband thinks that the wife should obey and please him in all
respects. Is this possible? No. And so they quarrel every hour. It may not come into regular fisticuffs
and blows at all times, but they will not speak for some hours in the day. Sometimes there will be
boxing and caning also if the husband is short-tempered and lacks self-control. At other times the
husband breaks the vessels when he loses his temper. If the wife is like Xanthippe (wife of Socrates)
or Jijibai (wife of Tukaram), the table will be turned. There will be thunder and rain on the
husband’s head. Sometimes the wife, when she becomes angry, refuses to cook the food and lies
down in the bed drawing a blanket over her body and head under the pretext of severe
stomach-ache. The poor husband runs to the hotel to take his meals in order to catch the pilot train to
go to his office. Sometimes the wife goes to her mother’s house without informing the husband. The
poor shameless weak-willed husband runs to his mother-in-law’s house to bring her back with fresh
glowing, golden promises and entreaties.
The wife must be ever ready to receive a volley of abuses when the dishes are not prepared
to the fastidious taste of her husband. These are only minor, unimportant causes for daily quarrels.
The major causes are too numerous to be mentioned here. You already know them in full and in
detail also.
But still, if you ask a householder, “Which is better; a householder’s life or a life of a
Brahmachari?” surely he will say “Householder’s life is thousand times better than the life of a
celibate”. He will vehemently fight with all his clumsy arguments to support his view. Do
remember the story of the king who took birth as a pig and was rejoicing with his piglings. His case
is similar to this king.
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10. DOMESTIC ETHICS
People have neither discrimination, dispassion nor subtle sharp intellect. Hence they are not
able to know things in their true light. Their intellects are clouded, perverted, turbid, intoxicated and
veiled by passion, delusion, infatuation and ignorance. Hence they do not know what they are
exactly doing.
When they are swayed with passion, husbands and wives forget all about their quarrels
which occurred in the morning. They think that their life is a blessed one. They utter pleasantly
some flowery speech for the time being, though there is no real union and love in the core of their
heart.
Try to possess self-control. Rise above passions. Be pure. Develop good behaviour, good
conduct. Control anger. Be regular in Japa, Kirtan, meditation and study of Gita. Lead a life of ideal
householders. Go through the books “Advice to Householders” and “Sure Ways for Success in Life
and God-realisation”. Put the instructions in daily practice.
O Ram! Treat your wife like a Devi. She is the queen or Lakshmi of the house. Where
woman is honoured there is wealth, prosperity, success and peace. O Lila! Become a Pativrata. Do
not quarrel with your husband. Become like Savitri, Anasuya or Sita.
May you all lead a life of Purity with devotion and attain the supreme blessedness in this
very life!
—Swami Sivananda
Where there are kindness, humility and purity, there spirituality springs up,
saintliness shines, divinity descends and perfection manifests itself.
—Swami Sivananda
A MESSAGE TO YOU
Radiant Immortal Atman!
Om Tat Sat! Homage unto the Divine! It is an immense happiness to me to address these few
words to you today. May they be engraved in your heart and be enshrined in your thoughts!
Live with understanding and wisdom. Understand the meaning and purpose of life.
Understand your real nature and why you are here. Here on earth you are but a passing traveller.
Your real abode is that realm from whence you came. Here all things are temporary. All things pass.
Therefore seek the Eternal. Your Real Nature is not earthly. It is spiritual and deathless. To realise
your Reality, your eternal identity is the purpose of life. While you strive diligently for this inner
experience, cultivate Ideal Relationship with this world around you. To all beings relate yourself
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11. IDEAL OF MARRIED LIFE
with nobility, sympathy, kindness, love, selflessness and the desire to serve all, SERVE
HUMANITY AND SEEK DIVINITY. Compassion to all is the key to blessedness. Humility is the
highest virtue. Truthfulness is the greatest treasure. Self-control is the supreme wealth to possess.
Egoism is the worst blemish.
Be an ideal individual. Become a spiritually illumined soul. Thus crown your life with
Wisdom, peace and blessedness. You will then become a blessing to all mankind. I wish you Joy
and Peace.
—Swami Chidananda
SURE WAYS FOR SUCCESS IN LIFE
Have a simple and unassuming manner of life. Live not to eat, but eat to live. Bear no envy.
Commit no slander. Speak no falsehood. Practise no deceit. Harbour no malice. You will be ever
joyful, happy and peaceful.
Righteousness is the rule of life. Lead a virtuous life. Strictly adhere to Dharma. Human life
is not human without virtues. Study the lives of saints and draw inspiration from them. Cultivate a
melting heart, the giving hand, the kindly speech, the life of service, equal vision, and impartial
attitude. Your life will, indeed, be blessed.
Lead a simple life. Lead a regulated life. Lead a hard life. Take hold of each day as if it were
the last day, and utilise every second in prayer, meditation and service. Let your life become a
continuous sacrifice to God.
Live in the present. Forget the past. Give up hopes of the future. Understand well the
meaning of life, and then start the quest. Life is thy greatest gift. Utilise every second profitably.
Success often comes to those who dare and act. It seldom comes to the timid. May you all attain
success in life!
—Swami Sivananda
THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE
Householders should not forget even for a moment that marriage is a sacred thing. The
sanctity of married life has to be realised in all its fullness and in all its seriousness. Marriage is a
sacrament. It is not just the union of two bodies. That is the least important part of it. The husband
and the wife should not think there is absolutely no love above their physical life. There is a love.
Marriage is the bringing together by God (through some mysterious law which operates in this
universe) of two souls in this vast, vast phenomenon called life in this vast stream of existence
where countless millions of souls are moving in their individual planes of spiritual evolution
towards the Divine. Through the Grace of God, through the Divine Will, and through the operation
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12. THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE
of certain laws that govern this universal life, two souls are brought together. That is the meaning of
marriage.
Through the coming together of these two souls, God means an important process to be
worked out and that is the sharing of the spiritual impulse between the two. What they have earned,
what they have learned, and their spiritual potential—the husband and the wife are to share. The
husband is to enrich the spiritual life of the wife and the wife is to enrich the spiritual life of the
husband and both are to go hand-in-hand toward the Supreme Attainment of the Divine
Consciousness. That is the true, inner meaning of family life. Marriage is sacred. It is not to be
treated lightly. It is not to be considered in a vulgar sense. Marriage is an alliance which is for
something more than mere physical enjoyment, for something more than even the all-important
purpose of the propagation of the race (though, to a limited extent, this is also a purpose of
marriage). The offsprings of the husband and the wife are also to be spiritual beings, because they
are other souls coming into this earth-plane to work out their own evolution. It is therefore, the
sacred duty of the husband and the wife to provide an ideal home and the proper initial impulse to
these souls that come as their children. The children are to be held in trusteeship for a while until
they grow up and go out into the world. The growth and development of the children will be in
accordance with their own spiritual nature, with their own spiritual evolution, with their own
Karma which they have brought with them; yet, the mother and the father can give a great deal from
their own lives to the initial spiritual unfoldment of their children until the children attain a stage
when they can themselves mind their further spiritual evolution. If healthy spiritual ideas are
implanted in the young minds from the early age, they are bound to sprout forth at a later stage and
bring blessedness to the children.
And, as the children are to be brought up to respect the law of celibacy, of continence, until
they are actually married, so the husband and the wife should adhere to the law of continence and
celibacy; and for them, this law should operate in the form of a strict moderation of marital life.
Marital life should be based upon self-control, not upon indulgence. Then, the wife should regard
the husband as the only partner and vice versa. The wife should not have any other male and she
should not think of any other man, but should be devoted to her husband; no thought of any other
man should ever cross her mind. All the rest of humanity should be to her like children—she is the
great Mother. The husband must have the vow which Rama had—the vow of the single spouse.
That means that the thought of another woman will never enter his mind. To him, the only woman is
his wife and their marriage ties are sacred. In this way the whole family set-up becomes sacred and
holy and the interior life of the spirit goes on unhampered. There is nothing in the exterior life of the
being to injure the spiritual life. There is nothing in the exterior life—either in the family life or in
one’s personal life to hold back or obstruct the spiritual life.
And thus, both husband and wife go in perfect harmony, and their lives, on the dual wings of
exterior activity and interior prayerfulness, go to the ultimate blessed state of supreme
God-consciousness—Divine Realisation. Blessedness becomes theirs, in and through their family
life, wherever they are.
—Swami Chidananda
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13. IDEAL OF MARRIED LIFE
A SPIRITUAL DAILY ROUTINE FOR THE HOUSEHOLDER
Each householder should have an ideal daily routine. The home life should not be left to
itself, but taken care of. In addition to those unexpected things that come up every day—a visit of
someone, a telephone call, an invitation to go out with someone—every one of you should have an
accepted basic programme, a basic schedule for your daily life, which should include an hour of
prayer in the morning and an hour of prayer in the evening. The prayer hour might include the
reading of scriptural texts, the reading of sacred and inspiring spiritual books, a few minutes of
quiet, indrawn meditation, a few minutes of actually articulated prayer, inspiring prayer. The prayer
can be spontaneous; it does not necessarily have to come out of some book. Or it can be both, as
there are some very inspiring short prayers in the Gospel and also in some other books. The children
should also be trained in this way.
There should also be some actual act of external worship. After all, we are embodied
creatures and we wish to exercise our bodies also in devotion. When you are in a state of worship,
the body also should take on the attitude of worship. You should light a candle, burn a little incense,
bow before the Deity, offer supplication, ask Him to enlighten you, to fill your heart with virtue, fill
your heart with divine love, goodness and selflessness, and then, bowing low and with
genuflection, kneel, press down with your forehead. In this way, you have to humble yourself in the
presence of God. Then, as the body genuflects, prostrates and humbles itself, the influence of those
little acts has a chastening effect upon the mind. We cannot become completely heedless to these
reactions of the body upon the mind and the mind upon the inner spirit. Therefore, each day, you
should have an hour when you have scope for the exercise of all these several aspects of your
being—for the exercise of the body, the heart and the feelings in prayer; for the exercise of the mind
and the intellect in study, reflection and enquiry; and for the exercise of the spirit in inner
contemplation, silence, indrawnness and meditation.
Each member of the family should have a private altar. The mother should have her own
nook or little corner, where she has her own little prayer, little conversation with God, little asking
for guidance, little intimate communion with God. The husband, likewise, should have a little altar
for himself, and if this cannot be had, at least he must have some time for himself, when he
communes with the Maker individually. And the children should be trained right from the very
beginning to have such separate little corners for themselves. Just as they have one corner for their
toys, another for their books, a third for their pets, so they must have a corner for their own
communion with the Most High, and if this habit is developed from childhood, then later on, they
will be able to have their own independent spiritual life.
—Swami Chidananda
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14. DIVINE LIFE
DIVINE LIFE
To practise non-violence, truth and celibacy is DIVINE LIFE.
To be kind, generous, humble, tolerant is DIVINE LIFE.
To practise virtues and be righteous is DIVINE LIFE.
To serve the poor in selfless, dedicated way is DIVINE LIFE.
To serve the sick with all-is-God attitude is DIVINE LIFE.
To be merciful, courageous and devotional is DIVINE LIFE.
To sing the name of God and pray is DIVINE LIFE.
To do Japa and meditation is DIVINE LIFE.
To be an instrument in the hands of God is DIVINE LIFE.
To act rightly and live in God is DIVINE LIFE.
To do unconditional self-surrender to God is DIVINE LIFE.
To restrain the senses to have God-communion is DIVINE LIFE.
To be on with the Divine Will is DIVINE LIFE.
To be a silent witness of the three states (waking, dreaming and deep sleep) is DIVINE
LIFE.
—Swami Sivananda
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15. IDEAL OF MARRIED LIFE
PRAYER
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is darkness, light and
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not
So much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying
That we are born to eternal life.
—St. Francies of Assissi
THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER
O Adorable Lord of Mercy and Love!
Salutations and prostrations unto Thee.
Thou art Satchidananda.
Thou art Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient.
Thou art the Indweller of all beings.
Grant us an understanding heart,
Equal vision, Balanced mind,
Faith, devotion and wisdom.
Grant us inner spiritual strength
To resist temptations and to control the mind.
Free us from egoism, lust, greed, anger, hatred and jealousy.
Fill our hearts with divine virtues.
Let us behold Thee in all these names and forms.
Let us serve Thee in all these names and forms.
Let us ever remember Thee.
Let us ever sing Thy glories.
Let Thy Name be ever upon our lips.
Let us abide in Thee for ever and ever.
—Swami Sivananda
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