NAMA SMARARANA

Smarana

Smarana is remembrance of the Lord at all times. This is unbroken memory of the Name and Form of the Lord. The mind does not think of any object of the world, but is ever engrossed in thinking of the glories of the Lord alone. The mind meditates on what is heard about the glories of God and His virtues, Names etc., and forgets even the body and contents itself in the remembrance of God, just as Dhruva and Prahlada did. Even Japa is only remembrance of God and comes under the category of this Bhakti. Remembrance also includes hearing of stories pertaining to God at all times, talking of God, teaching to others what pertains to God, meditation on the attributes of God, etc. Remembrance has no particular time. God is to be remembered at all times without break, so long as one has got his consciousness intact. Right up from his getting up from sleep in the morning, until he is completely overpowered by sleep in the night, a person is to remember God. He has no other duty in this world except remembrance of God. Remembrance of God alone can destroy all worldly Samskaras. Remembrance of God alone can turn away the mind from sense-objects. Generally the mind runs extrovert. But remembrance of God makes it introvert and does not allow it to run to particular objects of the world. Remembrance of God is a very difficult method of Sadhana. It is not possible to remember God at all times. The mind will cheat the person. He will think that he is meditating on God, but actually he will be dreaming of some object of the world or something connected with the name and fame. Remembrance is equal to concentration or meditation. All the qualities which a Raja-Yogin prescribes for the practice of meditation should be acquired by a Bhakta who wants to practise Smarana-Bhakti. Smarana is swimming against the forceful current of the river of Maya. Smarana leads to exclusive meditation on God, as is done in Raja-Yoga.

Company of real devotees is another auxiliary in the remembrance of God. Service of Mahatmas is still another necessity. The mind cannot but remember divine things when it is in the company of divine people. Therefore one should have Satsanga and he should always live with a saint or a great Bhakta. He should not be perturbed by censure or ridicule from the world. He should rely on God and rest assured that God will help him in all troubles and He will give him Final Emancipation.

Lord Krishna says in the Gita: O Arjuna! He who fixing his mind on Me, constantly remembers Me, I am easily attained by that Yogi, ever united with Me. The Gita is an authority on the nine modes of Bhakti. Lord Krishna illustrates with authority that the various modes of devotion shall lead one to the Supreme.

Remembrance of the Lord has given Liberation even to those who remembered Him through hatred, even as a worm, through meditation on the wasp through hatred and fear, attains the state of the wasp. Haters of the Lord like Kamsa and Sisupala had attained the state of Moksha through Vaira-Bhakti. Constant remembrance is the fruit of almost all other methods of practice in spiritual Sadhana. This is the most potent method and the most difficult also.

The miser does not forget his wealth even if he is engaged in other duties. The lustful man does not forget his beloved, and the cow does not forget its calf even while grazing. Even so a worldly man, even though he may be engaged in other duties of life, should practise the remembrance of God.

Prahlada practised the remembrance of God. He never forgot God at any time. He was punished by his cruel father in all possible ways. But the devoted Prahlada crossed over all troubles and obtained the Supreme Grace of the Lord. Prahlada was lost in the consciousness of God. Such should be the ardent aspiration of all devotees. The seventh Skandha of the Bhagavata gives a beautiful description of how Prahlada practised Bhakti even amidst trying conditions.

by Swami Sivananda

To Achieve Nirvana

Nirvana is defined as a peaceful state of mind that is free from craving, anger and mental suffering. The concept of Nirvana is based on the philosophy and beliefs attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha, who lived between the 6th and 5th centuries BCE.

The fundamental teachings of this philosophy acknowledge that there is suffering in the world, and that much of this suffering is caused by our desires and expectations of how life should be. The path to enlightenment, which leads to the cessation of suffering (nirvana), requires that we understand our relationship to the natural world and accept the consequences of being conscious mortal beings. We must understand the cognitive and emotional causes of suffering and attempt to change our patterns of thought and behavior so that our mind and our mood is not controlled by our desires for fulfillment. The traditional steps for achieving nirvana require wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental discipline.

Wisdom purifies the mind and allows it to attain spiritual insight into the true nature of all things. We must be critical observers and view reality as it is, not just as it appears to be. The view of nature gained through deep reflection and validated through investigation provides us with the right intention to reach toward goals that are compatible with the new vision.

Ethical conduct gives us the peace of mind that comes from knowing that our actions do not result in harm for other living beings. We must be truthful and considerate. We must act in ways that are not harmful to others, and our work must not contribute to human misery or aggravate the condition of our fellow men.

Mental discipline provides control over our own mind. This is accomplished through contemplative and meditative practices. We always have to make an effort to improve ourselves. We have to maintain a high level of awareness to see things for what they are without letting them influence our emotions, and we have to allow the mind to observe and gain insight into the changing flow of experience.

Achieving nirvana requires determination, and a whole lifetime of dedication. 

Seek Thee Beauty Of The Real Within

Every now and then, you look for a beauty that will not fade with time. But the approach that you take usually comprises looking at people and judging their qualities. Tell me one thing, is that really the way to seek real beauty? The beauty that comes and goes in a transient manner can never satisfy you fully, for it is by it’s very nature transient. I have seen many a times people running after attracting individuals in response to the charm that they find in others. The charming beauty pleases the person for a certain period of time, thereupon abandoning at a point where he finds no longer the pleasure like the first time. Isn’t it quite ridiculous for all of us to fall for others in such a fickle way? Precisely, it is not a problem if sought out deeply, nor a habit of responding to the natural urges due to carnal desires abnormally. There is something more to it, rather a deep mystery of our mystical soul.

The soul in itself is the complete perfection and a spark of the divine being individualized within an entity. The entity is nothing more than a physical encasement of matter which imposes several limitations to the abundance, and immense vitality of that Great Divine Source. As you can realize, the limitations of this Encasement cum physical body belittles the beauty which is much more than what it holds in it’s confined domain. When the soul gets trapped in this labyrinth of limitations, ignorance begins to cloud his consciousness which in time obscures the visibility of the True beauty which lies beyond the physical body, not in the body. But this innate tendency of rejoicing the Divine beauty keeps on pulling him, or distracting on a phenomenal manner to seek it again and again. Due to ignorance he finds it elsewhere, into the abyss of darkness which can contain nothing more than the mirage of the beauty, not the beauty as such, instead of finding it into the source within.

Being unaware of this subtle innate tendency of seeing the beauty he keeps on wandering around, opting it in “this” or “that”, keeping him always in the vicious cycle of this Grand illusion, the illusion which offers nothing as real, but projecting the unreal as real making you a part of it.

So if you ever see a lad lurking around a girl, don’t take it be a nonsense. Peculiar it may seem, but you should know what the man is desiring inwardly. So if you think over the matter, it will clear your mind off all the debris that there is nothing wrong in searching beauty in a people. But you should know at the same times that the beauty that you are looking will not last for long. It will end with the factor which shows it, the physical body. Once gone, the beauty too is gone. So what is the utility of taking pleasure from something temporary.

There is a fountain of Great beatitude within, which once harnessed can drench you with great vitality, contentment, and joy. Thus stop looking for the beauty that comes and goes, instead dive within find the real source of it.

Peace & Love.

Vipassana: The Golden Silence

Vipassana meditation is an ancient technique, which the Buddha practiced on his journey to enlightenment. The objects of Vipassana meditation are thoughts, emotions and sensations throughout the body. When practiced with persistence, it can impact your life in a number of positive ways.

The key benefits of Vipassana meditation are as follows:

Development of Wisdom

A unique effect of Vipassana is it enables you to understand and experience the Law of Impermanence in action. This law states that everything is changing. Nothing lasts. This is true in our outer world. For instance, you buy a piece of clothing. Your wear it and wash it over again. All the time it is disintegrating.

The Law of Impermanence also applies to our inner world and our thoughts, feelings and sensations, which emerge, stay for a while and then pass away. By meditating on the arising and passing away of mind-body phenomena, one develops true wisdom of what is going on inside them.

Witness How Suffering is Caused

Related to the point above developing wisdom, by practicing Vipassana meditation, you also experience how you are responsible for your own suffering. When you become attached to your thoughts, emotions and feelings, you suffer. For instance if you have an unpleasant thought, you will resist it and become uncomfortable.

On the other hand, if you have a pleasant thought, you will enjoy it. However, it won’t last for long. As soon as it passes, there is potential for you to suffer again as you may become frustrated.

Non-Attachment

Through practice of Vipassana, you learnt to develop non-attachment to your thoughts, emotions and sensations. You know that whatever arises in you will pass away, anyway. By understand and experiencing this, you will become less and less attached to your mind-body phenomena.

You will learn how to stop creating a false Self, which happens through attachment. By meditating on non-attachment, over time you will experience reduced stress and become less agitated.

More Present Moment Living

By observing your thoughts, emotions and sensations objectively, you are living in the present moment, as you are not getting caught up in the contents of your mind-body phenomena. You’re just a detached observer. This is true living in the moment.

How to do Vipassana Meditation

When first starting out with Vipassana, aim to meditate for 20-30 minutes a day in one sitting. A basic outline for Vipassana meditation in the S.N. Goenka style is as follows.

1. Sit in a quiet place, cross-legged on a meditation cushion or a pillow. If it’s too uncomfortable to sit like this, you can also sit upright on a chair. Close your eyes.

2. Starting at the top of your head in the centre of it, observe sensations arising and passing away, objectively, without getting attached to them. These sensations could be prickling, tickling, heat or cold spots. If it’s a pleasant sensation, just observe it without labelling it as being pleasant. If it’s an unpleasant one, do the same.

Don’t react to it. Just observe it. Continue observing such sensations working your way down all over your body, your arms, chest, abdomen and your legs, until you reach the tips of your toes. Once you reach your toes, go back the other way from your toes to your head, observing sensations, arising and passing away.

3. As you’re observing sensations, if a thought or emotion arises in you, just observe it objectively, without becoming attached to it. For instance, if a pleasant emotion arises, don’t become attached it. On the other hand, if it is an unpleasant emotion arises, just observe it objectively. Maintain complete balance of your mind.

True Love Is Eternal Love. Valentine's Day

The love of God is the real truth and reality of ‪#‎ValentinesDay‬
True Love Is Eternal Love.

This Valentine’s Day, make the Divine your valentine. See the Divine in your valentine and make the divinity your valentine. Have the same love for everyone, with different flavours. You cannot behave the same way with everyone, but you can love all of them. Love transcends behaviour and etiquette.

Abiding in the Self, you become the valentine for the whole world. Spirit is the valentine of matter and matter is the valentine of the spirit. They are made for each other. If you hold on to matter and do not respect the spirit, then matter is not pleased. If you honour the spirit, then you will care for the world, and when you care for the world, it will take care of you.

Keep your heart in a safe place; it is too delicate. Events and small things make strong impressions on it. A precious stone needs a setting around it - gold or silver - to hold it; in the same way wisdom and knowledge are the settings that will hold your heart in the Divine. To keep your heart safe and your mind sane, you cannot find a better place than the Divine. Then the passing time and events will not be able to touch you; they will not create a scar.

Often, you do not know how to respond, or feel obliged and bound, when someone shows a lot of love. The ability to receive genuine love comes with the ability to give love. The more you are centred and know by experience that love is not an emotion; it is your very existence, the more you feel at home with any amount of love expressed in any manner.

There are three kinds of love.
1)The love that comes out of charm
2) The love which comes out of comfort and
3) The divine love. 

The love that comes out of charm does not last long. It comes out of unfamiliarity or attraction. In this, you lose the attraction fast, and boredom sets in. This love may diminish and bring along with it a fear, uncertainty, insecurity and sadness. The love that comes out of comfort and familiarity grows, but it has no thrill, no enthusiasm, joy, or fire to it. For example, you are more comfortable with an old friend who is a familiar person rather than with a new person. Divine love supersedes both the above. It has an ever present newness. The closer you go, more charm and depth come to it. There is never boredom and it keeps everyone on their toes.

Worldly love can be like an ocean, yet an ocean has a bottom. Divine love is like the sky which is limitless. From the bottom of the ocean, soar into the vast sky. Ancient love transcends all these relationships and is inclusive of all the relationships. Let love be. Don’t give it a name. When you give it a name, it becomes a relationship, and relationships restrict love.

Often, one experiences love at first sight. Then as time goes on, it decreases, decays, turns into hatred and disappears. Ancient love never decays. Although its mortality rate is high, love dies very young. After a few days, weeks, months, or years, it dies. In society, you say love is never a tree, it is a seasonal crop.

When the same love becomes a tree with the manure of knowledge, it becomes ancient love that goes from lifetime to lifetime. That is our own consciousness. You are not limited to this present body, this present name, this present form and the present relationships around you. You may not know your past, your ancientness. But just know you are ancient, that is good enough.

Pain goes with love. Because you love someone, even a small action can hurt you. And in hurt, you feel very delicate, very deep. Love also creates the same sensation. Separation creates the same symptom. If you don’t love somebody, you will never feel hurt by them. Understand and accept this. Then that hurt will not turn into a sore feeling. Rather, that very hurt will take you deep into dispassion and meditation.

When love glows, it becomes bliss; 
When it flows, it is compassion; 
When it blows, it is anger;
When it ferments, it is jealousy. 
Let love be. Don’t give it a name!
~Sri Sri

Chinese New Year Celebrations, Day 1 - 12 Feb 2016

REWARD FOR APPRECIATION

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the last decision. The director discovered from the CV that the youth’s academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, Never had a year when he did not score.
The director asked, “Did you obtain any scholarships in school?” The youth answered “none”.
The director asked, “Was it your father who paid for your school fees?” The youth answered, “My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees”.
The director asked, “Where did your mother work?” The youth answered, “My mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect”.
The director asked, “Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?” The youth answered, “Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me”.
The director said, “I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother’s hands, and then see me tomorrow morning”.
The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid. The youth cleaned his mother’s hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother’s hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother’s hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future. After finishing the cleaning of his mother’s hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother. That night, mother and son talked for a very long time. Next morning, the youth went to the director’s office.
The Director noticed the tears in the youth’s eyes, asked: “Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?” The youth answered, “I cleaned my mother’s hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes”.
The Director asked, “please tell me your feelings”. The youth said, *"No:1*I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today. *No:2*By working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. *No:3*I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship”.
The director said, “This is what I am looking for to be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired”. Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company’s performance improved tremendously.
MORAL: If one doesn’t understand and experience the difficulty it takes to earn the comfort provided by their loved ones, than they will never value it. The most important thing is to experience the difficulty and learn to value hard work behind all the given comfort.

A small glimpse of the dashaavataar (the ten incarnations).

Within our consciousness, the dashavataar (the ten incarnations) is eternally present.

When the consciousness awakened, knowledge arose, then the Matsya(fish) incarnated; when that knowledge stabilized, became quiet, then Kurma(turtle) incarnated; the mind was cleansed. The old issues that we used to be bothered by, they were cleansed, Varah(boar) incarnated. When the radiance manifested with much gravity and power, then sensitivity appeared, and Narasimha(half man-half lion) incarnated.

Vaman who is very beautiful, extremely beautiful, He destroys arrogance. Beauty is like that. Attraction is one that destroys arrogance. No matter how much arrogance there is, it gets shattered.

If you want to crush the ego in a person, then do just one thing – show him an extremely beautiful thing. Seeing an extremely beautiful object, situation or individual, arrogance gets shattered. Vaman incarnation is that which destroys arrogance.

Parashuram is one who accepts everything. In the incarnation of Ram there is morality. If life is devoid of morality, you would be a nuisance to society, and a misery to yourself. However, if you just remain in propriety, you will not be able to celebrate. If you are unable to experience the infinite nature of your soul, you will become depressed.

In the Krishnavatar, celebration is present in its fullness. In any situation, we can celebrate – this is the message. And along with celebration, there should be silence, become content in yourself, in silence. Contentment - one glimpse of it can fulfill, make you still and take you into silence – be content with celebration also.

Buddha was in such silence, in peace – Buddha’s incarnation carries a lot of significance. When people in yaduvansh itself forgot peace, goodness, love, then trouble began. There was so much pride that God is our very own, so what do we need to do? Just keep celebrating!

When there is celebration, keep one thing in mind, that there is an expansion of the mind. In that expanded mind, attentiveness/one-pointedness is not there, sensitivity is lost. There is no concern for anyone. What kind of effect it is having on someone, no thought is given to this. One is just absorbed in one’s own mood. Often the individual who is happy is lost in his own fantasy, loses all awareness.

When Buddha came, awareness spread everywhere. This is very meaningful. It is significant that after celebration, there should be silence. But after silence, if one remains in silence, then everything will cool down /fizzle out. It will slip into tamoguna (inertia/ignorance).

That is why it has been said that the incarnation of Kalki arrived riding on a horse. What is ‘horse’? It is called ‘Ashva’. In Sanskrit, ‘Ashva’ there is only one word ‘Horse’, and for now, ‘present’; ‘Shva’ meaning yesterday i.e. past or tomorrow i.e. yet to come – ‘ashva’ means that which is not yesterday or tomorrow; which is now, in this moment.

Within you, such awareness will awaken – that Kalki awareness – that relates to the present, and feels a sense of belonging to the whole world; that this whole world is our very own. If you believe this, then it is the victory of the Kalki incarnation. No one is an outsider!

This is a small glimpse of the dashaavataar (the ten incarnations).