Teachings of Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj. Practise a little Japa and meditation every day. Never stop for a single day. The mind is like a restless child, it wants to runaway. You must bring it back again and again and apply it to the meditation on the Lord. Go on this way for two or three years, and then an inexpressible joy will fill your mind. Meditation and Japa appear dry in the beggining. But still you must engage the mind in the contemplation of the Deity, like swallowing a bitter medicine. Slowly spiritual joy will grow in you. People work so hard to pass an examination! To realise the God is even easier than that. Only let them call on Him with a calm, cheerful heart. Initiation into a Mantra helps concentration of mind, otherwise your mind will change and fluctuate; today you will like Kali-form, tomorow the Hari-form, and the next day perhaps the formless aspect of God. And thus your mind will not be concentrated on any one. Pranayama and other Yogic practices are not suitable to the present times and conditions. One must observe complete Brahmacharya in order to practise them. Ones food must be absolutely pure, Sattvika, and one must be guided by an expert teacher. Practice is the means of concentrating the mind. Pranayama, breath-control, is also one of the means. But it is not safe for a householder; if one is not continent, one falls ill. Moreover, one must have nutritious food, a fine place, and pure air. In order to have meditation and concentration, you must practise in solitude. The more you will try, the more you will achieve. Wherever you find condition favourable, say if there is a fine serenity, sit down and meditate. God is with form and is also formless and He is also above form and formlessness. What does Vedanta mean by saying that Brahman is true and the world is false? That the world as we see it now is false. The world vanishes in Samadhi, but you feel that you are experiencing a great joy. There is a spiritual eye of wisdom between the two eyebrows. When its vision opens, a fountain of joy is released. The whole universe is seen to be merged in bliss. This apparent universe, which you see, iis within the domain of the mind. The mind is the author, the mind has conjured it up. It cannot go beyond its own domain. Behind the mind, of which we are aware, is a subtle spiritual mind, existind in a seed form. Through contemplation, prayer, and Japa this mind develops, and with its unfoldment a new vision opens. This subtle mind also cannot reach God, the supreme Atman. But it leads you near to Him. At this stage, the world loses all its charm for the aspirant. He remain absorbed n the consciousness of God. Next comes Samadhi. The experience of Samadhi is indescribable-beyond is and is not. In this blessed experience there is neither happiness nor misery, neither light nor darkness. All is infinite Being, inexpresible. The mind is susceptible to suggestions. It learns whatever you teach it. If through discrimination you can impress upon it the joy and fullness of life in the spirit and the folly of worldly attachments, then your mind will devotee itself more and more to God. Everyone must have an ideal firmly established in his life. This ideal must never be lowered. The supreme ideal of human life is to know God. The Guru leads the disciple through different stages until he leaves him with the Lord. But there is no greater Guru than your own mind. When the mind has been purified through prayer and contemplation, it will direct you from within. Even in your daily duties this Guru will guide you. The way of steadying and purifying the mind is to retire into solitude, control all cravings, and engage yourself in contemplation and meditation. The more you occupy the mind with holy thoughts, the greater will be your spiritual unfoldment. Another means of steadying the mind is to let it wander; but keep watch over its workings. After some time the mind gets tired nd comes back to find peace in God. If you watch your mind, the mind, in turn, will keep watch over you. Can anything be achieved without spiritual discipline? Do you not see what severe disciplines even Avataras had to perform? Be self-reliant. Effort is indispensable to succes in spiritual life. Follow some discipline for at least four years. Then, if you dont make any tangible progress come back and slap my face. Resign yourself utterly to the Lord. He is everything. There is nothing besides. Never be calculating. Is self-surrender possible in a day? Work and worship must go hand in hand. It is very good if one can devote oneself solely to spiritual practices. But how many can do that? Two types of men can sit without work. One is the idiot, who is too dull to be active. The other is the saint who has gone beyond all activity. Work is a mean to the state of meditation. Instead of working for yourself, work for the Lord. Know that you are worshipping the Lord through your work. I will declare again and again and emphasize this truth-that however busy you may be in carrying out your duties, you must practise Japa and meditation. If you work and forget God, egotism and pride will overpower you. Therefore I tell you, never forget God, no matter whether you are working or sitting idle. To maintain this attitude you must keep your spiritual practices as well, whatever happens. The Gita and other scriptures emphasize the ideal of worship and meditation in the midst of the activities of life. I can confirm this from my own experience. Work and worship is the surest way to spiritual progress. Why are you afraid of work? Work for Him. You can overcome all disinclination for work if you consider it as dedicated to God. In performing Japa and meditation, certainly sufficient time and favourable conditions are important. But those who are inclined to practise spiritual exercises will do so under all circumstances. Cultivate the habit of constantly remembering God whether you are idle or engaged in work
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 07:53:16 +0000
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