There are two things essential for a happy life: 1.Dhanya - grains for the sustenance of the body; 2.Dhyana - contemplation for entering the temple of the Lord and merging in His glory.
Two ideas that should be cherished in our hearts: 1.Forget the harm that anyone has done to you; 2.Forget the good that you have done to others. There are three things which are immensely pleasing to to the Lord: 1.A tongue that never indulges in falsehood. 2.A body that is not tainted by causing harm to others. 3.A mind that is free from attachment and hatred. These three constitute the Triple Purity(Thrikarna Suddhi). Refrain fron uttering falsehood, inflicting pain on others and entertaining ill will towards others. Practice silence as a means of preventing the tongue from straying away from truth. There are only three ways of saving oneself: 1.Pravritti (action) - external activity is a method of sublimating the instincts and impulses; 2.Nivritti (detachment, internal quiet) is a method of subduing the thirst of the senses and of the ego; 3.Prapatti (surrender) is a method of utilising the senses, the instincts and impulses, the intelligence, the emotions, for the glorification of the all-knowing, all-directing Divine. Do and dedicate; work and worship; plan and protect; but do not worry about the fruit. That is the secret of spiritual success. " There are three kinds of sadhanas(spiritual discipline) in order to develop an unwavering mind: 1.Meena sadhana(like the fish) - Meena sadhana can be explained by remembering that fish can survive only in water. The moment it is taken out of water, it perishes. Similarly meena sadhana is one which can be only in solitude. If you sit in public, the sadhana will not be successful. Being unable to concentrate when he is mixed up with other people, to be able to get concentration in solitude is called meena sadhana. 2.Mriga sadhana(like the animal) - Mriga sadhana is that in which one can get concentration on the earth only. You cannot go elsewhere, say into water, and do it. As in this case, there are some people who can get concentration only when they are sitting in company with others. They cannot get concentration in solitude. If they are alone they begin to think of their family problems. 3.Kurma sadhana( like the tortoise) - On the other hand, the tortoise can live equally well either in water or on earth. So, if we say that one's sadhana is like kurma sadhana or one is able to concentrate like a tortoise, we mean that the person is able to concentrate irrespective of whether he is alone or sitting in company with others. This is called kurma sadhana. Four resolutions to make about your life hereafter: 1.Purity - Desist from wicked thoughts, bad habits, low activities, that weaken your self-respect. 2.Service - Serve others, for they are the reflections of the same Entitiy of which you are yourself another reflection. No one of you has any authenticity, except with reference to the One Original. 3.Mutuality - Feel always kinship with all the objects in the Universe. 4.Truth - Do not deceive yourself or others, by distoting your experience. Five points of Discipline 1.Silence : This is the first step in sadhana; it makes the other steps easy. It promotes self-control; it lessens chances of anger, hate, malice, greed and pride. Besides, you can hear His Footsteps, only when Silence reigns in the mind. 2.Cleanliness : It is the doorway to Godliness. Inner and outer cleanliness are essential, if you desire to install God in your heart. 3.Service : Service saves you from the agony you get when another suffers; it broadens your vision, widens your awareness, deepens your compassion. All waves are on the same sea from the same sea. Seva teaches you to be firm in this knowledege. 4.Love : Do not calculate or weigh the reaction, result or reward. Love calls; love responds. Love is God, Live in Love. 5.Hate-less-ness : Adweshtaa sarva bhoothaanaam(without hatred to any being). Nothing is to be looked down upon. as secondary, inferior, unimportant, or expendable. Each has its allotted role in the drama, designed by the Almighty. Do not slight, insult or injure any being, for He is in every being and your slight becomes a sacrilege. " Six qualities necessary for a devotee to be dear to the Lord: 1.Be free from any kind of desire or expectation 2.Have internal purity(the purity of the speech, mind and the body) as well as external cleanliness. 3.Have determination in performing actions which are pure, helpful to others, and sublimate man. 4.Have freedom from attachement to anything 5.Have freedom form worry. Concern yourself with the present, which is the child of the past and parent of the future. 6.Renounce egoism in any form. OM SAI RAM
