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Unattached work: In ancient India all the people were sages. They never did any work to earn extra wealth for getting extra enjoyment or to give it to their children. They were only doing karma, which is the work necessary to earn their livelihood. Such karma is not a sin because livelihood is essential. In doing such karma, an advice called nishkama karma yoga was given because it gives mental peace and strength. According to this advice, one should do work without attaching himself to the fruit of the work. This attachment to the fruit of the work is called as kama and if it is avoided, the person becomes peaceful...
[Morning Discourse]Aim of human life: The aim of human life is to achieve God’s grace, which is the love of God. Even if you earn more money, you cannot carry it with you after death. Very little money is sufficient to eat and drink. Animals and birds manage to get that even without money. If your aim behind earning money is only eating, drinking and enjoying, you will be born as an animal, bird or worm in the next birth. If your file is opened in the upper world, you will definitely not get another human...
Ritual worship means serving the Human Incarnation of God: The Shiva Lingam is a formless stone from which all the statues are prepared. The Shiva Lingam is always associated with continuous bath (abhisheka; dripping of water)which is the ‘snana upachara’. What is the inner meaning here? This means that all the statues are only for vision and they should be frequently washed to avoid the gathering of dust. Except for this one mode of worship, no other mode of worship is necessary for a statue...
Swami:
Consciousness or awareness is life energy
Associated with the sophisticated nervous system
When the life energy is associated with ordinary systems
Inert electricity is called life energy...
Lakshman:
I am angry with You Swami!
First You told that there is no quantitative similarity
Now You say that there is no qualitative similarity also
Between Jiiva and Ishwara, I am confused
Is there no link between Ishwara and Jiiva? Please clarify...
[Christmas message] These discourses will bring a harmony between Hinduism and Christianity. The messages of a Hindu saint like Swami Vivekananda have spread in Christian countries. The messages of Christianity have spread in India. Thus there is a broad-minded brotherhood between Hinduism and Christianity. The tolerance of Hindus and the love of Christians are the reasons for such a bond of brotherhood. Spreading of these special discourses among your Christian friends will strengthen the feelings of...
Swami:
Oh! Lakshman! What a diamond you are
How sharp your spiritual question is!
Brahman is beyond space and time
You can never imagine Brahman...
Swami:
True, Maya has beginning, since
Brahman existed alone before creation
But, once the cinema started, it never ends
If it ends, Brahman gets again bored...
Lakshman:
When I reach the state of awareness of awareness
That is the final state of salvation in which state
I experience the Brahman and that is Samadhi
Oh! Sadguru Dattaswami! Explain to me clearly...
Lakshman:
Oh! Datta Swami! You are Lord Datta
Kindly open my eye of knowledge
Shankara told that Jeeva is Ishwara
If Avidya of Jeeva is removed...
Blind Bond: Even great scholars are blindly attracted to their family bonds in the name of tradition. Finally, they all fall into the well. Kunti was a great devotee of Lord Krishna. But she was attached to Dhritarashtra and Gandhari in the name of traditional practice. Dhritarashtra was blind. Gandhari [voluntarily] covered her eyes with a piece of cloth all her life. Both were blind because they were supporting their devil...
Imaginary Chakras and Lotus flowers: Yoga is the most prestigious field of spirituality. People think that there are six wheels (chakras) or lotus flowers present in the spinal cord, which are not seen by the eyes. [Actually] the wheels are imaginary and so the term ‘wheel’ must carry some inner meaning. When you say someone’s face is the moon itself [metaphorically], only fools search for the moon in that face. But wise people see the similarity between...
Stop Wastage: You are pouring milk to serpents today. But otherwise you are killing serpents whenever and wherever you see them. A serpent never harms anybody unless it is hurt and fears for its own life. It spreads its hood and gives a hissing sound as a warning. After biting, the serpent does not drink your blood or eat your flesh. Man is killing animals, which do not harm man or eat his flesh. Today you must develop some kindness and understand these serpents. Then today will be a meaningful...
Meaning of Light: The Veda says “Param jyotih”. The Brahma Sutra says “Jyotir adhikaranat”. This means that whenever the word light comes [in a philosophical context], it only means God. In ancient times, light [lamp] was lit using ghee [clarified butter] or oil. Neither kerosene nor electricity was present at that time. In the evening when darkness came, the lamp would be lit and it was a necessity. In such light [in that context,] the ancient people...
Leave Blind Practices: Today is the festival of Lord Krishna. Deepavali means a series of lights. Krishna Himself told in the Gita “Jnana deepena” i.e., light means knowledge. In other verses also, Swami (Lord) told the same “Satvat sanjayate” “Prakasa upa” i.e., Satvam (good quality) is light. Satvam means knowledge. So light is knowledge. The Gita also says “Na pavakah” i.e., the sun, moon, and fire cannot shine before Lord. The Veda also...
Art of Living—Heart of Loving: In the word ‘living’, the second letter ‘i’ is a semi circle (when written by hand; cursive writing). If that semi-circle is made a full circle, it becomes ‘o’. Then the word ‘living’ becomes ‘loving’. Now to the word ‘art’, add the word ‘He’ in the beginning. It becomes ‘heart’. ‘He’ means God. The Veda says ‘Purushohavai’ i.e., God is the only...
Which Knowledge Requires Propagation? Some people desire to become a Guru (preacher) when they fail in every business. They want to succeed in the spiritual business. Some other people have the itch to become a Guru to get disciples around them. But in order to preach and become a real Guru in this world, there are three requirements: 1) You should discover a truth in the scriptures that is better [than what is currently known]. 2) Due to the lack of the knowledge of your discovery...
The Proof of Real Devotion: Guru Dakshina is the money offered in the service of God. Money is the fruit of work. Therefore, money and work are inter-convertible forms. In the Gita, donating money is called as karma phala tyaga and donating work [your voluntary efforts in God’s mission] is called as karma samnyasa. Both these put together are called as karma yoga or seva (service). One can do service by doing both or any one of these two according to one’s convenience. Only this service...
Swami Vivekananda cried loudly looking at the sky, “Why is India, with such rich spiritual knowledge, suffering with poverty?” Only Lord Datta can give the answer to this question. Today, the answer is given. Any country means its people and their mentality. The mind decides everything and the action follows accordingly. If the mentality is analyzed, the action and its fruit become clear. Almost all the foreign countries are blessed with wealth, except India. So the mentality of all...
Destroying the Buffalo-Demon: Today is the Vijayadashami festival. Today Goddess Durga got victory over Mahishasura (Buffalo-Demon). Durga represents the highest power, which is knowledge. Mahisha (he-buffalo) represents the foolish rigidity of blind tradition. Yama Dharma Raja, the Lord of Death and Justice, sits on Mahisha. Yama means the rules and regulations imparted by the tradition. Dharma means the age-old practice. Raja means strictness and ego. Therefore, Mah isha represents an ignorant...
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