Thought of The Day

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RE: Thought for the Day

14th March 2013

The greatest defect today is the absence of Self-Inquiry (Aathma Vichara), which is the root cause of all restlessness. If you are eager to know the truth about yourself, then you will never go astray. All pots are made of mud, all ornaments of gold, and all clothes are of yarn. Here, even though you see so much diversity, there is a unity. The basic substance of everyone is the Supreme Self (Brahman). It is your basis too! Just as a river’s flow is regulated by the bunds, and flood waters are directed to the sea, so too the Upanishads regulate and restrict the senses, mind and intellect, to help you reach the Divine and merge the individual in the Absolute. Scanning a map or a guide book will not give you even a fraction of joy of the actual visit! Scriptures are only maps and guidebooks. Act in accordance and experience bliss.

 

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RE: Thought for the Day

15th March 2013

Repetition of God’s Name (japam) and meditation (dhyana) are the means by which you can accelerate the concretisation of Divine Grace, in the Name and Form you yearn for. The Lord has to and will assume the Form you chose, the Name you fancy and the way you want Him to be. Therefore do not change the Name and Form you adore mid-way; but select and stick to the One that pleases you most, whatever the difficulty you encounter or however long it takes! All agitations must cease one day, is it not? The dhyana of the Form and the japam of the Name - that is the only means for this task.

 

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RE: Thought for the Day

16th March 2013

You are all pilgrims, moving along this land of action (Karmakshethra) to the goal - the land of righteousness (Dharmakshethra). The literary men, the poets and teachers who address you are all guides who help you along; but, the road has to be trodden by you, every inch of it. “Kavim Puranaam Anusaasitharam” - scriptures declare that a kavi (a poet or the learned one) places the rules of right conduct before people and warns them when they go astray. These individuals should also be very careful that they themselves do not stray, while professing the right path. The learned are those that have a noble vision, whose role is to interpret God for the benefit of one and all. They should not indulge in meaningless talk or writing about less significant topics.

 

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RE: Thought for the Day

17th March 2013
When you learn to ride a bicycle, you do not get the skill of balancing immediately. You push the cycle along to a safe and open ground, hop and skip, leaning now and then on one side and another, and make many an attempt to get the balance. Once you get the skill, you never even think or worry about balancing. You automatically make the necessary adjustments. You can now ride through narrow streets and lanes, and even through crowded alleys – you no longer need the large, safe, open ground! So too, practice alone will equip you with deep concentration, that will sustain you even in your most difficult situation. Hence, do not get discouraged that you are not able to concentrate on prayer or meditation for long. It is just the start!

 

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RE: Thought for the Day

18th March 2013
Believe Me, your nature is Sath-Chith-Ananda (Existence, Consciousness and Absolute Bliss). That is why you behave in the way you do. You desire to exist for ever; you enjoy life and avoid all talk of your own death. That is enough evidence to conclude that you are Reality in essence (Sath-swarupa). Then, again, you are filled with wonder and curiosity and a desire to know the world around you. You ask continuously what, why, how and when, about all and sundry. This is the prompting that is given by the Consciousness (Chith). Lastly, you are always seeking joy and try to avoid grief. It is your nature to do so, for you are essentially Bliss. When someone asks you, "How do you do?" and you answer, "Quite well, thank you," they do not stop to enquire why you are well. It is only when you answer that you are ill, you are further questioned anxiously. "Well-ness" is natural; "illness" unnatural. Anxiety is caused only by the unnatural. So, in essence you are happiness.

 

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RE: Thought for the Day

19th March 2013
You have the perfect freedom to select the Name and Form that gives you necessary encouragement. When you sit for meditation, recite chants on the Glory of God, so that the thoughts that are scattered could be collected. Then gradually your focus on the Lord will intensify. During meditation, the mind often runs after something else, it takes another road! You have to plug that outlet very quickly by recalling the Name and Form of your favourite Lord. See that the even flow of thoughts towards the Lord is not interrupted. Do not allow the mind to go beyond the twin bunds - the Name on one side and Form on the other! Thus you can easily tame your mind.

 

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RE: Thought for the Day

20th March 2013
You must be humble, yet strong to resist temptation. Do not yield like cowards to the sly insinuations of the senses. Do not spend all your time in the task of collecting information and acquiring skills that will give you an income on which you can live. It must also be used to acquire the art of being content and calm, collected and courageous. Also cultivate an ardent thirst for knowing the truth of the world and of your own self. Your words must be like honey. Your hearts must be as soft as butter. Your outlook must be like the lamp, illumining, not confusing. Be like the referee on the football field, watching the game, judging the play according to the rules laid down, unaffected by success or failure of this team or that.

 

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RE: Thought for the Day

21st March 2013
Pay attention to your physical health. Satisfy the demands of Nature. Otherwise your head would reel and your eyes might get blurred through exhaustion. The car must be given the fuel it needs, is it not? Maintain your body well as an instrument for a higher purpose. How can the thoughts of the Lord be stabilized in a weak frame? A road roller is fed with oil, coal and other types of fuel. But why is it fed and well-maintained? In order to lay and mend the road, is it not? So too be careful not to forget the purpose of this body, even as you tend to it. Never forget that you have been gifted this body, so you might realize the Lord and end the cycle of birth and death.

 

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RE: Thought for the Day

22nd March 2013
Unless you deposit an amount in the Bank, how will the Bank honour a cheque you issue? So too, ask yourself: ‘Have I deposited enough devotion to the Lord, service to my fellow-beings and faith in my spiritual practices?’ If you do, then you will most certainly draw the Grace of the Lord. Always remember and be sure that you will get as much Grace, in proportion to your perseverance to attain the Lord. The Supreme Divine has and will yield many benefits to you, that you cannot deny. I bless you that you may grow more and more in devotion to the Lord, in whatever Name and Form you choose and I wish you earn the Lord’s Grace to a very large extent.

 

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RE: Thought for the Day

23rd March 2013
Life is short, time is fleeting: your spiritual practice (sadhana) is creeping at tortoise pace. When will you decide to proceed a little faster? Your sadhana is like the answers you write at the examination. If you get only five or six marks, the examiner will strike out even that, saying, "What is the use of these few marks: it will take this student neither here nor there." If you get somewhere near the passing marks, then Grace will give you just a little more so that you may pass, provided you have been a diligent and well-behaved student. Engage yourselves in good deeds, good company and good thoughts. Fix your attention on the goal.